Live Music · MUSICALS IN THE USA
Every trip has one free evening too few. These 15 musicals in the USA justify the slot, priced and timed so you can decide in minutes and get back to the fun part.
See Disney’s Aladdin at the historic New Amsterdam Theatre in Midtown Manhattan. You’ll hear the familiar score plus seven Broadway songs, watch Aladdin and Jasmine’s magic carpet ride, and follow a 150-minute production with an intermission. Optional audio commentary is available in six languages.
“We loved it, the effects they’ve used, I was just perfect.”
See MJ the Musical at New York’s Neil Simon Theatre. The show follows Michael Jackson’s creative work on the 1992 Dangerous World Tour, with more than 25 hits, choreography by Christopher Wheeldon, and a book by Lynn Nottage.
See Moulin Rouge! The Musical at New York’s Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Alex Timbers directs this Tony Award-winning stage version of Baz Luhrmann’s film, with a pop-song mash-up, can-can acrobatics, lavish romance, and a story shaped by Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and Love.
Take your seat at the Ambassador Theatre for Chicago, the long-running Broadway musical about fame, murder, and show business in Prohibition-era Chicago. Expect 2.5 hours with a 15-minute intermission, songs such as All That Jazz and Razzle Dazzle, stylized costumes, and Bob Fosse-inspired choreography.
See Hell’s Kitchen at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre, with Alicia Keys songs such as No One and Empire State of Mind. Follow 17-year-old Ali through a New York coming-of-age story led by Maleah Joi Moon, Shoshana Bean, Kecia Lewis, and Brandon Victor Dixon.
You’ll watch F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby adapted for Broadway, starring Jeremy Jordan as Jay Gatsby and Eva Noblezada as Daisy Buchanan. Marc Bruni directs, with choreography by Dominique Kelley, lavish 1920s sets, dazzling costumes, and a 2-hour-30-minute running time.
Meet your guide at South Ferry for a three-hour, 1.75-mile walk through Hamilton’s New York. Guides including Leo and Chazz connect songs to Federal Hall, Trinity Church, Bowling Green, and other sites, using music, images, and a personal listening device.
“The tour says 2 miles of walking, which seems like a good amount given the very cold temperatures, to keep everyone warm and engaged. Instead it should have been called a standing in the cold tour. We covered less than half a mile. Your guide really needs to pick up the pace, walking and talking, with much less standing, especially in cold weather. I appreciated that if he was going to have us standing still, we went to public inside spaces, but it was uncomfortable being in spaces where only customers were allowed. I was preoccupied that we were going to be kicked out. I also found the tour guide’s…”
See MJ The Musical at the Neil Simon Theatre in Manhattan’s Theater District. Over roughly 2 hours 30 minutes, Broadway performers tell Michael Jackson’s story through more than 25 hits, sharp choreography, lighting, costumes, and live theatrical energy. Matinee dates are available.
“Entire theater loved it. Music dance acting. It was wonderful. Lighting was exceptional. If you like even one MJ song you’ll remember this musical. Well worth the cost.”
See Wicked on Broadway and learn what happened in Oz before Dorothy arrived. Follow Elphaba and Glinda from friendship to separate destinies through music, dance, large-scale sets, and a 2-hour-45-minute performance with one intermission. Audio translations can be purchased in seven languages.
You’ll follow Alexander Hamilton from orphaned immigrant to Treasury head in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton, directed by Thomas Kail at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Expect a 2-hour-30-minute show with one intermission, multiple seating choices, and a score mixing hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway.
See & Juliet at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in New York. David West Read rewrites Juliet’s story, while Max Martin’s pop hits, Jennifer Weber’s choreography, and Luke Sheppard’s direction turn the show into a funny, high-energy night out. The ticket covers entry, with food and drinks sold separately.
See Menopause the Musical at Harrah’s Las Vegas, a 90-minute comedy built around 25 rewritten classics from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The all-female cast jokes about hot flashes, mood swings, memory loss, and chocolate cravings in a small, audience-friendly theater.
“Very funny and applicable to the happening of the “change”. So good to laugh about it. The women have terrific voices!”
Spend an evening at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre watching The Book of Mormon, the Tony Award-winning musical from Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Robert Lopez. Follow Elders Price and Cunningham in Uganda as old-school Broadway song and dance meet pointed humor about religion, race, poverty, and sexuality.
At Club Z inside Miracle Mile Shops, MC Zenoch leads a 75-minute undead comedy musical with burlesque, a live big band, singing, dance, improv, and audience interaction. Expect atomic-era horror style, cheeky comedy, and a cast of zombie performers. The show is for ages 16 and up.
“Der „Moderator“ war zum tot lachen! Unterhaltsam, jedoch schwierig- wenn man nicht gut englisch versteht. Dann bleibt „nur“ Mädels gucken.”
Watch *Six* at Brooks Atkinson Theatre in New York’s Theater District. This 80-minute Broadway musical retells Tudor history through the six wives of Henry VIII, with a pop concert format, assigned seats, and matinee options.
“AMAZING! The young ladies in this show were absolutely fabulous! We enjoyed it very much. I want to see it again!”
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