9 Must-See Shows Starting This August
Catch an acclaimed thriller on Broadway, a pair of new musicals and more
The dog days of summer have arrived. But there are still a handful of intriguing new shows starting performances this August. See Ben Folds back up Lindsay Kraft in her solo musical, a tuner about the undersung woman behind the Brooklyn Bridge, a fresh spin on Ivanov led by TV star Sam Underwood and the stage adaptation of Paranormal Activity, the first Broadway production of the season!
Be sure to browse the listings in TDF’s Show Finder for even more options. And remember, most of our picks for July are still running!
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We’ve Been Here Before: A One-Woman Musical – begins August 4
Soho Playhouse, 15 Vandam Street between Sixth Avenue and Varick Street in Soho
Begins August 4. Closes August 17.
While Lindsey Kraft is best known as a TV actor, she’s also a prolific singer-songwriter who frequently opens for her partner, acclaimed musician Ben Folds. Now the two are collaborating on her new solo musical We’ve Been Here Before, about a middle-aged woman whose life markedly improves when she takes up songwriting and embarks on a new relationship. Kraft, who penned the book and songs and even co-directed, is accompanied onstage by Folds and Dan Rudin.
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Brooklyn Bridge – begins August 7
Irondale Center, 85 South Oxford Street between Lafayette Avenue and Fulton Street in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn
Begins August 7. Closes August 23.
Emily Roebling was the incredible woman behind one of NYC’s most famous landmarks, yet many have never heard of her. That’s because her husband, Washington Roebling, was credited as the lead engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge, but when he fell ill, she’s the one who secretly finished it. This new musical, cocreated and directed by Broadway vet Ray Roderick, tells her amazing story in an immersive staging dominated, appropriately, by scaffolding.
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The Whole Sky All Diamonds – begins August 12
Loft Story, 748 Manhattan Avenue between Meserole and Norman Avenues in Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Begins August 12. Closes August 22.
A new interactive play from Bixby Elliot (staff writer for Peacock’s The Five-Star Weekend), The Whole Sky of Diamonds casts theatregoers as new employees at a tech company on the cusp of a merger that will make or break everyone involved. Set inside a real office with actors performing at nearby desks, this immersive show explores the challenges of connecting IRL in an online world. The cast includes multiple Sleep No More and Broadway vets. Come prepared to participate!
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The Bathroom Attendant – begins August 13
Bank Street Theatre, 155 Bank Street between West and Washington Streets in the West Village
Previews begin August 13. Opens August 19. Closes August 30.
Busy Off-Off Broadway director Andrew Block helms the world premiere of Tom Kelly’s new comedic thriller The Bathroom Attendant, about a washed-up boxer and an ex-porn star just outside of Vegas whose lives are upended by a stranger with a proposal. Booze and blackmail concoct a knockout of a cocktail.
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benevolent – begins August 14
IATI Theater, 64 East 4th Street between Bowery and Second Avenue in the East Village
Begins August 14. Opens August 16. Closes September 5.
Playwright Sophie McIntosh has seemingly been the Next Big Thing for a few years now. Her female-forward variation on Macbeth, macbitches, got a rave review in The New York Times and has since become a regional staple. Road Kills and cunnicularii were also well received. Her new drama benevolent is set in 1917 and centers on four young women forced into a brutal NYC reformatory for those of ill repute. As they bond over chores, they find solace in friendship. But how far will they go to protect one of their own when she gets in a bind? McIntosh’s frequent collaborator, Nina Goodheart, directs.
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The House of the Negro Insane – begins August 14
59E59 Theaters, 59 East 59th Street between Madison and Park Avenues in Midtown East
Begins August 14. Closes September 6.
The Negro Ensemble Company presents the New York premiere of Terence Anthony’s harrowing drama The House of the Negro Insane, about a draconian all-Black mental institution in 1935 Oklahoma. Atticus, a long-term resident, tries to escape the madness and the racist staff in the woodshop, where he crafts coffins for deceased patients. But two newcomers challenge his complacency. After earning rave reviews regionally, the play arrives Off Broadway directed by Daniel Carlton.
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Paranormal Activity – begins August 14
August Wilson Theatre, 245 West 52nd Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue
Previews start August 14. Opens August 25. Closes January 3, 2027.
The first official show of the new Broadway season arrives after freaking out audiences in London, Toronto, LA, Chicago and Boston. Based on the cinematic horror series of the same name, Levi Holloway’s script centers on an attractive couple (Broadway newbies Travis A. Knight and Cher Álvarez) trying to exorcise evil spirits from their home. But not before they jump-scare the crap out of audiences. The design, especially the spine-tingling illusions by Chris Fisher, who worked on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Stranger Things: The First Shadow, is the star of this spectacle.
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The Real Ivanov – begins August 17
Lynn F. Angelson Theater, 136 East 13th Street between Third and Fourth Avenues in the East Village
Previews begin August 17. Opens August 25. Closes September 19. If you’re a TDF Member, log in to your account to purchase discount tickets.
Anton Chekhov’s Ivanov isn’t as frequently staged as his other full-length plays, but his darkly humorous exploration of depression feels quite timely. Chekhov scholar Laura Strausfeld adapted and directs this 100-minute adaptation of the tragicomedy about a once-promising man whose youthful passion has been extinguished by everyday drudgery. TV star Sam Underwood portrays the melancholic title character.
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To Have and to Hold – begins August 21
154, 154 Christopher Street between Greenwich and Washington Streets in the West Village
Previews begin August 21. Opens August 23. Closes September 12.
Laura Lapidus wrote and costars in To Have and to Hold, a feminist riff on The Taming of the Shrew about Kate and Bianca (Broadway vet Tedra Millan), two devoted sisters whose bond is tested when the latter gets engaged. How do you hold on to the one you love most as she evolves? Zoë Adams directs.
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