What's Opening Off-Broadway in Fall 2024
The off-Broadway lineup this fall will include performances by Adam Driver, Kenneth Branagh, Anthony Edwards, Emmy Rossum and more.
By: Sidney Paterra Oct. 02, 2024
2025 will be here before we know it, but before we look ahead, there's a lot to get excited about off-Broadway this fall! Many off-Broadway productions have already announced their upcoming premieres, showcasing an eclectic range of new works and revivals. Check out a full list of what's opening Off-Broadway this fall season!
Looking for more! Check out BroadwayWorld's 2024 Fall Preview and find out what's coming to Broadway in 2025!
Deep History
Running at The Public Theater
Performances begin: October 10, 2024
Performances close: November 10, 2024
Plot: At the end of 2019, in the English countryside, Australian playwright David Finnigan began writing a play about the six turning points that have brought us to this moment in time—our ecosystems transformed, our planet on the brink of unthinkable climate disaster. But then Finnigan's hometown of Canberra was hit by bushfires. As an area the size of England burned and one billion animals perished, he started to receive texts from loved ones racing to evacuate amid the devastation.
Why to See It: An urgent and personal retelling of how we’ve reached the brink of unthinkable climate disaster, Deep HIstory comes to New York following acclaimed runs at Edinburgh Fringe, London’s Barbican Centre, and Canberra Theatre Centre.
Drunk Dracula
Running at The Ruby Theater
Performances begin: October 19, 2024
Performances close: November 3, 2024
Plot: After centuries of being cooped up in his creepy old castle, Transylvania’s thirstiest bachelor is in need of fresh blood to maintain his youthful looks and chiseled physique. Now he’s ready to take a giant bite out of the Big Apple. Get ready for Drunk Dracula this October, a hilarious new show that promises to be more fangtastic than a Twilight marathon. Grab a glass and join us as history’s most famous vampire (sorry, Edward Cullen) navigates the concrete jungle, one shot at a time. Will you be his next victim, or will you stake your claim as the one who got away? Prepare for a spooky night of booze-infused laughs…and maybe even a bit of necking.
Why to See It: Loosely based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Drunk Dracula is the new seasonal offering of off-Broadway's long-running smashed hit show, Drunk Shakespeare.
Bad Kreyol
Running at the Pershing Square Signature Center
Performances begin: October 8, 2024
Performances close: December 1, 2024
Plot: Bad Kreyol follows Simone, first-generation Haitian American, and her cousin Gigi, Haitian born and raised, who reunite to honor their grandmother’s dying wish for them to reconnect. Simone’s pilgrimage back to her ancestral homeland forces both cousins to confront their differing world views, the presence of NGOs in Haiti, and the plagued dynamic between Haiti and the U.S.
Why to See It: Dominique Morisseau’s Bad Kreyol kicks off Signature’s 2024-25 season. This work which concludes the playwright’s critically acclaimed Premiere Residency. In this play set in Port-au-Prince, Morisseau turns her knack for meticulous social anatomization outward.
We Live in Cairo
Running at New York Theatre Workshop
Performances begin: October 9, 2024
Performances close: November 24, 2024
Plot: Inspired by the young Egyptians who took to the streets amidst the throes of the Arab Spring, We Live in Cairo follows six student activists using their street art, photography and song to overthrow a regime older than they are. Winner of the Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theater, this soaring new musical from Jonathan Larson Grant winners and NYTW Usual Suspects Daniel & Patrick Lazour journeys from the jubilation of the Tahrir Square protests through the aftermath of the years that followed. As escalating division and violence lead to a military crackdown, the young revolutionaries of Cairo must weigh the cost of how—or even whether—to keep their dreams of change alive.
Why to See It: We Live in Cairo features a book, music & lyrics by Jonathan Larson Grant winners and NYTW Usual Suspects The Lazours, choreography and movement direction by Ann Yee, and direction by Obie Award winner and NYTW Usual Suspect Taibi Magar. The production stars The Who's Tommy's Ali Louis Bourzgui and more.
