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The best Off-Off Broadway venues in NYC

New York stage lovers get cheap thrills at Off-Off Broadway theaters. Here are the best 15 spaces in the city.

Beyond the 40 theaters of Broadway and the 50 or so venues of Off Broadway lies a vast and rocky terrain: about 200 Off-Off Broadway theaters, in downtown Manhattan and throughout New York City, mostly with fewer than 99 seats. This is the R&D wing of the theater world, and it offers a dizzying range of shows, from the most daring and formally innovative experimental companies to amateurs learning their craft and recent college graduates trying hard to put a fresh stamp on Macbeth . Some of NYC’s most exciting theater happens Off-Off Broadway—and tickets are usually $20 or less. But it can be hard to know where to find the good stuff. Here is our list of the 15 Off-Off Broadway theaters where you have the best chances.

RECOMMENDED: See our complete listing of Off-Off Broadway shows

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1.  Ars Nova

• Off Broadway
• Hell's Kitchen
• price 1 of 4

There aren’t many entertainment options along Tenth Avenue, but one is worth the trek: a jewel box of a theater with a heady, well-selected repertory of comedy, cabaret and music shows in an environment that’s focused more on the performance than on the cash register at the bar. The monthly variety show Showgasm is an excellent sampler pack of rising talents.

2.  HERE

• West Village

After a recent refurbishment, this downtown stalwart is now one of the most comfortable experimental spaces, what with its cozy lobby café (1 Dominick) and relatively impressive multimedia capacity. The upstairs space—long, wide and low—has played host to recent smashes like Taylor Mac’s epic The Lily’s Revenge , while the downstairs 70-seat black box sees new works by everyone from Karinne Keithley to Tina Satter. HERE’s strength lies in its come-one-come-all attitude, its absurdly generous grant and commissioning programs and a genuine warmth that is largely thanks to the venue’s doyenne and founder, Kristin Marting and the community of artists who call HERE a second home.

3.  The Bushwick Starr

• Off-Off Broadway

This homey 60-seat black box (up some seriously steep stairs) is a mere block and a half from the subway, and only 15 minutes on the L train from Union Square. The space has become one of the best curated spots in the city; it supports up-and-coming stage talent like William Burke and avant-garde veterans such as Target Margin Theater and Cynthia Hopkins, as well as a variety of performance art and multimedia performances.

4.  New Ohio Theatre

After losing the lease on his Soho space in 2010, after nearly three decades there, Robert Lyons moved to the landmarked Archive building in the West Village. The new space, home to the summer Ice Factory Festival and much more, remains an indispensable theatrical crucible.

5.  La MaMa E.T.C.

• East Village
• price 2 of 4

Walk into this revolution-red theater—with its narrow First Floor Theater, its spectacularly barnlike next-door Ellen Stewart Theatre and the groovy attic Club Theater—and you are transported back in time to the New York scene's ’60s heyday. The mama herself, the late Ellen Stewart, first opened La MaMa's doors in 1961; it has since produced major figures like Tadeusz Kantor, Andrei Serban and Ping Chong, along with younger multicultural, dance-theater and avant-garde artists.

6.  Abrons Arts Center/Henry Street Settlement

• Lower East Side

Alicia Keys, Martha Graham, Jackson Pollack and Denzel Washington are among the artists who have performed, trained or taught workshops and classes at Abrons Art Center/Henry Street Settlement, an arts venue in the far reaches of the Lower East Side. The complex includes the 300-seat Playhouse (a pretty, blond-wood auditorium with a proscenium stage), the 100-seat black box Experimental Theater and another 99-seat Underground Theater, all of which are for rent.

7.  Connelly Theater

This theater looks like what it once was: a 19th-century school auditorium. Painted a lovely Russian blue and still echoing slightly with teenagers past, the 99-seat Connelly has a pretty proscenium and a pressed-tin ceiling—a surprising jewel box well off the beaten track. Productions that have made a stir here include Anne Washburn’s ghost-infested Apparition and Lucy Thurber’s Monstrosity , which made full use of the balcony and the seemingly limitless space.

8.  59E59 Theaters

• Upper East Side
• price 3 of 4

This chic, state-of-the-art venue, which comprises an Off Broadway space and two smaller theaters, is home to a lot of worthy programming, such as the annual Brits Off Broadway festival, which imports some of the U.K.’s best work for brief summer runs. The venue boasts three separate playing spaces. Theater A, on the ground floor, seats 196 people; upstairs are the 98-seat Theater B and a 70-seat black-box space, Theater C.

