Best Comedies on Broadway

& Juliet has a book David West Read, music by Max Martin, direction by Luke Sheppard, and reimagines Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet by imagining what would happen if Juliet decided not to end it all over Romeo. This musical gives her a fresh start and a second chance and features pop songs like “Roar,” “Since U Been Gone,” “Baby One More Time,” and “Larger Than Life.”

Aladdin is the staged version of the Disney classic. This musical brings all the magic of the movies to live theater. Get immersed in the middle eastern city of Agrabah as Aladdin finds the Genie and discovers a shining, shimmering, splendid world of life with Princess Jasmine. Disney spares no expense to provide you and your family with a dazzling display of a kingdom of riches and magical wishes. With music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, it's sure to leave the whole family smiling. If you’re a Disney fanatic, you also don’t want to miss The Lion King on Broadway. (Though if you’re looking for something more comedic, we recommend you start with Aladdin.)

Once Upon a Mattress, with music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer, and book by Jay Thompson, Marshall Barer, and Dean Fuller, is newly adapted by Amy Sherman-Palladino, known for Gilmore Girls and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Lear deBessonet directs this production starring Sutton Foster and Michael Urie as Princess Winnifred the Woeboegone and Prince Dauntless respectively. After a hit run at New York City Center Encores, this charming musical comedy now runs at the Hudson Theatre on Broadway. The Observer says, “Foster generates waves of zany ecstasy in this delightful concert version of this fractured fairytale.”

Six: The Musical first made a splash across the pond at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Since coming to America, it's seen massive success. This show follows the six wives of Henry VIII as they reclaim the story of their lives. This all-female performance is accompanied by an all-female rock band and high-energy performances. It's the perfect show to revel in the badassery of women reclaiming their voice against a man. According to the show’s FAQ page, the recommended age is anyone ten years and up.

Wicked is a musical theater staple that recently celebrated its 15th year on Broadway. It follows the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and the Good Witch Glinda as they meet at Shiz University. While the novel the musical is based on was not intended for children, the staged version is fun for all ages. This is a story about the power of female friendship and how embracing oneself can be all it takes for one to defy gravity. 

Oh, Mary!, written by Cole Escola and directed by Sam Pinkleton, plays at the Lyceum Theatre after a sold-out run off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Come see Mary Todd Lincoln, an aspiring cabaret star struggling with alcohol and stifled by her husband, President Abraham Lincoln. This hilarious show has taken New York by storm. Time Out New York called it, “the funniest play in years” and The New York Times called it, “There’s little else in New York Theater right now quite as surprising as ‘Oh, Mary!’…it’s a bit taken to an 80-minute extreme that’s silly, nasty, tasteless, and, in the end good theater…you’ll be losing your mind with joy.”

The Book of Mormon: This original comedy has made Broadway audiences bellow with laughter for over ten years. Book of Mormon took home nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book. It also won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. The show follows two Latter-Day missionaries who are sent to Uganda to spread the word of God. From the creative minds of South Park and music from Robert Lopez (Frozen, Coco, and Frozen 2) this musical takes you on a delightfully dirty journey of faith. You can also catch this show on its national tour.

The Roommate, written by Jen Silverman and directed by Jack O’Brien, plays at the Booth Theatre. Patti LuPone and Mia Farrow star as rooommates in this comedic one-act about two very different women finding new direction and purpose in their lives. The San Diego Union-Tribune called the play, “twisty, entertaining and touching…[it’s] a comedy, but it has heart, surprises and a touching finale.”

Yellow Face, written by David Henry Hwang and directed by Leigh Silverman, is currently running at the Todd Haimes Theatre. Hwang is a renowned playwright celebrated for works like M. Butterfly, Chinglish, Soft Power, and Aida. Daniel Dae Kim, known for his roles in TV series such as Lost, Hawaii Five-O, and Angel, portrays DDH, a fictional version of Hwang himself. After DDH protests a Miss Saigon production that employs yellowface (white actors in makeup portraying Asian characters), he inadvertently casts a white actor in his own production. Variety says Yellow Face “might be the prolific Hwang’s magnum opus…Hwang is among the great writers of big ideas currently working on the American stage.”

Chicago: If you want to take in a piece of Broadway history, look no further than Chicago. Playbill declares this the longest-running American musical in Broadway history, celebrating twenty-five years on the Great White Way. Winner of the 1996 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical and set in the glittering era of the roaring twenties, Chicago follows two women who meet in an unlikely place, a women's prison. It's a story about fame, passion, and the razzle-dazzle stardom. With breathtaking dance numbers, this musical is a shot of adrenaline.

