Fall for Five Fantastic New Shows! Must-Do Events for the Week of September 9 to 15

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by Kathy Henderson • Sep 8, 2019

Though it’s still officially summer, the fall theater season is already in full swing, with four Broadway shows starting previews this week, plus a killer—literally—new off-Broadway musical. Grab tickets now for our five must-do events from September 9 through 15.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
PLANTATION PLAY
What can we say about Slave Play that (a) isn’t a spoiler or (b) explains why Jeremy O. Harris’ drama lit up the Twitter-verse during its off-Broadway run last fall? To call the play "daring" is an understatement, so let’s stick with the basics: Slave Play begins on a plantation, where three mixed-race couples share explosive scenes and, as the old saying goes, nothing is as it seems. Harris, now 30, wrote this provocative piece about sex, race and power while studying at Yale School of Drama, and a producing team that includes Jake Gyllenhaal is giving the heralded young playwright his Broadway debut. Leave the kids at home, and be prepared for a lively post-show confab with friends.
INFO: Limited run through January 5, 2020, at the Golden Theatre (252 West 45th Street). Tickets start at $39.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
BRAIN TEASING BRITS!
A mysterious memory play by French dramatist Florian Zeller provides the perfect opportunity to see British acting greats Jonathan Pryce and Dame Eileen Atkins together on Broadway. The Height of the Storm looks back at the 50-year relationship between a famous writer now battling dementia and his formidable wife, spurred by a visit from their adult daughters. As with Zeller’s The Father (which netted Frank Langella a 2016 Tony), this chamber piece is designed to show off the talent of its stars, and London critics hailed the pairing of Atkins, still kicking it at 84, and two-time Tony winner Pryce. Manhattan Theatre Club scooped up the play (translated by Tony winner Christopher Hampton) for a 10-week fall run.
INFO: Limited run through November 17 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street). Tickets start at $79.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
BROADWAY RHYME TIME
Lin-Manuel Miranda expanded the boundaries of musical theater with his hip-hop-flavored scores for In the Heights and Hamilton. But long before either show made it to Broadway, Miranda and his friends Thomas Kail and Anthony Veneziale created Freestyle Love Supreme, a joyful mix of freestyle, hip-hop and improvisational comedy shaped by suggestions from the audience. Now master freestylers Veneziale, Chris Sullivan, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Arthur Lewis and Andrew Bancroft get to show off their quicksilver talents on a Broadway stage during a 16-week run beginning Friday the 13th. Adding to the excitement is the promise of guest appearances by Tony winners Daveed Diggs and James Monroe Iglehart, along with Christopher Jackson and Miranda himself.
INFO: Limited run through January 5, 2020, at the Booth Theatre (222 West 45th Street). Tickets start at $59.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
OUT, OUT, SCOTTISH MUSICAL!
The witches are hippies and the king owns a fast-food restaurant in Scotland, PA, the devilishly entertaining new musical spoof of Macbeth. Inspired by the cult film comedy, Scotland, PA is set in the 1970s, when poor but ambitious Mac and Pat McBeth plot to take over the local burger joint—even if it means the owner ends up in the deep fryer. With a cast led by Ryan McCartan (already an expert at cult musicals after Heathers and Fox TV’s Rocky Horror Picture Show) and Head Over Heels alum Taylor Iman Jones, the show features a score by Adam Gwon, book by Michael Mitnick and direction by Lonny Price. (Bonus casting: a reunion of On the Town fan favorites Jay Armstrong Johnson and Alysha Umphress.) This one is ripe for a Broadway transfer, so see it beginning September 14 at Roundabout’s intimate Laura Pels Theatre.
INFO: Limited run through January 4, 2020, at the Laura Pels Theatre (138 West 48th Street). Tickets start at $49.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY-LOUISE
One of America’s finest stage actors will appear on Broadway twice this season, raising the possibility of a pair of Best Actress Tony nominations for Mary-Louise Parker. First up is Adam Rapp’s The Sound Inside, a tension-packed 90-minute drama that won raves at Williamstown Theater Festival. Parker stars as a creative writing professor facing a grave diagnosis who befriends a brilliant, challenging student (Will Hochman). Directed by Tony winner David Cromer (The Band’s Visit), the play taps into Parker’s genius for creating conflicted characters. Her not-to-be-missed Broadway double feature continues next spring when she and David Morse revive their acclaimed 1997 performances in Paula Vogel’s How I Learned to Drive.
INFO: Limited run through January 12, 2020, at Studio 54 (254 West 54th Street). Tickets start at $49.