9.  3LD Art & Technology Center

• Financial District

Not to be confused with 3 Legged Dog (the multimedia production group that founded this space), 3LD is a giant, low-ceilinged room with a space-age, tubular white entrance and a curating penchant for technologically adventurous, video-prone work. Since the venue can be stripped back to concrete walls (and heavy gray curtains), shows can construct entire rooms-within-the-room.

10.  The Wild Project

• Performing arts space

This eco-conscious 90-seat rental and production space is a standout, with its stunning wood-and-concrete construction (oozing with green technologies), sweet art gallery and even—when do you rhapsodize about this downtown?—a wonderful bathroom. Since openig in 2007, it has hosted several notable works, including Samuel D. Hunter's A Bright New Boise and the musical 33 to Nothing.

11.  Dixon Place

Nearly 30 years after it started hosting experimental performances in a loft on the Bowery, this plucky organization has finally opened its gorgeous new space a few blocks away on the Lower East Side. A lounge, mainstage theater and studio all support the work of emerging artists, including the annual Hot! festival of work with LGBT themes.

12.  Flea Theater

Founded in 1996, this cozy, well-appointed black-box venue has presented avant-garde experimentation (such as the work of cofounder Mac Wellman) and politically provocative satires (by the likes of A.R. Gurney and Jonathan Reynolds). A 40-seat, Off-Off Broadway basement theater is home to the Flea’s resident young acting company, the Bats.

13.  The Chocolate Factory

• Long Island City

Brian Rogers and Sheila Lewandowski founded this 5000-square-foot perfomance venue in Long Island City in 2005, converting a onetime hardware store into two spaces: a low-ceilinged downstairs room and a loftier, brighter upstairs white box. The Factory is not for rent: Rogers curates his season, inviting artists (from midcareer playwrights like Mac Wellman to rising directors like Alice Reagan) onboard—and the space pays them. It's a welcoming spot (buy your chocolate chip cookies at the box office), and it won an Obie for its programming, which tends towards the highly physical, the interdisciplinary and the avant-garde.

14.  The Brick

• Williamsburg

This scrappy 70-seat space—an erstwhile garage—popped into the theatrical scene in 2002, squished into a vanishingly tiny spot on Metropolitan Avenue in Williamsburg. Its founders, Robert Honeywell and Michael Gardner, have maintained a rattling schedule of tartly themed summer festivals (such as the Moral Values Festival), pieces by low-budget, high-concept avant-gardists like the Debate Society and Ian W. Hill, and works helmed by Honeywell and Gardner themselves.

15.  Jack

• Clinton Hill

Founded in 2012, this arts center is led by artistic director Alec Duffy ( Three Pianos, Shadows ). The space's mission is to serve as a cultural hub in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, presenting cutting-edge theater, music and dance performances, expanding access to the arts, bridging audiences and educating youth. Obie-winning theater troupe Hoi Polloi is the resident company.

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The 18 Best Off-Broadway Shows in New York 2024

Few places can match the vibrancy and allure of New York City, particularly in the realm of Broadway theater. Still, Off-Broadway shows are a staple of the NYC experience, offering a diverse blend of productions that promises something for everyone. So, when in the Big Apple, don’t miss the opportunity to be part of a unique and thrilling performance delivered by some of the most talented artists in the industry!

You'll also love this:

• The 28 Best Broadway Shows in NYC Right Now
• Our Complete Guide to Broadway Shows in NYC
• The 13 Best Broadway Plays in NYC Right Now

Your journey into the world of Off-Broadway shows NYC begins here. We’ve got you covered with our comprehensive Off-Broadway Guide, your key to unlocking the best and most captivating theater experiences in the city. Let’s dive right in!

Table of Contents

#1 King James

As the men observe LeBron’s ascending career, their bond experiences trials, ruptures, and eventual healing. Following an acclaimed Chicago debut, this off-Broadway production blends sports, camaraderie, and life’s changing dynamics into a captivating spectacle.

Get King James Off Broadway Tickets here

• When? May 2, 2023 – June 18, 2028
• Where? New York City Center

#2 The Play That Goes Wrong

On this amateur troupe’s opening night, props disappear, sets crumble, and lines are forgotten, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you’re looking to laugh, this is one of the funniest off-Broadway shows NYC – so don’t miss it!

