Off-B'way Update: Public Theater 2026-27 Season

Jacob Ming-Trent in How Shakespare Saved
My Life.
Credit: Kevin Berne

The Public Theater has announced its schedule for the fall and winter of the 2026-27 season. The roster includes a wide variety of solos, new plays, musicals and adaptations of the classics. First up is How Shakespeare Saved My Life, Jacob Ming-Trent's one-man exploration of his lifelong connection with the Bard (opens Sept. 27). This is a production of Red Bull Theater in a co-production with Berkeley Rep and Folger Theater.

Ryan J. Haddad's autobiographical play Good Time Charlie follows (opening Oct. 9).  As a young man, Charlie dreamt of a life on the stage, but his parents thought dentistry sounded better, so he channeled his passion for culture into his nephew Ryan—a fellow theater-loving gay kid with Broadway ambitions. Haddad will star in his play with additional cast to be announced.

The West End production of
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Credit: Marc Brenner

Next up is the musical version of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald story about a man who ages backwards. This musical transplants the story from New Orleans (as depicted in the film version starring Brad Pitt) to a Cornish fishing village on the coast of Great Britain. (opens Oct. 21.) This North American premiere follows a hit run in London's West End.

Richard Nelson's Apple family returns to the Public with We'll See which takes place on the night of the midterm Congressional elections (opens Nov. 3). This is the latest in Nelson's Rhinebeck Panorama about three families in the upstate New York town dealing with local and national issues. Sally Murphy, Maryann Plunkett, Laila Robbins and Jay O. Sanders return to their roles as the Apple siblings. Additional casting to be announced.

Stephen Kunken, Sally Murphy, Maryann Plunkett,
Laila Robbins, Jon DeVries and Jay O. Sanders
as the Apple Family in Regular Singing (2013 at the Public)
Credit: Joan Marcus

B'way Update: Evita to Transfer

Rachel Zeigler and cast in Evita in London.
Credit: Marc Brenner

Rachel Zeigler (West Side Story film, Romeo and Juliet) will recreate her Olivier Award-winning performance in the title role of Evita on Broadway next spring at a Shubert theater to be announced, but without the controversial balcony rendition of "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina." In Jamie Lloyd's London production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's bio-musical featured Zeigler performing the show's most famous song on a balcony facing the street outside the theater while the audience saw it on a giant screen. Safety concerns were sited as the reason for the change. This minimalist version began life in 2019 in London's Regent Park and then transferred to the West End. 

"I was completely overwhelmed by the incredible response to Evita in London," says Lloyd in a statement. "It is an honor to work with Tim and Andrew, and I’m looking forward to revisiting the production with Rachel, whose stellar performance continues to inspire me. When we started discussing a New York production, it became apparent that our Palladium staging of ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’ would not be possible. I am really excited to explore a new idea, made especially for Broadway." Lloyd's production of Much Ado About Nothing will also transfer to Broadway this upcoming season.

"Performing Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s brilliant show in London was a dream come true, but being able to partner once again with Jamie to bring Evita to Broadway is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," adds Zegler. "I can’t wait to perform for my home, New York City."

Evita, the story of the popular second wife of Argentina's president Juan Peron, was initially released as a concept album and then became a full production directed by Harold Prince in London in 1978, later transferring to Broadway and starring Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin. Madonna starred in the 1996 film version and there was a Broadway revival in 2012.

Little Bear, Ehrenreich, Salesman Win NYDCC Awards

Laurie Metcalf and Micah Stock in
Little Bear Ridge Road.
Credit: Julieta Cervantes

Little Bear Ridge Road, Alden Ehrenreich of Becky Shaw, and the ensemble cast of Death of a Salesman were the winners of the 90th annual New York Drama Critics Circle Awards. The group opted to present no award for Best Musical. Costume designer Qween Jean, the playwright-director team of Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory, and Lincoln Center Theater's revival of Ragtime were awarded special citations. The critics met on April 30 at the offices of Time Out New York to vote for their top choices of the 2025-26 NY theatrical season. The awards will be presented in a private ceremony on May 7 at 54 Below. 

Samuel D. Hunter's Little Bear Ridge Road which had a run on Broadway earlier in the season starring Laurie Metcalf and Micah Stock, was the critics' choice for Best Play. (Metcalf also currently stars in Death of a Salesman and both shows were directed by Joe Mantello.) The play concerns a lonely gay young man connecting with his alienated aunt after the death of his father. Hunter previously won the Circle's award for Best Play in 2022 for A Case for the Existence of God. On the first ballot, Little Bear received the most votes, but not enough of a majority to be declared a winner by the group's by-laws. Shawn's What We Did Before Our Moth Days and Talene Malone's Meet the Cartozians were the runners-up. After voting to give a Best Play award, the critics went to a third, weighted ballot with each member voting for their top three picks. With this ballot, the leading candidates were (in order) Little Bear Ridge Road, Meet the Cartozians, Robert Icke's adaptation of Oedipus, and Moth Days. There was scattered support for Giant, Prince Faggot, Mother Russia, The Balusters, Cold War Choir Practice, and Well, I'll Let You Go. But there were still not enough votes for a clear majority.

