The Imaginary Invalid Broadway: Tickets, Cast, Dates & What to Know

A Clown Plays Molière’s Most Famous Patient

The Imaginary Invalid is back on Broadway in a new Roundabout Theatre Company production at the Todd Haimes Theatre, running from September 25 to November 22, 2026. Bill Irwin, the Tony winner many consider America’s great stage clown, wrote the adaptation and plays Argan himself. Rachel Bloom makes her Broadway debut as Toinette, the maid who sees through everyone.

This production exists because of that pairing. Argan is a role built for physical comedy: a man who takes to his armchair, his tonics and his doctors’ bills with the energy most people save for a hobby. Irwin has spent five decades turning the body into a punchline, so casting him here is less a star vehicle than a match between actor and part. Brandon J. Dirden, a veteran Broadway actor, directs in his Broadway directing debut.

Practical note: it runs about 90 minutes with no intermission, and the run is short. That makes it one of the easier Broadway evenings to fit around dinner, and one with a hard end date.

Molière’s The Imaginary Invalid: The Play Behind the Broadway Revival

The Imaginary Invalid (Le Malade imaginaire) is Molière’s final play, a comedy he wrote in 1673 and in which he played the lead himself. The story that follows it around is true: Molière was taken ill onstage during the fourth performance and died hours later. A playwright dying after playing a man who only thinks he’s sick is the kind of irony the play would enjoy.

The original was a comédie-ballet with music and dance woven through it. Most modern productions, including this one, trim the play into a tighter comedy. For Broadway, Bill Irwin adapted a translation by Doug Skinner, with original music by John Gromada. The setting stays in Argan’s Paris sitting room in 1672, but the target is timeless: people who pour money into feeling unwell, and the professionals happy to take it.

The Imaginary Invalid Synopsis: What Is the Play About?

Argan is convinced he is seriously ill. He isn’t, but he has built his life around the idea: a rotating cast of doctors and apothecaries, a stack of bills, and a very close relationship with his armchair.

His solution to the cost of all that care is to marry his daughter, Angélique, to a young doctor so he’ll have medical attention in the family. Angélique has already fallen for someone else. Meanwhile, Argan’s second wife, Béline, seems a little too interested in what he’s leaving behind, and his sensible brother Béralde keeps suggesting that the medicine might be the actual problem.

Holding it together is Toinette, the household’s sharp-tongued maid, who decides the only way to cure Argan is to beat his obsession at its own game. The comedy comes from money, marriage, family schemes and a medical profession that Molière clearly did not trust.

That is the setup. The fun is in how far everyone goes to break the spell.

Bill Irwin Takes On Molière’s The Imaginary Invalid

Irwin is doing two jobs here: he wrote this version of the text, and he plays its center. That matters because Molière’s comedy lives in the body as much as in the lines. A man pretending to be at death’s door has to be funny standing up, sitting down and falling over, and very few American actors have Irwin’s training in that.

He came up as an original member of San Francisco’s Pickle Family Circus, built his own wordless clown shows such as The Regard of Flight, Largely New York and Old Hats, and won a MacArthur Fellowship for that work. He also has serious dramatic credentials, including a 2005 Tony Award for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? This isn’t his first Molière, either; his résumé includes Scapin.

When the adapter is also the lead, the script tends to be shaped around what that performer does best. Expect this Imaginary Invalid to lean into physical comedy and timing rather than stiff period manners. The creative team supports that: Lorenzo Pisoni, himself a circus-trained performer, is credited with movement direction.

The Imaginary Invalid Broadway Cast

The Imaginary Invalid cast is led by Bill Irwin as Argan, with Rachel Bloom as Toinette, Brooks Ashmanskas, Dylan Baker and the full Roundabout ensemble.

Creative team: direction by Brandon J. Dirden, set design by Beowulf Boritt, costumes by Karen Perry, lighting by Allen Lee Hughes, sound design and original music by John Gromada, hair and wigs by Nikiya Mathis, and movement direction by Lorenzo Pisoni.

Is The Imaginary Invalid Right for You?

This isn’t a review; the production hasn’t opened yet. It’s a guide to who this kind of show tends to suit.

Going as a couple? A comic 90-minute play leaves room for a real dinner and a drink after. See our best Broadway shows for date night. First Broadway trip? Start with Broadway for first-timers.

The Imaginary Invalid Tickets: What to Know Before Buying

A two-month limited run in a 740-seat house doesn’t leave much room to wait. Here’s what actually affects your choice.

For discount strategies beyond this show, read our guides to Broadway rush and lottery tickets, last-minute Broadway tickets and when to buy Broadway tickets.

Previews, Opening Night & Closing Date

Neither period is “better.” Previews can feel looser and sometimes cost less, and changes during previews are normal. After opening, you get a finished show and the critics’ verdict.

Early performance schedule

Schedule as published by Playbill; later weeks and holiday times can differ. Always check the date you want on the ticketing calendar. Prefer a daytime show? See our Broadway matinee guide.

How Long Is The Imaginary Invalid on Broadway?

No intermission means no mid-show bathroom break or bar run, so handle both before you sit down. Roundabout also notes that the production uses theatrical haze.

Does The Imaginary Invalid Have Rush or Lottery Tickets?

As of September 24, 2026, we haven’t found a production-specific rush or digital lottery for The Imaginary Invalid. The confirmed discount route is Roundabout’s Hiptix program, described above, which offers $30 tickets to members ages 18 to 40.

Programs like rush and lottery are sometimes added once performances are underway. We’ll update this section if one is announced. Meanwhile, our guide to getting Broadway rush tickets explains how they generally work.

The Imaginary Invalid at the Todd Haimes Theatre

The Todd Haimes Theatre, at 227 West 42nd Street, is Roundabout’s flagship Broadway house. It opened in 1918 as the Selwyn, was restored in 2000 and was known for years as the American Airlines Theatre before being renamed for Roundabout’s late artistic director. With about 740 seats, it’s on the smaller side for Broadway, which suits a comedy that relies on faces and timing.

It’s on the busy 42nd Street block just west of Times Square, so allow a few extra minutes to get through the crowds before an 8pm curtain. Our full Todd Haimes Theatre guide covers the entrance, the box office and accessibility.

Where should you sit for The Imaginary Invalid?

This is a dialogue-and-physical-comedy play rather than a spectacle, so being able to see faces and hear lines clearly matters more than a panoramic view. Broadway Direct’s listing for the theater notes that on-demand captioning and audio description are offered through the GalaPro app or a device, typically starting a few weeks after opening. For rows, sightlines and value seats, use our Todd Haimes Theatre seating guide and the Broadway accessibility guide.

The Imaginary Invalid Reviews

Before and After the Show

A 90-minute play changes the math. You can sit down for dinner at 6 for an 8pm curtain without rushing, or eat afterward, since you’ll be out around 9:30. The theater is steps from the Times Square subway hub, which makes getting home easy.

Where to eat: restaurants near Broadway, the best pre-theater restaurants and our pre-show dining guide. Getting there: how to get to a Broadway show and parking near Broadway. Staying over: hotels near Broadway. For the lay of the land, see our Theater District guide.

The Imaginary Invalid: Frequently Asked Questions

Facts checked September 24, 2026, against Roundabout Theatre Company, Playbill and IBDB. Casting, schedules and discount programs can change; confirm with the official box office before you buy.