Get The Play That Goes Wrong tickets here

• When? February 11, 2019 – January 1, 2026
• Where? New World Stages

#3 Blue Man Group

Get Blue Man Group Tickets here

• When? August 17, 1991 –
• Where? Astor Place Theatre

#4 Titanique

Though this may not be one of the best off-Broadway shows NYC for kids, it’s a don’t miss on date night or girl’s night!

Get Titanique Off Broadway Tickets here

• When? June 14, 2022 – September 10, 2023
• Where? Daryl Roth Theatre

#5 Notre Dame de Paris

Notre Dame de Paris Off Broadway Tickets here

• When? June 22, 2023 – July 16, 2023
• Where? David H. Koch Theater (Lincoln Center)

#6 Sleep No More

The beauty of “Sleep No More” lies in its ever-changing narrative; no two visits will ever yield the same experience. This truly is theater reimagined and a must-see for any visitor or off-broadway NYC theater enthusiast.

Get Sleep No More Tickets here

• When? April 13, 2011 –
• Where? The McKittrick Hotel

My tip: At the top of the McKittrick Hotel you can find my favorite rooftop bar in the NYC called Gallow Green .

#7 Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical

Catch “Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical” at Playhouse 46 @ St. Luke’s Theatre, a very funny take on the hit Netflix series “Stranger Things.” This musical comedy follows familiar characters on a campy ’80s-inspired, interdimensional journey, complete with singing demogorgons and plenty of stage time for fan-favorite Barb. This imaginative spoof is sure to delight fans of the original series and newcomers alike.

Get Stranger Sings Tickets here

• When? September 12, 2022 –

#8 The Office! A Musical Parody

So, grab your friends and check out one of the most popular off-Broadway shows NYC.

Get The Office Tickets here

• When? September 20, 2018 – March 12, 2026
• Where? The Theater Center

#9 Friends! The Musical Parody

This musical rejuvenates favorite scenes from all ten seasons of Friends, delivering them through an unfiltered, brisk, and musical journey. Suitable for viewers 13 years and older, this show is sure to entertain.

Get Tickets here

• When? March 29, 2022 – December 31, 2023

#10 Little Shop of Horrors

This acclaimed production, a recipient of multiple Best Musical Revival awards, brings the iconic story to life with a unique off-Broadway twist.

Get Little Shop of Horrors Tickets here

• When? September 17, 2019 –
• Where? Westside Theatre

#11 Perfect Crime

The suspenseful narrative revolves around a woman suspected of murdering her husband. But did she truly commit the act, or has someone else orchestrated the perfect crime?

Get Perfect Crime Off Broadway Tickets here

• When? April 18, 1987 – March 12, 2026

#12 Cocktail Magique

This show promises an evening of enchantment and high spirits, making it a must-see for those seeking an unforgettable off-Broadway NYC experience.

Get Cocktail Magique Off Broadway Tickets here

• When? September 16, 2020 – August 20, 2023
• Where? Cocktail Magique Theatre

#13 Anthony Rapp’s Without You

With renditions of iconic Rent songs and behind-the-scenes anecdotes about its creator, Jonathan Larson, Rapp shares the profound impact Larson had on the entire cast. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to see a piece of Broadway history unfold off-Broadway NYC.

Get Anthony Rapp’s Without You Tickets here

• When? January 14, 2023 – June 11, 2023

#14 Asi Wind’s Inner Circle

This unique setting amplifies the performance, offering an experience that defies logic and transcends the boundaries of traditional magic. Engage in a thrilling, mysterious, and humorous evening where you don’t just witness magic – you become a part of it.

Get Asi Wind Off Broadway Tickets here

• When? September 15, 2022 – September 3, 2023
• Where? The Judson Theatre

#15 La Bohème

Set in post-revolution Paris around 1830, this timeless tale of youthful defiance and love, which inspired the musical ‘Rent,’ continues to captivate audiences since its premiere in Italy in 1896.

Get La Boheme Off Broadway Tickets here

• When? April 21, 2023 – June 9, 2023
• Where? Metropolitan Opera House

#16 Leopoldstadt

Leopoldstadt is a dramatic play that spans from 1899 to the 20th century, set in the Jewish quarter of Vienna. It shows fifty years of time in the life of an extended family over two hours and explores themes like love, beauty, endurance, and family. The inspiration behind the piece comes from the writer’s (Tom Stoppard) own family.