Shit. Meet. Fan.
Running at MCC Theater
Performances begin: October 10, 2024
Performances close: December 1, 2024
Plot: Here's the game... Phones Out. Face Up. Volume High. Every text, every email, every call must be shared aloud. That's what a group of long-time friends gather to play on the night of the eclipse. With the cocktails flowing among grownups who refuse to grow up, outrageous secrets and skeletons begin to emerge... Shit. Meet. Fan. Are they ready for the ensuing chaos? Are you?
Why to See It: Shit. Meet. Fan features an all-star cast including Garret Dillahunt, Genevieve Hannelius, five-time Emmy Award winner and Tony Award winner Neil Patrick Harris, Tony Award winner Jane Krakowski, Tony Award nominee Billy Magnussen, Emmy Award winner Debra Messing, Tramell Tillman, and Golden Globe nominee Constance Wu.
In the Amazon Warehouse Parking Lot
Running at Playwrights Horizons
Performances begin: October 10, 2024
Performances close: November 17, 2024
Plot: Seamlessly merging bracing apocalypse fiction, playful heist narrative, and queer love story, Sarah Mantell's play imagines our country transformed into an Amazon warehouse-dotted landscape, narrowing daily as the oceans take the coasts. In the Amazon Warehouse Parking Lot follows a band of queer warehouse workers as they travel in their vans from job to job, escaping the encroaching coastline, and searching for signs of the people they’ve lost along the way.
Why to See It: Sarah Mantell’s Susan Smith Blackburn Prize-winning play celebrates warmth and care in an unlikely tribute to the resilience of queer community.
Another Shot
Running at the Pershing Square Signature Theatre
Performances begin: October 15, 2024
Performances close: January 4, 2025
Plot: Another Shot is a humorous and heartfelt ode to recovery and the community that makes it possible. It is based loosely on the real-life experiences of Chicago sports radio personality Harry Teinowitz, whose career and life were put in jeopardy following an arrest for DUI. Co-written by former ESPN personality and playwright Spike Manton (Leaving Iowa), Another Shot tells the outrageous, infuriating, and hilarious story of an alcoholic on the edge of blowing up his life when he finally confronts the inarguable truth of his behavior and how it is affecting his family, his life, and his liver.
Why to See It: Another Shot had a 2021 Chicago run, where it received a Joseph Jefferson Award nomination for Best New Work. The cast is Dan Butler, Chiké Johnson, Samantha Mathis, Gregg Mozgala, Quentin Nguyễn-duy, and Portia. Jackson Gay directs.
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Teeth
Running at New World Stages
Performances begin: October 18, 2024
Plot: Teeth is a sharp tale of revenge and transformation that tears through a culture of shame and repressed desire one delightfully unhinged song at a time. The musical follows Dawn O’Keefe, an evangelical Christian teen struggling to be an exemplar of purity amongst her community of fellow Promise Keeper Girls. Her stepbrother, Brad —alienated by his repressive upbringing by his fanatical Pastor father, which drew him to the online camaraderie of the Truthseeker men’s support group—is haunted by an indelible incident from his and Dawn’s past. As Dawn’s desires become tested and twisted by the men in her life, she discovers a deadly secret not even she understands: when men violate her, her body bites back—literally.
Why to See It: Based on the screenplay by Mitchell Lichtenstein, Teeth features book and music by Anna K. Jacobs, book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize & Tony Award winner Michael R. Jackson, direction by Obie Award winner Sarah Benson and choreography by Raja Feather Kelly. Teeth will star Alyse Alan Louis, three-time Tony Award nominee Andy Karl, Will Connolly, Jason Gotay, Jared Loftin, Courtney Bassett, Jenna Rose Husli, Micaela Lamas, Madison McBride, Sydney Parra, and Wren Rivera.
