See plays and musicals for Father's Day featuring Broadway fathers we love

Celebrate Father's Day with these onstage dads and father figures in hit Broadway plays and musicals that you and your dad can enjoy watching together.

Gillian Russo
Written byGillian Russo

As Father's Day approaches, we turn to the Broadway fathers — and father figures — who show their fierce love and strong bonds for their children, blood relation or not. Some teach a surrogate child how to break in a baseball glove, while others give a young lion the courage to seize back his kingdom.

No matter how they show their affection, these stage dads prove there are all kinds of patriarchs. The love they give and lessons they teach make us want to hug our own dads — and celebrate all he's done for us by taking him to a show with a strong father figure like him! Here are some of the best Broadway shows to see for Father's Day, featuring our favorite Broadway dads.

Get tickets to a Broadway show on New York Theatre Guide.

The Lion King (Timon, Pumbaa, and Mufasa)
Hamilton (Alexander Hamilton)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Draco Malfoy)
& Juliet (Lance du Bois)
Aladdin (The Sultan)
The Outsiders (Darrel Curtis)

The Lion King (Timon, Pumbaa, and Mufasa)

Broadway
Musical
Disney
Award winner
Screen to stage
Family show

In the long-running Disney musical, devastation comes early for lion cub Simba after he blames himself for his father's untimely death. But the unlikely pairing of Pumbaa, a warthog, and Timon, a meerkat, find Simba at just the right time. They raise him like they were Simba's own fathers until Simba is ready to leave his worries behind and claim the throne from his evil uncle Scar.

We'd be remiss if we didn't also include Mufasa himself on this list. Though he dies during Simba's childhood, Mufasa still appears to him in visions and memories, inspiring Simba to carry on his legacy and lead the Pride Lands with goodness. He shows the lasting impact of a caring father's love on his kid's life, making The Lion King a great show for dads to take their young children to and foster that bond early on.

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The Lion King (Timon, Pumbaa, and Mufasa)

Hamilton (Alexander Hamilton)

Broadway
Musical
Award winner

In Lin-Manuel Miranda's smash musical, Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton experiences the deep joy of becoming the father to Philip — "pride is not the word I'm looking for," he says in the song "Dear Theodosia" when his son is born, and it might make you and your dad both cry.

Alexander watches Philip grow and woo ladies just like his dad, but he also feels the profound loss of losing a child too soon. With the support of his wife, Eliza, Alexander survives every parent's worst nightmare and even jumps back into politics. In real life, too, Alexander Hamilton was the father not just of Philip, but eight total children.

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Hamilton (Alexander Hamilton)

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Draco Malfoy)

Broadway
Play
Award winner
Family show
Screen to stage
Page to stage

Growing up as students at Hogwarts, Harry and Ron constantly tested the patience of their parents and mentors as they found themselves in one harrowing incident after another. (Remember the encounter with the Whomping Willow?) But as the much wiser fathers of children now attending Hogwarts in this two-part epic Broadway play, Harry and Ron are in the reversed roles of adults tasked with monitoring their own rule-breaking children.

Draco Malfoy, whose son befriends Harry's, also joins the group in Cursed Child, as he has to keep an eye on his own kid as he goes off with the others on Wizarding World adventures. Through this, they're all reminded of the power and courage of youth. Draco is in a particularly difficult and sympathetic position as a single father who is trying to bond with his son and leave the wrongs of his past behind.

These father-child relationships make Harry Potter and the Cursed Child a great Father's Day show, and because it's a family-friendly play, dads can bond with even their young children over it.

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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Draco Malfoy)

& Juliet (Lance du Bois)

Broadway
Jukebox musical
Stars on stage

The central story of the pop musical & Juliet is about how the title Shakespearean heroine finds new life and love in Paris instead of dying over Romeo, with the chart-topping hits of the '90s to today as her soundtrack. Along the way, she befriends Frankie du Bois, who starts off having a tense relationship with his dad. Lance is very particular about who he wants Frankie to marry, but he truly just wants the best for his son.

As the show progresses, Lance comes to accept his son for who he truly loves — and Lance finds love of his own, too. His journey is a heartwarming reminder of how it's never too late for fathers and children to connect. Plus, there's a fun moment where Frankie and Lance sing The Backstreet Boys together — what could be more fun to watch with your own dad?

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& Juliet (Lance du Bois)

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Aladdin (The Sultan)

Broadway
Musical
Disney
Family show
Award winner
Screen to stage

At first, the Sultan seems like a harsh father, as he forbids his daughter, Princess Jasmine, from marrying anyone but a prince due to Arabian law. But ultimately, he cares for his daughter and wants to protect her. Once he sees that Aladdin, although not a prince, is genuine and kind, he gives his blessing. He represents one of the most important things about fatherhood: wanting the utmost happiness for his children above all.

Not only does this relationship make Aladdin a great Father's Day show, but the timeless Disney story and songs, like "A Whole New World" and "Friend Like Me," will probably be recognizable to you and your dad.

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Aladdin (The Sultan)

The Outsiders (Darrel Curtis)

Broadway
Musical
Award winner
Page to stage
Screen to stage

Darrel isn't a father, but he assumes a parental role to provide for his two younger brothers, Sodapop and Ponyboy, after their parents' death. He tries to keep the studious and thoughtful Ponyboy, in particular, away from the teenage gang violence between their group, the Greasers, and the wealthy Socs.

Those efforts don't always succeed, but all the Greasers, not just Darrel, prove their support for each other in their time of need as their parents do not. Found family is key to this show based on S. E. Hinton's classic novel.

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The Outsiders (Darrel Curtis)