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.
Aubrey Plaza and Christopher Abbott in Danny and the Deep Blue Sea
"Sea" a pair of Golden Globe nominees share the stage for 10 weeks only. Emmy-nominated The White Lotus and Parks & Recreation star Aubrey Plaza makes her stage debut in the latest revival of John Patrick Shanley's play. Never a stranger to sharp and edgy roles, she now plays Roberta, a troubled single mother who finds an unexpected, destructive, passionate connection with the title Danny at a Bronx bar.
Christopher Abbott plays Danny, and he's best known for his recurring role on Girls. He earned his Golden Globe nod for starring in the Catch-22 miniseries adapted from the classic novel, and for roles in First Man and more. He and Plaza even starred in the film Black Bear together, and now they reunite once more.
Get Danny and the Deep Blue Sea tickets now.
Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford in Sweeney Todd
They're too good, at least! The latest revival of Hugh Wheeler and Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is serving up a delicious cast. Tony and Grammy nominee Josh Groban returns to Broadway as the murderous title barber, and Tony winner Annaleigh Ashford makes her return to Sondheim, following her last star turn in Sunday in the Park with George, as Todd's pie-making accomplice, Mrs. Lovett.
These two aren't the only stars in Sweeney Todd: this revival also features Gaten Matarazzo of Stranger Things, Jordan Fisher of Hamilton, and Tony winner Ruthie Ann Miles of The King and I. Every cast member is just another reason to attend the tale.
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Danny DeVito in I Need That
Hop in a taxi to the American Airlines Theatre, where Danny DeVito stars on Broadway for the first time since 2017. He made his Tony-nominated debut then in The Price, but he's best known for his beloved onscreen acting career. He earned a Golden Globe and an Emmy for playing Louie De Palma in Taxi, and his other best-known roles include Frank Reynolds in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Harry Wormwood in Matilda.
Now, he plays Sam, a hoarder tasked with cleaning up his house when faced with eviction. He stars opposite his real-life daughter and fellow actor Lucy DeVito.
Get I Need That tickets now.
Constance Wu and Corbin Bleu in Little Shop of Horrors
These two Hollywood stars are both making their Off-Broadway debuts in the cult classic horror comedy, but neither is a stranger to the stage. Wu, best known for her roles in Crazy Rich Asians and Fresh Off the Boat, has starred in multiple Los Angeles stage productions, including 2:22 – A Ghost Story.
Bleu has performed in a wide array of musicals on both coasts, with his Broadway credits including Kiss Me, Kate and Holiday Inn. He also rose to fame for starring as Chad Danforth in the High School Musical film series. Now, he and Wu star as Seymour and Audrey, two flower shop workers whose lives are unrooted by a talking, human-flesh-eating plant.
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Lillias White in Hadestown
There's a new messenger in town! André De Shields won a Tony Award for originating the role of Hermes in Hadestown, and now, fellow Tony winner Lillias White is guiding audiences down the road to hell. She has a dozen Broadway credits to her name, winning her first Tony Award for The Life and earning another nomination for Fela! White is also known for her performances in Chicago, Dreamgirls, and Once on This Island. TV fans might also recognize her from the Netflix series The Get Down or as the voice of the muse Calliope in Disney's Hercules animated movie.
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Daniel Radcliffe in Merrily We Roll Along
Everyone from the Wizarding World to the Muggle world knows that Daniel Radcliffe became a household name for playing the title role in the Harry Potter film series. Since then, though, he's established a thoroughly diverse career on stage and screen. His other best-known movie credits include Kill Your Darlings, The Woman in Black, and Swiss Army Man. But did you know he's a stage veteran, too? Radcliffe has starred in the Broadway plays The Cripple of Inishmaan and The Lifespan of a Fact and the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
His latest stage venture was the Off-Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's musical Merrily We Roll Along, which is now moving to Broadway with Radcliffe and the rest of his cast. He plays Charley, one of three friends whose gradual, 20-year fallout is told in reverse order. He stars alongside Tony nominee and Hamilton star Jonathan Groff as Frank and Carousel Tony winner Lindsay Mendez as Mary.
Get Merrily We Roll Along tickets now.
Sarah Paulson in Appropriate
Before becoming an Emmy Award winner known for American Horror Story and American Crime Story, Sarah Paulson made her Broadway debut in 1994 in The Sisters Rosensweig. She went on to star in two more Broadway productions but hasn't taken the stage since 2010. But now, she returns for Appropriate, the Broadway-debut play by Pulitzer finalist Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. Paulson stars as Toni, the oldest daughter in a family grappling with the death of their patriarch. When they reunite to settle his estate, deep, dark secrets and tensions resurrect.
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Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells in Gutenberg! The Musical!
This duo of actors is jointly known for going two-by-two to Africa in the original Broadway cast of The Book of Mormon. As hapless Mormon missionaries, they cemented themselves as onstage comedy kings back in 2011. Now, they reunite for the first time since then as eager theatremakers creating a show about the inventor of the printing press.
Though they both began as Broadway actors, both have become bonafide stage and screen stars. Gad is known for voicing Olaf in Frozen and playing Le Fou in the live-action Beauty and the Beast remake. Rannells has appeared in Girls and Big Mouth, and earned his second Tony nomination (following Mormon) for starring in Falsettos on Broadway. They star in Gutenberg! The Musical! together from September 15 to January 28 only.
Get Gutenberg! The Musical! tickets now.
Jeremy Strong in An Enemy of the People
He's a Broad-Waystar! Fresh from his acclaimed run as Kendall Roy in HBO's Succession, which earned him Emmy and Golden Globe Awards, Jeremy Strong makes a return to Broadway. He last appeared on the big stage in 2008's A Man For All Seasons, which also marked his Broadway debut. Now, in winter 2024, he plays Dr. Thomas Stockmann in Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People. His character exposes poison in his small spa town's water supply — and is met with criticism for daring to threaten the town's prosperity.
Check back for information on An Enemy of the People tickets on New York Theatre Guide.
Rachel McAdams in Mary Jane
Rachel McAdams has a long history as queen of the silver screen. Following acclaimed performances in modern classic rom-coms like The Notebook and The Time Traveller's Wife, she earned an Oscar nomination for playing journalist Sacha Pfeiffer in Spotlight. Now, she makes her Broadway debut in the title role of Amy Herzog's play about a single mother seeking support amid a difficult family situation.
Check back for information on Mary Jane tickets on New York Theatre Guide.
Wayne Brady in The Wiz
Wayne Brady is back. Though most people know him for headlining shows like Whose Line Is It Anyway? and Let's Make a Deal, Brady is also a prolific stage actor. He's performed in two Broadway productions of the hip-hop improv show Freestyle Love Supreme, and he's taken over the meaty roles of Billy Flynn in Chicago and Lola in Kinky Boots. Now, for the first time, Brady originates a role in a Broadway production: the title role in the latest revival of The Wiz, an all-Black adaptation of The Wizard of Oz.
Check back for information on The Wiz tickets on New York Theatre Guide.
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