Top Off-Broadway Shows for August 2025

What's happening off-Broadway? BroadwayWorld is here to guide you through the top picks for theatre this month. August brings a diverse array of productions to the Off-Broadway scene, including Twelfth Night featuring stars like Peter Dinklage, Sandra Oh, and Lupita Nyong'o; Pen Pals featuring Dancing With the Stars' Sharna Burgess, and much more! 

BroadwayWorld selects shows to feature based on a variety of factors such as popularity, critical acclaim, unique concepts, star power, and more. BroadwayWorld's senior editorial team closely follows the Off-Broadway scene to stay informed about upcoming and currently running productions. They consider a range of offerings each month, including musicals, plays, and more to provide a well-rounded selection of recommendations to readers. Their goal is to offer theater enthusiasts a comprehensive guide to the most exciting shows happening Off-Broadway each month.

Take a look at BroadwayWorld's recommendations for the best shows to catch off-Broadway in August. 

Ava: The Secret Conversations

Get Tickets

AVA: The Secret Conversations, written by and starring Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Emmy Award-nominated actress Elizabeth McGovern (Downton Abbey, Ordinary People, Once Upon a Time in America), is making its New York premiere this summer at NY City Center, Stage I. The production will also feature Aaron Costa Ganis (TV: “Bull,” “Blue Bloods”).
 
At the height of the Golden Age of Cinema, starlet Ava Gardner sat for a series of interviews with writer Peter Evans for him to glean the juicy details about her life story, her marriages to Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw, and Frank Sinatra, and her turbulent relationship to Howard Hughes. Initially barred from publication, Evans’ account of a bygone era was published twenty-five years later with permission from Gardner’s estate and is now reimagined on stage.

With AVA: The Secret Conversations, McGovern returns to the NY stage for the first time since 2017. Best known for her role as Lady Cora in the “Downton Abbey” series and films, McGovern will be seen this fall on screen in the sequel, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. She also stars in Anne Rice’s “The Talamasca” on AMC this fall.
 

Read More: Elizabeth McGovern Previews AVA: THE SECRET CONVERSATIONS on LIVE WITH KELLY AND MARK

Ginger Twinsies

Get Tickets

You want the 411? In the summer of 1998, a pair of long lost, red-headed twin girls unexpectedly meet at sleep-away camp and hatch a plan to reunite their estranged parents. Sound familiar? Shut up, no it doesn't! Welcome to Ginger Twinsies – a loving, outlandish, and wildly inappropriate send up of the Lindsay Lohan/Nancy Meyers classic that made us all believe that Oreos go great with peanut butter, wedding gowns deserve top hats, and being young and beautiful is not a crime. So, pack your bags! Kevin Zak (no credits) invites you to enjoy this 80-minute Parent Trap parody stacked with nostalgia, camp (literally, they go camping), and some unexpected twists. 

The stacked lineup of hilarious New York actors and comedians bringing double trouble to Ginger Twinsies includes Russell Daniels as Annie, Aneesa Folds as Hallie, Jimmy Ray Bennett as Martin, Lakisha May as Elizabeth James, Grace Reiter as Chessy, Phillip Taratula as Meredith Blake, Matthew Wilkas as Nick, and Mitch Wood as Lizard/Others. Mike Liebenson, Omolade Wey, and Casey Whyland round out the cast as understudies.

Read More: Review Roundup: GINGER TWINSIES World Premiere Opens Off-Broadway

House of McQueen

Get Tickets

House of McQueen is a sexy, flamboyant, irreverent, and poignant theatrical portrait that unravels the enigma of fashion icon Alexander McQueen. Utilizing immersive technology—including over 1,000 square feet of LED screens —the show transforms the theater into an interactive fusion of fashion show, play, and rock concert.

Written by award-winning playwright Darrah Cloud and directed by Sam Helfrich, House of McQueen explores McQueen’s early days, the rise of his legendary fashion house, and his deeply human relationships with family and muses. A decade in the making, this production is presented in collaboration with Gary James McQueen—Lee’s nephew and Creative Director—and Executive Producer Rick Lazes. The experience also includes a curated display of archival Alexander McQueen designs.

