Summer is a popular time for NYC. Many families from across the country come to visit wishing to have that quintessential New York vacation. What could be more typically-Big Apple than seeing a show on Broadway? While musicals remain the big draw, and what most people image when they think of a Broadway show, the plays that have their run on theater's preeminent setting are just as culturally relevant and emotionally impactful. Unlike musicals, however, Broadway plays usually see a limited engagement so tickets are at a premium. Book yours soon, or you'll miss your chance to see these 2015 plays before they end their runs.
- It's Only A Play
Originally premiering Off-Off-Broadway in 1982, It's Only a Play has finally made its way to Broadway this past August after some updating rewrites from notable playwright Terrence McNally. Reuniting Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick after their critically-lauded work in The Producers, this play is a meta-work about the people working behind-the-scenes to put on a play. A producer hosts a party celebrating her new play and invites the director, actors, and other assorted guests. Much of the action revolves around making fun of the celebrities in attendance on opening night so brush up on your pop culture, and get ready for some laughs. - The Audience
After their successful pairing for the film The Queen, Helen Mirren and Peter Morgan team up again to bring another story of Queen Elizabeth II to Broadway. Originally premiering on London's West End in 2013, the production has now moved across the pond for a limited engagement in 2015. Helen Mirren reprises her role as the Queen (for which she previously won an Academy Award) in this play about the weekly audiences she held with Britain's prime ministers over the years. Early buzz suggests Mirren is en route to a Tony Award for Best Actress, which would mark a halfway point to achieving the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony wins). - Fish in the Dark
Big names are popping up all across Broadway, and Fish in the Dark is no exception. Larry David, creator of Curb Your Enthusiasm and co-creator of Seinfeld, has penned this comedic play as well as plays the lead role. The production may be light on plot, characters dealing with the death of a family member, but it overflows with laughs. It has been a hit at the box office, now grossing over a $1 million a week, with no signs of slowing down even after its star exits. Fellow Seinfeld-alum Jason Alexander is poised to take over for David come June. - Wolf Hall Parts One & Two
We're reaching the saturation point for Wolf Hall. PBS has just premiered a miniseries and now Broadway has its own production, split into two parts. Based on Hilary Mantel's Booker Prize-winning novels, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, the Broadway production allows audiences the option of purchasing tickets for each part individually or spending the whole day at the theater for special double features on Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday. - The Curious Incident of the Dog in Night-Time
Curious also made its premiere in London before making the jump to Broadway. This play follows a 15-year-old boy as he seeks to answer the mystery surrounding the death of his neighbor's dog. Critics and audiences alike have been awed by the visual effects used to demonstrate the boy's Asperger-like symptoms. Making his Broadway debut, Alex Sharp has also been generating critical buzz as the play's lead character.
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