See these celebrities in Broadway and Off-Broadway shows
From movie stars to singers, plenty of screen and stage stars are currently headlining at New York theatres.
In New York, it's not unheard of to spot a celebrity in public, walking their dog or attending a show. So it's no wonder, with so many living here, that plenty of celebrities find themselves on the Broadway or Off-Broadway stage at some point in their career.
Many actors, having come from acting schools, get their start in theatre before gaining mainstream fame as a movie or TV star, and New York's stages allow them a return to their roots. Or, tried-and-true screen actors will make their stage debuts later in their careers to try something new. Either way, putting celebrities on stage gives audiences a chance to see their favorite stars live in a whole new way.
There are many celebrities on Broadway and off-Broadway to see right now, from comedians to musicians to screen veterans, many of whom do it all. Buzzy Broadway revivals and limited-run Off-Broadway shows alike are all studded with stars. Here are the celebrities in New York shows that are performing right now.
Get tickets to Broadway shows on New York Theatre Guide.
Adam Lambert and Auli'i Cravalho in Cabaret
Willkommen to Broadway! Starting September 16, 2024, American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert and Moana and Mean Girls star Auli'i Cravalho make their Broadway debuts in director Rebecca Frecknall's revival of Cabaret. They replace Tony-nominated original stars Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin as the Emcee and Sally Bowles, respectively. There's always a celeb to see at this Kit Kat Club, in which audiences are thoroughly immersed throughout the award-winning production from London.
Get Cabaret tickets now.
Nicole Scherzinger in Sunset Boulevard
Nicole Scherzinger may be making her Broadway debut as fading film star Norma Desmond, but she has such a stacked resume, it's hard to believe she hasn't graced the New York stage yet. Since her career with the Pussycat Dolls, Scherzinger has starred in Cats in London (earning an Olivier Award nomination), the live televised musical Annie on NBC, and more.
Now, after starring in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical about the dark side of Hollywood to critical acclaim, she's reprising the role on Broadway. Scherzinger is ready for her close-up!
Get Sunset Boulevard tickets now.
Robert Downey Jr. in McNeal
One of the highest-grossing actors of all time, Robert Downey Jr. has assembled millions of fans in his 10 years playing Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. More recently, he won his first Oscar (after being nominated twice before) for playing Lewis Strauss in the blockbuster hit film Oppenheimer. Now, he makes his Broadway debut in the new play McNeal, starring as a celebrated writer whose old troubles affect his latest work.
Get McNeal tickets now.
Mia Farrow and Patti LuPone in The Roommate
Mia Farrow and Patti LuPone are roommates (as the title suggests) in Jen Silverman's one-act play about second chances. Recently divorced Sharon takes in a roommate, Robyn, for the first time in her life following her divorce, and an unexpected intimacy forms between these two extremely different women.
Get The Roommate tickets now.
Jim Parsons and the cast of Our Town
There's a lot of star power packed into the small town of Thornton Wilder's play. The latest Broadway revival stars Jim Parsons as the stage manager, but the Tony nominee and Big Bang Theory Emmy winner isn't the only big name. His co-stars in this show about life, love, and death include Zoey Deutch (Set It Up), Katie Holmes (Dawson's Creek), Richard Thomas (The Waltons), Ephraim Sykes (Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations), Julie Halston (Sex and The City), and more.
Get Our Town tickets now.
Kit Connor, Rachel Zegler, and Jack Antonoff in Romeo + Juliet
Three celebrities are making their Broadway debuts with Romeo + Juliet, a reimagined revival of Shakespeare's classic tragedy. One is Rachel Zegler, a Golden Globe winner for playing Maria in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story and the star of the Hunger Games prequel movie The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Her Romeo is Kit Connor, known for his breakout role as Nick on the Netflix show Heartstopper.
The third celebrity is Jack Antonoff. Unlike when he's performing with his band Bleachers, you won't see him on stage. The musician and producer, who's worked with major musicians like Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey, wrote original music for this Romeo + Juliet revival.