The cast features Luke Newton, Emily Skinner, Catherine LeFrere, Cody Braverman, Tim Creavin, Fady Demian, Matthew Eby, Joe Joseph, Denis Lambert, Margaret Odette, Spencer Petro, Jonina Thorsteinsdottir, Sam Dash, James Evans, Krystal Riggs, Jackie Sanders and Chris Thorn. House of McQueen begins performances on August 19 at The Mansion at Hudson Yards.

Read More: Luke Newton-Led HOUSE OF MCQUEEN Unveils Full Cast and Creative Team

Masquerade

Get Tickets

Masquerade blurs the lines of reality, bringing audiences inside and closer than ever before to the strange affair of the Phantom of the Opera – a mystery never fully explained. From the highest rooftop to the subterranean lair deep below the Opera Populaire, guests will be invited to experience the music of the night more intimately than ever before. And when the iconic chandelier rises again above New York City, it will provide more than “a little illumination,” with a dazzling display of over 30,000 crystals provided by Preciosa, the Official Crystal Partner of Masquerade.

Masquerade is based on the original musical The Phantom of the Opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Charles Hart, additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe and book by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber. 

Read More: Everything to Know About Immersive THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, MASQUERADE

Pen Pals A New Play

Get Tickets

Following its acclaimed Off-Broadway premiere, producer Lisa Dozier Shacket is presenting the return of Pen Pals this summer at the DR2 Theatre for a strictly limited engagement. Written by Michael Griffo and directed by Suzanne Barabas, Pen Pals features a dazzling rotating cast and celebrates the enduring power of friendship through handwritten letters exchanged over five decades.

Inspired by a true story, Pen Pals invites audiences into the lives of Bernie and Mags—two women whose bond, forged in adolescence, endures for decades without them ever meeting in person. A story of connection, resilience, and the unbreakable bond between friends, Pen Pals is as poignant as it is powerful.

The cast features Sharna Burgess (“Dancing with the Stars,” Regional: Esther) and Paige Davis (“Trading Spaces,” Boeing-Boeing on Broadway) Catherine Curtin (“Orange is the New Black,” “Stranger Things”) and Marcia Cross (Desperate Housewives,” “Melrose Place”), and Emily Skinner (Side Show, Tony nom; The Cher Show) and Donna Lynne Champlin(“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” Sweeney Todd).

Read More: Sharna Burgess, Paige Davis and More Join PEN PALS at DR2 Theatre

Pericles, Prince of Tyre

Get Tickets

The Public Theater is presenting PERICLES: A Public Works Concert Experience, a new adaptation with music and lyrics by Troy Anthony, choreography by Tiffany Rea-Fisher, and direction by Carl Cofield. The free production will run at the awe-inspiring Cathedral of St. John the Divine Friday, August 29 through Tuesday, September 2.

This season’s Public Works production is a powerful concert experience of PERICLES, the Bard’s epic about losing and re-discovering faith. Reconceived by playwright and songwriter Troy Anthony, this magnificent new production performed by Public Works community members from all over New York City, is a celebration of life, love, and transformation. Inspired by Gospel music and the rousing power of the Black church, this new concert adaptation will be performed in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Associate Artistic Director of the Classical Theatre of Harlem Carl Cofield directs.

The cast of PERICLES includes Denée Benton (Thaisa), Ato Blankson-Wood (Pericles), Lori Brown-Niang (Bawd), Kenneth Collins (Simonides), Allyson Kaye Daniel (Understudy Gower/Thaisa/Diana), Amina Faye (Marina), Joel Frost (Cleon), Debra Harewood (Helicanus), Crystal Lucas-Perry (Gower), Erika Myers (Dionyza), Alex Newell (Diana), and Stephen Scott Wormley (Understudy Pericles). They are joined by 100 New Yorkers from all five boroughs.

Read More: Denée Benton, Ato Blankson-Wood and More to Star in Public Works' PERICLES

The Brothers Size

Get Tickets

The Shed is presenting The Brothers Size, written and co-directed by Academy Award winner and Geffen Playhouse Artistic Director Tarell Alvin McCraney (In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue, Choir Boy) and co-directed by Olivier Award-nominated Bijan Sheibani (Our Class, Gone Too Far!).