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Walden
Running at Second Stage Theater
Performances begin: October 16, 2024
Plot: In the near future, Stella and her fiancé, Bryan, are waiting at their remote cabin for Stella’s estranged twin sister, Cassie. Raised by their astronaut father to be NASA scientists, the twins have taken different paths: Cassie has just returned from a successful moon mission, while Stella has left NASA behind. When they reunite, old conflicts reignite, forcing the sisters to choose between staying on Earth or pursuing a future in space, as humanity’s fate hangs in the balance.
Why to See It: Directed by Tony Award nominee Whitney White, Amy Berryman's Walden stars Emmy Rossum, Zoe Winters, and Motell Foster.
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King Lear
Running at The Shed
Performances begin: October 26, 2024
Performances close: December 15, 2024
Plot: Set in the barbarous landscape of Ancient Britain, this production releases the play’s power and turmoil in a fast-paced staging.
Why to See It: Kenneth Branagh reprises the role he played in London last year. The production features a cast of rising stars from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art directed by Branagh. In playing Lear, Branagh completes a trifecta of great Shakespearean tragic roles, complementing past appearances as Hamlet in his Academy Award–nominated film version of the play (1996) and on stage as Macbeth in a celebrated immersive production (2014).
Ragtime
Running at New York City Center
Performances begin: October 30, 2024
Performances close: November 10, 2024
Plot: Winner of four Tony Awards in 1998, Ragtime follows three fictional families in pursuit of the American Dream at the turn of the 20th century: Black pianist Coalhouse Walker Jr. and his sweetheart Sarah; a wealthy white family led by Mother; and Latvian immigrant Tateh along with his Little Girl.
Why to See It: This sweeping, powerful musical adaptation of E.L. Doctorow’s novel of the same name features music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and a book by Terrence McNally. The star-studded cast includes Colin Donnell (Father), Joshua Henry (Coalhouse Walker Jr.), Joaquina Kalukango (Sarah) Caissie Levy (Mother), Ben Levi Ross (Younger Brother), Shaina Taub (Emma Goldman), and Brandon Uranowitz (Tateh).
The Blood Quilt
Running at Lincoln Center Theater
Performances begin: October 30, 2024
Plot: Gathering at their childhood island home off the coast of Georgia, four sisters meet to create a family quilt to honor their recently deceased mother. When their reunion turns into a reading of their mother's will, everyone must grapple with a troubling inheritance. Stitched with history, ritual, laughter and tears, will their “blood quilt” bind the family together or tear them apart forever? THE BLOOD QUILT had its premiere at Arena Stage in Washington, DC.
Why to See It: THE BLOOD QUILT had its premiere at Arena Stage in Washington, DC. THE BLOOD QUILT is written by by Katori Hall and directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz. The cast will feature Crystal Dickinson, Mirirai, Adrienne C. Moore, Arsema Thomas, and Susan Kelechi Watson.
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Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now!
Running at New World Stages
Performances begin: November 2, 2024
Performances close: December 8, 2024
Plot: Mama, I’m A Big Girl Now! is a full-on celebration of Broadway’s brightest moments. From the iconic Hairspray hits like "You Can’t Stop the Beat" and "I Can Hear the Bells" to creative mashups, exclusive medleys, and hilarious parodies, this show promises to be a night filled with all the sparkle and joy of a Broadway musical.
Between them, these stars have graced 16 Broadway shows, appeared in over 300 television episodes, and have become beloved fixtures in the entertainment world. From Beetlejuice to “Big Brother,” Mean Girls to Legally Blonde, “Dancing with the Stars” to Beauty and the Beast, and even the Country Music Awards.
Join these powerhouse performers on a hilarious and meaningful musical journey about their origins, friendships, careers, and becoming mamas themselves. For decades, they performed as teenagers on stage; now, see the fully bloomed divas they’ve become in “Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now.”