A fourth ballot was held with the group only voting for their top three choices of the four leaders on a weighted ballot. Little Bear emerged victorious. This award is accompanied by a cash prize of $2,500, made possible by a grant from the Lucille Lortel Foundation.

Beau and Mexodus Top DD Noms List

Matt Rodin and Jeb Brown in Beau the Musical.
Credit: Valerie Terranova

Beau the Musical and Mexodus, two Off-Broadway musicals, topped the list of nominees for the 70th annual Drama Desk Awards with 10 nods each. Unlike the Broadway-only Tony Awards, the Drama Desks include on and Off-Broadway productions in all of its multiple categories. The only Broadway work in the Outstanding Play category is David Lindsay-Abaire's The Balusters. The nominees were announced on April 29 by Raul Esparza and Helen J Shen from the Lambs Club and streaming on Broadway.com's YouTube channel. 

The Lost Boys which received the most nominations from the Outer Critics Circle with 11, received only 5 noms from the DD in design categories and choreography (including flight choreography), but not for Outstanding Musical or any of the performances. Beaches, Dog Day Afternoon, Little Bear Ridge Road, Bug, Proof, Punch, Every Brilliant Thing, and Call Me Izzy were totally ignored.

The awards will be presented on May 17 at Town Hall in a ceremony hosted by Marla Mindelle, star and co-creator of Titanique which received nominations for its Off-Broadway run in 2023. This year’s awards will be produced by Drama Desk Awards Productions, a venture of Scene Partners in partnership with the Season. Chaired by the Martha Wade Steketee (UrbanExcavations.com), the 2026 nominating committee includes Linda Armstrong (Amsterdam News), Daniel Dinero (Theater Is Easy), Peter Filichia (Broadway Radio), Kenji Fujishima (freelance, Theatermania), Margaret Hall (Playbill.com) and Raven Snook (TDF).  Charles Wright and David Barbour are co-presidents. The Drama Desk considers Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway in each of its multiple categories. The acting categories are not gender-specific and the top two vote-getters are the winners. Multiple awards may be presented in the case of ties. The awards are voted on by about 100 DD members who are NY-based theater critics, reporters, and editors.

Complete List of the 2025-26 Drama Desk Award nominees:

Outstanding Play
Caroline, Preston Max Allen
Cold War Choir Practice, Ro Reddick
Meet the Cartozians, Talene Monahon
Prince Faggot, Jordan Tannahill
The Balusters, David Lindsay-Abaire
The Porch on Windy Hill, Sherry Stregnack Lutken, Lisa Helmi Johanson, Morgan Morse & David M. Lutken
Well, I’ll Let You Go, Bubba Weiler

Outstanding Musical
Beau the Musical
Mexodus
Schmigadoon!
The Seat of Our Pants
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Outstanding Revival of a Play
Becky Shaw
Ceremonies in Dark Old Men
Death of a Salesman
Los Soles Truncos
Titus Andronicus
You Got Older

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Amahl and the Night Visitors
Chess
Ragtime
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The Baker’s Wife
The Rocky Horror Show

B'way Update: Montauk at MTC; Tony, DD, NYDCC News

Laura Linney

Tony nominee and Emmy winner Laura Linney (The Little Foxes, The Big C) will return to Broadway in the world premiere of Montauk by Tony nominee and Olivier winner David Hare (Plenty, Skylight, The Vertical Hour), presented by Manhattan Theater Club at the Samuel J. Friedman Theater in spring 2027. Linney will be joining MTC in the new position of Artist-in-Residence, working on developing projects for upcoming seasons at MTC, as well as participating in MTC’s educational and community outreach programs. Tony winner Daniel Sullivan will direct, having worked with Linney at MTC before on Summer, 1976 and The Little Foxes.

Montauk is a visceral portrait of two artists with violently different approaches to art and life. Jared Speight is a stubborn titan of Long Island abstraction when star writer Roxy Margaux first becomes infatuated with his bravado. But over a decade of romantic and career entanglements, their different reasons for making art become painfully clear. The play was originally announced as a production by Scott Rudin with Laurie Metcalf to star.

“Laura Linney is one of the most versatile actors of our time,” said Artistic Director Nicki Hunter. “Her artistry, intelligence, and generosity make her the ideal partner for this brand-new initiative for MTC. We are thrilled to welcome her in this expanded capacity, cementing a commitment to working together in the future, and to collaborate on David Hare’s Montauk, directed by Daniel Sullivan. We’re proud to be giving this play its world premiere on Broadway.”
 
“I could not be more proud to be Manhattan Theatre Club’s first Artist-in-Residence,” Linney commented. “MTC has been my theatrical home for decades, and I feel very honored indeed to kick off this new position. Thank you, Nicki and Lynne!”

