With star-studded casting announcements dropping one after the other, this season in New York City is packed with celebrities, both on and Off-Broadway. To help you decide which stars you should see in person, and budget accordingly, °ëµºÌåÓý has compiled a list of A-listers whose shows you can see right now and those who are set to hit the New York stage in the coming months.
Many of the actors listed in this article are no strangers to the theatre, but are better known for their appearances in film, television, or music. And several are making their Broadway or Off-Broadway debuts. We've also included notable stars of the stage (such as Audra McDonald and Bernadette Peters). Below are the many, many stars of the season. For ease of planning, we've divided these celebrities into three sections: Newly Announced, Currently Running, and Upcoming.
Newly Announced Stars
John Krasinski (Angry Alan)
Emmy nominee John Krasinski (The Office, A Quiet Place) will return to the New York stage later this spring in Penelope Skinner's dark comedy Angry Alan, the inaugural production of Off-Broadway's Studio Seaview. The strictly limited engagement will run May 23-August 3, with an official opening June 11. Tony winner Sam Gold is set to direct. The one-man play follows Roger, who is divorced, demoted, and drifting. When an online personality promises clarity, Roger dives in without looking back.
Though Krasinski is known for his screen work, he studied theatre at Brown and previously appeared on the stage in 2016, in the world premiere of Dry Powder (with Hank Azaria, Claire Danes, and Sanjit De Silva). Directed by Thomas Kail, the play ran at The Public Theater and the actor received the Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance.
Currently Running Stars
Darren Criss (Maybe Happy Ending)
Darren Criss seamlessly moves between the stage and screen. While he's a Golden Globe winner for American Crime Story and a former Glee cast member, he's also a beloved musical theatre performer—his credits include Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Little Shop of Horrors. But the current hit Broadway musical Maybe Happy Ending is Criss' first professional foray into an original stage musical; he plays a robot who learns how to love.
As he told °ëµºÌåÓý, Maybe Happy Ending has crossed off a big item on his bucket list: “​​Originate something that hasn't been done on Broadway yet...I can categorically say that this will be something that you have never seen the likes of before on a Broadway stage.â€�
Nicole Scherzinger (Sunset Boulevard)
She's come home at last! Nicole Scherzinger is known primarily as the lead singer of the girl group The Pussycat Dolls and as a judge on The X Factor. But she's been slowly building up her stage career, courtesy of composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. She starred as Grizabella in Cats in the West End in 2015, which earned her her first Olivier Award nomination. Her performance as Norma Desmond last year in the West End revival of Sunset Blvd. brought her the Olivier Award. She is currently reprising her role as Norma in the Broadway transfer of Sunset Blvd, which is playing the St. James Theatre through July 13.
READ: To Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Blvd. Is the Perfect Musical for Her Broadway Debut
Scherzinger told °ëµºÌåÓý in an in-depth interview that she could have come to Broadway a decade ago for Cats, but she wanted to wait for the right time, and the right musical to showcase the depths of her talent. "It just didn't align with my life at the time," she said of Cats on Broadway. "It wasn't the right time. And now, after 46 years that I've been waiting to hit that Broadway stage, now the timing is everything, and it's divine. This is the production, this is the timing, this is the role, this is the musical that I'm supposed to be making my debut on Broadway.â€�
Michelle Williams (Death Becomes Her)
Out of all the members of the '90s girl-group Destiny's Child, Michelle Williams is the one that has kept a foot in the theatre world. The new musical Death Becomes Her marks her fourth Broadway credit—she was last seen in 2018 in the Once On This Island revival. And this latest project leans fully into Williams' pop diva persona—she plays the beautiful and mysterious Viola Van Horn, who offers up an immortality potion.
As Williams told °ëµºÌåÓý opening night of the show: "I don't take any of it for granted at all. The fact that just a few years ago, we didn't know what the status of theatre would become, everything was shut down, every industry was shut down. So I take nothing for granted. I'm humbled to be on this stage."
