There's truly no better way to beat the heat in NYC this summer than by taking shelter at a Broadway theater. From long-running classics to brand-new hits, The Great White Way is red hot right now. Plus, with great deals and savings through Undercover Tourist, purchasing authentic theatre tickets has never been more stress-free! If you're headed to the Big Apple, here are our top 10 Broadway shows this summer you have to see.
Someone call 9-1-1! The Shubert Theater is "on fire" right now with 15-time Grammy award winner Alicia Keys' semi-autographical musical. Tied with "Stereophonic" for the most nominations at the 77th Tony Awards (which includes a Best Musical nod), "Hell's Kitchen" tells the story of 17-year-old Ali as she searches for romance, independence and her passion for music in her backyard of 1990s New York City.
2. Stereophonic
Inspired by the notoriously disharmonious recording of Fleetwood Mac's 1977 LP "Rumours," "Stereophonic" made history this year as the most nominated play to ever grace a Broadway stage. Written by American playwright David Adjmi and with music by Will Butler of Arcade Fire, this long and beautiful portrait of a rock band lets you be a fly on the wall of the tension-filled recording session that will turn them into mega-stars.
Boasting seven Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, this circus spectacular based on the New York Times Best Seller of the same name tells the story of a young veterinary student who runs away with the circus during the Great Depression and finds not only himself but a family. Featuring phenomenal puppetry and amazing acrobatics, "Water for Elephants" is truly the greatest show on Broadway.
"Back to the Future" isn't the only musical on Broadway preaching about "the power of love." Set in 1987 and jam-packed with Huey Lewis mega-hits, "The Heart of Rock and Roll" tells the hilarious story of Bobby Stivic and Cassandra Stone, a pair of ambitious 20-somethings balancing their romance amidst their rock and roll world and corporate world dreams.
Trailing just behind "Hell's Kitchen" and "Stereophonic" with a whopping 12 Tony Award nominations, the musical adaptation of S.E. Hinton's 1967 coming-of-age novel truly meets the greatest of expectations. Set in 1960s Tulsa, "The Outsiders" follows Ponyboy Curtis, a sensitive and intellectual teenager caught in a turf war between his friends — the working-class Greasers — and the upper-middle-class Socs.
6. Suffs
Boasting an impressive six Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, "Suffs" follows the trailblazing icons of the women's suffrage movement in the years leading up to the ratification of the 19th amendment to the constitution in 1920 that gave some women the right to vote. Highlighting their flaws, infighting and mistakes on the road to progress, Shaina Taub's epic musical opened to rave reviews.
The party is roaring on at the Broadway Theatre! Based on the 1925 Great American Novel, "The Great Gatsby" delves into the dark corners of the Jazz Age and tells a tragic tale of obsession, love, classism and the nightmarish pursuit of the American Dream. Showstopping Tony-nominated costumes and extravagant set design will immediately transport you to the beating heart of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Long Island.
8. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Prepare to be spellbound. With six Tony Awards under its robe, this enchanting piece of theatre takes wizards and muggles alike back into the halls of Hogwarts two decades after the events of the Second Wizarding War. Following the son of The Boy Who Lived after he's sorted into Slytherin, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" features magical stagecraft that must be seen to be believed.
Boasting a Tony nomination for Best Revival of a Musical, this nostalgia-trippy musical adaptation of The Who's 1969 concept album can only be described as an electric shock to the senses. This epic and exhilarating rock opera which originally ignited Broadway in 1993 centers around Tommy, a young pinball genius who has gone deaf, blind and mute in a psychosomatic reaction to childhood trauma.
10. SIX
"Get down" to the Brooks Atkinson Theatre this summer because the wives of King Henry VIII are rewriting her-story. Presented in the style of an explosive pop concert, the famous royal exes band together to form a sassy girl group. The catch? The lead singer will be determined by whoever laments the most tragic tale. Cheer on these belting queens as they take the stage and take back the microphone.
Which Broadway shows this summer are you looking forward to seeing the most? Let us know in the comments below!
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