All the Broadway Musicals Vying for the 2019 Tony Awards' Best New Musical Nomination

Tim Burton’s 1988 cult classic is reborn in this deliciously dark and hilarious new musical, with a catchy score by Eddie Perfect and a witty book by Scott Brown and Anthony King. Tony nominee Alex Brightman (School of Rock) steps into Michael Keaton’s shoes as the title role of everyone’s favorite Ghost with the Most, while Sophia Anne Caruso stars as as Lydia Deetz — the death-obsessed teen played by Winona Ryder on screen. Many of the fans’ favorite film moments are recreated, including the iconic dance sequence set to Harry Belafonte’s “Day-o (Banana Boat Song).” It’s a show about death that’ll give you life. 

Tickets for Beetlejuice, at the Winter Garden Theatre, are on sale now.

Being a woman is no job for a man, but that doesn’t stop disgraced actor Michael Dorsey (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend‘s Santino Fontana) from reinventing himself as up-and-coming actress Dorothy Michaels in order to land a dream role. That’s the premise of Tootsie, the musical adaptation of the classic 1982 Dustin Hoffman comedy. Much of the action has been updated for a 2019 audience, with book writer Robert Horn and composer David Yazbeck fully acknowledging the #TimesUp territory. And though much of the movement’s frustrations are left unexplored, the show still manages a strong takedown of the male ego — all while delivering consistant laughs and solid performances. 

Tickets for Tootsie, at the Marquis Theatre, are on sale now.

After a series of acclaimed runs —  including one at the New York Theater Workshop in 2016 and one at London’s National Theatre in 2018 — director Rachel Chavkin (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812) has finally brought her innovative and moving production of Hadestown to Broadway. The musical, a folk-operatic retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, comes from singer-songerwriter Anais Mitchell. Actors Reeve Carney, Eva Noblezada, Patrick Page, Amber Gray and Andre De Shields lead a superb cast. All in all, it’s a beautiful, touching, and thrilling piece of art. 

Tickets for Hadestown, at the Walter Kerr Theatre, are on sale now.

After bringing Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons’ story to Broadway (with Jersey Boys), as well as Donna Summer’s (with Summer: The Donna Summer Musical), director Des McAnuff has turned his bio-musical sights on Motown R&B vocal superstars The Temptations. With 42 top 10 hits under their belt (including “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Get Ready,” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone”) and a rotating roster of band members, there’s plenty of music and drama packed into the show. Plus performances from Ephriam Sykes, Jeremy Pope, Jawan M. Jackson, James Harkness and Derrick Baskin will leave you dancing in the aisles. 

Tickets for Ain’t Too Proud—The Life and Times of the Temptations, at the Imperial Theatre, are on sale now.

Joe Iconis’ cult-favorite musical Be More Chill finally arrived on Broadway this season, much to the glee of teenagers everywhere. The musical, adapted by book writer Joe Tracz from Ned Vizzini’s 2004 novel of the same name, had gained massive popularity online — fans on Tumblr especially obsessing over a cast recording produced after its 2015 regional production. Many connected with the story, about a depressed high school junior named Jeremy (Will Roland, of Dear Evan Hansen fame) who longs to date the theater-obsessed Christine (the delightful Stephanie Hsu). Desperate to impress her and gain a little social clout, Jeremy takes a chill pill — or in this case, a Japanese supercomputer in a pill form that takes over his body and teaches him how to achieve popularity. Said microprocessor (played by Jason Tam, with a dash of Keanu Reeves) eventually turns evil, as most supercomputers do. The result is a coming-of-age tale with a twist of Sci-Fi fantasy and dash of good old musical comedy. 

Tickets for Be More Chill, at the Lyceum Theatre, are on sale now. 