Death Becomes Her is now running at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.
Audra McDonald (Gypsy)
Six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald (the most awarded actor of all time in the Tony performance categories, and the only person to win in all four) is currently starring as Rose in the ongoing Broadway revival of Gypsy. It's such a high-profile event that even the marquee at the theatre is inscribed with "Audra. Gypsy." Following in the footsteps of such legends as Ethel Merman and Angela Lansbury, McDonald brings a whole-new spin to the stage mother of all stage mothers—under the direction of George C. Wolfe, this revival reexamines the Arther Laurents-Jule Styne-Stephen Sondheim musical from a Black lens.
As McDonald told °ëµºÌåÓý: "This is the King Lear of musical theatre roles." Gypsy is currently running at the newly refurbished Majestic Theatre.
Idina Menzel (Redwood)
Wicked Tony winner Idina Menzel is back on Broadway in the new musical Redwood, currently running at the Nederlander Theatre—the former home of Rent, which marked Menzel's Broadway debut. Menzel stars as Jesse, a woman who finds herself in a Northern California redwood forest after a life-altering event. Menzel also co-conceived the work with director Tina Landau, who wrote the book and lyrics.
Jesse is just another towering role for Menzel, who's had no shortage of them: in addition to the original cast of Wicked and Rent, Menzel also voiced Elsa in Frozen. When looking at her career, Menzel told °ëµºÌåÓý: “It’s humbling to know my work resonates across generations. But I always tell people—and remind myself—to strive for authenticity. Be yourself. That’s what makes you stand out.â€�
Sarah Hyland (The Great Gatsby)
Sarah Hyland may be known as Haley in Modern Family, but she's been teasing Broadway a while now. For one, she made her Broadway debut in 2006 in Grey Gardens, and she played Audrey in the hit Off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors in 2024. Now, Hyland is back on Broadway as the "golden girl" Daisy Buchanan in the musical The Great Gatsby, taking over for original cast member Eva Noblezada. She took the stage the same day as the show's new Gatsby, Ryan McCartan, beginning February 10. With the centennial of Fitzgerald's novel happening on April 10, 1925, the spring is the perfect time for a new Gatsby and Daisy.
Paul Mescal (A Streetcar Named Desire)
Fresh from a critically acclaimed performance in Gladiator II (and a musical parody performance on Saturday Night Live), Paul Mescal is currently making his U.S. stage debut reprising his Olivier-winning turn as Stanley Kowalski in Rebecca Frecknall's staging of A Streetcar Named Desire. The production premiered in 2022 at London's Almeida Theatre. Performances run February 28–April 6 at Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal (Othello)
Speaking of the Gladiator sequel, fans are able to see two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington live when he plays the title role in Othello, opposite Jake Gyllenhaal's Iago. The performance is Washington's first time back on the boards since starring in a 2018 revival of The Iceman Cometh. Gyllenhaal found fame on the screen in films like Brokeback Mountain, but in recent years, he's been spending more time on the stage—he starred in the title role of Sunday in the Park With George and earned a Tony nomination for Sea Wall/A Life. Othello began February 24 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, with performances set to continue through June 8.
Lily Rabe and Hamish Linklater (Ghosts at Lincoln Center Theater)
Real-life couple Lily Rabe (American Horror Story) and Hamish Linklater (Midnight Mass) split their time between screen work and stage work. Their latest project sees them starring in a new version of Ibsen's Ghosts, adapted by Mark O'Rowe. Rabe leads the play as Helena Alving, whose son Oswald comes home with a syphilis diagnosis. The cast also contains children of some well-known celebrities: Oswald is played by Levon Hawke, the son of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke (and brother of Maya Hawke, more on her below); while maid Regina is played by Ella Beatty (Appropriate), the daughter of Warren Beatty. Plus, the always memorable Billy Crudup (The Morning Show) plays Pastor Manders. And on Lincoln Center's Off-Broadway stage, the Newhouse, audiences will get up-close with these stage and screen favorites, and rising stars. Ghosts began February 13 in a limited engagement through March 30.
