8 touring theater productions to see this winter, all across the United States
New shows and reconsidered productions are on the move
There’s a fresh batch of shows cruising their way around the country. Some, like “Beauty and the Beast” and “Spamalot,” are reboots of Broadway musicals from a few decades past, and others are touring productions of new shows that were either just on Broadway or are currently running there.
‘Beauty and the Beast’
More than 30 years have passed since the stage adaptation of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” debuted on Broadway, where it ran for 13 years. A remounting was inevitable, and this Beauty, played by Kyra Belle Johnson, and Beast, embodied by Fergie L. Philippe, are now finding each other again night after night on a tour that is currently wandering the States. (through Sept. 6, 2026)
‘The Great Gatsby’
The design team for this musicalization of the iconic F. Scott Fitzgerald novel “pulled out all the stops,” achieving a kind of design “nearly unprecedented in terms of scale and quality,” said Christian Lewis at Variety. This “The Great Gatsby” leans heavy on the glitz of the Roaring Twenties: The production numbers are grand, and the performances rousing. (Jan. 31 through Oct. 18, 2026)
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‘Hell’s Kitchen’
Alicia Keys took her hit songs and her life story and melded them into a vibrant musical, “Hell’s Kitchen.” Keys’ stand-in protagonist, Ali, is a 17-year-old growing up in the show’s namesake neighborhood on the west side of Manhattan. Expect to catch “No One,” “Fallin’” and “Empire State of Mind,” along with new songs written for the show. It’s “thrilling from beginning to end,” said Elisabeth Vincentelli at The New York Times. (through Sept. 13, 2026)
‘The Notebook’
The book-to-movie-to-musical pipeline hits its heartstring-tugging zenith with the Broadway-ification of “The Notebook.” In an attempt to breathe fresh life into the romantic tale of Allie and Noah, three pairs of actors play the characters across different time periods in their lives. The adjustment is novel, but the resulting version of the story hasn’t “lost its romantic magic,” said Gloria Oladipo at The Guardian. Brace yourself for Alysha Deslorieux’s barn-burning Act One number, “My Days,” as Middle Allie. (through Aug. 30, 2026)
‘The Outsiders’
S.E. Hinton’s beloved novel gets put to raucous, thoughtful song courtesy of the members of the band Jamestown Revival. With its tale of two sides of youth class warfare during the mid-1960s, the musical captures “insightful ruminations on brotherhood, identity and the cycles of grief and violence,” said Emlyn Travis at Entertainment Weekly. This “The Outsiders” staging is a marvel: The rainstorm rumble between the Greasers and the Socs will crack your jaw wide open. (through Sept. 27, 2026)
‘Spamalot’
Some of the creators of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” morphed their seminal 1975 cinematic romp into the early 2000s musical, and “Spamalot” has had audiences nearly rolling in the aisles since. The current touring production comes on the heels of a Broadway revival in 2023. “It’s its own dumb joke rollercoaster — everything and everyone is up for ribbing,” said Tim Teeman at The Daily Beast. (through Aug. 26, 2026)
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‘Stereophonic’
The winner of Best Play at the 2024 Tony Awards, by David Adjmi, is an insider’s view of a band under duress. The entire show takes place in a recording studio during the mid-1970s, as the band’s members record an album and their personal relationships fray. Songs from Will Butler of Arcade Fire give “Stereophonic” a proper vibe of Fleetwood Mac recording their monster-hit album “Rumours.” So much so that a former Fleetwood Mac producer sued the creators of “Stereophonic” for copyright infringement. Get in on the rockin’ drama. (through May 10, 2026)
‘Suffs’
An original musical written by Shaina Taub, “Suffs” tells the story of the suffragette movement across the 20th century. It features players in the movement, including Alice Paul, Carrie Chapman Catt and Ida B. Wells. As a night of theater, the show is a “full-throated musical call to action, and its message is neither subtle nor ambivalent: It wants to light a fire under you,” said Regina Robbins at Time Out. (through Aug. 9, 2026)
Scott Hocker is an award-winning freelance writer and editor at The Week Digital. He has written food, travel, culture and lifestyle stories for local, national and international publications for more than 20 years. Scott also has more than 15 years of experience creating, implementing and managing content initiatives while working across departments to grow companies. His most recent editorial post was as editor-in-chief of Liquor.com. Previously, he was the editor-in-chief of Tasting Table and a senior editor at San Francisco magazine.
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