Best of the Week: Joey Fatone Returns, Pirates! Opens and a New Wicked Prequel

From pop princes to Pirate Kings to pre-Wicked witches, this week’s lineup covers a lot of territory. Joey Fatone is back in & Juliet, Pirates! opens with flair and brass, and Elphie offers a new take on Oz’s most misunderstood heroine.

TUESDAY, APRIL 22
JOEY FATONE RETURNS TO & JULIET
It turns out Joey Fatone is a perfect fit for & Juliet—and not just because he knows his way around a pop hook. After a crowd-pleasing limited run earlier this year, the *NSYNC star is back as Lance, the clueless-yet-charming dad whose dad jokes and dad dancing somehow manage to steal scenes in a show bursting with Max Martin hits. He may not sing “Bye Bye Bye” on stage, but Fatone’s return is a boy-band crossover moment done right—and proof that & Juliet still knows how to surprise us.
INFO: Fatone appears through July 31 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre (124 West 43rd Street) | Get Tickets

THURSDAY, APRIL 24
YO HO, A NEW PIRATES! OPENS ON BROADWAY
Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance gets a bold New Orleans makeover in Pirates! The Penzance Musical, officially opening tonight at the Todd Haimes Theatre. With Ramin Karimloo, Jinkx Monsoon and David Hyde Pierce leading the charge, this brassy, big-hearted revival is directed by Scott Ellis (Doubt; Kiss Me, Kate) and choreographed by Warren Carlyle. The sharp new adaptation comes from Rupert Holmes (The Mystery of Edwin Drood), with musical direction by Joseph Joubert and orchestrations by Joubert and Daryl Waters. It’s a fizzy, tuneful take that reinvents the operetta without losing what made it a classic.
INFO: Through July 27 at the Todd Haimes Theatre (227 West 42nd Street) | Get Tickets

FRIDAY, APRIL 25
A WICKED NEW CHAPTER BEGINS WITH ELPHIE
Just in time for Wicked mania to take over movie theaters this fall, Gregory Maguire is back with Elphie, a prequel novel that dives even deeper into the story of Elphaba—before Glinda, before the broomstick, before Oz knew her name. This introspective, haunting take on the misunderstood green girl adds new dimension to a character Maguire first introduced nearly 30 years ago. Elphie is the latest in what’s become a full-blown shelf of Oz-inspired fiction, and it gives fans old and new a reason to revisit (or reimagine) the path to the Emerald City.
INFO: Available now wherever books are sold | Buy Now

MONDAY, APRIL 21
Broadway legend Donna McKechnie begins a new solo engagement at 54 Below, sharing stories and songs from her extraordinary career—including a little Chorus Line magic, of course. | 54 Below | More Info

TUESDAY, APRIL 22
Stranger Things: The First Shadow officially opens at the Marquis Theatre, bringing the Hawkins origin story to Broadway with high-tech stagecraft, a young cast of rising stars and plenty of Upside Down atmosphere. | Marquis Theatre | Get Tickets

FRIDAY, APRIL 25
Audra McDonald’s performance in Gypsy has been blowing the roof off the Majestic—now the cast recording lets you hear every belt, bite and brass blast at home. A must for Audra lovers and Rose completists. | Streaming Platforms | More Info

SATURDAY, APRIL 26
Just in Time—the Bobby Darin musical starring Jonathan Groff—opens at Circle in the Square. A big-hearted crowd-pleaser directed by Alex Timbers, it blends old-school charm with intimate storytelling and knockout vocals. | Circle in the Square Theatre | Get Tickets

SUNDAY, APRIL 27

• Dead Outlaw officially opens on Broadway after a sold-out downtown run. With a book by Itamar Moses and songs by David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna, this true-crime Western musical is unlike anything else on the boards. | Longacre Theatre | Get Tickets
• Real Women Have Curves, the new musical adaptation of Josefina López’s play officially opens, spotlighting a Latina coming-of-age story set in a 1990s East L.A. sewing factory. Directed and choreographed by Tony winner Sergio Trujillo. | James Earl Jones Theatre | Get Tickets