The best Broadway shows to see for Women’s History Month

Check out these plays and musicals in New York led by women on stage, as various historic and fictional characters, and off stage as writers and directors.

Erin Cavoto
Written byErin Cavoto

Women’s History Month is underway, and there are countless ways to celebrate with theatre. Women currently lead several Broadway shows on stage and off, collectively representing a diverse range of backgrounds and perspectives. Several incredible plays and musicals on Broadway showcase talented female actors and creators.

Below are the best Broadway shows in New York with female characters at the forefront. Whether you’re in the mood for a somber drama, a heart-pounding romance, or an empowering retelling of a classic tale, you’ll find it in these women-led Broadway shows.

Hear from Broadway actresses about what Women's History Month means to them.

Get tickets to Broadway shows on New York Theatre Guide.

1.

Six

2.

& Juliet

3.

Liberation

4.

Wicked

5.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical

6.

Chicago

1.

Six

Broadway
Musical
Popular
Award winner

Listen up and let them tell you a story. Six is the musical sensation that has taken Broadway by storm since premiering in 2020, featuring the six wives of Henry VIII — except this time, you get to hear about their lives in their own words. The show flips the script by allowing these women, historically known as little more than wives, to make their voices heard, independent of the king.

You’ll have a blast at this high-octane musical that mimics a pop concert, and you’ll also learn history about these women and the parts of their lives often left out of textbooks.

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Six

2.

& Juliet

Broadway
Jukebox musical
Popular

If you think Juliet deserved a better ending than the one she got in Romeo & Juliet, check out this new jukebox musical. & Juliet features the music catalog of Max Martin, the songwriter behind hits from NSYNC, Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, and many other pop sensations.

& Juliet centers two strong-willed female characters: Juliet and Shakespeare’s wife, Anne Hathaway. After reading her husband’s play, Anne imagines a new ending for the heroine, where she escapes Verona in search of her own destiny. The musical follows the two as Anne creates a different path for Juliet, who gets to live a new life.

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& Juliet

3.

Liberation

Off-Broadway
Play

Liberation dives directly into women's history with humor and fabulous vintage outfits. Bess Wohl's comedy-drama jumps between the 1970s, when six ladies form a women's liberation club, and the 2020s, when one of their daughters tries to piece together what her mother was like back then, what happened to their friendship, and what went wrong on the path to change.

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Liberation

4.

Wicked

Broadway
Musical
Popular
Award winner

Adapted from the Gregory Maguire novel, Wicked has been a Broadway mainstay for two decades, wowing audiences with incredible music and celebrating the power of female friendship. Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, later known as Glinda the Good, initially start as enemies while roommates at Shiz University, but a friendship soon blossoms between the two.

The headstrong Elphaba risks everything to expose corruption in Oz, ultimately standing up for what’s right against all odds. You’ll be blown away by the incredible vocals in the women’s iconic songs like “Defying Gravity,” “For Good,” and “Popular.”

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Wicked

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09:00

Breakfast at Liberty Bagels

Regularly named one of the city’s best bagel shops, the unassuming Liberty Bagels is the perfect spot to get a classic NYC breakfast sandwich.

10:00

Macy’s Herald Square

One of the world’s largest stores, Macy’s is a sight to behold, especially when it’s decked out for the holidays.

5.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical

Broadway
Jukebox musical
Popular
Award winner

Based on the cult classic Baz Luhrmann film, Moulin Rouge! The Musical transports audiences to Paris’s bohemian Montmartre district at the turn of the 20th century. The leading man is Christian, an American writer who has just arrived in Paris, but Satine — the sparkling diamond at the Moulin Rouge nightclub — steals the show.

Although she’s promised to the Duke of Monroth to save the club, the independent and closed-off Satine falls into a whirlwind romance with Christian. In the end, it’s Satine who learns to love and be loved in return.

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Moulin Rouge! The Musical

6.

Chicago

Broadway
Musical
Classic
Popular
Award winner

There’s no doubt about the sheer female power in Chicago, a jazzy musical that’s run on Broadway continuously since 1996. Chicago features a majority-female principal cast led by Roxie Hart, who rises to celebrity status during her murder trial. In 2023, drag queen Jinkx Monsoon made history playing Matron “Mama” Morton, the warden at Roxie's jail.

The show features powerful vocals and showstopping numbers like “All That Jazz” and “Nowadays.” If you’ve only seen the famous movie version starring Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones, you’ll want to check out the musical to get a taste of all that jazz live.

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Chicago