Best Comedies on Broadway

& Juliet has a book David West Read, music by Max Martin, direction by Luke Sheppard, and reimagines Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet by imagining what would happen if Juliet decided not to end it all over Romeo. This musical gives her a fresh start and a second chance and features pop songs like “Roar,” “Since U Been Gone,” “Baby One More Time,” and “Larger Than Life.”

Aladdin is the staged version of the Disney classic. This musical brings all the magic of the movies to live theater. Get immersed in the middle eastern city of Agrabah as Aladdin finds the Genie and discovers a shining, shimmering, splendid world of life with Princess Jasmine. Disney spares no expense to provide you and your family with a dazzling display of a kingdom of riches and magical wishes. With music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, it's sure to leave the whole family smiling. If you’re a Disney fanatic, you also don’t want to miss The Lion King on Broadway. (Though if you’re looking for something more comedic, we recommend you start with Aladdin.)

Six: The Musical first made a splash across the pond at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Since coming to America, it's seen massive success. This show follows the six wives of Henry VIII as they reclaim the story of their lives. This all-female performance is accompanied by an all-female rock band and high-energy performances. It's the perfect show to revel in the badassery of women reclaiming their voice against a man. According to the show’s FAQ page, the recommended age is anyone ten years and up.

Wicked is a musical theater staple that recently celebrated its 15th year on Broadway. It follows the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and the Good Witch Glinda as they meet at Shiz University. While the novel the musical is based on was not intended for children, the staged version is fun for all ages. This is a story about the power of female friendship and how embracing oneself can be all it takes for one to defy gravity. 

Appropriate, written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and directed by Lila Neugebauer, runs at the Belasco Theater starring Sarah Paulson and Corey Stoll. Following the death of their patriarch, the Lafayette family returns to their Arkansas home to handle the estate. But when they discover something unexpected among their father’s belongings, the family is left the deal with the consequences. The Guardian said, “Sarah Paulson wows in blazing tragicomic drama…[she is] astonishing in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s funny yet moving Broadway debut about a complicated family reunion.”

The Book of Mormon: This original comedy has made Broadway audiences bellow with laughter for over ten years. Book of Mormon took home nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book. It also won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. The show follows two Latter-Day missionaries who are sent to Uganda to spread the word of God. From the creative minds of South Park and music from Robert Lopez (Frozen, Coco, and Frozen 2) this musical takes you on a delightfully dirty journey of faith. You can also catch this show on its national tour.

Chicago: If you want to take in a piece of Broadway history, look no further than Chicago. Playbill declares this the longest-running American musical in Broadway history, celebrating twenty-five years on the Great White Way. Winner of the 1996 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical and set in the glittering era of the roaring twenties, Chicago follows two women who meet in an unlikely place, a women's prison. It's a story about fame, passion, and the razzle-dazzle stardom. With breathtaking dance numbers, this musical is a shot of adrenaline.

Mother Play: A Play in Five Evictions, written by Paula Vogel and directed by Tina Landau, plays at the Hayes Theatre starring Jessica Lange, Jim Parsons, and Celia Keenan-Bolger. Matriarch Phyllis, played by Jessica Lange, watches over her children as they move into a new apartment. As time passes, relationships fracture, and we see the ways a family can love and hurt each other. The New York Times called it an “antic, mournful new drama…Jessica Lange stars as a ferocious matriarch.”

Moulin Rouge! The Musical!:  If you've come to New York for the glittering lights and expensive-looking decor, look no further than Moulin Rouge! The Musical! at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Adapted from the fantastical Baz Luhrmann film of the same name, this Broadway musical will leave you exhilarated and breathless. Set inside the club Moulin Rouge in Paris's Montmartre Quarter, the set is one of the production's highlights. Before the curtain even rises, you will be transported to a Paris Night club's suave and sexy world. Coupled with a story of star-crossed love, power struggles, and enough popular music to supply a middle school dance, this is a night of entertainment. Like the movie, the musical mash-up of popular songs creates a unique soundtrack reminiscent of a night of karaoke. This show celebrates the grandiose nature of Broadway and will leave you feeling like a star. 

The Heart of Rock and Roll: Playing at the James Earl Jones Theatre, this new romantic comedy is a jukebox musical inspired by the music of Huey Lewis and the News. It has a book by Jonathan A. Abrams, story by Tyler Mitchell and Jonathan A. Abrams, choreography by Lorin Latarro, and direction from Gordon Greenberg and features megahit songs like “Working for a Living,” “Stuck with You,” “If This Is It,” and “The Heart of Rock and Roll.” The San Diego Union-Tribune said, “’Heart’ has splash and soul.’”

Oh, Mary!, written by Cole Escola and directed by Sam Pinkleton, will play at the Lyceum Theatre in June 2024 after a sold-out run off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Come see Mary Todd Lincoln, an aspiring cabaret star struggling with alcohol and stifled by her husband, President Abraham Lincoln. This hilarious show has taken New York by storm. Time Out New York called it, “the funniest play in years” and The New York Times called it, “There’s little else in New York Theater right now quite as surprising as ‘Oh, Mary!’…it’s a bit taken to an 80-minute extreme that’s silly, nasty, tasteless, and, in the end good theater…you’ll be losing your mind with joy.”

The Roommate, written by Jen Silverman and directed by Jack O’Brien, will play at Booth Theatre starting in August 2024. Patti LuPone and Mia Farrow star as rooommates in this comedic one-act about two very different women finding new direction and purpose in their lives. The San Diego Union-Tribune called the play, “twisty, entertaining and touching…[it’s] a comedy, but it has heart, surprises and a touching finale.”

Tammy Faye, with music by Elton John, lyrics by Jake Shears, book by James Graham, and direction from Rupert Goold, plays at the Palace Theatre starting in October 2024 after its hit run in London. Andrew Rannells and Katie Brayben reprise their roles as Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Messner, who made their empire broadcasting their evangelical programming to the masses in the 1970s. Time Out London called it, “a joyously camp tribute to the oddball US televangelist…a massive amount of fun…[and] a terrific piece of entertainment.”

Eureka Day, written by Jonathan Spector and directed by Anna D. Shapiro, will run at MTC’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in Fall 2024. Welcome to Eureka Day, a private elementary school in California in the midst of a crisis. The board struggles with how to address its vaccine policy after an outbreak of the mumps. Come see the meeting where they’ll decide the fate of the school as they’re forced to do the unthinkable…make a concrete decision. The New York Times called the off-Broadway production, “the perfect play for our age of disagreement…[an] alarming and entertaining new play.”