As Rabe told °ëµºÌåÓý, this is her first foray back to the New York stage in a decade: “Certainly, now having come back, I can’t imagine ever being away this long again, because there’s nowhere I feel more like myself than doing a play in New York."
Kieran Culkin, Bob Odenkirk, Bill Burr (Glengarry Glen Ross)
This spring, Broadway audiences might spot not just one but two Succession stars on the stage (more on the second one later). Kieran Culkin (who played Roman Roy in Succession) stars in a revival of Glengarry Glen Ross, opposite fellow screen stars Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul) and comedian Bill Burr. Odenkirk and Burr are both making their Broadway debuts with the production. Culkin previously made his Broadway debut in 2014's This Is Our Youth. The production plays the Palace Theatre, where previews began March 10 ahead of a March 31 opening night. Tony winner Patrick Marber (Leopoldstadt) is directing.
Sarah Snook (The Picture of Dorian Gray)
Speaking of Succession, Emmy winner Sarah Snook is on stage all by herself beginning March 10 at the Music Box Theatre for The Picture of Dorian Gray (with an opening night of March 27). Based on the Oscar Wilde book, Snook plays 26 characters (with the help of some video versions of herself). Snook first performed the show in the West End, earning an Olivier Award. With Kieran Culkin also on Broadway, the Main Stem just needs Jeremy Strong and Alan Ruck to come back to have a full Roy sibling reunion.
Andrew Scott (Vanya)
Fleabag and Sherlock star Andrew Scott is crossing the pond to reprise his performance in Simon Stephens' Olivier-winning solo adaptation of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. Titled Vanya, the eight-week limited run begins performances at Off-Broadway's Lucille Lortel Theatre March 11, ahead of a March 18 opening night. Scott, who was Olivier-nominated for his work, takes on every role in the Chekhov classic, about a family beset by secrets, illicit love interests, and deep divides over their burdensome estate.
“I love this masterpiece of a play," Scott said in an earlier statement. "I love these heartbreaking, hilarious, sexy, characters. I love my colleagues with whom I made this show. I love New York. So, I couldn’t be more thrilled to bring Vanya to the audiences at the Lortel Theatre. See you then!�
George Clooney (Good Night, and Good Luck)
Two-time Academy Award winner George Clooney is making his Broadway debut beginning March 12 in a stage adaptation of the 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck. Clooney and Grant Heslov have adapted their screenplay for the stage, with David Cromer directing. The historical drama centers on a clash between famed journalist Edward R. Murrow and infamous U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy, of anti-communist HUAC fame. Clooney starred on screen as Murrow's co-producer, Fred W. Friendly.
"I am honored, after all these years, to be coming back to the stage and especially, to Broadway, the art form and the venue that every actor aspires to,� Clooney said in an earlier statement.
Tituss Burgess (Oh, Mary!)
Six-time Emmy nominee Tituss Burgess dons Mary Todd Lincoln's bratty wig for a limited engagement in Broadway's Oh, Mary! beginning March 18 and ending April 6. Burgess is best known for starring as Titus Andromedon in Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, but he's no stranger to the stage. He was last seen on Broadway as Harold Zidler in Moulin Rouge!, and has also played roles in Guys and Dolls, Good Vibrations, Jersey Boys, and The Little Mermaid on the Main Stem.
"I really think it is much more of a drama than it is a comedy," Burgess told °ëµºÌåÓý. "I really do. I mean, the stakes are so impossibly high. And for a Black male to be playing a part where they're consistently told 'no' at every turn, for me, that is what I pull from, and that is what I put on full display...It's actually quite heartbreaking, the role, and what she is up against. And so, I bring all of my heartbreak and all of the ways that I've tried to make life funny just to keep from crying."
After Burgess departs, the show's original star Cole Escola will return beginning April 8.
