From Masquerade to Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York, here are our critic’s picks of the best shows currently on the New York stage.
THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE
New World Stages, Off Broadway
‘Spelling Bee’ is the perfect antidote to these dreary anxiety-ridden times, and it’s worth settling down for a long, laughter-induced spell. ★★★★★
Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes (with no intermission)
Tickets on sale through September 6 for $58 to $194
AMAZE
New World Stages, Off Broadway
‘Amaze’ is as well-constructed as any autobiographical one-man show you’re likely to see on an Off Broadway stage, and Allan definitely knows how to manipulate a big reveal. ★★★★☆
Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes (with 1 intermission)
Tickets on sale through Sept. 6 for $59 to $265
BECKY SHAW
Hayes Theater, Broadway
Gina Gionfriddo’s dramedy has burst onto Broadway in a riotously funny, razor-sharp revival from director Trip Cullman that’s less a clash of personalities than of personality disorders. ★★★★★
Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (with one intermission)
Tickets on sale through June 14 for $94 to $214
BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB
Schoenfeld Theatre, Broadway
While the narrative framework for the show may be rickety, the music is the real star here and you don’t have to be a fan of Cuban music, or even understand Spanish, to get caught up in the infectious, rhythmic joy. ★★★★☆
Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes (1 intermission)
Tickets on sale through Sept. 6 for $59 to $321
DEATH BECOMES HER
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, Broadway
This may be the one musical where you really might exit humming the set — but you’ll also remember the rapier-sharp repartee between Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard, who lean into the material’s catty campiness with hilarious results. ★★★★☆
Running time: 2 hours, 25 minutes (with intermission)
Tickets on sale through October 4
DEATH OF A SALESMAN
Winter Garden Theatre, Broadway
While Linda gets some of the showiest speeches — which Laurie Metcalf delivers with attention-demanding skill — Nathan Lane’s Willy remains the absolute center of this hauntingly spare revival. ★★★★☆
Running time: 2 hours, 55 minutes (with one intermission)
Tickets on sale through August 9 for $55 to $399
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL
Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway
Purrers are burning, and the introduction of ballroom and “house” culture breathes fresh energy and a human-scaled depth to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s lightweight 1981 musical. ★★★★☆
Running time: 2 hours, 45 minutes (with one intermission)
Tickets on sale through Sept. 6 for $74 to $321
EVERY BRILLIANT THING
Hudson Theatre, Broadway
Daniel Radcliffe delivers a tour de force, serotonin-boosting performance that’s as powerful as any antidepressant drug currently on the market. (Mariska Hargitay will take over for Radcliffe beginning May 24.) ★★★★★
Running time: 85 minutes (with no intermission)
Tickets on sale through June 28 for $63 to $481
FALLEN ANGELS
Todd Haimes Theatre, Broadway
Noël Coward’s bubble-light 1925 comedy, back on Broadway for the first time in 70 years, is a bit of period piffle that showcases the comedic skills of a remarkable trio of actresses. ★★★★☆
Running time: 1 hour, 35 minutes (with no intermission)
Tickets on sale through June 7 for $72 to $276
GIANT
Music Box Theatre, Broadway
Delivering his lines with the gusto of a willful boy who knows that he’s being naughty but acts out regardless, John Lithgow gives a force-of-nature star turn that renders spotlights superfluous. ★★★★★
Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes (with one intermission)
Tickets on sale through June 28 for $79 to $450
HEATHERS THE MUSICAL
New World Stages, Off Broadway
‘Heathers the Musical’ pulls off that rare thing: indulging our craving for nostalgia and camp while also bringing fresh perspectives to familiar tropes. ★★★★☆
Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (with 1 intermission)
Tickets on sale through September 6 for $38 to $195
MASQUERADE
218 West 57th St., Off Broadway
While ‘Masquerade’ offers a memorable adventure in the milieu of ‘Phantom of the Opera,’ it’s harder to be moved by Christine’s story when you’re the one doing most of the moving. ★★★★☆
Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes (no intermission)
Tickets on sale through July 5 for $212 to $322
MAYBE HAPPY ENDING
Belasco Theatre, Broadway
Resolutely old-fashioned but impressively modern, ‘Maybe Happy Ending‘ is a sui generis original that is as understated in its storytelling as it is cutting-edge in its design. ★★★★★
Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes (no intermission)
Tickets on sale through November 22
MEXODUS
Daryl Roth Theatre, Off Broadway
Theater can be a powerful force, both for education and entertainment. The electric new two-man musical ‘Mexodus’ offers plenty of both. ★★★★☆
Running time: 90 minutes (with no intermission)
Tickets on sale through June 14 for $69 to $126
OPERATION MINCEMEAT
Golden Theatre, Broadway
‘Operation Mincemeat’ takes a bizarre-but-true chapter of World War II spycraft and turns it into a genre-busting celebration of musical storytelling that bursts with both hilarity and heart. ★★★★★
Running time: 2 hours, 35 minutes (with 1 intermission)
Tickets on sale through July 5 for $59 to $499
RAGTIME
Vivian Beaumont Theater, Broadway
This is, hands down, one of the best sung productions New Yorkers will hear this year. Lear DeBessonet’s thoughtful staging underscores why Ragtime is still worth revisiting. ★★★★☆
Running time: 2 hours, 45 minutes (with 1 intermission)
Tickets on sale through June 14 for $114 to $331
SEXUAL MISCONDUCT OF THE MIDDLE CLASSES
Audible’s Minetta Lane Theatre, Off Broadway
Hugh Jackman returns to the New York stage in a beguiling and twisty new two-hander that’s one of the most gripping and entertaining dramas of the year. ★★★★★
Running time: 80 minutes (with no intermission)
Tickets on sale through April 30 for $35 to $287
TITANÍQUE
St. James Theatre, Broadway
Titaníque, complete with that Frenchified accent to emphasize the final syllable, is one of the funniest musical comedies in years. It cruises into dock amid ocean-high waves of laughter. ★★★★☆
Running time: 1 hour, 50 minutes (with no intermission)
Tickets on sale through July 12 for $59 to $250
TWO STRANGERS CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK
Longacre Theatre, Broadway
Every now and then, an enchanting new musical classic comes along out of nowhere, with pop-tinged bops that are as catchy as Velcro. ‘Two Strangers’ may not follow the template of a traditional love story, but it’s a crush note to New York City and one of the best new musicals of the year. ★★★★★
Running time: 2 hours, 5 minutes (with 1 intermission)
Tickets on sale through July 5 for $59 to $399
YOU GOT OLDER
Cherry Lane Theatre, Off Broadway
Alia Shawkat, who carries herself on stage like the human personification of a shrug, paints the perfect picture of a young woman in a state of suspended animation. ★★★★☆
Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes (with no intermission)
Tickets on sale through May 3 for $99 to $209