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Best Off-Broadway Shows Currently Running in NYC

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Published on: Oct 23, 2022
Last Updated on: May 14, 2025
By: Kathryn Willingham
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What Is Off-Broadway Theater?

“Off-Broadway” simply means that a theater has a seating capacity of between 100 and 499 seats, and savvy theatergoers know that some of the best shows in town start here…and for way less than the cost of a Broadway ticket. You can see future stars before they ever make their Broadway debuts, you can see seasoned, award-winning actors in a more intimate space, and you can see Pulitzer Prize winners try out new material. Many of the Tony Award winning shows and box office hits you know and love transferred to a Broadway house from an off-Broadway theater. Dear Evan Hansen started at Second Stage Theatre, Hamilton started at the Public Theatre, Avenue Q started at the Vineyard Theatre, Hadestown started at New York Theatre Workshop (which also has the distinction of premiering Jonathan Larson’s musical Rent).

In this article, we’ll give you a rundown of the current off-Broadway performing arts landscape, and then tell you some tips on how to get rush tickets, discount tickets, and special offers.

Currently Running Off-Broadway Musicals:

Goddess

Goddess

Goddess, with book by James Ijames, concept and direction by Saheem Ali, and music and lyrics by Michael Thurber, plays at the Public Theater. Following Moto Moto, a singer in an Afro-Jazz club in Kenya, the musical is inspired by the myth of the goddess Marimba, who would create music and instruments from weapons. Come see the show sure to cast a spell on the whole audience.

Currently running through June 8, 2025.

Is there a discount for Goddess? $48 rush tickets are available on the TodayTix App starting at 9am on the day of the performance.

Titanique: Une Parodie Musicale

Titanique: Une Parodie Musicale retells the story of the Oscar-winning film Titanic using the music of Celine Dion. Written by Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli, and Tye Blue, this musical begins when Celine Dion hijacks a Titanic Museum tour and enchants the audience with her totally wild take, recharting the course of Titanic’s beloved moments and characters with her iconic song catalog. It’s become an off-Broadway sensation, and The Wrap called it, “a hilarious jukebox musical for those who detest them…it’s really funny.”

Currently running through June 29, 2025.

Is there a discount for Titanique? If you book more than 6 weeks in advance, you can get 30% off Telecharge purchases! Use code EARLYBIRD for 30% off standard tickets, EARLYPRF for 30% off Preferred tickets, and EARLYPRM for 30% off Premium Tickets. A limited number of $49 rush tickets are available at the box office on the day of the performance. Limit of two tickets per person.

Little Shop of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors has been enjoying a sold-out run at the Westside Theatre. This musical won the 2020 Drama League Award, Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama Desk Award for Best Musical Revival, and is delighting new and old fans alike. The show follows Seymour, a meek, nerdy shopkeeper with a crush on his co-worker Audrey, who is dating a sadistic dentist. Add in a ravenous, man-eating plant who helps Seymour change his fortunes, and you’ve got a recipe for a bloody good time. The New Yorker said, “The show succeeds beautifully, and everyone watching it and performing in it seems to be having a blast.” 

Is there a discount for Little Shop of Horrors? Try your luck at the digital ticket lottery for a chance to get $45 discount tickets.

Currently Running Off-Broadway Plays:

All the Beauty in the World

All the Beauty in the World

All the Beauty in the World, written and performed by Patrick Bringley and directed by Dominic Dromgoole, plays at the DR2 Theatre. While looking for somewhere to contemplate his life and heal from his brother’s death, Patrick quits his high-profile journalism career and seeks refuge in the most beautiful place he can think of: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Through his job as a Museum guard, Patrick starts his life anew, all while falling under the spell of  the place and the people he meets there. From the pages of his NYT best-selling book and beloved memoir, Patrick brings his stories to life on stage for this strictly limited run.

Currently running through May 25, 2025.

Bowl EP

Bowl EP

Bowl EP, written and directed by Nazareth Hassan with music by Free Fool, plays at the Vineyard Theatre in a co-production with National Black Theatre. This play with music follows Kelly K Klarkson and Quentavius da Quitter as they flirt and tease each other in a skate park and try to find a name for their rap group. Includes original music AND live skateboarding!

