History as Was 1927

Los Angeles is never lacking outstanding theatre, whether epic Broadway shows, engrossing dramas or bold fringe offerings. BroadwayWorld is rounding up our top recommended theatre every month. Selections for September 2026 include Beauty and the Beast and more.

Yale Repertory Theatre will present August Wilson's MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM at the University Theatre in New Haven, with Timothy Douglas directing a cast led by Terence Archie and Maiesha McQueen.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom stars A Noise Within resident artist Amber Liekhus in the title role, with ANW newcomer Jamar Gilbert taking on the role of Levee. I decided to speak with the two actors about their experience bringing the two iconic roles to the stage and why they believe the play teaches important lessons about Power, Music, Survival, and Legacy.

The American Broadway musical has seen quite the evolution since the 1927 introduction of SHOWBOAT, widely considered the blueprint for using song and dance to advance a story’s plot. Over the years, audiences and technology have grown so sophisticated that 2025’s Tony Award winner for Best Musical about two robots falling in love (MAYBE HAPPY ENDING) no longer seems far‑fetched.

Broadway's biggest landmarks are easy to spot, but some of the Theatre District's most fascinating stories are hiding in plain sight. From historic theaters and legendary rehearsal spaces to tucked-away tributes and unexpected Broadway landmarks, these lesser-known stops will add a whole new act to your next walking tour!

A stage production honoring gospel singer Marion Williams will run in September at Asian Arts Initiative Black Box Theater as part of the Philadelphia Fringe Festival.

Gretna Theatre will mark its centennial with a mainstage season featuring THE COLOR PURPLE, BONNIE & CLYDE, STEEL MAGNOLIAS and Ken Ludwig's MORIARTY, alongside special events celebrating a century of live theatre in Mount Gretna, Pennsylvania.

Over the years, Broadway has seen a number of family acts sharing the stage. It’s extra special when family members team up to write a Broadway show together. The Great White Way has seen many instances of this historically, in a variety of different situations. While last week’s column focused on spouses penning shows together, this week is all about blood relatives partnering to write work. 

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum will present a ten-concert autumn season at Calderwood Hall, curated by George Steel and featuring performers including Rachel Barton Pine, Rachell Ellen Wong, and the Ivalas Quartet.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra will open single ticket sales for its upcoming subscription season, featuring Andris Nelsons' final season as music director and guest artist Yo-Yo Ma.

This Week's New Classified Listings on BroadwayWorld for 7/23/2026 include new jobs for those looking to work in the theatre industry.

Over the years, Broadway has seen a number of family acts sharing the stage. It’s extra special when family members team up to write a Broadway show together. The Great White Way has seen many instances of this historically, in a variety of different situations. 

Yale Repertory Theatre has revealed its 2026-27 season. 2026-27 kicks off with August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom in October, and will be followed by world premieres and more.

What is a pro-shot and how is it different than an adapted film? Pro-shot is an abbreviation for professionally shot, denoting a stage play that was captured in its native habitat: a theatre. In general, a pro-shot seeks to film the exact experience that audience members would have at a live performance of the show, in contrast with a feature film which actually adapts the piece into a new form, including different locations, the removal of theatrical aesthetic, and changes to make the script work as a film as opposed to as a live theatrical show.

TheatreZone announced its 2026–2027 season featuring six musicals and four concerts, including a world premiere by Naples-based playwright Mike Ruffolo and one of the first regional productions of HARMONY following its Broadway run.

Asolo Repertory Theatre has announced its 2026/2027 Season — a celebration of 1927, the year John Ringling moved the 'Greatest Show on Earth' to Sarasota. Learn more about the lineup here!

This history gives context to the legacies of theatrical dynasties—considered to consist of at least three subsequent generations of theatre creators. In 2026, there is a stigma around any successful professional who follows a parent into their line of work, with this being seen as a pattern of nepotism.

For the past two seasons, 14 or 15 new musicals have opened on Broadway. Even in the challenging first two seasons coming out of the pandemic, Broadway saw 8 or 9 new musicals opening. And in the last four full seasons prior to the pandemic, Broadway saw an average of 11 new musicals per season. What gives?

The Jewish Museum and Film at Lincoln Center have announced the full lineup for the 35th annual New York Jewish Film Festival, returning to the Walter Reade Theater in Manhattan.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum will present its Winter/Spring 2026 Weekend Concert Series, a fifteen-concert season curated by Abrams Curator of Music George Steel.

With frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in the news due to actor Bruce Willis fighting the disease for several years, I decided to speak with playwright Jake Broder, an Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute, about his motivation to create Unravelled and his research on the disease.

The Sound of Music is a veritable old warhorse of the Broadway musical canon, and it has stood the test of the vicissitudes of time. No amount of changing source material, cynicism, saccharine, or negativity can puncture the universal themes of familial love, romantic love, devotion spirituality, perseverance, forgiveness, and devotion that permeate this beloved musical. These universal themes have resonated with audiences from time immemorial---and are especially pertinent in today’s polarized times. 

This October, Gretna Theatre dares audiences to step into the shadows for a one-of-a-kind autumn tradition. The immersive experience blurs the line between theatre and folklore..

Broadway currently boasts 41 theaters. This number has always been ever-changing—since even before the first time the word “Broadway” was used to describe professional theater in New York.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has been taped at the Ed Sullivan Theatre located on Broadway between 53rd and 54th Streets since it began in 2015. Before the Broadway-loving Colbert took over The Late Show, the host was David Letterman, who ruled late night from 1993 onward via his perch at 1697 Broadway.