Maybe Happy Ending by Will Aronson and Hue Park comes to the Belasco Theatre in a production directed by Michael Arden and starring Darren Criss and Helen J Shen. This cutting-edge musical follows two Helperbots in Seoul, living in a kind of retirement home for out-of-date robots. When Oliver and Claire meet, what starts as a simple request soon leads to epic adventure and a surprising and beautiful love story. After hit productions in Korea, Japan, and Atlanta, it’s ready to delight audiences in New York City!

Moulin Rouge! The Musical!:  If you've come to New York for the glittering lights and expensive-looking decor, look no further than Moulin Rouge! The Musical! at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Adapted from the fantastical Baz Luhrmann film of the same name, this Broadway musical will leave you exhilarated and breathless. Set inside the club Moulin Rouge in Paris's Montmartre Quarter, the set is one of the production's highlights. Before the curtain even rises, you will be transported to a Paris Night club's suave and sexy world. Coupled with a story of star-crossed love, power struggles, and enough popular music to supply a middle school dance, this is a night of entertainment. Like the movie, the musical mash-up of popular songs creates a unique soundtrack reminiscent of a night of karaoke. This show celebrates the grandiose nature of Broadway and will leave you feeling like a star. 

Tammy Faye, with music by Elton John, lyrics by Jake Shears, book by James Graham, and direction from Rupert Goold, plays at the Palace Theatre after its hit run in London. Katie Brayben reprises her role as Tammy Faye Messner and Christian Borle stars alongside her as Jim Bakker. Watch as the couple makes their empire broadcasting their evangelical programming to the masses in the 1970s. Time Out London called it, “a joyously camp tribute to the oddball US televangelist…a massive amount of fun…[and] a terrific piece of entertainment.”

Death Becomes Her starts performances at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on October 23, 2024 starring Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard as two lifelong frenemies. When they meet a mysterious woman with a mysterious potion sure to bring back the beauty of their youth, it kicks off a funny, exciting, and even violent series of events. You won’t believe what happens next. Based on the movie of the same name, the musical has a book by Marco Pennette, music and lyrics by Julia Mattison and Noel Carey, and direction and choreography by Christopher Gattelli.

Eureka Day, written by Jonathan Spector and directed by Anna D. Shapiro, will run at MTC’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre starting November 25, 2024. Welcome to Eureka Day, a private elementary school in California in the midst of a crisis. The board struggles with how to address its vaccine policy after an outbreak of the mumps. Come see the meeting where they’ll decide the fate of the school as they’re forced to do the unthinkable…make a concrete decision. The New York Times called the off-Broadway production, “the perfect play for our age of disagreement…[an] alarming and entertaining new play.”

All In: Comedy About Love, written by Simon Rich and directed by Alex Timbers, will run at the Hudson Theatre starting December 11, 2024. Per the title, the show will tell a series of stories about love and will feature a rotating cast of very starry names. John Mulaney, Fred Armisen, Chloe Fineman, Aidy Bryant, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jimmy Fallon, Annaleigh Ashford, and Tim Meadows have all been announced. Simon Rich is known for the creating the tv show Miracle Workers and writing the screenplay for An American Pickle, based on his own short story “Sell Out.” Between him, Alex Timbers (known for directing Oh, Hello!, Beetlejuice, Gutenberg!, and Moulin Rouge!), and an all-star funny cast, this one is sure to make you laugh until you cry.

English, written by Sanaz Toossi and directed by Knud Adams, plays at the Roundabout Theatre Company’s Todd Haimes Theatre on Broadway starting January 3, 2025 after its world premiere at the Atlantic Theater Company, who co-produced the show. Set in an Iranian classroom as a group of adults practice for the Toefl (Test of English as a Foreign Language), this comedy is about language, ambition, family, and how we relate to each other. The New York Times called it “a rich new play….both contemplative and comic.”

Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance gets a whole new sound in the production coming to Roundabout’s Todd Haimes Theatre in April 2025. Ramin Karimloo and David Hyde Pierce star in this silly, popular comedy about pirates, young love, and a fast-talking Major-General. This time the pirate ship docks in New Orleans in a new adaptation by Rupert Holmes (The Mystery of Edwin Drood). You’ve never seen Pirates quite like this!