Turn back time on the life of legendary singer Cher in this furiously fun and colorful biopic musical which uses the Grammy-winning singer and Oscar-winning actress’ score of her hits — including “I Got You Babe,” “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves,” and “Believe” — to help tell the story of her life. Tony nominee Stephanie J. Block (Falsettos), Teal Wicks (Wicked, Finding Neverland), and newcomer Micaela Diamond all share the role of Cher, each stepping into her glittery Bob Mackie-costumes at different points in her life and seven-decade career. Of course, with three Chers narrarating the action, there’s a lot of campy laughs to have (the show has its tongue firmly planted in its cheek). But there’s also a lot of heart, especially when exploring Cher’s complicated relationship with Sonny Bono (Jarrod Spector). Mostly, it’ll leave you in sheer awe of Cher’s resilance and lasting power. 

Tickets for The Cher Show, at the Neil Simon Theatre, are now on sale. 

It’s hard not to smile during the joyful new musical comedy The Prom. The show tells the story of four out of work Broadway actors (the hilarious Beth Leavel, Brooks Ashmanskas, Christopher Sieber, and Angie Schworer) who travel from the Big Apple to small town Indiana, where a high school PTA is trying to stop a lesbian student from bringing her girlfriend to prom (Caitlin Kinnunen and Isabelle McCalla). The performances are great, the jokes delightful, and the music catchy (composer Matthew Skylar and lyricist Chad Beguelin have crafted one of the more memorable new scores in recent years). But The Prom is really all about the sweet message at the story’s center. It makes for one of the more uplifting nights of theater around. 

Tickets for The Prom, at the Longacre Theatre, are on sale now.

Producers of King Kong might want to consider selling popcorn in the lobby, because they’ve got a blockbuster musical on their hands as thrilling as any action film. This show — an adaptation of the classic 1932 story of a giant ape and the actress (Christiani Pitts) who captures her heart — has its weak points. But from the moment the 20-foot, 2,000-pound Cheshire ape puppet gnarls his sharp white teeth and beats his chest, theatergoers will scream with applause so loud, it’ll cover any of the show’s imperfections. With songs by Eddie Perfect, music by Marius de Vries, and a book by Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child). 

Tickets for King Kong, at the Broadway Theatre, are now on sale.

The classic 1990 Julia Roberts, Richard Gere film Pretty Woman comes to Broadway with the help of “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” singer Bryan Adams and his longtime songwriting partner, Jim Vallance — who wrote the musical’s score. The story is the same: a sassy prostitute named Vivian has a chance encounter with a ruthless businessman named Edward, leading to love story neither expected. On stage, Samantha Barks steps into Vivian’s shoes. By her side, as Edward, is Andy Karl — a three-time Tony nominee with credits in the musical versions of Groundhog Day, Rocky, Saturday Night Fever, and Legally Blonde: The Musical. (Karl’s wife, Orfeh, is also in the show, as Vivian’s BFF Kit). As a whole, it’s a faithful adaptation of the beloved rom-com. 

Tickets for Pretty Woman: The Musical, at the Nederlander Theatre, are now on sale. 

Newcomer Mark Allen penned the score to this original, cute comedy. The show followed Mitch Papadopolous (Mitchell Jarvis), a 40-year-old banker who reunites his high school band in hopes of winning prize money from a Battle of the Bands competition that’ll save his mom’s New Jersey home from foreclosure. Marilu Henner (Taxi) also started, alongside Jay Klaitz, Manu Narayan, Paul Whitty and Sawyer Nunes. The book was penned by producer Ken Davenport and writer-performer group The Grundleshotz. Sadly, the show — which was directed by Tony winner John Rando — was gone too soon. It began previews in July, opened in August, and closed weeks later in September, running for just 70 total performances.

The music of The Go-Go’s  (“We Got the Beat,” “Vacation,” “Our Lips Are Sealed,” among others) meets Philip Sidney’s prose poem The Arcadia in this widly witty and delightful musical, which opened last summer and closed in January. Told entirely in iambic pentameter with a book from James Magruder (based on a concept by Jeff Whitty), the musical followed a royal family as they attempt to escape a prophecy threatening the divine “beat” that rules them all. Comedy ensues along the way.