Broadway, do you copy? Fresh from a critically-acclaimed, Olivier Award-winning run in London's West End, "Stranger Things: The First Shadow" is about to turn the Great White Way upside down ... and you can now get tickets to this pulse-pounding play when it arrives stateside through Undercover Tourist! Set in 1959 when the Creel family first arrives in Hawkins and Joyce, Hopper and Bob Newby ("Superhero") are still in high school, this prequel to the 12-time Emmy Award-winning global phenomenon is a mind-flaying theatrical experience that must be seen to be believed. Put on your Thinking Caps and grab your paddles, nerds, because we're about to open the curiosity door and break down the top four reasons you need to see "Stranger Things: The First Shadow" on Broadway. (Spoilers ahead for the TV show but not the play!)
Top Reasons to See "Stranger Things: The First Shadow" on Broadway
"Friends don't lie." Here are the top four reasons to get tickets to "Stranger Things: The First Shadow" when it opens on Broadway in spring 2025.
1. There's more to the story than you know
In season 4 of "Stranger Things," Victor Creel (Robert Englund) tells his family's fateful story to Robin (Maya Hawke) and Nancy (Natalia Dyer). Later on, we get to observe as Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) shares his sinister side of the story with Nancy and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). The Duffer Brothers (the creators of the hit Netflix series), however, had so much more backstory they wanted to share with their devoted fans. Enter Jack Thorne (who wrote "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" and therefore had a history of adapting beloved stories to the stage) and Kate Trefry (a staff writer who worked on seasons 2-5 of "Stranger Things" and was the captain at the helm of the Henry/Vecna/001 reveal) who helped the Duffers flesh our their ideas and piece together a narrative worth telling eight times a week.
All 100% canon to the TV show (according to Trefry), "Stranger Things: The First Shadow" introduces us to teen versions of Jim Hopper, Joyce Byers (neé Maldonado), Bob Newby, Lonnie Byers, Charles Sinclair, Ted Wheeler, Karen Wheeler (neé Childress), Claudia Henderson (neé Yount) and Sue Sinclair (neé Anderson). For the first time, we also get to meet Eddie's dad, Alan Munson; Bob's sister, Patty Newby, and father, Principal Newby; Hopper's dad, Chief Hopper; and Dustin's dad, Walter Henderson. Most importantly, we get to find out so much more than we ever knew about the cursed Creel family and how young Henry came to cross paths with the malicious Dr. Martin Brenner. Expect answers to questions you didn't even know you had.
2. "The First Shadow" holds the key to the final outing
Don't take it from me. Take it straight from the horses' mouths: "'The First Shadow' definitely gives fans some not-so-subtle teases and hints as to where certain storylines are heading in season 5," the Duffers told Entertainment Weekly via a joint email statement in December 2023. "It touches on several themes and ideas that we will continue to explore in the show." With Broadway performances beginning March 28, 2025, and the fifth season making its way to Netflix sometime in 2025, that gives you — at most — just over nine months to do your homework and get to the Marquis Theatre. The clock is ticking.
"There are referential sequences and imagery and callbacks and flashbacks to the events of the play in 'Stranger Things' season 5 that will still make sense to you if you don’t see the play, but you’ll have a deeper understanding of them if you do," Trefry also told SFX Magazine in November 2023. "It’s in conversation with the seasons prior and the season to come. It really informs everything that you have seen and will see."
3. Even first-timers in Hawkins will love it
The team behind "Stranger Things: The First Shadow" put in a huge amount of work to try to make the play accessible to all audience members. "This is a story about a kid who has something wrong with him, something supernaturally wrong with him, and he's struggling in the fight for his identity and his moral selfhood, between these dark forces and his parents and his friends," Trefry told Time Out. "It should stand alone."
Basically, if you've never heard that iconic synth score, journeyed into The Void or faced a Demogorgon before, you'll still find plenty to love about this captivating chapter in Hawkins's history. "[I]f you come into 'The First Shadow' having not seen a single episode of 'Stranger Things,' it totally works as an original piece," the Duffers shared with Entertainment Weekly. "At the end of the day, the characters are what carry the show."
4. It's unlike anything you've seen before
"Can you write a couple of episodes as if this were the series?" the Duffers asked Trefry upon embarking on this theatrical voyage. That should tell you all you need to know about the sheer scope of this play. With set pieces and scenery that appear and disappear in the blink of an eye, a familiarly eerie soundscape, lighting design that transforms the entire space (far beyond the stage) and world-class visual effects that even illusionists fail to wrap their heads around, "Stranger Things: The First Shadow" pushes the limits of what's possible in theatre — a concept highly appropriate for a story about opening gates to alternate dimensions.
Trefry shared with Time Out, "I don't know the limitations of theatre and I have been dropped into this working environment where the people who do know the limitations of theatre are really excited to try to break all the rules and do something different." Scott Clarke would definitely be proud.
Tips for Seeing "Stranger Things: The First Shadow"
Here are a few tips for seeing "Stranger Things: The First Shadow" live:
- Buy "Stranger Things: The First Shadow" tickets early for the best selection. Tickets are on sale through Undercover Tourist now!
- Use A View From My Seat to find the seats with the best view of the stage.
- Head to the stage door after the show. Though not guaranteed for every performance, you can wait for some of the cast members to come out and sign your Playbill.
- As stated above, it's far from required ... but we'd recommend watching seasons 1-4 of "Stranger Things" on Netflix before seeing the show.
- The play is set within the world and mythology of "Stranger Things." Check if you and your party are comfortable with the level of content within the TV show. The play is recommended for ages 12 and up. Tadpoles under 5 aren't permitted and tadpoles under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
- This production contains gunfire audio, loud noises and explosions, haze and smoke, flashing lights and strobe, and strong language. There are depictions of various mental health conditions and disorders.
Are you excited to enter Hawkins and the Upside Down again? Let us know in the comments below!
Related: All of the "Wonderful" Reasons to See "Wicked" on Broadway