Get Romeo + Juliet tickets now.
Julianna Margulies and Peter Gallagher in Left on Tenth
ER and The Good Wife star Julianna Margulies and The O.C. star Peter Gallagher may be best known for their TV work, but both have experience taking the stage. For the first time, they'll take it together in Left on Tenth, a play based on the same-named memoir by You've Got Mail screenwriter Delia Ephron. Margulies stars as Delia, who meets Peter, an old flame from her past, just as her life takes an unexpected turn.
Get Left on Tenth tickets now.
The Broadway cast of Hadestown
Who knew the underworld was so starry? Hadestown on Broadway is stacked with celebrity talent right now. Pretty Little Liars star Maia Reficco makes her Broadway debut as Eurydice, Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Yola makes hers as Persephone, and Jordan Fisher (Hamilton) walks the Broadway road once more as Orpheus. Plus, Stephanie Mills, original star of The Wiz, returns to the Broadway stage for the first time since the 1980s as Hermes.
Get Hadestown tickets now.
The Off-Broadway cast of Shit. Meet. Fan.
Neil Patrick Harris. Jane Krakowski. Debra Messing. Constance Wu. Need we say more? These stars of stage and screen — along with Garret Dillahunt, Genevieve Hannelius, Billy Magnussen, and Tramell Tillman — make up the starry cast of this world-premiere play adapted and directed by Robert O'Hara.
The ensemble portray friends playing an unusual party game: They must all leave their phones face-up and read every message that comes through aloud. Surprising secrets come out in this satirical drama based on the 2016 film Perfect Strangers.
Get Shit. Meet. Fan. tickets now.
Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal in Othello
Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal star as Othello and Iago in the first revival of Shakespeare's Othello since 1982, premiering in spring 2025.
Washington is a Tony Award winner for Fences and a two-time Oscar winner for Glory and Training Day, atop his dozens of other stage and screen credits. Gyllenhaal is a Tony nominee for Sea Wall/A Life and a two-time Golden Globe nominee for Nightcrawler and Love & Other Drugs, and he now makes his Shakespearean debut with Othello.
Check back for information on Othello tickets on New York Theatre Guide.
George Clooney in Good Night, and Good Luck
Hollywood's ultimate leading man is about to become Broadway's ultimate leading man. The two-time Oscar winner is making his Broadway debut as journalist Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck in spring 2025. The play is adapted from the 2005 movie Clooney co-wrote, directed, and starred in. He also co-wrote the play's script with his original co-screenwriter Grant Heslov, making this show Clooney's Broadway writing debut as well. What can't Clooney do?
Check back for information on Good Night, and Good Luck tickets on New York Theatre Guide.
Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren in The Last Five Years
Grammy Award nominee Nick Jonas is best known for his work with the global hit band Jonas Brothers and as a solo musician, but he's a theatre veteran, too, having appeared in productions of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Jersey Boys, and Les Miserables. And Tony Award winner Adrienne Warren is a Broadway favorite, earning her trophy for playing Tina Turner in Tina, the musical based on the rock icon's life.
In spring 2025, the pair will star in the first Broadway production of Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years. The dramatic musical follows writer Jamie and actress Cathy, whose romance falls apart over the course of five years.
Check back for information on The Last Five Years tickets on New York Theatre Guide.
Kieran Culkin, Bob Odenkirk, and Bill Burr in Glengarry Glen Ross
Three TV heavyweights face off as Chicago real estate agents selling worthless properties to naive customers. Kieran Culkin returns to Broadway for the first time since 2014's This Is Our Youth — and since earning an Emmy and numerous other accolades for playing Roman Roy in Succession. Alongside him, Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk, and Emmy- and Grammy-nominated comedian Bill Burr make their Broadway debuts in the latest revival of this Tony- and Pulitzer-winning play.
Check back for information on Glengarry Glen Ross tickets on New York Theatre Guide.
Originally published on