Why to See It: Three of your favorite leading ladies from Hairspray are back and better than ever! Tony nominees Laura Bell Bundy (Legally Blonde), Kerry Butler (Beetlejuice, Xanadu), and Tony winner Marissa Jaret Winokur (Hairspray) are reuniting for a fabulous, toe-tapping, show-stopping special event, Mama, I’m A Big Girl Now!.
Our Class
Running at Classic Stage Company
Current running
Performances close: November 3, 2024
Plot: Our Class follows ten Polish classmates, five Jewish and five Catholic, growing up as playmates, friends, and neighbors, who then turn on one another with life and death consequences. The piece comes at a time when the world is facing an increase in antisemitism across the globe.
Why to See It: Our Class was a featured production of the 2024 Under the Radar Festival,and has received multiple award nominations: a Drama League Award Nomination for Outstanding Revival of a Play; an Outer Critics Circle Award Nomination for Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Play (Gus Birney); and a Drama Desk Award Nomination for Outstanding Projection and Video Design (Eric Dunlap).
The Merchant of Venice
Running at Classic Stage Company
Performances begin: November 22, 2024
Performances close: December 22, 2024
Plot: Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice follows Antonio, who takes out a loan from moneylender Shylock on behalf of his friend, Bassanio, with fatal consequences. Directed by Ukrainian-born, Jewish theater artist Igor Golyak, this adaptation is a wild ride that takes a startling and tragic turn.
Why to See It: Adapted by Igor Golyak and starring Richard Topol as Shylock, the play will feature much of the same cast as Our Class.
The Beacon
Running at Irish Repertory Theatre
Performances currently running
Performances close: November 3, 2024
Plot: A tragic accident, a dead husband; accusations resurfaced by a true crime podcast. Everyone will have a different interpretation. When you look at it, what do you see?
Beiv, a renowned artist, has left her suburban Dublin home for a secluded cottage on a rugged island off the coast of West Cork, Ireland. Here, there is no escaping the rumors of her shadowy past, and Beiv lets everyone see right in. Her relative peace is disrupted when her estranged son, Colm, returns home with his new wife, searching for answers about his father’s mysterious death. Prying into the past comes with a cost, however, and returning to the island will leave some people searching for a light – and others avoiding its glare.
Why to See It: This is the the North American Premiere of The Beacon, a new play by Nancy Harris, directed by Marc Atkinson Borrull, and starring Star Trek: Voyager and Orange is the New Black's Kate Mulgrew.
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The Big Gay Jamboree
Running at the Orpheum Theatre
Performances currently running
Plot: The Big Gay Jamboree centers on Stacey, who after blacking out from 18 Jägerbombs, wakes up hungover in the most terrifying place of all: an Off-Broadway musical. With no memory of how she got there, Stacey is forced to put her BFA in theater to use, belt her face off, and figure out how the hell she’s gonna escape this 1940's golden age musical...while a live audience watches.
Why to See It: Starring and co-created by Marla Mindelle, the Obie- and Lucille Lortel Award winning actress/creator/gay genius behind the smash hit Titaníque, The Big Gay Jamboree is an outrageous new musical comedy that will leave you shook, cackling, and screaming "mother" at the stage.
Blood of the Lamb
Running at 59E59 Theaters
Performances currently running
Performances close: October 20, 2024
Plot: Blood of the Lamb tells the story of a pregnant woman, Nessa, who finds herself detained in a Texas airport with an unexpected adversary: a court-appointed attorney, Val, assigned to represent her baby. This electrifying thriller features two women with opposing beliefs, forced to navigate the bureaucratic chaos of post-Roe America. It is an urgent new play about choices: the choices that are taken from us and the choices we can still make.
Why to See It: The production will star Johanna Day, a two-time Tony Award nominee for Lynne Nottage's Sweat and David Auburn's Proof, and Meredith Garretson, who stars as Kate Hawthorne in the hit TV show “Resident Alien.” Blood of the Lamb was originally commissioned by B Street Theatre in Sacramento, CA, and debuted to rave reviews at the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The play won the 2024 Critics' Circle Award, the top honor at the Adelaide Fringe Festival.
