The only living non-Japanese Master of the art of comic storytelling, brings Rakugo to New York.
... Read moreKatsura Sunshine's 'Rakugo' features a lone storyteller dressed in kimono on a minimal set. He uses a fan and a hand towel for props to tell a comic monologue followed by a traditional story.
Rakugo is the 400-year-old Japanese traditional art of comic storytelling. Katsura Sunshine, who is originally from Canada, is the only Western Rakugo Master of the 800 Rakugo Masters. Sunshine's show bridges the gap between the East and the West.
The show was nominated for an Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Unique Theatrical Experience. Sunshine was also the bilingual MC for the opening reception of the G20 Summit in Osaka.
A lively musical where letters climb a coconut tree, brought to life with puppets and playful songs.
... Read moreThis stage adaptation of the popular children’s alphabet book follows the letters of the alphabet as they animate, interact, and attempt to climb a coconut tree. The production features a mix of musical genres and original songs performed by a cast of puppeteered characters, including adventurous early letters like A, B, and C, and a boy band-style LMNOP. With choreography, character-driven storytelling, and stylized movement, the show introduces young audiences to live theater through rhythm, rhyme, and literacy-based themes.
This all-ages musical spectacle tells the untold true story of the Witches of Oz.
... Read moreBased on the novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked looks at what happened in the Land of Oz…but from a different angle. Long before Dorothy crash lands her house in Oz, there is another young woman, Elphaba, born with emerald-green skin—smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly and popular blonde, Glinda, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships…until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “wicked.”
The score by Stephen Schwartz ('Godspell,' 'Pippin,' 'The Prince of Egypt') includes the songs 'Defying Gravity,' 'Popular,' and 'The Wizard and I.'
'Wicked' opened in 2003 and in 2019 became the fifth-longest-running show in Broadway history.
Puppets and live actors create a magical world to tell the story of Simba's rise to the throne.
... Read moreThe worldwide sensation and winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Direction and Best Costumes by Julie Taymor, is based on the beloved 1994 animated Disney movie. Simba will someday inherit the throne of the Pridelands, but he isn't quite ready. When his devious Uncle Scar murders King Mufasa, Simba flees to escape his guilt. Time and new friends keep Simba company until his past comes back to remind him of his rightful place.
The music is by international superstar Elton John with lyrics by Tim Rice. The score includes 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight' and 'Circle of Life.'
The musical is the third-longest-running show on Broadway - and the eighth longest-running show in the West End - and is notable for director Julie Taymor's concept which incorporates puppets to bring the animals to life.
A sharp, fearless new Hamlet brings Shakespeare’s classic into the modern world with wit and grit.
... Read moreDirector Robert Hastie (Operation Mincemeat) brings his bold, contemporary vision of Hamlet to BAM in collaboration with London’s National Theatre. In this reimagining of Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hiran Abeysekera (Life of Pi) stars as the Danish prince grappling with grief, betrayal, and the corrosive pursuit of truth. The production combines wit, psychological tension, and dark humor to illuminate the play’s enduring questions of power and morality.
This engagement launches a new partnership between BAM and the National Theatre, uniting two institutions renowned for theatrical innovation.
Since its BAM debut in 1861, Hamlet has been reinterpreted by directors including Ingmar Bergman, Peter Brook, and Thomas Ostermeier. Hastie’s staging continues that tradition, marking a new chapter in the venue’s history with Shakespeare’s most restaged and reimagined work.
An actor drinks heavily (think Comedy Central's 'Drunk History') and tries to corral others into enacting a story by the Bard.
... Read moreEvery night, a Drunk Shakespeare Society member will have at least five shots of whiskey and then attempt to perform in a Shakespearean play. Each performance by The Drunk Shakespeare Society requires a Patron, an audience member to be the King or Queen who helps run the show. Anything can, and does, happen. Craft cocktails are available for purchase throughout the show.
The Drunk Shakespeare Society also performs Drunk Romeo & Juliet seasonally.
An intimate two-hander tracing a turbulent decade of love, addiction, relapse, and recovery.
... Read moreBlackout Songs charts a ten-year relationship between two people who meet in an AA meeting and become entwined in a cycle of passion, relapse, and renewal. Their connection evolves through moments of exhilaration and collapse as each contends with addiction, desire, and the shifting hope that love might hold them together.
The play centers its focus on the private world the pair build and dismantle over time, tracing how their bond endures—and fractures—under the weight of dependency. Their story unfolds through intertwined memories, confrontations, and confessions that reveal the complexity of loving someone whose struggles mirror your own.
Through its intimate structure, Blackout Songs examines a relationship shaped by longing, vulnerability, and the perilous search for solace in another person.
A professor’s act of heroism draws police scrutiny and challenges his standing in society.
... Read moreMcAlester Daily, a professor of ethics, becomes unexpectedly involved with law enforcement after saving the life of a police officer. Initially celebrated for his actions, he faces increasing suspicion as his unwillingness to conform raises concerns within the system. Set against the backdrop of a community quick to draw conclusions, Not Nobody follows one man’s struggle to navigate shifting perceptions and maintain his voice.
A holiday tale of espionage, Reaganomics, and cult intrigue directed by Knud Adams.
... Read moreSet during the holiday season, Cold War Choir Practice follows a young girl whose life is upended when her estranged uncle, a prominent Black conservative, returns home with his mysteriously ill wife. What unfolds is a darkly comic story infused with espionage, cult dynamics, Reagan-era politics, roller disco, and the haunting choral presence of the Syracuse, NY Seedlings of Peace Children’s Chorus.
The play is written by Ro Reddick (Throwback Island), whose work has been praised for its inventive mix of music and satire. Direction is by Tony Award nominee Knud Adams (English), known for his precision in staging complex, layered narratives. Together, they shape a piece that blends political drama with stylized performance and live choral elements.
Originally developed through Clubbed Thumb’s Summer works, where it was named a New York Times Critic’s Pick, the play now comes to MCC Theater as a co-production with Clubbed Thumb and Page 73.
A heartwarming tale of innocence, cruelty, and the triumph of kindness against all odds.
... Read moreMeet Zack, a kind but naïve young man constantly undermined by his manipulative family—his ruthless brother and scheming mother—who are desperate to win the favor of a wealthy relative. Yet against all odds, Zack’s goodness and sincerity ultimately prevail, revealing a touching truth about compassion and resilience. Harold Brighouse’s charming play, praised by The Guardian for its warmth and wit, reminds us that even in a world ruled by greed, kindness remains the strongest force of all.
A Jewish lawyer calls Adolf Hitler to the witness stand in this true story of legal defiance.
... Read moreBased on historical events, the play follows the life of Hans Litten, a Jewish lawyer who, in 1931, subpoenaed Adolf Hitler to the witness stand in Berlin. The legal confrontation publicly exposed the future dictator’s embrace of political violence two years before his rise to power.
The narrative transitions from Berlin courtrooms to Nazi concentration camps, tracing Litten’s commitment to the rule of law and human dignity in the face of rising authoritarianism. The production examines Litten’s individual moral courage and the personal sacrifices he made for his pursuit of justice.
A dark play where radical longevity research exposes ethical limits and human cost.
... Read moreWritten by the playwright of Love + Science (David J. Glass), this play centers on a billionaire who bankrolls experimental aging research in pursuit of immortality. As the project advances, the concentration of wealth and authority destabilizes relationships and erodes ethical boundaries within the research team. A concealed truth emerges, reframing the scientific mission as a confrontation with questions of identity, consent, and bodily autonomy. The narrative tracks how ambition and power reshape the meaning of life extension, shifting the focus from innovation to its personal and moral consequences.