This performance is recommended for ages 10 and up and has no intermission. Leopoldstadt is nominated for the 2023 Tony Awards.

Get Leopoldstadt Off Broadway Tickets here

• When? October 2, 2022 – July 2, 2023

#17 Drunk Shakespeare

As the tipsy actor’s whims dictate the flow, even the Bard’s most tragic tales take on a comedic twist. Encouraging audience participation, spectators are invited to join in the fun and have a drink or two. “Drunk Shakespeare” offers an evening of unpredictable and unforgettable entertainment.

Get Drunk Shakespeare Tickets here

• When? November 1, 2014 – January 7, 2024
• Where? The Ruby Theatre

#18 Hell’s Kitchen

Grammy Award-winning artist Alicia Keys and Pulitzer Prize finalist playwright Kristoffer Diaz collaborate on the thrilling coming-of-age musical “Hell’s Kitchen,” set to premiere at The Public this fall.

Featuring music and lyrics by Alicia Keys, “Hell’s Kitchen” draws inspiration from the Grammy-winning singer’s own experiences growing up in the vibrant Manhattan neighborhood. This poignant coming-of-age tale follows Ali as she navigates her journey of self-discovery, seeking her voice and identity in a city that can be both exhilarating and unforgiving. As tensions rise between Ali and her protective mother due to her burgeoning relationship with a drummer, it is through the transformative power of music, reminiscent of the iconic “Fallin’,” that Ali begins to break free.

Get Hell’s Kitchen Off Broadway Tickets here

• When? Previews October 24, 2023, opening: November 19, 2023
• Where? Public Theatre NYC

What is considered an Off-Broadway show?

An Off-Broadway show is a professional venue production in New York City that isn’t located within the Broadway Theater District. It typically has a seating capacity between 100 and 499.

What Off-Broadway Shows are good?

Good Off-Broadway shows vary based on personal taste, but popular ones include “Sleep No More,” “Blue Man Group,” and “The Play That Goes Wrong.”

What is Off-Broadway compared to Broadway?

Off-Broadway shows are similar to Broadway shows but are usually smaller in scale, both in terms of venue size and budget. They are often considered more experimental or unconventional.

How does a play go from Off-Broadway to Broadway?

A play goes from Off-Broadway to Broadway typically after a successful run and when producers believe it has commercial viability on a larger scale. It involves increased funding, casting, and production changes to adapt to a bigger venue.

Can Off-Broadway shows win Tonys?

Off-Broadway shows cannot win Tony Awards as these are exclusive to Broadway productions. However, they can win other prestigious awards like the Obie Awards or the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards.

The 21 Best Broadway Shows in NYC 2024 (Right Now!)

The Complete Guide to Broadway Shows in New York

The 13 Best Broadway Plays in New York 2024

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Off-Off-Broadway Shows & Tickets

In Search of Elaina

Performances begin: September 5, 2024

Performances begin: April 25, 2024

The Beat Generation

One Night Only: April 27, 2024

How to Break Up a Wedding

Performances begin: May 2, 2024

The Memory Of

Final performance: April 27, 2024

Performances begin: April 26, 2024

Bathhouse.pptx

Final performance: May 5, 2024

Las Boriqueñas

Final performance: April 28, 2024

Performances begin: May 10, 2024

The Briefest Year

Performances begin: May 16, 2024

Bettye and the Jockettes Spinning Records at the Holiday Inn

Performances begin: May 3, 2024

Plague Play

Performances begin: May 31, 2024

ORLANDO: A Rhapsody

Final performance: April 24, 2024

Bring Them Back

Performances begin: May 9, 2024

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

Performances begin: May 15, 2024

Twelfth Night

Performances begin: April 24, 2024

Modern Witches & Brain Hemingway

Get discount tickets to see Brain Hemingway & Modern Witches

Dali’s Dream

If You Hadn’t, But You Did, songs of sex, love, and murder…

One Night Only: May 19, 2024

Performances begin: August 8, 2024

Get discount tickets to see Watch Me

Final performance: May 12, 2024

Las Borinqueñas

True Crime: The Musical

Final performance: December 7, 2024

Get discount tickets to see True Crime: The Musical

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Tickets to Off-Broadway musicals in New York