Nick Jonas (The Last Five Years)
Nick Jonas, who rose to fame as one of the Jonas Brothers trio and as a Disney channel star, will soon return to the stage as Jamie in the first-ever Broadway production of Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years beginning March 18. Jonas will star alongside Tony winner Adrienne Warren as Cathy, with Tony nominee Whitney White at the helm.
Jonas started his Broadway career as a child actor, serving as an alternate for Gavroche in Les Misérables and Chip in Beauty and the Beast, and later playing Little Jake in Annie Get Your Gun. In 2011, he stepped into the role of J. Pierrepont Finch in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
Most recently, in 2023, the Jonas Brothers played a five-night concert residency at Broadway's Marquis Theatre, with each night dedicated to one of their six albums.
Sadie Sink (John Proctor is the Villain)
Stranger Things and The Whale star Sadie Sink returns to Broadway in Kimberly Belflower's new play John Proctor Is the Villain beginning March 20 at the Booth Theatre. The work is a modern reexamination of Arthur Miller's The Crucible set at a rural Georgia high school, and will mark Sink's first Broadway performance since her time as a child performer in the 2012 revival of Annie and 2015's The Audience.
Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga (Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends)
These theatre legends need no introduction. Fresh from a limited engagement in Los Angeles, Lea Salonga and Bernadette Peters will headline the Broadway transfer of Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends, a revue celebrating the late Broadway legend. Performances begin March 25 at Manhattan Theatre Club's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.
Speaking to °ëµºÌåÓý when Old Friends was running in the West End, Peters said she never gets tired of singing Sondheim's music: “You’re bringing all of life’s experiences that you’ve gone through. You think, ‘Oh, it’s about this.â€� But then you go, ‘Oh, my God, no. It’s about this.â€� An uplifting song can be more uplifting, a devastating song can be more devastating, an angry song can be more intense. You bring more information to it.â€�
Lizzy McAlpine (Floyd Collins)
Whether performing selections from Hadestown and Next to Normal at Elsie Fest or making a special guest appearance to sing Wicked's "For Good" at one of Reneé Rapp's concerts, folk-pop singer-songwriter Lizzy McAlpine has been delving into the theatre world for a while now. Now she's finally making her Broadway debut. McAlpine is set to play Nellie in Lincoln Center Theater's production of Floyd Collins, alongside Jeremy Jordan, Jessica Molaskey, Taylor Trensch, and more. Performances begin March 28 ahead of an April 21 opening night, and the folk and bluegrass-inspired score sounds like a perfect fit for McAlpine.
Jonathan Groff and Gracie Lawrence (Just in Time)
Tony and Grammy winner Jonathan Groff's extensive list of Broadway credits include Hamilton, Spring Awakening, Merrily We Roll Along, and more, but those who aren't as tapped in to the Broadway scene may be more familiar with his screen (and voice) performances in Disney's Frozen or Fox's series Glee.
Groff will return to the stage beginning March 30 to play Bobby Darin in the new jukebox musical Just in Time. The immersive staging will see the theatre transformed into an intimate nightclub with a live, onstage big band. The show tracks Darin's life story and will see Tony winner Groff performing Darin's greatest hits, including "Beyond the Sea," "Splish Splash," and "Mack the Knife."
Plus, if you're a fan of The Sex Lives of College Girls on Max, then you'd know that its cast members are also singers: Broadway favorite Reneé Rapp has starred in all three seasons, and Gracie Lawrence, of the band Lawrence, joined the cast for the most recent one. This spring, Lawrence star opposite Groff in Just In Time. If you're a Lawrence fan and want to see the singer take on some American standards, you can catch her at the Circle in the Square Theatre.
Orville Peck (Cabaret)
Country music star Orville Peck, who also trained as an actor at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, will make his Broadway debut as the Emcee in Cabaret beginning March 31. His run, alongside Eva Noblezada as Sally Bowles, will continue through July 20. While the production has not released details about Peck's costuming, they released the first look photo above, hinting that Peck's face will be obscured for his Broadway debut.
