The upcoming theater season in New York City features a diverse lineup of new productions and adaptations opening across a variety of venues from late September through December.
Beginning September 27-28 at the Rose Theater, Jeffrey Scharf’s new musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’s "Copperfield" stars Bobby Conte in the titular role, with Gabriel Barre directing and choreographing. At the Duke on 42nd Street, "A Ghost in Your Ear," running from September 29 to December 6, is a horror thriller by writer-director Jamie Armitage that incorporates binaural sound technology developed by Ben and Max Ringham, offering audience members an immersive audio experience through headphones.
Lauren Yee’s comedy "King of the Yees" opens September 29 at the Minetta Lane Theater, blending autobiographical elements with absurdist humor. The production features Francis Jue reprising the role of the playwright’s father, Larry, from the 2017 world premiere, with Joshua Kahan Brody returning as director. Also featured is Jon Norman Schneider.
From October 6 to November 15 at Signature Theater, Andrew Durand stars in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," a folk-musical adaptation by Jethro Compton and Darren Clark of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s story, relocated to a Cornish fishing village. Compton directs the production.
The Public Theater presents "The Heart," a new musical by Kait Kerrigan and siblings Anne and Ian Eisendrath, running October 8 through November 22. The story centers on a surfer left brain-dead after an accident, whose still-beating heart becomes the focus of a transplant to another patient. Christopher Ashley directs.
The Roundabout Theater Company stages "Rope" from October 8 to December 6. The play, written by Gordon Greenberg and based on Patrick Hamilton’s thriller as well as the 1924 Leopold and Loeb murder case, follows two graduate students managing a murder cleanup while hosting a party. Scott Elliott directs for the New Group.
Beginning October 13, the Theater at St. Clement’s will host "The Unbelievers" through December 6. The new play by Nick Payne explores the long-term impact on parents, portrayed by Lauren Ambrose and Tom Riley, after the disappearance of their teenage son. Knud Adams directs this Manhattan Theater Club production.
At New York City Center Stage 1, "Ms. Blakk for President," running October 13 to November 29, dramatizes the life of performer-activist Terence Alan Smith and his drag persona Joan Jett Black, who ran as a disruptive candidate in the 1992 U.S. presidential election. Wayne Brady stars, with direction by Tina Landau.
The Vineyard Theater revives Clifford Odets’s Depression-era play "Waiting for Lefty" from October 15 to November 22. Steven Pasquale makes his directorial debut with this production featuring original music by Yeller Tooth. Simultaneously, Classic Stage Company presents "The 4th Witch," a Manual Cinema interpretation of "Macbeth" from October 15 to 22, incorporating shadow puppetry, live actors, overhead projectors, and music.
NYU Skirball hosts the experimental monologue "I Became We" October 15-17, conceived by Mona Pirnot with music by Jack D. Coen. Directed by Sarah Benson, the piece features a choir conveying the perspective of a woman in her thirties.
Finally, the Atlantic Theater Company stages "2:22: A Ghost Story," opening October 16 and running through November 15. The play by Danny Robins revolves around eerie occurrences linked to a baby’s nursery at the same time every night.
These productions reflect an array of storytelling forms and themes marking the arrival of the theater season in New York City.