8 Shows to See Before 2026–and 3 to Skip

I can be a theater lover and a theater hater. I contain multitudes!

The first flurries have fallen, my company won’t stop talking about Q4, and my mother is making Christmas plans. It’s clear: the end of the year is upon us.

If you’re feeling the annual panic about yearly roundups, let your theater-going habits bring no anxiety. I’m here to tell you what you should try to sneak in before the new year (or early next year, some have recently extended!), and a few you should go nowhere near.

My favorite text to get

8 Shows to See

In order of how quickly you need to act to get tickets.

Kyoto

I’m not generally one for history plays, but “Kyoto” immerses you in the history of global climate conferences from the moment they hand you a badge with your country name. It’s not gimmicky, but played well—this show charts the course of dozens of climate conferences leading up to the Kyoto Conference, told from the perspective of Don Perlman, the U.S. attorney who basically blocked any progress from happening for a decade.

I’m not sure if this show fully sticks the landing on all its messaging, but I was absolutely engaged, fascinated, and curious about this history. I loved the conference format, didn’t mind the minute details, and learned more in two and a half hours than I did in a whole year of AP U.S. history.

Hurry! Closes: November 30th
How to get cheap(er) tickets: Digital lottery for $49 tickets, both for the general audience and and the first row, immersive conference table seats.

Prince F*ggot

Thanks to some unlucky usher luck and the outrageous demand for this production, I missed “Prince F*ggot”’s run at Playwright’s Horizons. But this show is back at another Off-Broadway theater, Studio Seaview, and I am clamoring to see it. This show takes place in the near future, where Prince George is openly gay, and a royal, profane, messy, and dangerous love story blooms.

From what I learned as an usher who had to lock up everyone’s phones, this show is not fit for any prudish behavior.

Hurry! Closes: December 13th
How to get cheap(er) tickets: On TDF for $40.

Gruesome Playground Injuries

If Kara Young has no fans, I’m dead. After her fourth year in a row of being Tony-nominated for Featured Actress in a Play (and winning it twice), she returns Off-Broadway opposite Nicholas Braun.

The show follows two childhood friends over 30 years as they love and hurt one another—all while getting hurt themselves. Both Braun and Young move seamlessly through the different ages, convincingly acting all the way from 8 to 38 years old. The title is literal: in each scene, someone is suffering from a physical ailment. It’s a unique, complicated story of love and friendship, punctuated with humor and disgust.

Hurry! Closes: December 28th
How to get cheap(er) tickets: $40 on TDF. There’s also a Digital Rush on the TodayTix Mobile App for $40 daily.

The Seat of Our Pants

Some shows are weird, and some shows are so purposefully odd that you’re in complete awe. That’s “The Seat of Our Pants,” a musical adaption of Thorton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize winning play “The Skin of Our Teeth.” I’ve never read the play, but I don’t think you need to—the only prerequisite is to know that you’re in for an epic, absurd journey.

“The Seat of Our Pants” follows one family over the course of thousands of years, complete with biblical references, third-wall breaks, and beautiful, folky music. It’s a tough nut to crack, but the overall message is clear: there will be tragedy and hardship and the world will feel like it’s ending, but we will begin again, and again, and again.

Plus, there’s an all-star cast—Michaela Diamond, Ruthie Ann Miles, Damon Daunno, and Ally Bonino—and literally a giant wooly mammoth on stage. What else could you ask for?

Closes: February 2026
How to get cheap(er) tickets: On TDF for $45.

Liberation

There are memory plays and then there is “Liberation.” We start with a woman reflecting on her mom’s women’s liberation group in the 70s. She then inserts herself, taking on the role of her mother, into that very group.

This play walks the fine line between being cliché and “girl power”-y and incredibly specific and moving—it’s able to cover a lot of ground by offering us the unique stories of six women of the time. It doesn’t do much in terms of answers, but I think the questions it offers—and the way it approaches them—is fresh and stylistically impressive.

If I were a betting woman, “Liberation” is definitely in the running for the “Best Play” Tony. Bring your mom, bring your sisters, bring your male companions who could use some feminism but won’t be weirded out when they all take their clothes off (it’s true) (they lock up your phones for this) (it’s honestly very beautiful).

