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Stage & Street NYC is your NYC Broadway Guide for shows, theaters, seating advice, nearby restaurants, and better night-out planning. Start with Broadway, then explore Off-Broadway, concerts, sports, venue guides, and practical local tips that help you make the most of a night in New York City.
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The Best Broadway Shows
to See This Spring in New York City
A season loaded with star power, smart revivals, and a few genuine surprises. Here’s what’s worth your time and money.
Broadway has its rhythms. Fall is when the ambitious stuff opens. Summer is when tourists fill seats and jukebox shows reign. But spring — spring is when it gets interesting. The new season arrives in a rush, Tony eligibility deadlines stack up openings, and for a few weeks in April, you have more genuinely compelling choices than at any other point in the year.
Spring 2026 is delivering on that promise. This season brings an unusually deep bench of star-driven plays and a handful of musicals with real identity. Whether you’re visiting for a weekend, planning your first Broadway experience, or a regular who wants to know what’s actually worth booking — this guide is written to help you decide.
—Top Picks Overall: The Shows Worth Prioritizing This Spring
Not every spring opening is created equal. Before running through the full landscape, here are the productions with the strongest combination of cast, concept, and audience appeal right now.
This isn’t the Cats you remember — or the one from the movie. Reimagined by directors Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch as a high-fashion queer ballroom competition, this production drew enormous attention during its sold-out run at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in 2024. The concept genuinely transforms the material. If you were ever curious about what a Broadway classic could look like when reconceived rather than just revived, this is the one to see. It’s also the only show this spring with an open run, meaning no pressure to catch it before it closes.
Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf as Willy and Linda Loman, directed by Joe Mantello. Three Tony winners on one stage in one of the most enduring American plays ever written. This is the kind of Broadway event that happens rarely, and when it does, people remember it. For anyone who considers themselves a theater person — or wants to become one — this should be at the top of the list.
Academy Award winner Adrien Brody and Tessa Thompson both making their Broadway debuts in the same production — a visceral drama about Nick Yarris, a man who spent over two decades on death row for a crime he didn’t commit. Written by Lindsey Ferrentino, this transfers from a strong run in London. The star power here is real, and so is the material. Book early; this will sell out as reviews land.
David Auburn’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play returns to Broadway with Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle. The story — a young woman grapples with her late mathematician father’s legacy and her own mental health — is one of the great American plays of the last 25 years. The casting is inspired. If you know the play, you’ll want to see what this production does with it. If you’ve never seen it, this is an ideal introduction.
Long-Running Hits and Fan Favorites
If you’re visiting New York and this is your one Broadway show, or you want something proven and spectacular, these are the productions that have earned their reputation over thousands of performances.
Wicked
Still running, still selling, still the show that turns first-timers into lifelong Broadway fans. The untold story of the witches of Oz is exactly what big Broadway spectacle should feel like. Fresh off the blockbuster film adaptation, demand is as strong as ever. Book ahead.
Hamilton
A decade in and it hasn’t lost its pull. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical about America’s founding era remains one of the most technically impressive and emotionally satisfying evenings in the theater district. The cast rotates, but the show itself is airtight.
The Lion King
Julie Taymor’s production is one of the genuine achievements of American theatrical design. It’s been running since 1997 for a reason. If you’re bringing kids, or if you’ve somehow never seen it, this is the default answer to “what should I see on Broadway?”
The Book of Mormon, Chicago, Hadestown, Maybe Happy Ending
All four are running this spring and represent different flavors of the Broadway experience. The Book of Mormon remains the funniest show on Broadway, full stop. Chicago is lean, cynical, and endlessly entertaining. Hadestown is the best original musical of the last ten years. And Maybe Happy Ending, which won the Tony for Best Musical, is a quieter, more poignant show — one of the loveliest things to land on Broadway in recent memory.
—New and Hot Spring Openings
This is the most crowded new-show season in years. Here are the spring openings with the most genuine audience appeal.
Titanique
After a three-year Off-Broadway run, an Olivier Award-winning London production, and global touring, this campy send-up of the Titanic film — reimagined through the lens of Céline Dion’s music — finally arrives on Broadway at the St. James Theatre. Jim Parsons, Deborah Cox, Marla Mindelle, and Constantine Rousouli make up an unusually fun cast for what is, essentially, a very joyful theatrical party. Opens April 12. If you’re looking for something that is simply going to make you laugh, this is it.
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
August Wilson’s 1984 play — set in a Pittsburgh boarding house in 1910, one chapter in his ten-play Pittsburgh Cycle — gets a major revival with Taraji P. Henson and Cedric “The Entertainer.” Wilson’s plays are among the most important in the American canon, and this one, which centers on freed Black Americans navigating the aftermath of slavery, is particularly resonant. Opens April 25 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.
The Rocky Horror Show
Back on Broadway in a limited engagement at Studio 54, which is arguably the most fitting venue in the city for it. Luke Evans stars as Frank-N-Furter. Director Sam Pinkleton is leaning into the participatory spirit of the original. If you’ve ever done the time warp at a midnight screening, you know what to expect. If you haven’t, this is a genuinely fun entry point. Runs through June 21.
