Best Off-Broadway Shows in New York City

Empire: The Musical, with book, music, and lyrics by Caroline Sherman and Robert Hull and direction from Cady Huffman, plays at New World Stages. The musical is all about one of New York’s most iconic buildings: the Empire State Building. It follows three generations from the 1920s through the Great Depression all the way through the Bicentennial in 1976 as the building is planned, built, and finally opened. Come see the trials and tribulations and the surprising history of one the world’s most famous buildings!

Currently running through September 22, 2024.

Is there a discount for Empire: The Musical? $42 rush tickets are available on Rush.Telecharge for same-day performances and BroadwayBox offers a discount up to $30 by using code EMBBX30.

Magnificent Bird / Book of Travelers is written and performed by composer and songwriter Gabriel Kahane and directed by Annie Tippe. These two solo plays run at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater at Playwrights Horizons. Book of Travelers follows Gabriel and the people he meets on a train ride through America, and Magnificent Bird takes place over the course of a year spent entirely off of the internet. The New Yorker called Kahane “one of the finest, most searching songwriters of the day.”

Currently running through October 13, 2024.

Is there a discount to Magnificent Bird / Book of Travelers? People ages 35 and under can access $30 tickets with a Young Membership and students can access $20 tickets with a student membership. These discount memberships are free to join!

Ghost of John McCain, with book by Scott Elmegreen, music and lyrics by Drew Fornarola, choreography by Sunny Min-Sook Hitt, and direction from Catie Davis, was conceived by Jason Rose and Grant Woods. This musical plays at the Soho Playhouse and follows John McCain – yes, that John McCain – as he prepares to enter the pearly gates of heaven…only to find himself inside of Trump’s brain instead. He and a “Greek Chorus” of other notables like Hillary Clinton, Roy Cohn, Eva Perón, Kamala Harris, Teddy Roosevelt, Lindsey Graham, Robert Jordan, and Kanye West decide to work against Trump’s insistent desires.

Currently running through November 10, 2024.

Is there a discount for Ghost of John McCain? $30 rush tickets are available on the TodayTix App.

Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song plays off-Broadway at Theater 555. This newest iteration of the off-Broadway staple sends up all of Broadway theater, including the newest hits like Hell’s Kitchen, The Outsiders, and Stereophonic – no star, producer, or musical is safe in this satirical musical. Created by Gerard Alessandrini, the title gets its name from the recent revival of Merrily We Roll Along. Ben Brantley said in The New York Times, “going to a ‘Forbidden Broadway’ is for me like sitting down and schmoozing with a friend who shares an obsession.”

Currently running through December 1, 2024.

The Big Gay Jamboree, by Marla Mindelle, Jonathan Parks-Ramage, and Philip Drennen and directed and choreographed by Connor Gallagher, plays at the Orpheum Theatre. Brought to you from the creators of the hit show Titanique and the hit movie Barbie, this musical follows Stacey who, after a drunken night out, wakes up in a whole new musical world. Now she has to figure out how to get home while navigating new friends and a new family who keep bursting into song. Alex Moffat stars opposite Marla Mindelle, who originally starred as Céline Dion in Titanique.

Currently running through January 19, 2025.

Is there a discount for The Big Gay Jamboree? $39 rush tickets are available on the TodayTix App.

Titanique: Une Parodie Musicale retells the story of the Oscar-winning film Titanic using the music of Celine Dion. Written by Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli, and Tye Blue, this musical begins when Celine Dion hijacks a Titanic Museum tour and enchants the audience with her totally wild take, recharting the course of Titanic’s beloved moments and characters with her iconic song catalog. It’s become an off-Broadway sensation, and The Wrap called it, “a hilarious jukebox musical for those who detest them…it’s really funny.”

Currently running through May 4, 2025.

Is there a discount for Titanique? If you book more than 6 weeks in advance, you can get 30% off Telecharge purchases! Use code EARLYBIRD for 30% off standard tickets, EARLYPRF for 30% off Preferred tickets, and EARLYPRM for 30% off Premium Tickets.