The Counter
Running at Roundabout Theatre Company
Performances currently running
Performances close: November 17, 2024
Plot: Every morning at the local diner in a small town, a waitress refills a regular’s coffee. An unlikely friendship develops and keeps him coming back for more. But when he asks for a shocking favor, it brings to light both of their deepest secrets. The Counter is a funny, surprising, and moving meditation on the everyday connections that can change our lives.
Why to See It: After the success of Too Much, Too Much, Too Many and Napoli, Brooklyn, playwright Meghan Kennedy debuts her next Roundabout commission, The Counter. Directed by Tony Award winner David Cromer, The Counter marks the Roundabout debuts of Anthony Edwards and Amy Warren. Susannah Flood returns to the Roundabout stage following the Broadway productions of Birthday Candles and The Cherry Orchard.
Dirty Laundry
Running at WP Theater
Performances currently running
Performances close: October 20, 2024
Plot: After the woman who unites them dies, three people grapple with love, loss, lust...and household chores. Meanwhile, a Spin Cycle of voices pings with questions: are you still a daughter when your mother dies? Are you still the other woman when the first woman is gone? And maybe more importantly–how do you clean all that Dirty Laundry?
Why to See It: The world premiere stars Sasha Diamond (WP’s Regretfully, So the Birds Are, Significant Other), Yvette Ganier (The Bedwetter, “New Amsterdam”), Amy Jo Jackson(“Dicks: The Musical”), Lakisha May (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, “Blue Bloods”), Emmy Award nominee Richard Masur (Prayer for the French Republic, “Younger”), and Drama Desk Award nominee Constance Shulman (“Orange is the New Black”, The Rose Tattoo).
Distant Thunder
Running at the Mezzanine Theatre at A.R.T./New York Theatres
Performances currently running
Performances close: October 27, 2024
Plot: In Distant Thunder, a child is taken from his Blackfeet tribe and returns as a young attorney with an opportunity that unwittingly sets off a firestorm. Pop-rock merges with Native drumming and dancing, fusing cultures in this ultimately joyful first-of-its-kind musical.
Why to See It: The Off Broadway premiere of Distant Thunder: A New American Musical is written by the mother and son team – Lynne Taylor-Corbettt and Shaun Taylor-Corbett.
Fatherland
Running at New York City Center
Performances currently running
Performances close: November 23, 2024
Plot: Fatherland is the true story of the 18-year-old son who turned the father he loves in to the FBI because of his militant role in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. This compelling tale is told from public statements, case evidence, and official court transcripts from the explosive trial that ignited a media frenzy and grabbed headlines nationwide.
Why to See It: Fast-paced and powerful, Fatherland lands Off-Broadway following a sold-out Los Angeles run. Reprising their roles from the Los Angeles' Fountain Theatre production, the Off-Broadway cast of Fatherland features Ron Bottitta as Father, Patrick Keleher as Son, Anna Khaja as U.S. Attorney and Larry Poindexter as Defense Attorney.
Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song
Running at Theater555
Performances currently running
Performances close: November 23, 2024
Plot: FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: Merrily We Stole a Song skewers the latest deluge of Broadway offerings including Hell's Kitchen, Suffs, The Outsiders, Cabaret, The Great Gatsby, Back to the Future, and of course, Merrily We Roll Along. In addition, there are sendups of Roger Bart, Patti LuPone, Eddie Redmayne, Daniel Radcliffe, Ariana DeBoseand Jeremy Jordan, among others. This up-to-the-minute version also roasts the 2024 Tony Awards, and will include some of the most popular numbers from Alessandrini's recent Forbidden Sondheim.