Fallen Angels
Noël Coward’s sparkling 1925 comedy gets a polished revival at the Todd Haimes Theatre with Kelli O’Hara and Rose Byrne. Two women, their husbands away, slowly unraveling over drinks while waiting for the same ex-lover to arrive. It’s witty, fizzy, and very well cast. A limited run through June 7 — a smart pick for anyone who likes their comedy with some elegance.
The Lost Boys, A New Musical
Based on the 1987 cult horror-comedy film, this new musical opens April 26 at the Palace Theatre, directed by Tony winner Michael Arden. It’s the biggest swing of the spring musical season — new material, a built-in fan base, and a director with a strong track record. Worth watching closely once reviews land.
—More Serious Picks: Theater Worth Seeing on Its Own Terms
Not every show needs to be a spectacle. These spring openings are for visitors who want something with a little more weight.
Every Brilliant Thing
Daniel Radcliffe’s one-person show — already open and running through May 24 — is the kind of theater that reminds you why the form exists. Based on Duncan MacMillan’s acclaimed play, it follows a man looking back on a list he started as a child of every beautiful thing in the world, written as a way to help his depressed mother find a reason to live. It’s funny and devastating in equal measure, and the interactive format makes it unlike anything else on Broadway right now. Don’t wait; it closes in May.
Becky Shaw
Gina Gionfriddo’s Pulitzer-nominated dark comedy makes its long-delayed Broadway debut at Second Stage. A blind date goes spectacularly wrong and the fallout spreads through everyone around it. The cast — including Alden Ehrenreich and Patrick Ball — is sharp, and Trip Cullman is one of the better directors working in New York. Runs through June 14.
Beaches: A New Musical
The beloved 1988 film gets a stage adaptation at the Majestic Theatre, with Jessica Vosk and Kelli Barrett in the roles made famous by Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey. More than a decade in development, this arrives this spring as one of the season’s more emotionally ambitious musicals. Music by legendary songwriter Mike Stoller. Runs through September — plenty of time, but demand from fans of the film will be real.
—Best Choices by Type of Visitor
These are the shows that make people understand what Broadway is. Go in without expectations and let the production do its job.
Both are visually spectacular, age-appropriate, and paced for an audience that might include restless kids. The Lion King edges it for pure theatrical craft.
For something fun and low-pressure: Titanique. For something more sophisticated: Fallen Angels. Either pairs well with dinner in Hell’s Kitchen beforehand.
Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf in a landmark American play. This is the answer when you only have one slot and want to see something you’ll still be thinking about next month.
Both offer something you won’t find anywhere else right now — one a beautifully cast revival of a modern classic, the other an experience more than a show.
August Wilson is one of America’s greatest playwrights, and this revival is a rare opportunity to see a major work from the Pittsburgh Cycle with a compelling cast.
Coming Soon: What to Watch This Spring
These shows are either in previews or opening in the coming weeks. Worth knowing about before you book.
Based on the Apple TV+ series that imagined a couple stranded in a magical Golden Age musical town, this stage adaptation runs through September at the Nederlander. Fans of classic Broadway will find a lot to enjoy here.
David Lindsay-Abaire’s new play runs only through May 24 — a very short limited engagement. Worth getting to early if you follow new American playwrights.
Michael Arden directing a stage adaptation of the 1987 cult vampire film. A lot of anticipation from the horror-musical crowd. One to watch once the reviews land.
How to Choose the Right Show This Spring
The limited runs this spring — Death of a Salesman, The Fear of 13, Proof, Every Brilliant Thing, Fallen Angels, The Rocky Horror Show — all close between May and July. Once reviews land and word gets out, good seats go fast and prices move up. Booking early almost always gets you better seats at better prices.
If you’re set on Wicked, Hamilton, or The Lion King, you have more room to plan. These shows run year-round and have large enough theaters that you can often find decent availability closer to your visit. That said, spring break and holiday weekends fill up fast, so mid-week performances will almost always give you better availability and lower prices.
Shows in previews (before their official opening night) are still being refined. Tickets are often cheaper. The risk is that a show might not be fully cooked yet — though for productions with strong creative teams, the difference is usually minor. If you want certainty, wait for reviews. If you want a deal and don’t mind the gamble, previews are the play.
The theater district sits between 8th Avenue and 6th Avenue, roughly between 42nd and 53rd Streets. Hell’s Kitchen, just to the west, is full of good pre-theater dinner options — many with prix-fixe menus timed to the 7pm or 8pm curtain. If you’re seeing something at Studio 54 (Rocky Horror), Roundabout’s Todd Haimes Theatre (Fallen Angels), or the Broadhurst, you’re a short walk from some of the better pre-show options in midtown.
TKTS in Times Square and the app sell same-day discounted tickets, usually for shows with availability. For sold-out or near-sold-out productions, individual show lotteries and rush programs are often your only shot. Check each show’s official site for lottery details — most run them daily.
The Short Version
Spring 2026 is the strongest Broadway season in several years — not because of one breakout hit, but because of the sheer range of serious work landing at once. If you see nothing else, Death of a Salesman with Lane and Metcalf is the event of the spring. The Fear of 13 and Proof both have the cast power to become must-sees the moment reviews confirm what the previews suggest. Cats: The Jellicle Ball is the most visually distinctive thing on Broadway right now. And if you just want a great time with no homework required, Titanique is exactly that.
Whatever you choose, book the moment you’re sure. The best seats and the best prices are always available earliest.