Little Shop of Horrors has been enjoying a sold-out run at the Westside Theatre. This musical won the 2020 Drama League Award, Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama Desk Award for Best Musical Revival, and is delighting new and old fans alike. The show follows Seymour, a meek, nerdy shopkeeper with a crush on his co-worker Audrey, who is dating a sadistic dentist. Add in a ravenous, man-eating plant who helps Seymour change his fortunes, and you’ve got a recipe for a bloody good time. The New Yorker said, “The show succeeds beautifully, and everyone watching it and performing in it seems to be having a blast.” 

Is there a discount for Little Shop of Horrors? Try your luck at the digital ticket lottery for a chance to get discount tickets.

Table 17, written by Douglas Lyons (Chicken & Biscuits) and directed by Zhailon Levingston (Cats: The Jellicle Ball), plays at MCC Theater. This comedic play follows exes Jada and Dallas as they get together for dinner to…get closure? Reconnect? Reminisce? Kara Young, who just won a Tony Award for her performance in Purlie Victorious stars alongside Biko Eisen-Martin (soft) and Michael Rishawn (Ain’t No Mo’). Though they try to keep things friendly and casual, the past and their complicated feelings toward each other can’t help but break into what was supposed to be a simple meal. The New York Times says, “Kara Young charms in ‘Table 17,’ a rom-com that believes in true love. The Tony winner leads a top-notch cast in Zhailon Levingston’s alluringly designed production of Douglas Lyons’s hopeful new play.”

Currently running through September 29, 2024.

Is there a discount for Table 17? Table 17 offers $43 rush tickets through the TodayTix App. $25 student rush tickets are offered 2 hours prior to curtain at the box office. Limit 1 ticket per valid student ID. Group tickets are available for parties of 10 or more by emailing audienceservices@mcctheater.org.

Dungeons & Dragons The Twenty-Sided Tavern plays at Stage 42 and celebrates the 50^th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons, an iconic roleplaying game that lets the crowd choose the direction of the story. Get ready to roll for initiative and live your own adventure. And bring your phone – you can directly impact the story by using an app! The New York Times said that the show’s “improv adds a theatrical dimension to the role-playing game…all four actors threw themselves into the ambient silliness. (Families looking for an outing should note that the show is appropriate for kids ages 8 and up.)”

Currently running through November 10, 2024.

Is there a discount for Dungeons & Dragons The Twenty-Sided Tavern? $39 digital lottery tickets are available at Rush Telecharge. Lottery opens at 12am the day before the performance, and winners are drawn at 10am and 3pm.  

Cellino v. Barnes, written by Mike B. Breen and David Rafailedes and directed by Wesley Taylor and Alex Wyse, plays at the Asylum Theatre. This dark comedy has a subject matter that should be familiar to anyone in and around New York through the 2010s. Who doesn’t remember the iconic jingle, numerous billboards, and endless tv commercials? Now see how lawyers Ross Cellino and Steve Barnes first got together, how they made it to the top, and what caused their friendship to falter. It’s a truly fun night out. The Wall Street Journal calls it, “gleefully absurd,” and says, “the writing consistently crackles with absurdist humor.”

Currently running through December 1, 2024.

Is there a discount for Cellino v. Barnes? $38 rush tickets are available on the TodayTix App.

Drunk Shakespeare started in 2014 and follows 5 professional actors who meet as members of "The Drunk Shakespeare Society". One of them has at least 5 shots of whiskey and then they overconfidently attempt to perform a major role in a Shakespearean play. As the sober actors try to keep the drunk one in line and on script, things start to get out of hand. No two shows are alike, and drinks flow throughout – so keep the kids at home for this one, audience members need to be at least 21 to enjoy the antics! The New York Times says, “It offers considerably more fun than many Shakespeare productions, worth experiencing not to watch an actor get drunk, but to watch a cast juggle so many balls so adroitly.”

