Classic tales with Hollywood heavy hitters dominate Broadway marquees this spring, along with two musicals about corpses, two other tuners with Latin flair, a beloved animated book character come to life, a singing cave dweller, a show based on a show, a family drama on politics, and a new twist on a Gilbert and Sullivan classic. In all, eighteen shows will open on Broadway before the end of April, and with such an eclectic season, there’s a seat waiting for you, whatever your interest.

Purpose — Cozy up to the dinner table, pass the grub, and watch the sparks fly with the Jaspers, a well-heeled Black family with political clout and lots of secrets. Phylicia Rashad directs the New York transfer of Chicago’s Steppenwolf theater production, written by one of the hottest playwrights of the moment, Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins, who brought us last year’s Tony-winning Appropriate. Runs through July 6.

Buena Vista Social Club — When this show made its world premiere Off-Broadway at the end of 2023, one critic declared it “an irresistible tropical vacation…a gateway and a getaway.” Based on the Grammy award-winning album, it’s set in 1950s Cuba and follows a group of young musicians who have their days in the sun until a revolution upends their lives and country. Saheem Ali directs. Now playing.

Operation Mincemeat — London theatergoers and critics have been gushing over this musical about a hilarious but true WWII mission involving a dead body used to trick German forces. It combines farce, suspense, and espionage with the qualities of Monty Python. Runs through August 15.

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Othello — Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal star in Shakespeare’s story about a pissed-off military man who seeks revenge on his superior after being overlooked for a promotion. Like every Shakespearean tragedy, it’s not going to end well, but at least you’ll enjoy some star power as it all unravels. Runs through June 8.

The Picture of Dorian Gray — Oscar Wilde’s morality tale about the cost of eternal youth gets a complete overhaul in the singular form of Emmy-winning actor Sarah Snook (Succession), who assumes all 26 characters. Brits were enamored with the production, which earned Snook an Olivier Award. Runs through June 15.

Glengarry Glen Ross — “Always be closing” is the famous takeaway advice from David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, which is enjoying a third Broadway revival. Fresh from his Oscar win, Kieran Culkin leads a cast that includes Bob Odenkirk, Bill Burr, and Michael McKean. Although scheduled as a limited run, rumors are swirling about an all-female cast taking over once the hypermasculine men finish their real estate deals. In previews. Opens March 31. The current cast is scheduled to run through June 14.

Good Night, and Good Luck — This stage adaptation of the 2005 film stars George Clooney as the real-life Edward R. Murrow, a television journalist with integrity who fights the propaganda and fear tactics of the U.S. Government. How eerily timely and relevant it is. Limited run. In previews. Opens April 3 and runs through June 8.

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Boop! — Betty Boop is known all over the globe in comic book form, but soon, the world will see her sing and dance in a brand new musical with a score by 16-time Grammy winner David Foster and a book by Tony winner Bob Martin (The Prom). Feel good, hit maker Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots) directs the Broadway debut of this show that debuted last year in Chicago to favorable reviews. Now in previews. Opens April 5.

The Last Five Years — Heartthrob Nick Jonas and Tony winner Adrienne Warren (Tina, The Tina Turner Musical) lead this tuner about two city dwellers falling in and out of love. Composer Jason Robert Brown’s semi-autobiographical musical has long been a cult favorite Off Broadway, but this marks its first time on the Main Stem. Now in Previews. Opens April 6 and runs through June 22.

Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends — The title had us at “Stephen Sondheim” but add Broadway greats and Tony winners Bernadette Peters, Lea Salonga, and Beth Leavel to the mix, and it’s a guaranteed must-see. The musical revue was previously seen in London and Los Angeles before declaring residency in New York’s theater district. Previews begin March 25. Opens April 8 and runs through June 1.

Smash — The short-lived TV series of the same name that explored the drama behind the drama had its flock of loyalists, while Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman’s score delivered some show-stopping numbers. Will it be a long-running Broadway smash? Let’s hope the producers won’t have to “dig deep” for stellar reviews. Now in previews. Opens April 10.

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John Proctor is the Villian — Sadie Sink from Netflix’s Stranger Things stars in this original play about a group of high school students in rural Georgia who dissect Arthur Miller’s American classic The Crucible. Now in previews. Opens April 14.

Floyd Collins — After completing an enormously successful run in Broadway’s The Great Gatsby, Jeremy Jordans trades in his pearly life for a pickaxe as a spelunker who makes news in 1925 Kentucky when he gets trapped underground. Jordan stars in this Lincoln Center musical, along with other stage vets, including Marc Kudisch, Jason Gotay, and Jessica Molaskey. Previews begin March 27. Opens April 21.

Stranger Things: The First Shadow — Another Olivier award-winning London import floats into New York City as a prequel to the popular Netflix series. Stage and screen director Stephen Daldry oversees the mystical and mysterious phenomenon. Previews begin March 28. Opens April 22.

Just in Time — “Dream Lover” and Tony Award-winner Jonathan Groff steps into the wingtips of classic crooner Bobby Darin who died too young but left a legacy of ubiquitous music. Broadway’s Circle in the Square will be transformed into an intimate, swinging nightclub. No doubt, Groff fans will jump for tickets. Previews begin March 31. Opens April 23.

Pirates! The Penzance Musical — It’s unlikely that Gilbert and Sullivan imagined a trans-femme, non-binary performer starring in their 1879 musical The Pirates of Penzance. Fortunately, director Scott Ellis did and cast Jinkx Monsoon in this new version of an old operetta. David Hyde Pierce and Ramin Karimloo join the swashbuckling action. Previews begin on April 4. Opens April 24 and runs through June 22.

Dead Outlaw — What happens when the body of an outlaw travels from the American Northeast all the way to an amusement park in Long Beach, California, with a stop along the way as a sideshow attraction? For composer David Yazbeck, it becomes musical material. Last year, audiences and critics embraced this unbelievable but true story that plops onto Broadway soon. Death has rarely been so entertaining! Previews begin April 12. Opens on April 27.

Real Women Have Curves — First it was a play by Josefina Lopez. Then it was a movie starring America Ferrera. Now, Broadway newcomers Joy Huerta and Benjamin Valez bring this East L.A. family of garment makers to the stage with Tony-winning director and choreographer Sergio Trujillo (Ain’t Too Proud). Previews start April 1. Opens on April 27.

Ryan Leeds reviews Broadway for Metro Weekly magazine. Subscribe for free at www.metroweekly.com/subscribe.

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