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Broadway Is Bursting in 2026: Star-Studded Shows, Electrifying Revivals & Must-See New Musicals

Close-up of the iconic Broadway street sign in New York City, USA.

Broadway is officially having a moment — and 2026 may go down as one of the most spectacular seasons in recent memory. From Oscar winners making their stage debuts to beloved films finally getting the musical treatment, the Great White Way is packed with can’t-miss productions from now through the fall. Here’s your essential guide to everything new, exciting, and opening on Broadway this year.

A Season of A-List Debuts

Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle make their Broadway debuts in the first NYC revival of David Auburn’s Pulitzer and Tony-winning play Proof, about the daughter of a deceased math genius thrown into turmoil as she tries to prove the authorship of one of his groundbreaking discoveries. Directed by Thomas Kail, the production opens at the Booth Theatre on April 16, 2026.

The debuts don’t stop there. Lindsey Ferrentino’s new play The Fear of 13 will star two-time Academy Award winner Adrien Brody and Golden Globe nominee Tessa Thompson in their Broadway debuts. The visceral drama is inspired by the true story of Nick Yarris, a man who spent more than two decades on death row for a crime he did not commit.

Iconic Revivals Light Up the Stage

Classic American drama returns in a jaw-dropping way. Directed by Tony Award winner Joe Mantello, the new production of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman stars three-time Tony Award winner Nathan Lane, two-time Tony Award winner Laurie Metcalf, and Christopher Abbott for a limited 22-week run at the Winter Garden Theatre.

Taraji P. Henson and Cedric “The Entertainer” star in the Broadway revival of August Wilson’s classic Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, set in a Pittsburgh boarding house in 1910. Debbie Allen, a Golden Globe and four-time Emmy Award winner, directs the production at the Barrymore Theatre.

Shakespeare also gets a glamorous makeover this fall: Much Ado About Nothing stars Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell in Jamie Lloyd’s reinvention of the witty romantic comedy, in a production that premiered in London in spring 2025.

Fan-Favorite Films & TV Shows Hit the Stage

Pop culture is flooding Broadway in 2026. Cats: The Jellicle Ball — the drag and ball culture-inspired take on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic musical — arrives on Broadway following a successful Off-Broadway run. The production reimagines Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats at an LGBTQ vogue ball and features Tony Award winner André De Shields.

The Broadway return of The Rocky Horror Show stars Luke Evans as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a mad scientist who takes an innocent young couple on an unforgettable adventure through his weird, wild world. Directed by Sam Pinkleton, this legendary rock-‘n’-roll musical takes on a new life at Studio 54.

Schmigadoon! opens at the Nederlander Theatre on April 20, 2026, starring Alex Brightman, Sara Chase, Ana Gasteyer, Ann Harada, and Brad Oscar, with book, music, and lyrics by Cinco Paul. The hit Apple TV+ series is now a musical come to life on stage, featuring beloved songs from Season 1, following a married couple who end up in a town where everyone is in a Golden Age musical.

And for those who love a good cry: the beloved story Beaches, the book adaptation that became a blockbuster film starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey, will star Jessica Vosk and Kelli Barrett, featuring a score by Grammy winner Mike Stoller — opening at the Majestic Theatre on April 22, 2026.

Bold New Works & Broadway Premieres

Having won a Tony Award for Merrily We Roll Along, Daniel Radcliffe returns to make more magic in the Broadway premiere of Duncan Macmillan’s interactive dark comedy about a British man who makes lists of the world’s good things, at first to ease his mum’s depression and later to temper his own.

John Lithgow reprises his Olivier Award-winning performance as children’s author Roald Dahl on Broadway following an acclaimed West End run in Giant.

Meanwhile, The Lost Boys, A New Musical — directed by Tony Award winner Michael Arden and based on the cult classic 1987 horror-comedy — follows two teenage brothers who move with their divorced mother to a fictional California town, only to discover it’s a haven for vampires.

Looking Ahead: Fall 2026 and Beyond

Looking further ahead, Dreamgirls — directed by Camille A. Brown — will mark Broadway’s first all-new production of the beloved musical and is slated to open in fall 2026. Also on the horizon, Tony nominee Raúl Esparza stars as Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei in the electrifying new musical Galileo, with previews beginning November 10, 2026.

Most of the musicals and plays opening this season are eligible for the 2026 Tony Awards, setting the stage for what promises to be a fiercely competitive awards race.

With so many productions hitting the boards, now is the time to start planning your theater-going calendar. For the best deals on tickets to all these incredible shows, broadticket.com is your top resource and best starting point — the most reliable platform for Broadway deals before you check anywhere else. Playbill also maintains an updated schedule of upcoming productions for reference.

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