2016 Fall Preview Broadway, Off-Broadway Shows

Which Lights Will Shine Brightest This Fall on Broadway?
By Lauren Yarger
Temperatures are finally dropping and along with Fall’s leaves comes another Broadway theater season.

Big name stars continue to be a trend on The Great White Way as producers compete for entertainment dollars not being spent on or saved up for Hamilton tickets The smash hit continues to be the hottest, hard-to-get ticket in New York with theater goers willing to pay thousands of dollars on the secondary ticket market (and hundreds of dollars at the box office) to see Lin-Manuel Miranda’s  hip-hop version of Alexander Hamilton’s life.

Meanwhile, there are a lot of other good shows playing, including some hits from previous years. Stephen Karam’s The Humans, which recently had the distinction of being the only non-musical playing on Broadway.  Karam’s adaptation of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard gets a Broadway run this fall too, starring Diane Lane. And by the way, Chekhov’s The Platonov, with a new modern translation called The Present by Andrew Upton starring Cate Blanchett, begins previews this fall for an early January opening.

So what other shows are waiting in the wings? A lot of them, many of them Off-Broadway, so stay tuned to find out which ones are the best by reading the reviews posted here weekly. Meanwhile, here are some highlights of what I am looking forward to this Fall. I will list the official opening date, but most are available for several weeks before that in previews.

Broadway

Heisenberg – Manhattan Theatre Club transfers its Off-Broadway hit from last season to Broadway.  Starring Dennis Arndt and one of my favorite actresses, Mary-Louise Parker, the Simon Stephens play looks at a unexpected encounter that sparks a life-changing game between a woman and a much older man.

Opens Oct. 13 at MTC’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Tickets: manhattantheatreclub.com.

The Front Page – a revival of the 1928 comedy by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur about newspaper reporters will star some heavyweight names that can make their own headlines: Broadway favorite Nathan Lane, John Goodman (TV’s “Roseanne”), Jefferson Mays, John Slattery, Rosemary Harris and Sherrie Rene Scott. Old-time newspapers and Nathan Lane? I’m in (but as you can see from the photo above, some vulgarity might exit).

Opens Oct. 20 with a run through Jan. 29, 2017 at the Broadhurst Theatre. Tickets: thefrontpagebroadway.com.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses -- Christopher Hampton’s play about sexual intrigue on 18^th-Century France has been a successful play and movie. This revival stars Live Schreiber and Janet McTeer, excellent casting choices for this intellectually – as well as sexually – stimulating game of cat and mouse. (You have been warned – adult content). This production is a transfer from Donmar Warehouse in London.

Opening Oct. 30 with a run through Jan.22 at the Booth Theatre. Tickets: liaisonsbroadway.com.

Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 – This modern take on Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” has one of the best opening numbers I ever have enjoyed (music and lyrics are by Dave Malloy). The show traveled around Off-Broadway a few seasons ago and now comes to Broadway with none other than Josh Groban making his debut as Pierre. Let’s just say I have had plenty of offers from people happy to be my plus-one.

Opens Nov. 14 at the Imperial Theatre. Tickets: greatcometbroadway.com.

Dear Evan Hansen – This charming musical by Ben Pasek and Justin Paul, with a book by Steven Levenson, was probably my favorite show from last season. It played Off-Broadway at Second Stage and trumpeted the arrival of one of New York’s best actors: teen star Ben Platt, who took home an Obie and nominations for Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards. He reprises the role along with cast originals.

Opens Dec. 4 at the Music Box Theatre. Tickets: dearevanhansen.com.

Off-Broadway

All the Ways to Say I Love You – Stars popular actress Judith Light as a high school teacher and guidance teacher in Neil Labute’s one-hour story of making hard choices and fulfilling desires. This is a world premiere presented by MCC Theatre at the Lucille Lortel Theatre is running now through Oct. 16. Tickets: mcctheater.org.

The Band’s Visit – Presented by Atlantic Theatre Company, this new musical based on the film is directed by David Cromer. That is I need to know to want a seat as his directing and the way he can transform a piece is almost magical. This story (book by Itmar Moses) is about an Egyptian police band arriving to play a concert in Israel… Music and lyrics are by David Yazbek. It plays Nov. 11-Dec. 23 at the Linda Gross Theatre. Tickets: atlantictheater.org.

And upcoming shows this Fall at favorite Off-Broadway houses that you should check out:

Playwrights Horizons: Julia Cho’s interesting Aubergine is currently running through Oct. 2, followed by Adam Bock’s A Life, starring David Hyde Pierce Sept. 30-Nov.13. Info: playwrightshorizons.org.

The Vineyard: This Day Forward Nov. 3-Dec. 18 Info: vineyardtheatre.org.

Irish Rep: Brian Friel’s Afterplay now through Nov. 6 and Finian’s Rainbow Oct.26- Nov. 18. Info: irishrep.org.

The Women’s Project: Stuffed by Lisa Lampanelli and directed by Jackson Gay now through Nov. 6. Info: wptheater.org.

Lauren Yarger reviews Broadway and Off-Broadway theater. She is Second Vice President of the Drama Desk and a voting member of the Outer Critics Circle. She also is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association, the League of Professional Theatre Women. the Lambs Club, the Episcopal Actors' Guild and Christians in Theatre Arts. www.TheWritePros.com.