Fall is when New York’s theater calendar really starts to heat up.
While the 2026-2027 Broadway and Off-Broadway season officially began in June, just a handful of shows went curtain up this summer. That means the coming months are ripe with opening nights and exciting new choices for theatergoers.
A buzzy mix of celebrity-led plays and new musicals top the most anticipated shows coming to New York stages this fall. Stars from The West Wing, Gone Girl, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe are among those who will tread the boards, along with notable Broadway veterans and Tony Award winners.
Here, we round up 10 of the most exciting productions coming to Broadway and Off-Broadway stages this fall, all slated to open between September and December.
Broadway
School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play
- Starring: Patina Miller, Denée Benton, Jasmine Amy Rogers
- Where: Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street)
- When: Previews begin September 8; Opening night September 28; Through November 1
- What: A comedy about a group of boarding school girls competing for the title of Miss Ghana 1986
Tony Award-nominated playwright Jocelyn Bioh and Tony-nominated director Whitney White are teaming up again to bring School Girls to Broadway for the first time, following a critically acclaimed world premiere Off-Broadway in 2017. Bioh and White previously collaborated on the Broadway production of Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. White was at the helm of the 2026 Tony-winning Best Play, Liberation; so it’s safe to expect a top-notch cast delivering well-executed performances with plenty of laughs along the way.
Other Desert Cities
- Starring: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ed Harris, Allison Janney, Joe Keery, Lily Rabe
- Where: Hudson Theatre (141 West 44th Street)
- When: Previews begin September 29; Opening night October 18; Through January 17, 2027
- What: The first-ever Broadway revival of Jon Robin Baitz’s Tony-winning family drama
One of the starriest casts of the first half of the theatrical season will take on Baitz’s drama about a politically connected family and their lurking secrets. Louis-Dreyfus (making her Broadway debut) and Janney are no strangers to the world of politics, given their Emmy-winning performances on Veep and The West Wing, respectively.
A Few Good Men
- Starring: Bradley Whitford, Tom Blyth, Krysta Rodriguez
- Where: Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center (150 West 65th Street)
- When: Previews begin October 8; Opening night October 29; Through January 10, 2027
- What: The first-ever revival of Aaron Sorkin’s breakout play about a lawyer defending two Marines accused of murder
If having one West Wing alum back on Broadway this fall weren’t exciting enough, there will be two when Bradley Whitford takes the stage at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. Whitford made his Broadway debut as a replacement in the original 1989 production of the play (penned by West Wing creator Sorkin) in the role that Blyth will inhabit in this mounting — for his Broadway debut. They’ll be joined by veteran stage actor Rodriguez to create the central trio in a show that asks questions about following your conscience and choosing the truth even when there are consequences.
Much Ado About Nothing
- Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Hayley Atwell, Mason Alexander Park
- Where: Winter Garden Theatre (1634 Broadway at West 50th Street)
- When: Previews begin October 31; Opening night November 19; Through January 10, 2027
- What: A transfer of director Jamie Lloyd’s critically acclaimed West End production of Shakespeare’s play
Following a successful 2025 West End run, Much Ado lands on Broadway for the first time in over 40 years with a pair of starry leads in Hiddleston and Atwell (making her Main Stem debut). Lloyd’s recent Broadway stagings of Sunset Boulevard and Waiting for Godot were celebrated for being creative and innovative, upping the curiosity factor about how he tackles a Shakespeare classic here.
Inter Alia
- Starring: Rosamund Pike
- Where: Music Box Theatre (239 West 45th Street)
- When: Previews begin November 10; Opening night December 1; Through February 21, 2027
- What: A transfer of the West End production of the legal drama from acclaimed playwright Suzie Miller
Gone Girl star Pike will make her Broadway debut in the role that won her a 2026 Olivier Award for her performance on the West End. She takes on the central role in Miller’s drama — the title of which means “among other things” — about a mother balancing her career as a court judge in London as she navigates a life-altering event. While the supporting cast has yet to be announced, Pike is the one to watch in this production.
Off-Broadway
Pre-existing Condition
- Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Phillipa Soo, Susannah Flood, Edie Falco, Sarah Steele
- Where: Greenwich House Theater (27 Barrow Street)
- When: Previews begin September 1; Opening night September 14; Through December 19
- What: A play about coping in the aftermath of a life-altering event
Previews of Tony nominee Marin Ireland’s play are already underway, with Nyong’o taking on the leading role to start the run. An all-star lineup of Soo, Flood, Falco, and Hari Nef will all take turns as the unnamed central character throughout the limited run — so check the cast schedule carefully when booking your tickets.
Midnight
- Starring: Todrick Hall, Kennedy Caughell
- Where: Daryl Roth Theatre (101 East 15th Street)
- When: Previews begin September 12; Opening night September 27; Through November 8
- What: A new musical written by and starring Hall
Hall’s score for the new musical, which asks, “What if the life you inherited had belonged to someone else?”, draws on gospel, R&B, opera, contemporary musical theater and more. He most recently wrote the score for Burlesque the Musical, the West End production based on the 2010 film, which he also directed, choreographed and starred in. His versatility as a multi-hyphenate makes Midnight an intriguing addition to this season’s lineup, while his history of high-profile controversies is likely to add another layer of interest.
Good Time Charlie
- Starring: Ryan J. Haddad, Beth Malone
- Where: Public Theater/Martinson Hall (425 Lafayette Street)
- When: Previews begin September 24; Opening night October 9; Through October 18
- What: A story of multiple generations of gay men growing up and cherishing the arts from playwright and performer Ryan J. Haddad
Haddad garnered critical acclaim for the 2023 Off-Broadway production of his autobiographical play Dark Disabled Stories. Now, Haddad will return with the world premiere production of Good Time Charlie, which — if the official synopsis is to be believed — will be an inspiring and heartwarming night at the theater.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- Starring: Britney Coleman, Andrew Durand, Kelsee Kimmel
- Where: Public Theater/Newman Theater (425 Lafayette Street)
- When: Previews begin October 8; Opening night October 21; Through November 22
- What: A musical reimagining of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s story
The first New York production of Benjamin Button includes notable Broadway alums Coleman, Durand, and Kimmel, and was well received on the West End in 2025. It took home the Olivier for Best New Musical, which begs the question of whether a Broadway transfer is on the horizon.
The Heart
- Starring: Heidi Blickenstaff, Drew Gehling, Joaquina Kalukango, Jason Tam
- Where: Laura Pels Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center (111 West 46th Street)
- When: Previews begin October 8; Opening night October 29; Through December 6
- What: A new musical about two families living through a crucial 24 hours, brought together by a single heart
Kait Kerrigan, one half of the songwriting duo Kerrigan-Lowdermilk, pens the book and additional lyrics for The Heart, joining a team that includes lyricists Anne Eisendrath and Ian Eisendrath of KPop Demon Hunters. With a cast of Broadway veterans including Blickenstaff, Gehling, Tony winner Kalukango, and Tam, this new musical sounds like it has plenty of heart already…
