The New York City theater scene, which includes official Broadway venues in Manhattan’s Theatre District and more than 80 off-Broadway theaters (venues with fewer than 500 seats) is a constantly changing industry with collections of creative people—playwrights, directors, actors, designers, etc.—telling compelling stories through dialogue and music. While some venues have shown the same production for many years (the 1996 revival of Chicago has been playing at the Ambassador Theatre since 2003), most host multiple plays and musicals each year.
Prayer for the French Republic (Samuel J. Friedman Theatre), The Notebook (Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre), and The Outsiders (Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre) are among the productions debuting on Broadway in 2024. Below, however, are six plays and musicals closing in early 2024.
Jonah (March 10)
A Roundabout Theatre Company production, Jonah is closing March 10 following a two-month run off-Broadway at the Laura Pels Theatre. Written by Rachel Bonds and directed by Danya Taymor, the play follows boarding school student Ana, who feels isolated at her new school before meeting Jonah, who initially comes across as a kind and empathetic companion but isn’t what he seems. Critics describe the show as a “coming-of-age story … [that] will keep you guessing until its final twisting moments,” although the material explores topics that might be triggering to some people.
Tony-nominated actress Gabby Beans plays Ana and Hagan Oliveras portrays Jonah. Beans was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play in 2022 for her performance as Sabina in The Skin of Our Teeth and has also appeared in popular TV shows like Succession, Ray Donovan, and House of Cards. Oliveras, meanwhile, is making his New York City stage debut.
Sunset Baby (March 10)
Sunset Baby, another Off-Broadway production, is also due to close on March 10. Written by two-time Tony nominee Dominique Morisseau and directed by Steve H. Broadnax III, the play explores fatherhood in the Black community with a mix of wit and wisdom. Nina, the play’s protagonist, grew up rejecting the virtues her mother and father fought for in the Black liberation movement. She is forced to re-examine those long-held beliefs and her opinions of her parents when her estranged father, Kenyatta, shows up hoping to reconcile. A story of liberation and redemption, the play is set over the course of several years and shows how their relationship evolves.
Sunset Baby is playing from January 30 to March 10 at Pershing Square Signature Center. The cast features Moses Ingram, J. Alphonse Nicholson, and Russell Hornsby.
Sleep No More (March 31)
Playing off-Broadway at The McKittrick Hotel until March 31, Sleep No More is an immersive production influenced by legendary storytellers William Shakespeare and Alfred Hitchcock. Rather than remaining seated for the production, audience members explore a series of cinematic scenes evoking the world of Macbeth but through the lens of a typical Hitchcock thriller.
This interactive theatrical experience is a revival of an original production that won the 2011 Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience. The company of Punchdrunk, in partnership with Felix Barrett and Maxine Doyle, created the show. Barrett also helped design the set and scenes with Livi Vaughan and Beatrice Minns.
Doubt (April 14)
Doubt, a Roundabout Theatre Company revival of John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Doubt: A Parable, begins performances at the American Airlines Theatre in February with a limited run until April 14. The story, which has won awards both on the stage and screen, follows Sister Aloysius, principal of a New York City all-boys Catholic school, who believes the school’s priest, Father Flynn, is sexually abusing a student. Six-time Emmy Award winner Tyne Daly and Liev Schreiber are playing Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn, respectively. Both are Tony Award recipients.
In the original production, lead performers Cherry Jones won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play and Brian F. O’Byrne was nominated for Best Actor. Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman were both nominated for Oscars for their portrayal of the characters in the 2008 film adaptation of the play.
Days of Wine and Roses (April 28)
Playing on Broadway at Studio 54, Days of Wine and Roses is an adaptation of the 1962 Oscar-winning film starring Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick. Brian d’Arcy James and Kelli O’Hara portray the booze-drinking couple in the Broadway play, directed by Michael Greif. Craig Lucas wrote the book and Adam Guettel wrote the music and lyrics, marking their first collaboration since the critically acclaimed The Light in the Piazza.
Kimberly Akimbo (April 28)
A revival of David Lindsay-Abaire’s 2001 comedy, Kimberly Akimbo tells the story of a young girl with a condition that makes her age rapidly. However, this is just one of her many problems as she also navigates borderline personalities, family secrets, and potential felony charges. Five-time Tony nominee Victoria Clark plays the titular character, a role she has portrayed since the musical debuted off-Broadway in 2021.
Kimberly Akimbo won five awards at the 2023 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. It’s playing at the Booth Theatre until April 28.