B'way/Off-B'way Reviews: The Lost Boys, Beaches, Fallen Angels, The Adding Machine

Two musicals based on films from the late 1980s are among the plethora of openings as the 2025-26 New York theater season comes to a close—one is a surprise hit (The Lost Boys), the other a disappointment (Beaches). In addition, there are two plays from the 1920s (Fallen Angels and The Adding Machine) representing very different dramatic sensibilities, but both with their merits.

LJ Benet and Ali Louis Bourzgui in
The Lost Boys.
Credit: Matthew Murphy

The Lost Boys had a lot going against before it premiered at the Palace. Broadway has had three previous vampire-themed tuners in recent memory—Dance of the Vampires, Lestat and Dracula. Each one deserved a stake through the heart and vanished into their graves after brief runs. But this latest venture into the horror genre is a genuinely scary, popcorn-crunching, Broadway equivalent of a hit summer movie. I was prepared to despise the show based on past bad bloodsucker experiences (I saw all three of the aforementioned bombs) and an overload of alienated-teen movies and TV shows, but I wound up loving The Lost Boys.

David Hornsby and Chris Hoch’s solid book adheres closely to Joel Schumacher’s cult 1987 film which spawned two direct-to-DVD sequels. One supporting character has been changed from a boy to a girl, a kindly grandpa is now deceased and resides in an urn of ashes, and another character’s possibly being gay is more explicitly addressed. But the main thrust of horror remains. Divorced mom Lucy Emerson (beautifully belting Shoshana Bean) and her two teen sons (properly sullen LJ Benet and spunky and funny Benjamin Pajak) relocate to her California beachside hometown to escape an abusive husband. Searching for community and attention, rebellious older offspring Michael falls in with with a punk rock band who just happen to be card-carrying members of the undead (led by charismatic, sexy Ali Louis Bourgui). 

LJ Benet, Ali Louis Bourzgui and cast in
The Lost Boys.
Credit: Matthew Murphy

The librettists find room for character development and nuance while maintaining a humorous edge. The family and the vampires are not just sources for jokes or screams, but credible people—within the fantasy context. Even the vampires have motivations for their bloodcurdling actions. The powerful rock score by The Rescues (Kyler England, Adrianne “AG” Gonzalez and Gabriel Mann) delineates and expresses emotions without descending to cliche. The group is also responsible for the gorgeous harmonies in their vocal arrangements and effective orchestrations along with Ethan Popp. Kudos to Adam Fisher whose sound design allows this to be one of the rare rock scores where the lyrics are intelligible throughout. 

Michael Arden’s impressive direction makes full use of Dane Laffrey’s massive set, incorporating the full depth and height of the Palace stage. Two-story houses, creepy lairs, beachside boardwalks, treacherous train trestles fly in, out, up and down as do the demonic rockers thanks to the aerial design by Gwyneth Larsen and Billy Mulholland and aerial choreography by Lauren Yatango-Grant and Christopher Cree-Grant. Arden also stages several ingenious fantasy sequences with chorus members dressed as movie stereotypes of vampires and superheroes (the amusing costumes are by Ryan Park) zooming in and out of the background. There’s also an exciting, realistic motorcycle race. Arden is a magician, pulling impressive rabbit after rabbit out of his directorial hat, along with special effects designer Markus Maurette.

B'way Update: Cat and Yankees, etc.

Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor in
Cat of a Hot Tin Roof.

A new production of Tennessee Williams' Cat of a Hot Tin Roof is headed for Broadway, scheduled to open sometime in the spring of 2027. Tony winner Sam Gold (Fun Home, A Doll's House, Part 2) will direct and Seaview will produce. Cat first opened on Broadway in 1955, winning the Pulitzer Prize. Barbara Bel Geddes, Ben Gazzara and Burl Ives starred as Maggie the Cat, her closeted husband Brick and Big Daddy. Ives repeated his performance in the 1958 movie version with Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman. Subsequent Broadway productions have starred Elizabeth Ashley and Keir Dullea (1974), Kathleen Turner and Daniel Hugh Kelly (1990), Ashley Judd and Jason Patric (2003), Anika Noni Rose and Terrence Howard (2008), and Scarlett Johanssen and Benjamin Walker (2013). TV versions have been headlined by Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner, and Jessica Lange and Tommy Lee Jones. I saw Sandy Dennis and David Selby play the leads in summer stock. Cast and creative staff will be announced at a later date.

"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is the pinnacle of what the theatre can do," says Gold in a statement. "Two of the greatest roles for actors in the cannon, delivered to us by the world’s most original playwright, at the very height of his poetic powers, exploring themes that feel as shockingly honest and blood boiling today as they did 70 years ago. I couldn't be more excited to bring this masterpiece back to New York next season."

"It's been such a gift to be making work with Sam Gold over the last four years,” adds Seaview co-founder and CEO Greg Nobile. "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof will mark our fifth production together, and I am certain Sam's vision to bring Tennessee's extraordinary and timeless characters to life next season will once again thrill and delight audiences."