Is there a discount for Drunk Shakespeare? Click “buy tickets” below to see discounts on TodayTix. And if you’re in a group of 9 or more, use promo code GROUPDEAL when purchasing tickets to get 15% off.

The Play That Goes Wrong runs off-Broadway at New World Stages after its successful Broadway run. It’s the opening night of the play The Murder at Haversham Manor, but this acting troupe is about to see things go from bad to worse. From unconscious actors, dropped lines, and downright dangerous set mishaps, can they even get to the end of the play? Come see what The Daily Beast calls, “A Riotous Explosion of Comedy!”

Is there a discount for The Play That Goes Wrong? $35 lottery tickets are available on Rush.Telecharge.

Perfect Crime premiered in 1987 and is the longest running play in Broadway and Off-Broadway history. Perfect Crime is a funny and romantic thriller about a psychiatrist who may have killed her husband…until he suddenly turns up alive. This play follows the psychiatrist and the detective who tries to solve the case, and the many twists and turns will have you guessing until the very end. 

Is there a discount for Perfect Crime? Perfect Crime has student rush discount tickets available on each day of the performance on a first-come, first served basis at the box office.

Blue Man Group has been running since 1991 at the Astor Place Theatre on 434 Lafayette Street in New York City. As three bald and blue men explore our world, together you’ll discover music, laughter and surprises at every turn. Great for families and kids (though children under 3 won’t be admitted). Blue Man Group plays all over North America on a national tour and also globally, but you can see the show in New Yorkwhere it began! 

Is there a discount for Blue Man Group? Special ticket offers, if any, can be found here.

Gazillion Bubble Show has run since 2007 and is a roughly 1-hour long show filled with magic, spectacular laser and lighting effects, and yes, literally gazillions of bubbles. What’s not to like? Great for kids, children under 2 can sit in a parent or guardian’s lap for a reduced price, and they even have birthday party packages available.

Sleep No More has been running since 2011 at the McKittrick Hotel in Chelsea. The companies Emursive and Punchdrunk have created a truly unique experience as they present an immersive and site-specific retelling of Shakespeare’s Macbeth (or if you’re superstitious, “The Scottish Play”). Audiences can move around wherever and whenever they wish, following actors through the many floors of the McKittrick as the story unfolds. You can grab a drink before or after the show at the Manderley Bar or head upstairs for dinner at the Gallow Green Restaurant. Time Out New York calls it “bedazzling and uncanny,” and though you can certainly scour the internet for details, this is a show that is especially delightful if you know as little as possible going in.

Speakeasy Magick: also at the McKittrick Hotel, is hosted by Todd Robbins and features a night of close up magic and prestidigitation. This show features a rotation of New York’s best magicians.

Stalker, presented by Penn & Teller, is an innovative 90-minute magic show by the Swedish duo Peter Brynolf and Jonas Ljung, directed by Eurovision mastermind Edward af Sillén. Get ready for fast-paced entertainment combining street magic, physical mentalism, and social hacking — with a climactic plot twist that you’ll never see coming. In today’s society, no one is hidden. Everyone is being stalked, and everyone has become a stalker. Follow Brynolf & Ljung. They’re already following you. TheaterMania says, “packed audiences delight in acts that gleefully tiptoe along the border between astounding and creepy.”

Currently running through September 1, 2024.

Chamber Magic: Steve Cohen’s dazzling live show, performed weekly in an elegant salon in the Lotte New York Palace hotel, features conjuring, mind-reading, sleight of hand, and an astonishing trick called Think-A-Drink. A celebrity favorite, Cohen baffles guests with magic up close as he recreates parlor entertainment that characterized Manhattan in the early 20th century. BroadwayWorld said, “find out what over a half million people have already discovered…Cohen performs card tricks you won't see anywhere else. He has mastered the art of the classic sleight of hand, mind reading, and conjuring parlor entertainment.”