Closes: February 2026
How to get cheap(er) tickets: Digital lottery for $50 tickets.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

After its acclaimed 2005 Broadway run, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” has made its way into high school theater programs and theater kids’ hearts. Now, it’s back Off-Broadway telling its funny, adorable, delightful story.

I’ve never seen this show (!!!) and joyously watched every clip of last year’s D.C. run at The Kennedy Center. The same production is now in NY, with some new cast members, including Kevin McHale (for the gleeks), Jasmine Amy Rogers (for the Boop! fans), and Justin Cooley (for the “Kimberly Akimbo” fans).

Closes: Extended to April 2026.
How to get cheap(er) tickets: $49 daily digital rush tickets.

Heathers

“Heathers” makes its return to the Off-Broadway stages of New York, this time with a slightly revised script and score. Despite some of its polishing (mostly trying to be a bit less problematic), the show remains what it always has been: big fun.

I’m partial to dark comedy musicals, and “Heathers” delivers. This production is punchy, vibrant, and hilarious, but doesn’t skimp on the darker, more emotional beats. I was incredibly moved by

Erin L. Morton’s performance of “Kindergarten Boyfriend,” a song that is admittedly usually a skip for me. If you’ve never seen “Heathers,” this is your chance—and it’s a really good one.

Closes: Extended to May 2026.
How to get cheap(er) tickets: Digital lottery for $38 tickets.

Ragtime

I have yet (next week) to see the Broadway transfer of “Ragtime,” and I would put my life savings on Joshua Henry winning the Tony Award for Best Actor next year.

I was lucky enough to see this production at New York City Center before it transferred, and it was incredibly powerful. “Ragtime” may not be a perfect show, but with this cast singing its score in this way, it’s pretty damn near it. I’m excited to see it at Lincoln Center in a full production (NYCC’s “Encores!” runs are stripped down), but, most importantly, to see Joshua Henry.

Closes: Extended to June 2026.
How to get cheap(er) tickets: Lincoln Center offers $35 tickets through its LincTix program, a free program for people 18-35. There’s also a digital lottery for $49 tickets.

3 Shows You Shouldn’t See

In order of how angry they make me.

The Queen of Versailles

The one praise I’ll give “The Queen of Versailles” is that no other show has made me so furious about theater or put me in such a horrible mood. The closest thing I can compare to is my nauseating watch of “Redwood” earlier this year.

“The Queen of Versailles” is based on the documentary about Jackie Siegel, who’s building one of the biggest single-family homes in the U.S. If you’re wondering why we need a musical about this, it’s a great question, one this production fails to answer. Despite it being based on a true story, the book feels sloppily thrown together, the music grasping for melodies, and the lyrics from not even the most recent, up-to-date version of ChatGPT.

@kaplanzoeComing out as a hater bc I could not stand this show #queenofversaillesbroadway 🫠👑

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Closes: I’m waiting for an announcement that cites my TikTok as the reason...
How to get cheap(er) tickets: Don’t??

I do.

All Out

“All Out” follows “All In,” a show from earlier this year that featured celebrities reading short stories about love. “All Out” has the same gimmick—depending on what day you go, you’ll get a different slew of celebrities reading.

Yes, reading. And no, I have not seen this show, but I am somewhat against the branding of this one. It’s not a production; it’s a reading, with scripts. Celebrities on Broadway are nothing new, but this feels like more of a low-lift money grab to me. I’m not usually paying outrageous prices for Broadway, but I will not be paying for that.

Closes: March 2026
How to get cheap(er) tickets: I think this is literally besides the point of this production.

Aladdin, The Lion King, Book of Mormon, etc.

Do not cancel me. These big, long-running Broadway shows are wonderful in their own right. They are also likely hell during this time of year.

The holidays are a great time for Broadway with the rise in tourism. If you want to see these big shows, now is not the time to do it. Wait until the rush is over—your wallet will thank you, too.

Closes: Probably never
How to get cheap(er) tickets: Don’t go during the holiday rush! Wait for Broadway Week where many of these shows offer 2-for-1 tickets. In 2026, that’ll be Jan 20-February 12.

Happy theater going and theater hating,
Zoe