When you visit New York, there’s a pretty good chance you might spot a celebrity out on the street, or even end up sitting next to them at a restaurant. Want to up those odds of celeb-spotting to 100%? Check out one of the shows selected and ranked by our friends at Show-Score. Each one features a familiar face that you'll be happy to see when the curtain goes up.
Photo courtesy of Fiddler on the Roof
1. Fiddler on the Roof | Jessica Hecht
Hecht appears in the Broadway revival of Bock & Harnick’s classic musical Fiddler on the Roof as Golde. She has had recurring roles on numerous popular television shows including Friends, ER, and most recently Marvel’s Jessica Jones on Netflix. The original production of Fiddler on the Roof won ten Tony Awards; the beloved musical follows a father and the timeless traditions that define faith and family.
Photo courtesy of Allegiance - A New Musical
2. Allegiance | George Takei & Lea Salonga
Takei stars alongside Lea Salonga in a new musical inspired by Takei’s childhood. The show takes place during the Japanese American internment of World War II and follows the Kimura family in the weeks and years after Pearl Harbor. The family is relocated from Salinas, Calif. to the Heart Mountain internment camp in rural Wyoming.
Photo courtesy of Eclipsed on Broadway
3. Eclipsed | Lupito Nyong’o
Featuring Academy Award winner Lupito Nyong’o, The Public Theater presents the New York premiere of Eclipsed, a drama production taking place in 2003 during the Liberian Civil War. The show follows four captive wives of a rebel officer whose lives are upended when a new girl arrives.
Photo courtesy of Hand to God Broadway
4. Hand to God | Bob Saget
Saget leads this comedy about a Texas community’s Christian Puppet Ministry, which features one specifically crude sock puppet. When a student’s normally soft-spoken hand puppet Tyrone inherits a scandalous personality of its own, his influence over his master steadily grows.
Photo courtesy of Misery on Broadway
5. Misery | Bruce Willis & Laurie Metcalf
Making his Broadway debut, Bruce Willis stars with Laurie Metcalf in the stage adaptation of the famed Stephen King novel. Paul Sheldon, played by Willis, is a popular romance novelist who is found after a car crash by his biggest fan. When he wakes up, Paul realizes he is being held captive and must bow to her wishes regarding the direction of his next novel if he wants to stay alive.
Photo courtesy of The Color Purple Musical
6. The Color Purple | Jennifer Hudson
Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson makes her Broadway debut in the musical based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Alice Walker. Featuring a jazz, blues, ragtime and gospel score, the familial story follows Celie, a young black girl as she makes her way through childhood and becomes a young woman.
Photo courtesy of The Gin Game on Broadway
7. The Gin Game | James Earl Jones & Cicely Tyson
Tony winners James Earl Jones and Cicely Tyson join together on Broadway for the first time since 1966 in this Pulitzer winner about two gin rummy players in a nursing home who form a friendship. As the competition heats up though, they become more competitive about the game and their family stories.
Photo courtesy of Sylvia on Broadway
8. Sylvia | Matthew Broderick & Annaleigh Ashford
Broderick is back to Broadway in this revival about a man who finds a dog in Central Park, which ultimately changes his life and his marriage forever. Broderick stars alongside Tony-winner Annaleigh Ashford in this comedy that examines the complex nature of commitment, and what happens when you need to choose between the love of your life and man’s best friend.
Photo courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company
9. Therese Raquin | Keira Knightley
Knightley also marks her first time on the Broadway stage this season in Roundabout Theatre Company’s adaptation of the Emile Zola novel about lust and betrayal. Therese, played by Knightley, is in a loveless marriage with no hope of a different future until she reunites with her childhood friend Laurent. As their passion grows, so does the danger surrounding their affair.
Photo courtesy of China Doll on Broadway
10. China Doll | Al Pacino
Pacino stars in this new David Mamet play about a wealthy man and his young fiancée. An airplane is purchased as a gift for his betrothed, tied to his decision to start the process of retirement. As he’s planning his departure and finalizing details in his office with his assistant, he picks up a final phone call that changes everything.
Each show has been ranked according to Show-Score member interest. With more than 21,000 members (and over 150 shows in all five boroughs), Show-Score features theatre critic and member reviews and provides information on tickets at the best price point.
