The upcoming theater season in New York City features a diverse lineup of new productions and adaptations opening this fall, highlighting a mix of musicals, comedies, thrillers, and experimental works.
“Kicking off the season, Jeffrey Scharf’s new musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’s “Copperfield” stars Bobby Conte in the title role. Directed and choreographed by Gabriel Barre, the show will play at the Duke on 42nd Street from September 29 through December 6.
At the Minetta Lane Theater, the horror thriller “A Ghost in Your Ear” incorporates binaural sound technology, immersing audiences through headphones in a uniquely sensory experience. Created by Ben and Max Ringham, along with writer-director Jamie Armitage, the production runs from September 29 to November 15.
Signature Theater will stage “King of the Yees,” a comedy by Lauren Yee that blends autobiography with absurdity. Francis Jue reprises his role as the playwright’s father, Larry, after originating the part in 2017. Directed by Joshua Kahan Brody, the play runs from October 6 to November 15.
A folk-musical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” will open at the Public Theater on October 8 through November 22. The production, led by director Jethro Compton, relocates the story to a fishing village in Cornwall, England, with Andrew Durand starring as the protagonist who ages in reverse.
Also opening October 8 at the Roundabout Theater Company is “The Heart,” a new musical by Kait Kerrigan, Anne Eisendrath, and Ian Eisendrath. Directed by Christopher Ashley, it focuses on the journey of a brain-dead surfer’s still-beating heart awaiting transplant.
“Theater at St. Clement’s will present “Rope,” a new adaptation of Patrick Hamilton’s stage thriller. Written by Gordon Greenberg and inspired by the infamous 1924 Leopold and Loeb murder case, the production is directed by Scott Elliott and runs from October 13 to December 6.
Manhattan Theater Club’s new play “The Unbelievers,” by Nick Payne, stars Lauren Ambrose and Tom Riley as parents grappling with the long-term impact of their teenage son’s disappearance. Directed by Knud Adams, it opens October 13 and runs through November 29 at New York City Center Stage I.
At the Vineyard Theater, “Ms. Blakk for President” explores the life of performer-activist Terence Alan Smith, known for his drag persona Joan Jett Black and his 1992 disruptive presidential campaign. Starring Wayne Brady and directed by Tina Landau, the show runs from October 15 to November 22.
Classic Stage Company revives Clifford Odets’s “Waiting for Lefty,” a Depression-era drama based on a 1934 taxi strike. Steven Pasquale makes his directorial debut with this production, which features original music by Yeller Tooth and runs from October 15 to November 22.
Manual Cinema presents “The 4th Witch,” a stylized reinterpretation of “Macbeth” that integrates shadow puppetry, live actors, and overhead projection. The production runs October 15 to 17 at NYU Skirball.
“ I Became We,” an experimental monologue featuring a choir’s vocalization of a 30-something woman’s perspective, is staged by Mona Pirnot with music by Jack D. Coen and direction by Sarah Benson. The show runs October 16 to November 15 at the Atlantic Theater Company.
These forthcoming performances reflect a wide spectrum of theatrical styles and subjects, promising a dynamic and varied season for New York theater audiences.