Hello theater fans! After last year’s crowded musical field, we only have 6 new musicals (as of press) in this year’s Tony hunt. One of them has already imploded, 3 of them are jukebox(ish) musicals, and only 2 of them are advertising open runs, so we’ll see how this goes… Don’t worry, there are still a bunch of great shows running from last year, some heavy hitting revivals, some star-studded plays, and some off-broadway excitement to entice your spring NYC dance card.
2026 Best Musical Contenders
3/27/26–9/6/26
About: A musical adaptation of the beloved film – now with 50% more power ballads!
Our take: It will either be awful, or.. something…? But you will get to hear GUB favorite Jessica Vosk belt out the tunes you already know… and some new songs written and re-written by a soap-opera-plot of shifting creative teams since 2014. Don’t worry—it’s a limited 12-week Broadway run as the producers have already decided there won’t be enough wind beneath its wings for a long Broadway run.
3/27/26–
About: A musical adaptation of the cult 80’s vampire coming-of-age film.
Our take: This cult film was previously unknown here at GUB. And Broadway famously doesn’t care for vampire-based offerings… but this one is swinging big, having already released a few tracks of its 80’s hair band-vibed original score to help build interest. If nothing else, you can see GUB’s favorite pair of boobs, Shoshanna Bean, in yet another (we assume) “mom trying her best with rowdy teenagers” role.
Two Strangers (carry a cake across new york)
11/1/25–
About: A rom-com, involving cake!
Our take: With solid reviews and no Pulitzer prizes in sight, who doesn’t want to just be entertained? With only two performers and buzz words like ‘heartwarming,’ ‘charming,’ ‘escape,’ and ‘magical’—it sounds like our kind of rom-com! Plus Sam Tutty (the lead) is cute. Bonus points for making it more than 2 weeks past opening, currently holding the record for longest run of this season!
4/4/26–9/6/26
About: A stage musical adaptation of the first season of the amazing TV series.
Our take: Critics were lukewarm on the Kennedy Center Run in 2025. It made extra news as it was running when the Cheeto ruined that institution. While the reception on the out-of-town run varied, it did include things like “if you loved the TV series, you’ll love the stage show!” (and we all know shows get cleaned up to land better on broadway), so we here at GUB are supes excited since we are possibly the #1 fan of the TV series. This will be the second Musical TV Show → Stage Musical adaptation in as many seasons! We here at GUB are here for this new category of jukebox musicals. Just like Smash before it, don’t expect to see the A-list cast from the TV series – but wouldn’t that be loverly?
3/26/26–6/18/26
About: A spoof queer sendup jukebox musical of the film and Celine Dion
Our take: What a weird time for theater it is, but we are happy to see this delightful production set sail in one of Broadway’s biggest houses after its extended off-broadway runs downtown. The GROHNs committee has seen it twice! If you haven’t seen it yet, get yourself to the St. James! This production includes the original star and writer Marla Mindelle back as a mad-cap version of Celine Dion and will be joined by a star studded cast including Jim Parsons (in drag), Frankie Grande (technically not in drag, but…gay), and Deborah Cox (a drag queens wet dream)!
2026 Musical Revival Contenders
10/15/25–5/3/26
About: A revival of the broadway fan favorite score – still with a punchline worthy bad book.
Our Take: Critics weren’t impressed with the yet-another attempt at making the book work. But most are agreeing it delivers a loud and vocally impressive version of the well known score by three powerhouse leads—despite opinions you hold of Lea or Aaron.
9/26/25–6/14/26
About: A transfer of the 2025 City Center revival which got rave reviews and is setting Lincoln Center Theater box office records. Originally scheduled to end after the holidays, it got extended through the Tony’s telecast—a true showing of the front-runner mentality!
Our take: One of GUBs favorite scores, it will be a lush (if a bit heavy) evening with the full Lincoln Center treatment. Plus hunky Joshua Henry and Nichelle Lewis seem to have no problem filling the large shoes of the original cast with the show’s anthem.
3/18/26–7/18/26
About: A transfer of the well received off-broadway revival that uses the score and lyrics you know but ditches the leg warmers, whiskers and ballet for NYC ballroom death drops, 40” weaves, and heels.