The cast features André Holland (Moonlight, Exhibiting Forgiveness) as Ogun Size, with Alani iLongwe (Paradise Blue, Arthur the King) as Oshoosi Size, and Malcom Mays (Power Book III: Raising Kanan, Snowfall) as Elegba. Previews for The Brothers Size begin August 30 in The Shed’s Griffin Theater.

This co-production with Los Angeles’s Geffen Playhouse marks the 20th anniversary of this groundbreaking work, which explores themes of brotherhood, resilience, and the complexities of the Black male experience. Directed by Sheibani and McCraney, and presented in the round in The Griffin Theater, this play invites audiences to witness the raw and intimate story of two brothers navigating life after incarceration, weaving into the storytelling the rich tradition of the Yoruba people of West Africa.

The Brothers Size is a modern-day fable about two brothers in the Deep South. Ogun (Holland), the elder brother, embodies hard work and reliability, while Oshoosi (iLongwe), formerly incarcerated, is seemingly carefree and unpredictable. Their relationship is tested when the charismatic Elegba (Mays) arrives, tempting Oshoosi back to his old habits. As the brothers wrestle with loyalty, freedom, and duty, their humanity is revealed through a raw and heartfelt exploration of the bonds of brotherhood.

Read More: André Holland and More to Star in THE BROTHERS SIZE at The Shed

The Day I Accidentally Went to War

Get Tickets

Bill Posley's The Day I Accidentally Went to War is the hilarious and powerful true story about the American Veteran experience. Some people accidentally miss their bus stop, some accidentally misplace their keys, but Bill? Well … you get it. In The Day I Accidentally Went to War, he will take you on a roller coaster journey through childhood traumas to basic training and deployment, to coming home. Packed with laughs, gasps and all the feels, this show bares brutal truths, honors the Veteran experience, and celebrates the human spirit.

Read More: Bill Posley: THE DAY I ACCIDENTALLY WENT TO WAR to Play Soho Theatre

The Office! A Musical Parody

Get Tickets

The Office! A Musical Parody with a book and lyrics by Bob and Tobly McSmith and music by Assaf Gleizner, with its home in The Jerry Orbach Theater at The Theater Center, is just one of many musical parodies that the duo has written together. The show features the same cast and iconic moments that we all know and love from the hit TV show. Come step into Dunder Mifflin in this immersive parody and “work” with your favorite officemates. 

Read More: Emma Puerta Joins Cast of THE OFFICE! A MUSICAL PARODY

Twelfth Night

Get Tickets

The Delacorte Theater officially repoens with Free Shakespeare in the Park's TWELFTH NIGHT at The Public Theater. 

Revel in the midsummer madness as twins Sebastian and Viola survive shipwreck, revenge plots, and the trick doors of love. The Public’s Associate Artistic Director and Resident Director, Tony Award nominee Saheem Ali directs this joyful romp welcoming all of New York back to the magic of Central Park’s beloved theater.

The cast of Free Shakespeare in the Park's TWELFTH NIGHT includes Dario Alvarez (Ensemble), b (Antonio), John Ellison Conlee (Sir Toby Belch), Khris Davis (Orsino), Peter Dinklage (Malvolio), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Andrew Aguecheek), Jaina Rose Jallow (Ensemble), Ariyan Kassam (Curio/Ensemble), Valentino Musumeci (Ensemble), Junior Nyong'o (Sebastian), Lupita Nyong'o (Viola), Chinna Palmer (Ensemble), Sandra Oh (Olivia), Precious Omigie (Ensemble), Nathan M. Ramsey (Ensemble), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Maria), Jasmine Sharma (Ensemble), Moses Sumney (Feste), Kapil Talwakar (Ensemble), Joe Tapper (Sea Captain/Priest), Julian Tushabe (Ensemble), Adrian Villegas (Ensemble), Ada Westfall (Ensemble), and Mia Wurgaft (Ensemble). 

Read More: In Rehearsals for Shakespeare in the Park's TWELFTH NIGHT, with Peter Dinklage, Lupita Nyong'o and More