14 Shows to See Off Broadway This June

Catch Wayne Brady and Billy Porter in La Cage aux Folles, Sting in a revival of The Last Ship and more

Of the 14 productions we’re spotlighting this month, nine are musicals. Encores! is presenting a revival of La Cage aux Folles starring Wayne Brady and Tony winner Billy Porter while The Metropolitan Opera mounts a revisal of Sting’s The Last Ship starring the rocker himself. Plus there are new tuners from Todd Almond and Jennifer Nettles, the return of Music City and a musicalization of the movie A Walk on the Moon. More into drama? There are some intriguing plays too, including Jonathan Spector’s epic Birthright.

These are just some of the promising productions that begin performances in June. We couldn’t include everything, so be sure to browse the listings in TDF’s Show Finder to see what else is playing. And remember, most of our picks for May are still running!

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Clubbed Thumb Summerworks: Derangements – begins June 1

Wild Project, 195 East 3rd Street between Avenues A and B in the East Village

Begins June 1. Closes June 12.

Clubbed Thumb‘s annual Summerworks fest has birthed a slew of acclaimed plays, including Men on Boats, Cold War Choir Practice and the Tony-nominated and Pulitzer-shortlisted What the Constitution Means to Me. Its 29th edition continues with Nadja Leonhard-Hooper’s Derangements, a dark comedy about two girlfriends whose get-together goes off the rails. Annie Tippe (Octet, Three Houses) directs an ensemble cast including the always hilariously high-strung Crystal Finn (Deep Blue Sound).

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Are You Now or Have You Ever Been – begins June 2

New York City Center, 131 West 55th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues in Midtown West

Previews begin June 2. Opens TBD. Closes September 11. If you’re a TDF Member, log in to your account to purchase discount tickets.

A depressingly timely revival for the disinformation age. Originally subtitled “The Investigations of Show-Business by the Un-American Activities Committee 1947–1958,” Eric Bentley’s 1972 docudrama about that communist witch hunt consists of verbatim transcripts from those infamous hearings, as artists such as Arthur Miller, Jerome Robbins, Paul Robeson, Elia Kazan and Lillian Hellman were forced to choose between their conscience and their careers. August: Osage Country Tony winner Anna D. Shapiro directs a rotating cast of stars, including David Krumholtz, Billy Eugene Jones, Andrew McCarthy, Jay O. Sanders, Santino Fontana, T.R. Knight, Bob Odenkirk, Steven Pasquale and Molly Ringwald. Check the website for who’s performing when.

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Irish Arts Center: North Star – begins June 3

Irish Arts Center, 726 Eleventh Avenue between 51st and 52nd Streets in Midtown West

Begins June 3. Closes June 21. If you’re a TDF Member, log in to your account to purchase discount tickets.

Artist and deejay Kwame Daniels is behind this theatrical concert inspired by the galvanizing speeches of abolitionist Frederick Douglass when he visited Belfast in 1845. A fusion of poetic words and diverse music (including hip-hop, jazz, gospel and electronic), North Star explores contemporary Black culture and Douglass’ enduring impact.

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EPIC Players: Rent – June 4

A.R.T./New York Theatres, 502 West 53rd Street between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues in Midtown West

Begins June 4. Closes June 20.

Since its founding in 2016, the neuro-inclusive theatre company EPIC Players has cast artists with developmental disabilities such as autism and Down syndrome alongside their neurotypical peers. For its mainstage spring production, the troupe presents a revival of Rent, Jonathan Larson’s revered rock opera riff on La Bohème set in the East Village during the AIDS crisis. As part of the troupe’s commitment to accessibility, there will be an ASL-interpreted performance on June 7 at 2 p.m., real-time captions on your phone on June 11 at 7 p.m. and an audio described performance on June 13 at 2 p.m.

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MCC Theater: Birthright – begins June 5

The Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space, 511 West 52nd Street between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues in Midtown West

Previews begin June 5. Opens June 24. Closes July 12.

Playwright Jonathan Spector loves a crackling argument. His Tony-winning satire Eureka Day centered on a passionate vaccination debate at a tony preschool. He explores American Jewish identity and morality in his new three-and-a-half-hour epic that follows six friends who meet on a birthright trip to Israel as their views and relationships evolve over 18 years. The play’s world premiere at Miami New Drama was well-received and the cast of this MCC Theater mounting is impressive, including Younger‘s Molly Bernard, Stereophonic Tony nominee Eli Gelb and Broad City‘s Abbi Jacobson. Teddy Bergman (KPOP) directs.

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The Metropolitan Opera: The Last Ship – begins June 9

Metropolitan Opera House, 30 Lincoln Center Plaza at 64th Street and Columbus Avenue in Lincoln Square

Begins June 9. Closes June 14.

Just like the shipyard workers in Sting’s musical The Last Ship, this short-lived Broadway musical is getting a second chance at glory with this updated incarnation. Starring the rock icon and reggae musician Shaggy and featuring a new book and a revised score, the show is inspired by Sting’s upbringing in Wallsend as the community faces an existential threat: the closure of the shipyard. This nine-performance run at The Met follows celebrated international engagements.