A Sign of the Times

CATS: "The Jellicle Ball"

Little Shop of Horrors

Three Houses

Friends The Musical Parody

Encores! Titanic

Local Singles

The Office! A Musical Parody

Your Love, Our Musical

Winesday the Wine Tasting Musical

The Lonely Few

True Crime: the Musical

Singfeld! A Musical About Nothing

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Everything you need to know about 'water for elephants' on broadway, broadway shows to see based on your favorite book, 2024 outer critics circle nominations announced, 'water for elephants' tickets now on sale through february 2025, see photos of rachel mcadams and the cast of 'mary jane' on broadway, how 'hell's kitchen' reflects and differs from alicia keys' life.

Get tickets to Off-Broadway musicals currently playing or opening soon on New York Theatre Guide. Broadway musicals are an unmissable part of the New York City experience, but there's so much more musical theatre to discover all across the city. You can be among the first audiences to see a future Broadway hit in the making — Hamilton and Hadestown are among the multi-award-winning hits that got their start in an Off-Broadway theatre.

Broadway classics also get revived off Broadway often, too — right now, you can get Little Shop of Horrors tickets and see this celebrated production of the horror comedy classic. Exciting limited engagements of musicals are always going up off Broadway, too, and these productions range from time-honored classics to fresh world premieres. Some may go on to Broadway, but there's no experience like seeing the original production in an Off-Broadway house.

Off-Broadway theatres, being smaller than Broadway venues, offer a more intimate experience for the audience, allowing them to see their favorite shows more closely than ever. Some shows are even immersive, allowing audiences to participate in the story. Off-Broadway musicals offer everything from Broadway-caliber spectacle to more simple, stripped-back experiences, and they exhibit a vast range of music genres beyond what's typically found on Broadway, from rock to pop to folk to blues to jazz and much more.

Check back regularly to discover new shows, and get Off-Broadway musical tickets on New York Theatre Guide. Find even more theatre to see by browsing Broadway musicals or our full Off-Broadway shows list that includes musicals, plays, operas, and more .

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Filter by month, frequently asked questions, what is the average cost of an off-broadway musical ticket.

Ticket prices to Off-Broadway musicals vary; shows at major Off-Broadway theatres and/or with starry casts tend to have ticket prices above $50, whereas musicals in smaller theatres and without celebrities tend to have lower prices.

What is the longest running Off-Broadway musical?

The longest-running Off-Broadway musical of all time is The Fantasticks , which played from 1960 to 2002 and again from 2006 to 2017. The longest-running current Off-Broadway musical is The Office! A Musical Parody , which has played The Theater Center since 2018.

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Little Shop of Horrors Tickets

Experience this cult favorite musical as it was meant to be seen. 

Jinkx Monsoon and Corbin Bleu will perform through May 26. Corbin Bleu will not perform April 28.

Little Shop of Horrors Show Times

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About Little Shop of Horrors on Broadway

Video & photos.

Based on the 1960 film by Roger Corman and featuring a book by Howard Ashman, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Ashman,  Little Shop  follows meek plant store attendant Seymour, his co-worker crush Audrey, her sadistic dentist of a boyfriend and the man-eating plant that threatens them and the world as we know it.

