Closing Time! August Is Your Last Chance to See Six—Yes, Six!—Broadway Shows

It's time for our monthly au revoir to all the shows and stars leaving the New York stage and this one's a doozy. The Tony Awards have been doled out, the national tours have been announced, and now it's time to change over six Broadway houses for a new season's worth of entertainment. Make sure you see these offerings before they close in the next month!  

AUGUST 11: This Calls for a Slow Song
Broadway.com's number one show of 2018 is coming to an end at the Longacre Theatre. The Prom took an eight-year journey to Broadway with its stars Beth Leavel, Brooks Ashmanskas, Angie Schworer and Christopher Sieber—for whom the roles of four lovable Broadway divas were crafted—in tow. In an industry packed with movie adaptations, composer Matthew Sklar, bookwriter Bob Martin and lyricist Chad Beguelin created a completely original musical about the all-too-timely battle for LGBTQ inclusion. The show's fresh music, smart humor and important message won't stop now, though, with a national tour and a Ryan Murphy made-for-Netflix movie adaptation in the works. Unruly Hearts, assemble!

AUGUST 11: A Show that Will More Than Survive in Our Hearts
Be More Chill is the little show that could. After a 2015 premiere at Two River Theater in New Jersey, the cast recording went viral online with fans. Then, a one-night-only concert turned into a sold-out off-Broadway run last fall. Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz's sci-fi musical (based on Ned Vizzini's 2004 novel) about high school losers and mind-controlling microchips made its way to Broadway in February 2019. Catch the Broadway.com Audience Choice Award winner, with Iconis' Tony-nominated score, at the Lyceum Theatre before it ends. 

AUGUST 18: Goodbye to Hollywood
Pretty Woman, the Broadway musical adaptation of the hit 1990 rom-com, is coming to an end this month. Samantha Barks and Andy Karl took on the near-impossible task of bringing the beloved couple of Vivian Ward and Edward Lewis to life on stage. Now, new stars Jillian Mueller and Brennin Hunt are leading the show through its final month—and Orfeh is still blowing the roof off the Nederlander Theatre every night with "Rodeo Drive." If you need any more convincing, or you're a big Roy Orbison fan, they just added the eponymous song to the finale. If you can't make it to the show by August 18, fear not: a North American tour is planned to start in Providence, Rhode Island in October 2020. 

AUGUST 18: The King Abdicates His Throne
"How are they going to put King Kong on stage?" many audiences wondered when the story of Ann Darrow (and her unlikely relationship with a giant ape) was announced for Broadway last year. Well, after loading a 20-foot-tall, 2,000-pound puppet into the Broadway Theatre, Creature Technology and the company of King Kong proved it was possible—and the Special Tony Award didn't hurt, either. Leading lady Christiani Pitts makes a worthy match to her humongous co-star, eliciting the same level of awe with her turn as Darrow. Kong may lift her up in the show, but Pitts carries the entire musical on her back. See both impressive performances before the king of the concrete jungle leaves for his new gig in Shanghai. 

AUGUST 18: They Did That, Bitches!
Let's give a round of applause for the show that won Stephanie J. Block a Tony Award. The Cher Show was this season's veritable explosion of beads, sequins, feathers and midriffs, scoring the life of music (and pretty much entertainment as a concept) icon Cher to her own hit songs. Micaela Diamond and Teal Wicks, who round out a trio of leading ladies with Block, embody the "Believe" singer alongside Jarrod Spector as an uncanny Sonny Bono, all while avoiding tacky impressions. For a good time—and a gay ole time—head to the Neil Simon Theatre ASAP, or wait for the national tour to visit your city in 2020.

AUGUST 24: What Heidi Schreck Means to Us
Heidi Schreck earned two Tony nominations this year, for both writing What the Constitution Means to Me and starring in it as herself. Since opening on Broadway in March, the Pulitzer finalist play has been deconstructing key ammendments in the United States Constitution that both help and hinder marginalized groups, culminating in an electrifying debate over whether or not the document is any good for an society moving toward gender and racial equality. Catch it at the Hayes Theater before it ends, or look out for a reprise production at the Kennedy Center in September, a 2020 national tour, as well as a potential filmed version of the show.

ALSO:

AUGUST 4: Dear Evan Hansen original cast members Jennifer Laura Thompson and Michael Park play their final performance in the Tony-winning musical. Ann Sanders and Ivan Hernandez step into the roles on August 6.  
AUGUST 11: Mojada, Luis Alfaro's new take on Medea, ends at the Public Theater.
AUGUST 11: Toni Stone, about the first woman to go pro in the Negro Baseball League, ends at the Laura Pels Theatre.
AUGUST 17: Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow, starring Steven Boyer, Tavi Gevinson and more, ends its extended run at MCC.
AUGUST 18: Puffs, the hilarious sendup of Harry Potter franchise, closes at New World Stages.
AUGUST 25: The Rolling Stone, starring Ato Blankson-Wood, ends its limited engagement at Lincoln Center Theater.