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I’m Almost There – begins June 9

BAM Fisher, 321 Ashland Place between Lafayette Avenue and Hanson Place in Fort Greene

Begins June 9. Closes June 28.

After lauded runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Audible’s Minetta Lane Theatre, singer-songwriter-storyteller Todd Almond (Girl From the North Country, On the Levee) brings his almost-solo musical to BAM. Loosely inspired by The Odyssey, I’m Almost There is a fantastical and funny tale of fighting for love in NYC as Almond must battle his unstable neighbor, a sex cult, a narcissistic vampire and a demon cat in order to connect with his soulmate. Tony winner David Cromer (The Band’s Visit) directs.

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NAATCO: Henry VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts – begins June 9

The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street at Astor Place in the East Village

Previews begin June 9. Opens June 21. Closes July 19.

The National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) remounts its ambitious two-part adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry VI trilogy, adapted and directed by Stephen Brown-Fried and starring an all-Asian cast. Part 1: Foreign Wars starts with the death of King Henry V, which plunges England into decades of chaos. Part 2: Civil Strife chronicles the War of the Roses as rival royals fight over the throne. Note: If you’re feeling lucky, try entering the digital lottery to win free tickets to the first preview of each installment: Tuesday, June 9 for Part 1 and Wednesday, June 10 for Part 2. Details are on The Public’s site.

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Irish Repertory Theatre: The Loved Ones – begins June 13

Irish Repertory Theatre, 132 West 22nd Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues in Chelsea

Previews begin June 13. Opens June 23. Closes August 2. If you’re a TDF Member, log in to your account to purchase discount tickets.

Irish Rep presents the New York premiere of Erica Murray’s dramedy The Loved Ones about how the death of one man upends the lives of three women: his mom, his wife and his mistress. Can they grieve and grow together? Nicola Murphy Dubey directs an all-women cast, including Tony winner Maryann Plunkett and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend‘s Donna Lynne Champlin.

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A Walk on the Moon – begins June 15

Laura Pels Theatre, 111 West 46th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues in Midtown West

Previews begin June 15. Opens June 29. Closes August 22. If you’re a TDF Member, log in to your account to purchase discount tickets.

Based on the 1999 movie of the same name, A Walk on the Moon makes its New York premiere after successful regional engagements. The musical takes place in summer 1969 against the backdrop of Woodstock as a Brooklyn mother and housewife ventures out of her comfort zone: socially, politically and romantically. The film’s screenwriter, Pamela Gray, penned the book and cowrote the lyrics with songwriter AnnMarie Milazzo (JOY: A New True Musical). Tony nominee Sheryl Kaller directs a cast led by Talia Suskauer, Max Chernin and Sam Gravitte.

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Music City: A New Musical – begins June 15

St. Luke’s Theatre, 308 West 46th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues in Midtown West

Previews begin June 15. Opens June 24. Open run.

Two seasons back, this countrified musical was a surprise hit for the theatre company Bedlam. Now the show’s getting an encore run at St. Luke’s Theatre, which has been transformed into an immersive honky-tonk. Set in Nashville in the early 2000s, it follows a couple of aspiring country stars trying to make it big as they navigate a city ravaged by drugs and poverty. In between the catchy tunes are insightful observations about class, addiction and how stars are made. Celebrated songwriter J.T. Harding supplies new numbers alongside hits he wrote for Darius Rucker, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Uncle Kracker and other country crooners. Eric Tucker directs.

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Irish Repertory Theatre: Pea Dinneen: Raising Her Voice – begins June 16

Irish Repertory Theatre, 132 West 22nd Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues in Chelsea

Begins June 16. Closes June 28. If you’re a TDF Member, log in to your account to purchase discount tickets.

Subtitled “a trans fantasia,” this musical memoir by Dublin-born cabaret star Pea Dinneen chronicles her gender identity awakening through ’90s hits, original songs and powerful personal stories. Irish Rep presents this singular artist and activist, just in time for Pride.

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New York City Center Encores! La Cage aux Folles – begins June 17

New York City Center, 131 West 55th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues in Midtown West

Begins June 17. Closes June 28.

Tony nominee Robert O’Hara directs an incredible all-Black cast in La Cage aux Folles at Encores! Tony winner Billy Porter and Wayne Brady are Albin and Georges, a longtime gay couple running a drag club where Albin is the star diva. But when their son asks them to hide who they truly are, hilarity and catchy Jerry Herman songs ensue. Tony winner Tonya Pinkins costars in this mounting, which features the musical’s glorious original 1983 orchestrations.

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Perelman Performing Arts Center: Giulia: The Poison Queen of Palermo – begins June 28

Perelman Performing Arts Center, 251 Fulton Street at the intersection of Vesey and Greenwich Streets in the Financial District

Begins June 28. Closes July 26.

Grammy winner Jennifer Nettles wrote and stars in this world-premiere musical inspired by the life of Giulia Tofana, who led a poisoning ring so wives could get rid of their abusive spouses in 17th-century Italy… maybe. While the facts of her life are up for debate, she’s certainly an intriguing figure to explore onstage, especially with visionary Tony-winning director Mary Zimmerman (Metamorphoses) at the helm. After a delay and creative team changes, Giulia: The Poison Queen of Palermo opens this summer at the Perelman Performing Arts Center.

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