"A triumphant, delicious revival!" The New York Times Ben Brantley

Cast & Creative

Jinkx Monsoon (she/her) is a two-time  RuPaul’s Drag Race  winner, Broadway breakout star, and soon to be villain on the beloved British sci-fi series  Doctor Who  coming to Disney+ in 2024 .  The self-proclaimed “internationally tolerated” drag icon has taken over the entertainment industry as an award-winning stage actress, acclaimed vocalist, stand-up comic, and theatre sensation. Jinkx first garnered an international fan base following her win on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 5 (2013), and continued her winning streak on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 7 (2022) where she was crowned “Queen of All Queens,” winning the competition against all previous winners. In January 2023, Jinkx made her highly-anticipated Broadway debut as Matron “Mama” Morton in Broadway’s longest-running musical, Chicago . Jinkx's monumental and extended 10-week run broke box office records, achieving the highest selling non-holiday week in the show's 26 year history (as reported by Playbill). Following the run, she went on to sell out theaters across 45 North American cities with her first ever concert tour titled "Jinkx Monsoon: Everything at Stake" from June through August 2023. Jinkx closed out 2023 with the 6th annual "The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show" tour which sold out the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles and traveled for 8 weeks across the U.S., UK and Canada. In 2025, she will headline the legendary Carnegie Hall for the first time with a brand new concert experience, and will become only the second drag queen to headline their own show in the venue's history. Jinkx has toured the world performing her original cabaret shows with music partner Major Scales, including highly-acclaimed shows like  The Ginger Snapped ,  The Vaudevillians  (which became a hit Off-Broadway sensation) and their most recent production,  Together Again, Again  (2022).  As a recording artist, Jinkx has released three critically-hailed albums of original music written by Major Scales including her most recent  The Virgo Odyssey (2022) ,  The Inevitable Album  and  The Ginger Snapped.   No stranger to film and TV, Jinkx has voiced characters for such animated shows as  Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake  (playing the beloved character Lemongrab),  Steven Universe ,  Mighty Magiswords ,  Bravest Warriors.  She has also appeared on the CBS cop drama  Blue Bloods  and the Netflix original  AJ and the Queen.  Jinkx has been the subject of two documentaries:  Drag Becomes Him , and  The Queens . She is an award-winning stage actress, having won the Gregory Award for her portrayal of Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch , and most recently, The MAC Award for her show  The Ginger Snapped , co-written with Major Scales.

Corbin Bleu, a versatile and accomplished individual, comes from an extensive background in film, television, and theatre. The 32-year-old has established himself as an actor, singer/songwriter, dancer, voiceover/recording artist, host/television personality, and producer. Bleu is best known for his role as Chad Danforth in Disney’s Emmy Award-winning  High School Musical  franchise. His Broadway credits include  Kiss Me Kate ,  Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn  (Chita Rivera Award for Outstanding Male Dancer),  Godspell  (Jesus), and  In the Heights  (Usnavi). Other stage highlights include  Hairspray  (Seaweed) and  Mamma Mia!  (Sky) at The Hollywood Bowl, The Muny's centennial season production of Singin' in the Rain ,  Anything Goes , and the world premiere of  Summer Stock  at the Goodspeed Opera house.  His TV credits include: the Hallmark Channel movie  Love, For Real , the Lifetime Holiday movie  A Christmas Dance Reunion , High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Dynasty, Supergirl, Chicago Med, The Middle, The Fosters, Castle, Psych, Franklin & Bash , and Blue Bloods, Dancing with the Stars (placing second), The Real Dirty Dancing (first place). Film credits include  To Write Love on Her Arms  (opposite Kat Dennings),  Nurse 3 -D, and  The Monkey's Paw  to name a few. Corbin is the Chair of the National Advisory Board of the Looking Ahead Program, a division of  Entertainment Community Fund (f/k/a The Actors Fund), and dedicates himself to giving back through programs such as St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Starlight Children’s Foundation, & the Make-a-Wish Foundation. 

DeRosa is a regular on the New York stages and is now taking a star turn playing Tracy's loveable father Wilbur Turnblad in Hairspray .

(he/him) James is thrilled to be joining the cast of Little Shop of Horrors . Broadway: Original companies of Rock of Ages, Xanadu, Saturday Night Fever . Off-Broadway: Incident at Vichy (Signature Theatre) and Stupid Kids directed by Michael Mayer (WPA Theater). Film: Fear the Night, The Mistress, Midway, Gangster Squad, The Punisher, The Great Raid . TV: Law and Order SVU, FBI Most Wanted, The Gifted, The Enemy Within, Gotham, The Blacklist, Person of Interest , and many more. Thank you to Amy, Jackson, and Ava for letting me come back to NYC and play make believe for a while.

A native of Durham, NC, Aaron will finally be making his off-Broadway debut here in Skid Row. His most recent credit is as the original Tom Collins in the  Rent  20th anniversary national tour. A special shout-out to the Institute for American Musical Theatre, founded by Andrew Drost and Michael Minarik, for allowing me to train during the pandemic, and keeping me primed. Hey, Dad, I hope you’re proud of your boy. God is good. 