Our Take: The off broadway run cleaned up at the 2024 GROHN awards. It made the non-plot of the show seem somehow a plot! But—just like Rum Tum Tugger—we are a curious cat for how that intimate runway staging will translate to a large Broadway house.
3/26/26–6/21/26
About: Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the genre-defining cult-classic film, we are getting a big budget Broadway revival at Broadway real estate royalty: Studio 54.
Our Take: With Luke Evans in fishnets, direction from Oh, Mary’s Sam Pinklerton and an all star cast we are ready to take a step to the right!
The Plays
(…or where to film & TV stars on Broadway)
3/11/26–6/28/26
About: A play about how Roald Dahl got canceled. A London import here to win all the Tony’s after a tromp through the Olivier’s last year with an “extraordinary, career-defining” performance from John Lithgow.
3/6/26–6/14/26
About: “One of the finest dramas in the whole range of the American theater” in its sixth Broadway Revival – but you are just here to see Laurie Metcalf and Nathan Lane.
2/21/26–5/24/26
About: A solo show (starring Danial Radcliff) that will make you feel better in these anxious times. If it sounds familiar – it’s been performed in over 80 cities already and competed in the 2023 GROHNs.
3/18/26–6/14/26
About: A dark comedy in which a blind date spirals spectacularly off the rails. Sounds like our kind of play!
3/27/26–6/7/26
About: A revival of Noel Coward’s comedy of bad manners with luminaries Kelli O’Hara and Rose Byrne.
3/31/26–7/19/26
About: A revival of a play about math! JK—it’s gonna be super serious. But you can see Don Cheadle and Ayo Edebiri (of the Bear) make their Broadway debuts.
Fear of 13
3/19/26–July(ish)
About: Super light play about a Death Row inmate falsely accused. But you can see Adrien Brody and Tessa Thompson make their broadway debuts!
2025 Tony Season Juggernauts still running:
About: An adaptation of the beloved film, twisted necks, gunshot holes and all.
Our take: A strong show from the 2025 Tony season (not to mention the 2024 and 2025 GROHNs) that is still running due to it being one of the best musical comedies in years. Jennifer Simard is still in the cast, with new costar and GUB favorite Betsy Wolfe!
About: Robots in the future, in love!
Our take: It won all of the 2025 Tony’s and 2025 GROHNs! Get yourself to this show! GUB recommends being close to the center to fully appreciate the tech. Sadly GROHN favorite Helen J Shen is playing her final performance 2/15 but you get to see GROHN winning crooner Dez Duran still! GROHN snub & Tony winner Darren Criss plays his last performance 5/17.
About: A show about Mary Todd Lincoln.
Our take: One of the funniest, best directed plays… ever. Will be starring John Cameron Mitchel—the original Hedwig if you needed to be reminded—through 4/26. Further casting has not been announced. We would see this again and again.
About: The true story (with today’s sensibilities) of WWII espionage that fooled the Nazis!
Our take: It’s Hamilton for the UK – having the most 5-star reviews of any West End show ever. This great show did well at the 2025 GROHNs despite not being able to understand most of the fast lyrics and various British accents. Do a bit of listening to the cast album beforehand if you are not fluent in british accent; otherwise, strap in for a madcap ride as you might becomes obsessed.
Off-Broadway
[It’s hard to track all the exciting things happening off and off-off Broadway but here are a few we have our eyes on!]
6/22/25–5/24/2026
About: An adaptation of the cult classic dark comedy film – croquet and all. Extended through the spring from a successful fall run.
Our take: This show has been circulating for over a decade—with regional productions in the late teens—but got a revisal in London recently. This production promises to be even better than what is captured on the cast recording from its original off-broadway run in 2014.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
11/7/25–4/12/26
About: A well received revival of this delightful comedy about misfit preteens at a county spelling bee. It’s been extended from its limited fall run!
Our take: We have seen this show more than most over the course of GROHNS history and find it delightful every time. Be adventurous and convince one of your theater companions to sign up as an audience-participation speller to further improve your enjoyment of the show!
6/1/25–7/5/26
About: An immersive staging (not revival…) with multiple actors playing Phantom’s and Christine’s throughout the multilevel ‘experience’ a la Sleep no More.
Our take: We are typically quite hesitant to recommend any immersive/participatory shows (except spelling bee, obviously) but people seem to be enjoying hearing Phantom again as it got extended through the spring…