If you ever find yourself in New York City, I strongly suggest going to a Broadway show. Here are five musicals currently on Broadway that you definitely need to see.
1. Hamilton
The most successful and well-known musical of our generation.
When it opened on Broadway on August 6, 2015, Hamilton quickly grew to fame. This musical is a rap/hip-hop version of the story of our founding fathers, but more specifically, the story of Alexander Hamilton. The music from Hamilton is incredibly universal and many people who aren’t fans of musical theatre, find themselves becoming a fan of Hamilton. Hamilton won 11 Tony Awards in 2016, including Best Musical and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album. While Hamilton tickets are often very expensive and hard to get in New York, you can go to the box office on the day of the show, enter the lottery to win tickets, or you can get tickets for a city near you since Hamilton is now on tour.
2. Dear Evan Hansen
The winner of Best Musical at the Tony Awards this year.
This musical opened on December 4, 2016 with music and lyrics by the award-winning duo Pasek and Paul. Dear Evan Hansen is about a high school senior named Evan who finds himself in a major lie after the death of a classmate. This deeply moving musical will have you tearing up before intermission and sobbing by the end, due to Ben Platt and the rest of this incredible cast’s performance. Almost all of your favorite celebrities, including Beyoncé, Harry Styles, and Zac Efron, have gone to see Dear Evan Hansen and loved it. It’s a great story and you should see it too!
3. Wicked
In the top five of the longest running shows on Broadway.
Wicked officially opened on Broadway on October 30, 2003 and since then has continued running on Broadway. While Wicked has been on Broadway for almost fourteen years now, it is timeless. This is the prequel to The Wizard of Oz and tells the story of how the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch came to be. With world-renowned songs such as “Defying Gravity” and “Popular” you can almost always find someone who knows about Wicked the musical. This show is a classic and gives you the full Broadway experience. If you don’t ever get the chance to see Wicked on Broadway, it’s very often on tour.
4. Anastasia
The musical based on the movie we all grew up with.
Anastasia opened on Broadway on April 24th of this year. While this musical is based off the 1997 movie, it is different in the sense that it is more historically accurate, so you will not see Rasputin or Bartok the bat. Christy Altomare steals the stage as brave, witty Anya and Derek Klena could not have been more perfectly cast for the charming, rogue Dmitry. The entire cast is flawless and the soundtrack will have you singing and dancing. When I visited New York City this summer, I enjoyed this musical so much the first time that I knew I had to see it again. In other words, Anastasia is so incredible that I saw it twice. Don’t just take my word for it though, definitely go see it in New York.
5. Waitress
Nominated for best musical last year.
This musical opened on Broadway on April 24, 2016. With music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, Waitress is about a girl named Jenna who is a waitress in an unhappy marriage and wants to leave her town. Waitress was nominated for four Tony’s in 2016. Waitress is currently starring Betsy Wolfe and Drew Gehling, who are both highly acclaimed performers. Come November 3, Jason Mraz will make his Broadway debut as Dr. Pomatter. If you can’t see this musical on Broadway, don’t fret; it is coming on tour to a city near you in 2017-2018.