Why to See It: FORBIDDEN BROADWAY has been an essential part of the fabric of the New York theatre scene since 1982, when Gerard Alessandrini created the first edition, lampooning the Broadway shows and stars of the day, who stopped by to laugh at themselves alongside the public. In the over 40 years since, FORBIDDEN BROADWAY has garnered international acclaim and awards that include 7 Drama Desk Awards, an Obie, a Drama League Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, 2 Lucille Lortel Awards, and a Special Tony Award along the way.
Hold on to Me Darling
Running at The Lucille Lortel Theatre
Performances currently running
Performances close: December 22, 2024
Plot: On learning of his mother’s death, country music icon Strings McCrane (Driver) finds himself in an existential tailspin. The only way out, he decides, is to abandon superstardom in favor of the simple life, so he moves back to his hometown in Tennessee. The simple life turns out to be anything but simple in this brilliantly observed tragicomedy, as the consequences of Strings’ success and mind-bending effects of his fame prove all but impossible to outrun.
Why to See It: Kenneth Lonergan’s Hold on to Me Darling starrs Adam Driver as Strings McCrane.
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Safety Not Guaranteed
Running at BAM
Performances currently running
Performances close: October 20, 2024
Plot: The new musical Safety Not Guaranteed, inspired by Derek Connolly’s acclaimed indie film of the same name, follows Darius, a young journalist who sets out to make her name by digging into an outrageous classified ad seeking someone willing to travel back in time.
Why to See It: Safety Not Guaranteed features music and lyrics by Guster’s Ryan Miller, in an exhilarating stage adaptation by Drama Desk Award winner Nick Blaemire (Glory Days, Space Dogs), directed by two-time Obie Award winner Lee Sunday Evans (Home, Farmhouse/Whorehouse). Nkeki Obi-Melekwe (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical) and Taylor Trensch (Dear Evan Hansen) lead the cast as Darius and Kenneth, the roles played by Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass in the original film.
Sump'n Like Wings
Running at Mint Theater Company
Performances currently running
Performances close: November 2, 2024
Plot: Sump'n Like Wings is set in Oklahoma, six years after the Indian and Oklahoma Territories combined to become the 46th state in the Union in 1907. Sump'n Like Wings is the story of Wille Baker, a 16-year-old girl too proud and too wild for the life she's living. Her mother runs the dining room in the hotel her uncle owns. Willie is stuck helping her, squirming under her thumb while her uncle argues for tenderness and compassion. Sump'n Like Wings is a story of the lessons learned by families about freedom and limits — about love, respect, and safety. It's a story about home and about leaving home.
Why to See It: This is the New York Premiere of Sump'n Like Wings by Lynn Riggs, author of more than thirty plays including Green Grow the Lilacs, the basis for Rodgers & Hammerstein's landmark musical Oklahoma!
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Vladimir
Running at New York City Center
Performances currently running
Plot: This haunting world premiere unfolds in Moscow, where an independent journalist covering Putin’s first term struggles to maintain sanity and hope in increasingly hostile circumstances. She finds herself on the brink of an explosive story – but as danger mounts for her and her sources, she questions whether her bravery will make any difference at all. Vladimir is about standing up to immorality no matter the cost, when you know your nation is headed for disaster.
Why to See It: Written by Erika Sheffer and directed by Tony Award winner Daniel Sullivan, the production stars two-time Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz, and more.
Drag: The Musical
Running at New World Stages
Performances currently running
Plot: In DRAG: The Musical, two Drag Houses, both alike in indignity, vie for supremacy in a wig-snatching journey of fashion, family, and forgiveness. After a bitter split, two estranged queens bring their already simmering tensions to a boiling point when they open competing clubs. In this queen-eat-queen tale of spite and survival, there’s only one rule: no lip-synching allowed.
Why to See It: The critically acclaimed musical is written by superstar Alaska Thunderf*ck alongside her longtime musical collaborators, multi-platinum songwriter, Tomas Costanza, and chart-topping songstress Ashley Gordon. The cast of DRAG: The Musical features Alaska Thunderf*ck, Nick Adams and more.
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