Side Man

The new Broadway season is in full swing, full of exciting new shows and revivals of beloved classics. While many of them are original concepts or based on plays, 12 have related films or series that you can watch from home. If you are seeing any of the below productions in 2026, check out how you can study up beforehand or unpack afterwards!

Current star of Masquerade Telly Leung discusses with Jennifer Ashley Tepper playing the Phantom in the immersive production, the full circle from Rent fan to Rent actor, Gavin Creel’s leadership during a production that never was, and much more. 

The USC Department of Theatre and Dance will present Orlando, Sarah Ruhl's theatrical adaptation of Virginia Woolf's groundbreaking story of self-discovery.

The history of shows that have transferred from off-Broadway to Broadway is well documented. Hundreds of Broadway plays and musicals started out off-Broadway before making the leap to a Broadway house. But much more rare is the circumstance of a show starting out off-off-Broadway (that’s right, two ‘off’s!) and traveling all the way to the main stem. One of these shows is playing right now, and is a major theatre success story with off-off-Broadway roots!

The Actors' Gang has announced More Miracles – an evening of Three Original One Act plays -- In Recovery, Sixteen Summers and Nun Fight. Learn more about the event here!

It wasn’t until later on in theatre history that revivals began including shows that weren’t initially well received or financially successful in their initial engagements. As musical theatre continued to evolve, and more shows entered the canon, a consensus began to grow about shows being worthy of additional exploration even if they hadn’t been hits the first time around. What about musicals that had been ahead of their time, musicals that had fallen prey to circumstances, early works by writers who became successful later on, and of course, shows that found an audience after closing via their cast recordings?

One of the best parts of seeing a show in New York City is how there is often a relevant historic spot to visit, just steps away from the show you’re seeing. Here's just a few examples...

While Austin stages overflow in December with CHRISTMAS CAROLS (three!), TUNA CHRISTMASES (two!), and all manner of holiday theatre cheer, a brilliant star shines at Ground Floor Theatre: Alfred Uhry’s PARADE. First produced in 2015 during GFT’s inaugural season, this remount stands as a striking full-circle moment in the company’s decade-long evolution into Austin’s leading inclusive theatre.

Central Works' new comedy Dada Teen Musical: The Play, written by Maury Zeff, has extended through November 23. The show was originally scheduled to run October 18–November 16. 

That a show as powerful as Parade can soar in a small theater is a testament to both the talent of its director and the strength of its cast, of which there isn’t a weak link in the bunch.

While different tryout theaters have different relationships to the development of new shows, it’s worth looking at both which commercial rental theaters and which non-profit theaters have had the most Best Musical Tony Award winners come from their stages.

In Dada Teen Musical: The Play Annabelle is 17. She is the only high school student in the world whose Harvard application is an act of rebellion (she comes from a Yale family.)

Colin Hay, who will perform an acoustic show Nov. 2 at the Southern Theatre (21 E. Main Street in downtown Columbus), disagrees with the assessment, but the former Men at Work frontman is a man of misperceptions. For example:

The first-ever Broadway revival of ART by Yasmina Reza is now running on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre. The production stars Bobby Cannavale, James Corden, and Neil Patrick Harris. Read the reviews!

Multiple lost Broadway theaters intersect with the Hammerstein family. This follows since Oscar Hammerstein I was a theater owner and builder. In addition to Hammerstein’s which was named after him and is now the Ed Sullivan, and the New Victory which he originally built, there is also the Hammerstein Ballroom. Read more here!

The Academy Players Of Rhode Island’s musical production of ‘The Wedding Singer’ by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin was a blast from the past and an absolute joy to watch from start to finish. From the high paced energy to the stunning choreo to the sharp comedic timing, this production had the audience laughing and cheering all night long.

Broadway will welcome Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle in the first-ever New York revival of Proof, David Auburn’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning drama. Directed by Thomas Kail (Hamilton), the production begins previews March 31, 2026, at a Shubert Theatre to be announced. This strictly limited engagement marks the Broadway debuts of both Edebiri and Cheadle.

Did you know that the Richard Rodgers Theatre, current home of Hamilton, has housed more Best Musical Tony Award winners than any other Broadway house? Since the Tony Awards began in 1947 and began issuing a Best Musical Award in 1949, nine Best Musicals have played the Richard Rodgers Theatre, which used to be named the 46th Street Theatre.

Dramatists Guild Foundation has revealed Playwright and Educator Chisa Hutchinson and more will be honored at the organization’s annual Gala on October 20, 2025, at Ziegfeld Ballroom. Learn more!

Next week, 54 BELOW, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond, including Laura and Linda Benanti, and more! See the full lineup here!

It's a true story. It's a dramatization about a man who moves to Marietta, Georgia, and is falsely convicted of murder. It's his journey of trying to prove his innocence, while simultaneously we see and follow this love story between him and his wife, Lucille.

Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater are open this July with a full slate of nightly performances! See the full lineup here and learn how to purchase tickets!

FRIGID New York will present the 5th Annual Little Shakespeare Festival (winner of the 2024 Young-Howze Theatre Award for Festival of The Year) at UNDER St. Marks (94 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009), July 31-August 17.

Central Works' season continues with The Last Goat, written and directed by Gary Graves, in which a young woman lives alone with her grandmother on an isolated Greek island, desperately longing to see the world. 

Which Best Musical and Best Play nominees will take home the ultimate prize? BroadwayWorld has rounded up the winners of the Tony Awards, the Drama Desk Awards, the Drama League Awards and the Outer Critics Circle Awards for the last fifty years to compare winners year by year.