Tiffany is a proud NYC born/based actor and is so excited to be joining the  Little Shop  Family. Off Broadway-  Pip’s Island (Shelley); winner of the 2019 Off Broadway Alliance Award for Best Family Show. Select Regional Credits:  Ghost: The Musical  (Oda Mae),  Suessical  (Sour Kangaroo),  and  Avenue Q  (Gary). National Tour:  Odd Squad LIVE!  Thank you to Jim Carnahan Casting, the creative team and God for this opportunity!

Khadija will be making her Off-Broadway Debut, and is ecstatic to be “Home to Skid Row” and working with a very talented cast! Awards: Papermill Playhouse Best Featured Ensemble Group (Lost Boys). Paper Mill Rising Star Nomination (Best Featured Actress). Khadija is currently training in Ithaca College’s Musical Theater program. She’d like to thank Mara Entertainment and Buchwald! She’d also like to thank her close friends and family for their continuous support and her voice teacher Dr. Alison Wahl

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Johnny Oleksinski

‘the wiz’ broadway review: we’re off to see the cheap national tour.

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My apologies to Evilene, the wicked witch in “The Wiz,” who famously demands in song that her henchmen bring her “no bad news.”

Two hours and 30 minutes, with one intermission. At the Marquis Theatre, 210 W. 46th Street.

Because I must unfortunately report that the new revival of that musical, which opened Wednesday night at the Marquis Theatre, is not the dazzler that fans have waited so long for. Quite the contrary.

And that’s bad news, indeed.

Despite the cozy feeling of being reunited with beloved material 40 years after it was last on Broadway, director Schele Williams’ production is deflatingly flimsy and lackluster. Clumsily staged, it’s a Wiz-sper of what it should be.

Still, the Emerald City offers occasional shimmers of hope.

The all-black riff on L. Frank Baum’s “The Wizard of Oz,” which was made into a 1978 movie starring Michael Jackson and Diana Ross, is chockablock with infectious tunes, such as “Ease On Down The Road” and “Home,” and is sometimes rescued here by the voices of its talented cast.

Then — I’ll get you my pretty! — we spot the villain that’s lurking behind them: ugly CGI backdrops that look like Windows XP screensavers. Surely, the creative team can do better than that. 

If they only had more than practicality on the brain! This “Wiz” arrives in New York via a months-long national tour. It’s obviously been built to easily fit into a wide array of venues around the country. 

But Hannah Beachler’s sets are so cheap and unremarkable, and Daniel Brodie’s artificial-intelligence-style projections so prominent, that the overwhelming vibe is that we and the tour are actually still stuck in Kansas. We’re certainly not on Broadway.

Such cut corners are hard to stomach in a tale of a lush, magical land over a rainbow, especially when another take on “Oz” — “Wicked” — remains a visual wow, 20 years later and only four blocks away.

Yes, “The Wiz” should ease on down the road — but with boundless creativity and awe.

For the two of you who don’t know, it’s the old story of Dorothy (Nichelle Lewis), a Kansas farmgirl who’s whisked by a tornado to the Land of Oz, with a new — or, rather, 49-year-old — twist.

In the 1970s, composer Charlie Smalls brought Motown-style music — the sort you don’t just hear, but feel from head to toe — to Munchkinland.

En route to get help from the Wizard (Wayne Brady), Dorothy meets the Scarecrow (Avery Wilson), Tinman (Phillip Johnson Richardson) and Lion (Kyle Ramar Freeman), who all have unique struggles of their own. 

Their songs are fabulous. The quartet doesn’t follow the Yellow Brick Road, they “Ease On Down” it. The Tinman’s “If I Only Had A Heart” becomes “Slide Some Oil To Me.” And “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” gets an altogether differently poignant counterpart in “Home.”

Richardson, as that poor rusty bucket of bolts, does best with writer Amber Ruffin’s newly added, funny jokes. And his number is the most energizing of the three supportive Ozians, likable though the others are. 

They’re tormented by the powerful Evilene, sung with vigor by Melody A. Betts, who gets this “Wiz”’s closest thing to a showstopper in “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News.”

Brady, cameo-style, plays the Wizard with a Center Square personality. And Deborah Cox croons a lovely, maternal rendition of “Believe in Yourself” as Glinda.

Then, in a wildly rushed ending that gives zero closure, Lewis nicely sings “Home.”

It’s too bad that elsewhere in the musical, her Dorothy tends to let the wackier, flashier roles take over, whenever she’s not belting downstage center. This staging’s biggest flaw, actually, is forgetting that the show is more than just a bopping playlist — it’s the story of a scared girl who’s lost and discovering what matters most in her life.

