See these New York theatre shows for Pride month

Many of these Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals and plays feature LGBTQ+ stories and artists, and others simply celebrate inclusivity, acceptance, and joy.

Happy Pride! Across the world, people celebrate Pride month throughout the month of June, honoring the history of the LGBTQ+ community and celebrating its continued survival. With states nationwide introducing anti-LGBTQ laws, this year's Pride Month is an especially important time to support LGBTQ stories and, in the theatre in particular, celebrate the work of queer artists.

The contributions of LGBTQ+ writers, directors, performers, choreographers, and so much more appear in so many shows on stage this month. All these stories are worth uplifting and celebrating, and most of them happen to be pure fun. Check out these plays and musicals this Pride month — everyone is welcome at these theatres.

Fat Ham

Everyone's invited to this cookout — but only through July 2, when Fat Ham ends its limited Broadway run. In his Pulitzer-winning and Tony-nominated play, James Ijames mashes up the classic plot of Hamlet with the sensibilities of a modern-day queer Black student, Juicy. Like Hamlet, he's tasked with killing his murderous uncle, but does Juicy really want to kill anyone? Is there another way that doesn't continue the cycle of violence? Is being sensitive and "soft" to such things really that bad?

Ijames, who also grew up Black and queer in the South, explores these themes with humor, heart, and hot barbecue. Plus, Juicy's not the only character on stage exploring their identity and trying to access their truest self.

Get Fat Ham tickets now.

Some Like It Hot

If you're thirsty for a fresh update to a classic film that celebrates finding your most authentic self, Some Like It Hot delivers. Based on the 1959 Marilyn Monroe movie, this musical follows musicians Joe and Jerry as they escape the mob with an all-female traveling band, themselves disguised as women.

For Jerry, their identity as Daphne ends up being the part of themselves they didn't know they truly needed. Among Some Like It Hot's 13 Tony nominations, including Best Musical, is one for J. Harrison Ghee. As one of the first non-binary actors to receive a Tony nomination, it means the most to them that "there's so many trans and queer and non-binary people at the stage door who are like, 'I've been struggling, and now I have more language; thank you for this visibility,’” said Ghee.

Get Some Like It Hot tickets now.

Shucked

Alongside Ghee in this year's ranks of Tony nominees is Alex Newell, also one of the first non-binary Tony nominees for acting. See them onstage as Lulu in Shucked, a "farm-to-fable" about a rural town that learns to embrace the outside world when their beloved corn crop starts dying, and they need to branch out to find help.

Shucked also features an all-queer lead creative team: book writer Robert Horn, songwriters Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, and director Jack O'Brien. They're all 2023 Tony nominees, proving that Shucked is nothing short of golden.

Get Shucked tickets now.

& Juliet

It's gonna be you that sees & Juliet this June. In this nine-time Tony-nominated musical, Juliet — of Romeo & Juliet fame — decides not to die when Romeo does but instead ditches Verona for Paris in search of a new life and love.

& Juliet features characters old and new, and among the new characters is May, Juliet's non-binary pal who finds a star-crossed love of their own with the romance-challenged Francois. Not only is the show a celebration of all kinds of love, but it's simply a party. & Juliet is set to 30 chart-topping hits by songwriter/producer Max Martin (the man behind "...Baby One More Time," "Since U Been Gone," "I Want It That Way," and much more) and electric dancing by queer, two-time Tony-nominated choreographer Jennifer Weber. What more could you ask for in a larger-than-life Pride musical?

Get & Juliet tickets now.

Titanique

Shall we go for it? This campy parody musical is a kooky retelling of James Cameron's film Titanic through the character of Celine Dion, set to Dion's catalog of timeless hits. Multiple queer actors have appeared in Titanique, including RuPaul's Drag Race star Rosé, and it's by an all-queer writing team of Tye Blue, Constantine Rousouli, and Marla Mindelle.

Jack and Rose may be a straight couple, but Titanique is a love letter to the LGBT+ community, with plenty of references to queer pop culture, updated regularly as new trends go viral. But everyone will find something to love in this joyful, energetic comedy.

New York Theatre Guide's four-star review calls Titanique "as much a love letter to the Titanic movie as it is to the people obsessed with that movie: pop culture-savvy, queer theatre kids, or so the creators presume from experience. [ ] Older and/or less theatre-obsessed audiences will find more of their enjoyment in the recreations of all the major Titanic movie moments and the Dion hits that score the show."

Get Titanique tickets now.

Seven Sins

Seven Sins is a burlesque variety show based on the biblical tale of Adam and Eve. People don't often associate biblical stories with LGBT themes, but as our critic pointed out in a five-star review, "What makes Seven Sins stand out, in particular, is its deliberate and gleeful queering of its source material."

"The show may end on a somber note, in keeping with the ancient story," our critic continues, "but the real takeaway from Seven Sins is that sometimes, what's considered sinful outside the theatre's four walls is actually worth indulging in — and unapologetically celebrating. Pleasure. Self-expression. Confidence. Beauty."

Get Seven Sins tickets now.

Cocktail Magique

For even more burlesque fun, go right across the street from Seven Sins to Cocktail Magique, a variety show that combines magic, mixology, and more. Performers of all genders serve up circus-like entertainment, intoxicating illusions, and plenty of libations. Yes, you get to drink along; every ticket type includes at least one cocktail distributed throughout the performance. Everyone gets a few snacks and access to plenty of water, too.

Get Cocktail Magique tickets now.

Love + Science

Bring the tissues for this drama. Love + Science occurs at the onset of the AIDS crisis, when two gay medical students fall in love in the lab — and watch their community quickly succumb to the disease. The play makes the widespread epidemic searingly intimate and human, showing the possibilities for love and hope amid crisis.

Love + Science also reminds audiences that the history of Pride has a somber side, and just as important as celebrating LGBT people's lives is honoring the lives lost.

Get Love + Science tickets now.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical

"No matter your desire, you're welcome here, for this is more than a nightclub. The Moulin Rouge is a state of mind." These lines from this musical's opening number set the tone immediately: Everyone can escape the outside world when they enter the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, transformed into the iconic French hotspot, and be free to be their most authentic selves. Pleasure, glamour, and fabulosity are the name of the game at this 10-time Tony-winning Best Musical adapted from Baz Luhrmann's film.

See the timeless love story of the writer Christian and showgirl Satine in 1899 Paris, set to more than 40 pop hits by artists ranging from Elton John to Lady Gaga. There's no better time than Pride Month to see a story that celebrates true love persisting against all odds.

Get Moulin Rouge! The Musical tickets now.