Upcoming Stars
Joey Fatone (& Juliet)
'90s kids got a delight when Joey Fatone (of the boy band NSYNC) returned to Broadway in & Juliet, where he sang some Backstreet Boys songs. Good news fans, after finishing up the first leg of his run in the Max Martin jukebox musical March 16, Fatone will return to & Juliet April 22–July 31, once again playing the role of romantic Frenchman Lance.
As the pop star told °ëµºÌåÓý earlier this year, he's just enjoying himself these days: "I still have the hunger and the drive, but it’s different. It’s not like I need to be somebody. As far as NSYNC, I became somebody with them, and then I did stuff on my own. I’ve done a lot of the things I’ve always dreamt about doing." Joey's back, alright!
Jinkx Monsoon (Pirates! The Penzance Musical)
Two-time RuPaul's Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon is no stranger to the stage, having starred in Broadway's Chicago (twice), Off-Broadway's Little Shop of Horrors, and more. Beginning April 4, she'll return to Broadway in the jazz-infused revival of The Pirates of Penzance�now titled Pirates! The Penzance Musical—as Ruth, alongside Ramin Karimloo and David Hyde Pierce.
As Monsoon told °ëµºÌåÓý in a 2023 interview, her stage performances have been a true full-circle moment for a self-proclaimed “theatre kid.â€� “I started doing drag because I wanted more chances to perform,â€� Monsoon said. “I think that’s probably the connecting thread, that if you’re a drag queen or a theatre kid, you’re just looking for every chance to get on stage. And if you’re both, that doubles your chances.â€�
Maya Hawke (Eurydice at Signature Theatre)
Sadie Sink isn't the only one venturing from Hawkins, Indiana, to Broadway. Fellow Stranger Things star Maya Hawke will also be seen this spring playing the title role in Eurydice, a play by Sarah Ruhl inspired by the Greek myth. Hawke's credits have been on the screen so far (Asteroid City, Inside Out 2) but she comes from a respected stage pedigree. Her parents are Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, who also have Broadway credits. With her brother Levon Hawke also doing an Off-Broadway play 20 blocks north, we will be seeing a lot of the Hawke family this spring in New York. Eurydice will run May 13–June 22 at Pershing Square Signature Center’s Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre.
Jean Smart (Call Me Izzy)
Fresh off of winning three Emmy Awards for playing Deborah Vance in HBO's Hacks, Jean Smart will return to Broadway for the first time in over two decades this summer in the world premiere of Jamie Wax's solo show Call Me Izzy. The dark comedy follows one woman in rural Louisiana who has a secret that is both her greatest gift and her only way out. And similar to her winning character in Hacks, Smart will be on the stage by herself in Call Me Izzy.
The 12-week limited engagement will begin performances May 24 at Studio 54 prior to an official opening June 12.
Kristin Chenoweth (The Queen of Versailles)
It's a Wicked-ly delightful reunion! Tony winner (and original Glinda) Kristin Chenoweth is collaborating with composer Stephen Schwartz on a new musical: The Queen of Versailles. Chenoweth will play real-life socialite Jackie Siegel who, with her husband David (played by F. Murray Abraham), try to build a lavish estate in Florida...during the 2008 financial crisis. Lindsey Ferrentino writes the book. The musical will play the St. James Theatre, with previews beginning October 8 ahead of a November 10 opening night. And with Chenoweth and Idina Menzel both on Broadway around the same time (more on that below), we couldn't be happier!
°ëµºÌåÓý will continue to update this list as more stars are announced. And if anyone is wondering when Rose Byrne, Keanu Reeves, and Alex Winter are coming to Broadway, we're still waiting on exact dates for those. But we'll update this list when we have more definite information.
Also, click here for upcoming Broadway shows and here for upcoming Off-Broadway shows.
