A new month begins; it’s officially fall and Broadway fans are gearing up for a jam-packed October. Tony winners abound, theatre freaks are popping up everywhere and TV and film folk make their way to the footlights. Below, BroadwayBox highlights 42 plays, musicals, concerts and events for theatre fans to enjoy this month in New York City (kind of, almost in chronological order).
1. Transport to a better, more romantic New York City with the stunning revival of On the Town at the Lyric Theatre.
2. Once’s Oscar-winning songwriter Markéta Irglová joins the cast of the Tony-winning musical at the Jacobs Theatre on October 2 for a special post-show concert with the cast.
3. See the Broadway transfer of the National Theatre’s Olivier-winning play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. This is going to become the hottest ticket in town so get yours early.
4. Tony winner Billy Porter recruited a bevy of fabulous divas (hello Lillias White!) to tell his life story in the compelling new off-Broadway drama While I Yet Live.
5. Check out the starry revival of It’s Only a Play, but be sure to brush up on all the insider jokes first. Also on October 10, you can see Nathan Lane in The Nance on PBS.
6. Tom Stoppard’s fantastic cheating-drama The Real Thing begins performances October 2 at Broadway’s American Airlines Theatre with a star-studded cast that includes Ewan McGregor, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Cynthia Nixon and Josh Hamilton.
7. It's the final week to see Audra McDonald’s history-making star turn in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. Last call is served on October 5.
8. Andrew Lippa and Kristin Chenoweth star in Noah Himmelstein’s production of I Am Harvey Milk on October 6 at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall. The show, celebrating the life of LGBT pioneer Harvey Milk, was a bit hit in San Fran and proceeds benefit the Harvey Milk Arts Fund at Hetrick-Martin Institute. And did we mention Lippa and Cheno?
9. Pull up a seat at the table for the explosive Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Disgraced, which examines what it’s like to be a Middle Eastern American in a post-9/11 New York.
10. Do not miss Amy Spanger in Chicago. You haven’t lived until you see what she does with the big showstopper “Roxie.” She’s killing ‘em at the Ambassador October 6 through October 26.
11. Grammy winner Sting takes a crack at Broadway with the austere new musical about shipyard workers The Last Ship. The show got great reviews out of town and is now docked at the Neil Simon Theatre.
12. Golden Globe Award nominee Joely Richardson stars as the private yet prolific poet Emily Dickinson in the one-woman-play The Belle of Amherst
at the Westside Theatre beginning October 7.13. Theatre vets Sarah Paulson, Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Frances Conroy and Finn Wittrock populate American Horror Story: Freak Show beginning October 8 on FX.
14. Then wait 20 days and get a closer look inside a freak show as the highly-anticipated revival of Side Show begins at the St. James Theatre on October 28.
15. Hop on a train and see the lush Broadway-bound revival of Can-Can at the Paper Mill Playhouse. The costumes, the choreography and Kate Baldwin—you are not ready.
16. Lucie Arnaz flies into the Tony-winning revival of Pippin October 9 through November 9.
17. Do I hear happiness in here? Carol Burnett (Miss Hannigan to a generation of Annie fans) steps into Broadway’s Love Letters beginning October 11.
18. Looking for a laugh? Check out Playwrights Horizons much-buzzed-about and highly-acclaimed new play Bootycandy through October 12.
19. The kids are all talking about Hunter Bell’s new musical Found at off-Broadway’s Atlantic Theatre Company. Definitely worth checking out, just to say you’ve seen it.
20. So many screenings! Thanks to the big screen, American theatre fans can see the British productions of Frankenstein with Ben Cumberbatch
, Tim Rice’s From Here to Eternity and the upcoming Broadway drama Skylight.21. On October 5 you can also screen a preview of Ahrens and Flaherty’s new musical Little Dancer at New York’s Guggenheim Museum or livestream it at guggenheim.org/live.
22. What’s more exciting than a new musical that has superheroes, 1970s Brooklyn and the super-talented Adam Chanler-Berat, Kyle Beltran and Rebecca Naomi Jones? Don’t miss Fortress of Solitude at The Public Theater through October 19.