But a lot has fallen to the wayside here. Not much is distinctive about this “Wiz” besides a memorable start of Act 2, during an extended dance called “Emerald City.”

It’s a modern nightclub sequence that’s a lively breath of fresh air. Finally, the show has been given a contemporary context beyond 3D images ripped from our scariest nightmares.

Before and after that, though, Jaquel Knight’s choreography is underwhelming and lacks theatricality and crispness. It doesn’t fill the stage, so much as clutter it.

For example, Ozian guards flank the four friends during “Ease On Down The Road,” marching and awkwardly moving their staffs not quite in unison. Their cumbersome decoration makes the spirited trip down the road bumpier than need be.

Like so much of this hit-and-miss production.

“The Wiz” ideally should have audiences proclaiming, “There’s no place like Broadway!” at the end.

Alas, back on W. 46th St. at 10:30 p.m., I headed to the train thinking, “There’s no place like home.”

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Regina Spektor Reveals Limited-Run of Summer Tour Dates

General onsale for tickets begins Friday, April 26 at 10 AM Local.

Regina Spektor, the acclaimed singer-songwriter, has announced a special series of performances set to grace stages this summer – An Evening with Regina Spektor.

Produced by Live Nation, the eight city tour kicks off on July 24 at The Egg* in Albany, NY making stops across North America in Toronto, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Montclair, Boston, and Portland (Maine) before wrapping up in Stamford, CT at The Palace Stamford on August 3.

Spektor’s eighth studio album, the long-awaited Home, before and after, was released in 2022 and met with critical praise from New York Times, NPR Music, and more.

TICKETS: Tickets will be available starting with an artist presale that begins today at 11 AM local time ahead of the general onsale which starts on Friday, April 26 at 10 AM local time  HERE .

Wed Jul 24 | Albany, NY | The Egg*

Thu Jul 25 | Toronto, ON | HISTORY

Sat Jul 27 | Philadelphia, PA | The Met Philadelphia presented by Highmark

Sun Jul 28 | Baltimore, MD | Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric

Mon Jul 29 | Montclair, NJ | The Wellmont Theater

Wed Jul 31 | Boston, MA | MGM Music Hall at Fenway

Fri Aug 02 | Portland, ME | Merrill Auditorium at City Hall

Sat Aug 03 | Stamford, CT | The Palace Stamford

*Not A Live Nation Date

About Regina Spektor

Regina Spektor calls them sandcastles. There’s a million of them, songs that rise up and multiply in her brain — the fruits of months, sometimes years, of channeling and crafting. But what happens to them when it’s time to make new music? “They all have to be slowly washed away. Some of them are really well built, and they’re really high up on the beach,” she says. “It all has to be gone, and then I can start to hear new songs and make a new record.”

Starting with a clean slate, with six momentous years between albums, Spektor returned in 2022 with Home, before and after. The eagerly awaited eighth studio album was the follow-up to 2016’s Remember Us to Life. It paired Spektor with John Congleton (St. Vincent, Sharon Van Etten, Angel Olsen), who produced the album from afar in Los Angeles with Spektor co-producing in upstate New York.

The years between her albums weren’t exactly fallow. In 2016, at her friend Lin-Manuel Miranda’s invitation, she contributed a song (“Dear Theodosia,” featuring Ben Folds) to The Hamilton Mixtape. Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio declared Regina Spektor Day in her hometown in June 2019, she got a street sign with her name at the Bronx Walk of Fame, and that same month staged a sold out residency on Broadway at the legendary Lunt- Fontanne Theatre.

Her work for television and film continued. “You’ve Got Time,” from Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black, entered the pantheon of classic TV theme songs, so much so that Spektor released an orchestral version of the award-winning tune for the final episode. She wrote “One Little Soldier” for the closing credits of the film Bombshell and multiple songs for the animated series Central Park.

Time has been kind to Spektor’s work. Twenty years have passed since she self-released her 2001 debut, 11:11, which recently received a remastered reissue, as well as a limited-edition box set. In the decades since, Spektor, who was born in Moscow, Russia and raised in the Bronx, New York, has defied classification. With a sophisticated marriage of classical training and a gift for sharp pop hooks and nuanced lyrics, she has created her own genre. She makes Regina Spektor music.

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