Currently running through June 8, 2025.

Is there a discount for Bowl EP? Get $30 rush tickets on the TodayTix App.

Bus Stop

Bus Stop

Bus Stop, written by William Inge and directed by Jack Cummings III, plays at Classic Stage Company. During a winter storm near Kansas City, a bus full of passengers is forced to stop at a nearby diner. Over cups of coffee, conversations and connections form between waitresses, cowboys, professors, and outsiders.

Currently running through June 8, 2025.

Is there a discount for Bus Stop? People 35 and under can use code Classic35 for $35 tickets. Limit 2 per customer.

Lights Out King Cole

Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole

Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole, written by Colman Domingo and Patricia McGregor and directed by Patricia McGregor, plays at New York Theatre Workshop with choreography by Edgar Godineaux and tap choreography by Jared Grimes. When Nat “King” Cole’s tv show is cancelled due to lack of sponsorship, he must decide how to handle his final show. Should he go quietly or do what Sammy David Jr suggests – go out with a bang.

Currently running through June 15, 2025.

Is there a discount for Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole? If you are under 25, over 65, an artist, or a resident of the East Village or Lower East Side, grab a $25 ticket in NYTW’s CheapTix Rush. Just head to the box office with a valid ID for tickets to same day performances.

Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes

Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes

Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes, written by Hannah Moscovitch and directed by Ian Rickson, plays at the Minetta Lane Theatre. The play stars Hugh Jackman as a prestigious novelist and professor who is less lucky in love – his third marriage is almost over. When a student (and fan) enters his orbit, both of their lives may change.

Currently running through June 18, 2025.

Is there a discount for Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes? 25% of tickets will be $35, available through the TodayTix App Digital Lottery and in person at the box office.  

Creditors

Creditors

Creditors, directed by Ian Rickson and adapted by Jen Silverman from the play by August Strindberg, stars Live Schreiber, Maggie Siff, and Justice Smith. The play follows a struggling painter who meets a charismatic stranger and finds his creativity rejuvenated. But when he meets the stranger’s wife, things take a more seductive and dangerous turn.

Currently running through June 18, 2025.

Is there a discount for Creditors? 25% of tickets will be $35, available through the TodayTix App Digital Lottery and in person at the box office.  

Lunar Eclipse

Lunar Eclipse

Lunar Eclipse, written by Donald Margulies and directed by Kate Whoriskey, stars Reed Birney and Lisa Emery and plays at the Pershing Square Signature Center produced by Second Stage. Set in Kentucky, the play follows George and Em as they watch a lunar eclipse and reminisce on their many years together. To their surprise, they realize they don’t know each other as well as they may have thought.

Currently running through June 22, 2025.

Is there a discount for Lunar Eclipse? $33 rush ticket are available on the TodayTix App, and if you are under 30, use code 30UNDER30 on the Second Stage website to access $30 tickets.

Drunk Shakespeare

Drunk Shakespeare started in 2014 and follows 5 professional actors who meet as members of "The Drunk Shakespeare Society". One of them has at least 5 shots of whiskey and then they overconfidently attempt to perform a major role in a Shakespearean play. As the sober actors try to keep the drunk one in line and on script, things start to get out of hand. No two shows are alike, and drinks flow throughout – so keep the kids at home for this one, audience members need to be at least 21 to enjoy the antics! The New York Times says, “It offers considerably more fun than many Shakespeare productions, worth experiencing not to watch an actor get drunk, but to watch a cast juggle so many balls so adroitly.”

Is there a discount for Drunk Shakespeare? Click “buy tickets” below to see discounts on TodayTix. And if you’re in a group of 9 or more, use promo code GROUPDEAL when purchasing tickets to get 15% off.

The Play That Goes Wrong

The Play That Goes Wrong runs off-Broadway at New World Stages after its successful Broadway run. It’s the opening night of the play The Murder at Haversham Manor, but this acting troupe is about to see things go from bad to worse. From unconscious actors, dropped lines, and downright dangerous set mishaps, can they even get to the end of the play? Come see what The Daily Beast calls, “A Riotous Explosion of Comedy!”

