The leaves are changing, the Halloween decorations are out and Broadway’s fall season is in full swing — it’s the perfect time to catch a show!
This month, Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman’s Harmony arrives, Wicked celebrates its 20th anniversary and Monty Python's Spamalot returns to the Main Stem.
Here is your complete guide to the best shows on the Broadway boards in October 2023.
Broadway's Best Selling Shows
The Top 10 best selling shows currently playing on Broadway. For a deeper look, check out our complete breakdown of Broadway's Best Selling Shows.
Based on gross sales for performances during the week ending September 24, 2023. Check out our complete list of Broadway's Best Selling Shows.
Best New Shows on Broadway in October
Broadway will welcome a hearty offering of new musicals and plays this fall! Here's a look at the shows hitting the boards in October.
For a full list of shows arriving this season, head to our Best Shows on Broadway This Fall guide.
I Need That
Previews begin October 13; Opens on November 2; Closes on December 23
Danny and Lucy DeVito star in Pulitzer Prize finalist Theresa Rebeck's deeply human new comedy that reckons with the difference between trash and treasure.
Harmony
Previews begin October 18; Opens on November 13
Featuring music by Barry Manilow and lyrics by Bruce Sussman, this new musical goes back to the 1920 to tell the unbelievable true story of The Comedian Harmonists.
Monty Python's Spamalot
Previews begin on October 31; Opens on November 16
The quest is back on! Lovingly ripped from the film classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot won the 2005 Tony Award for Best Musical and features such classics as “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” “The Song That Goes Like This” and “Find Your Grail."
Head here to learn more about the shows arriving on Broadway this fall!
Best Broadway Shows to See This Halloween
Halloween is on the way! From haunting works to shows that will inspire your next costume, we’ve pulled together a selection of shows that are perfect for celebrating spooky season.For a full list of shows that will get you in the spirit, head to our Best Broadway Shows to See This Halloween guide.
Sweeney Todd
The dark and bloody tale of Stephen Sondiem and Hugh Wheeler’s masterpiece Sweeney Todd is just the dark delight you crave. The brooding atmosphere and the tale of one barber’s revenge spiral and one woman’s curious cooking technique will have you hungry for Halloween. Starring Josh Groban as the razor-wielding Todd and Tony winner Annaleigh Ashford as his crazed sidekick Mrs. Lovett, this thrilling musical will haunt you long after October. Get tickets!
(Photo: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)
Wicked
October is an especially exciting time to see Wicked on Broadway. The iconic musical celebrates 20 years of defying gravity at the Gershwin Theatre. If you have never experienced Oz in person, don’t delay another day. Or if you’ve seen it 14 times, how could you resist one short day in the Emerald City? The international sensation has introduced audiences to the story of Glinda and Elphaba before Dorothy came to Oz and has become as legendary and beloved as The Wizard of Oz itself. Get tickets!
(Photo: Joan Marcus)
Best Broadway Shows, From Screen to Stage
It can be a blast to see classic movies, and their legendary characters, come to life on stage! Here's a selection of film faves that have made their way to Broadway.For a full list of shows that have been adapted from movies, head to our Best Broadway Shows, From Screen to Stage guide.
Back to the Future
This is heavy! Back to the Future has made its way to the stage in a high-voltage adaptation by the film’s creators Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis. When Marty McFly finds himself transported back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric scientist Doc Brown, he accidentally changes the course of history. Now he’s in a race against time to fix the present, escape the past and send himself... back to the future.
(Photo: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)
Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Baz Luhrmann's revolutionary film comes to life in Moulin Rouge! The Musical! Head to a world of splendor and romance, of eye-popping excess, of glitz, grandeur and glory and prepare for a spectacular spectacular soundtrack featuring some of pop music's biggest hits.
(Photo: Matthew Murphy)
Some Like It Hot
The 1959 comedy classic Some Like It Hot steps into the 21st century! Originally starring Tony Curtis, Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon, Some Like It Hot is the story of two musicians forced to flee the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. With gangsters hot on their heels, they catch a cross-country train for the life-chasing, life-changing trip of a lifetime.
Best Plays on Broadway: Star-Studded Casts
There is something special about watching established Hollywood stars performing live in front of an audience. Below are a few of our favorites on the boards this summer.
We maintain a complete guide to Celebrities on the Stage. Also, check out our Complete List of Broadway Plays for everything playing on and off Broadway.
The Cottage
Will & Grace Emmy winner Eric McCormack leads Sandy Rustin's ridiculous, and potentially murderous, romantic comedy. Directed by Jason Alexander, the starry cast also features stage and screen favorites Laura Bell Bundy, Lilli Cooper, Alex Moffat, Nehal Joshi and Dana Steingold.
(Photo: Matthew Murphy)
Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
Hamilton Tony winner and screen favorite Leslie Odom Jr. stars in the first Broadway revival of Ossie Davis' 1961 play. Directed by Kenny Leon, Purlie Victorious focuses on the traveling preacher Purlie Victorious Judson, who returns to his small Georgia town hoping to save the community's church and emancipate the cotton pickers who work on an oppressive plantation.
Best Broadway Shows for Kids
For a complete breakdown of age-apprpriate shows and what you can expect when attending, check out our Best Broadway Shows For Kids in 2023 guide.
Below are the official age recommendations issued by the producers of each show.