23. The Public Theater is also offering Suzan-Lori Parks’ Father Comes Home From Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3) beginning October 14.
24. The headliners change at Hedwig and the Angry Inch mid-way through the month. We highly-recommend seeing Andrew Rannells before October 12; but hello, who could pass up see Dexter (Michael C. Hall) beginning October 16?
25. You have a whole ‘nother month to see Bedbugs!!!
off-Broadway. The title is a little off-putting, but everyone says it’s a mix between Little Shop and Rocky Horror and that’s enough for us.26. Second Stage offers a rare revival of Terrence McNally’s AIDS comedy (yes, you read right) Lips Together, Teeth Apart starring America Ferrera, Tracee Chimo, Michael Chernus & Austin Lysy. Previews begin October 7.
27. MTC’s new family drama The Country House
officially opens on Broadway and Daniel Sunjata takes off his pants for a whole scene, so there's that.28. The music of Beatles icon John Lennon comes to life in the new off-Broadway solo show Lennon: Through a Glass Onion.
29. NPH’s choose your own adventure autobiography Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography hits shelves October 14. Also you can see the Tony winner alongside Tony nominee Carrie Coon in Gone Girl on the big screen beginning October 3.
30. Celia Keenan-Bolger stars in the world premiere of Lincoln Center Theatre’s off-Broadway show The Oldest Boy beginning October 9.
31. The new Christmas album Holiday Wishes by If/Then star Idina Menzel drops October 14.
32. Tony winners Glenn Close and John Lithgow return to Broadway in Edward Albee’s genius play about family and growing older, A Delicate Balance. Previews begin October 20 at the Golden Theatre.
33. Kelli O’Hara, Laura Osnes, Kate Baldwin, Steven Pasquale and many more take part in Encores! Celebrates Rodgers and Hammerstein and Hart on October 27.
34. See the play about the “Jewish James Bond.” Wiesenthal begins previews at the Acorn Theatre on October 24.
35. Tony nominee Lauren Worsham plays her final performance in the Tony-winning best musical A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder on October 26. Meanwhile Tony winner Carole Shelley steps into a different GGLAM (Miss Shingle) role beginning October 28.
36. See Mad Men’s Vincent Kartheiser (Pete Campbell) live on stage in the Vineyard Theatre’s new Hollywood-set play Billy & Ray, and it’s directed by screen great Garry Marshall.
37. Richard Chamberlain, Holly Hunter and Bill Pullman star in The New Group's revival of David Rabe's family comedy Sticks and Bones at the Signature Theatre Center beginning October 21.
38. Looking for a Halloween scare? There’s nothing more chilling than the off-Broadway drama Stalking the Bogeyman at New World Stages.
39. Tony-winning hunk Hugh Jackman returns to Broadway in the mysterious new play The River beginning October 31. Until then, we always have Boy From Oz clips.
40. Take a masquerade ride around New York City with The Ride. From October 13-November 1, Manhattan's favorite interactive tour and street performance will dazzle trick-or-treaters with all the enchantment of an old-fashioned Carnival.
41. As far as 54 Below goes this month, we recommend (and have discounts for!) Randy Graff’s Made in Brooklyn, Jeremy Jordan’s Breaking Character, 54 Below Sings Kiss of the Spider Woman, the hilarious TASTiSkank, Sierra Boggess’ new show Finding the Balance and two offerings from Matilda: Lesli Margherita’s All Hail the Queen and The Newtildas concert.
42. If we are talking Birdland, it’s all about Chita Rivera’s show Chita’s Back on October 7-11 and Miss Coco Peru’s Have You Heard? on October 7-9. At the Cutting Room, the star attraction is Lucky Disaster Volume 4 on October 13. Then over at Joe’s Pub, it’s all about the queen of the cats Betty Buckley in her Ghostlight concert October 7-11 and Minnie Driver’s one-night-only show on October 14.