Is there a discount for The Play That Goes Wrong? $35 lottery tickets are available on Rush.Telecharge.

What Are the Longest-Running Off-Broadway Shows?

Perfect Crime

Perfect Crime premiered in 1987 and is the longest running play in Broadway and Off-Broadway history. Perfect Crime is a funny and romantic thriller about a psychiatrist who may have killed her husband…until he suddenly turns up alive. This play follows the psychiatrist and the detective who tries to solve the case, and the many twists and turns will have you guessing until the very end. 

Is there a discount for Perfect Crime? Perfect Crime has student rush discount tickets available on each day of the performance on a first-come, first served basis at the box office.

For Something Different:

gazillion-bubble-show-offbroadway

Gazillion Bubble Show

Gazillion Bubble Show has run since 2007 and is a roughly 1-hour long show filled with magic, spectacular laser and lighting effects, and yes, literally gazillions of bubbles. What’s not to like? Great for kids, children under 2 can sit in a parent or guardian’s lap for a reduced price, and they even have birthday party packages available.

Speakeasy Magick

Speakeasy Magick runs at The Overlook Bar, is hosted by Todd Robbins and features a night of close up magic and prestidigitation. This show features a rotation of New York’s best magicians. BroadwayWorld called it, "one of the most original and entertaining nights out in the city."

Chamber Music Art

Steve Cohen Chamber Magic

Chamber Magic: Steve Cohen’s dazzling live show, performed weekly in an elegant salon in the Lotte New York Palace hotel, features conjuring, mind-reading, sleight of hand, and an astonishing trick called Think-A-Drink. A celebrity favorite, Cohen baffles guests with magic up close as he recreates parlor entertainment that characterized Manhattan in the early 20th century. BroadwayWorld said, “find out what over a half million people have already discovered…Cohen performs card tricks you won't see anywhere else. He has mastered the art of the classic sleight of hand, mind reading, and conjuring parlor entertainment.” 

Off-Broadway Discounts

Off-Broadway Week will be back soon and offers 2 for 1 tickets. Whether it’s musical theatre, plays, or something more experimental in the performing arts, many popular shows take part. Check back soon for a full list of participating shows.

If you live in or near New York and see shows often, look at getting a TDF Membership, which offers many exclusive off-Broadway ticket discounts and offers throughout the year. Many people are eligible, including students, seniors, freelancers, government workers, veterans and more. And you can always head to the theatre district to buy tickets at the TDF-run TKTS Booth in Times Square, located beneath the big red steps. It offers same-day discounts for Broadway theatre and off Broadway shows. 

Most off-Broadway theaters have student discounts or young person discounts. Check out Lincoln Center’s LincTix, Roundabout’s Hiptix, Manhattan Theatre Club’s 30under35, Atlantic Theater’s $20 student rush tickets, Playwrights Horizons’ Young Membership and Student Membership, MCC Theater’s $25 student rush tickets, $30 student tickets at the Public Theater (only available in person at the box office), and Second Stage’s 30under30. We include this and more in our article on how to get discount tickets at off-Broadway theaters.

Access to the Best Broadway Musicals

Want to see a Broadway show? Check out our article on Top Broadway Shows for information on The Lion King, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Moulin Rouge, and a ton of other shows playing on the Great White Way!

Kathryn Willingham

Head of Creative Development

Kathryn Willingham has worked in entertainment for over ten years, and recent credits include: Co-producer of SHRINK currently streaming on Peacock, Associate Producer of the independent film UNA, and Creative Executive on multiple theatrical productions including HANGMEN by Martin McDonagh on Broadway, NASSIM by Nassim Soleimanpour Off-broadway and Associate on productions EVERY BRILLIANT THING by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe and THE EFFECT by Lucy Prebble. She was Producer of Todd Almond’s musical travelogue “Wyoming and Parts of Kansas” and Production Coordinator for Karen O and KK Barrett's “Stop the Virgens.”

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Education: B.A. in English, Literature & Creative Writing from Rhodes College
Knowledge: Theatrical Production

Published

Oct 23, 2022

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