Category: Creative

There’s something about a Broadway heartbreak song that hits differently than any other kind of musical theatre moment. Maybe it’s the way the orchestra swells just as your heart breaks, or how a single spotlight can make an entire theatre feel like the most intimate space in the world. Whatever it is, these songs don’t just tell us about love ending; they make us feel every agonizing moment of it.

I’ve been thinking about the breakup songs that have stayed with me long after the curtain falls, the ones that make you sit on the train or the walk home afterward and just… breathe (or cry again.) Here are the most devastating goodbye songs in Broadway history, plus a few more that deserve their moment in the spotlight.

The Essential Heartbreakers

1. Then I Can Let You Go – Maybe Happy Ending

This Broadway gem gave us one of the most unexpectedly moving breakup duets in recent memory. Two obsolete helper robots learning to love and let go? It shouldn’t work, but it absolutely destroys you. There’s something about mechanical beings discovering the most human emotion of all—the pain of saying goodbye—that cuts right to the core.

2. Still Hurting – The Last Five Years

Jason Robert Brown opens his musical with a gut punch, and honestly, some of us never recover. Cathy’s quiet devastation in “Still Hurting” is so real it’s almost uncomfortable to watch. The way Brown uses simple melody to amplify crushing lyrics is pure genius—and pure torture.

3. Without You – Rent

Jonathan Larson knew how to write pain, and “Without You” might be his masterpiece of heartbreak. Mimi’s raw, desperate plea captures that moment when you realize the person you love is slipping away, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. Every time I hear it, I’m right back in that East Village apartment, feeling every note.

4. I Know Him So Well – Chess

Two women, one man, and a duet that somehow manages to be both civilized and devastating. There’s no screaming, no accusations—just two people who understand each other perfectly, which somehow makes the whole thing even more tragic. It’s the kind of song that makes you call your ex just to make sure you’re both okay.

5. I’d Give My Life for You (Reprise) – Miss Saigon

The original is a mother’s promise; the reprise is a mother’s goodbye. Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil took the most beautiful expression of love and twisted it into the most heartbreaking sacrifice. It’s the kind of moment that reminds you why musical theater exists—to make us feel things we didn’t know we could feel.

6. You Don’t Know This Man – Parade

Lucille Frank’s desperate defense of her husband becomes something much more complex—a woman realizing that love sometimes means accepting how little you really know someone. It’s not technically a breakup song, but it carries the same weight of love disappearing before your eyes.

7. For Good – Wicked

Stephen Schwartz gave us the ultimate friendship breakup, and honestly, it might hurt more than any romantic goodbye on this list. Elphaba and Glinda’s farewell reminds us that some relationships change us so fundamentally that losing them feels like losing a piece of ourselves.

8. All You Wanna Do – Six

Katherine Howard’s solo might be the most devastating example of a song that tricks you. What starts as a bouncy pop anthem slowly reveals itself as the story of a young woman who was manipulated and abused by every man in her life. The contrast between the upbeat music and the increasingly dark lyrics is absolutely gut-wrenching.

9. Far From the Home I Love – Fiddler on the Roof

Hodel’s quiet goodbye to her family is devastating in its acceptance. She’s choosing love over everything familiar, and you can feel the weight of knowing some distances can never be crossed again. It’s one of those songs that makes you call your parents afterward.

10. Burn – Hamilton

Lin-Manuel Miranda gives Eliza the ultimate revenge song, and it’s terrifying in the best way. The way it builds from quiet devastation to blazing fury is breathtaking. Sometimes the most devastating thing you can do is erase someone completely—and Eliza knows it.

11. Not a Day Goes By – Merrily We Roll Along

Classic Sondheim genius: the same song appears twice with completely different meanings. Whether it’s about the beginning of love or the end depends on where you are in the timeline, which makes it heartbreaking in the most sophisticated way possible.

12. I Don’t Remember You – Happy Time

This Kander and Ebb gem sneaks up on you. Claiming not to remember someone while singing an entire song about not remembering them? It’s emotional gaslighting set to a beautiful melody, which somehow makes it even more devastating.

Why we love them?

The truth is, we don’t go to the theater to feel comfortable. We go to feel everything: the joy, the pain, the messy complicated middle of being human. These breakup songs remind us that endings, however painful, are part of every story worth telling.

They’re also proof that musical theater, at its best, doesn’t just entertain us…it helps us process our own experiences. Every time someone on stage says goodbye, they’re giving voice to all the goodbyes we’ve struggled to say ourselves.

Some heartbreak is worth carrying with you.

It’s official: Broadway’s 2025–2026 season is set to be a showstopper. Between blockbuster revivals, high-profile debuts, daring comedies, and nostalgic musicals, this year’s lineup offers something for everyone. Whether you’re a die-hard theater nerd, a celebrity spotter, or just looking for your next night out in New York, here’s your essential guide to the productions lighting up the marquees.

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BACK TO THE BLOCKBUSTER

MAMMA MIA!
Winter Garden Theatre | Opening August 14, 2025
ABBA’s beloved jukebox musical returns to the Winter Garden—its original Broadway home—bringing a dose of sun-drenched escapism and glittery nostalgia. With a cast led by Christine Sherrill, Amy Weaver, and Carly Sakolove, this revival promises to be both a retro party and a fresh celebration.

BEETLEJUICE
Palace Theatre | Opening October 8, 2025
After a successful tour and its cult following intact, Beetlejuice is rising from the dead once more. Alex Timbers’ high-octane production will haunt the newly reopened Palace Theatre, delivering chaotic comedy, killer design, and a second chance for audiences who missed it the first time.

CHESS
Imperial Theatre | Opening November 16, 2025
Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele, and Nicholas Christopher take center stage in this long-awaited revival of the Cold War-set pop musical. With a brand-new book by Danny Strong (Dopesick), this CHESS is aiming for high drama and vocal fireworks.

RAGTIME
Vivian Beaumont Theatre | Opening October 16, 2025
Lear deBessonet helms a starry revival of this Tony-winning epic, featuring Joshua Henry, Caissie Levy, and Brandon Uranowitz. Expect sweeping emotion, bold visuals, and powerful commentary on the American dream.

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COMEDY & CHARACTER: SOLO SPOTLIGHTS

TAKE A BANANA FOR THE RIDE
Nederlander Theatre | Opening August 18, 2025
Jeff Ross, the king of roasts, gets personal in this comedic one-man show that unpacks his life behind the mic. Part memoir, part roast, all heart.

SUGAR DADDY
Dates & Venue TBD
Following a hit Off-Broadway run and an Edinburgh Festival breakout, Sam Morrison brings his darkly funny tale of grief, queerness, and seagulls to the Main Stem. Directed by A Strange Loop’s Stephen Brackett.

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DRAMA, DEBATE & DYSTOPIA

ART
Music Box Theatre | Opening September 16, 2025
What’s more expensive: the price of art or the cost of friendship? Bobby Cannavale, James Corden, and Neil Patrick Harris star in this razor-sharp revival of Yasmina Reza’s Tony-winning play, directed by Scott Ellis.

PUNCH
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre | Opening September 29, 2025
Based on a true story, James Graham (Ink, Best of Enemies) explores justice, forgiveness, and moral complexity in a play that wowed UK critics. Camila Canó-Flaviá and Will Harrison lead a powerhouse cast.

WAITING FOR GODOT
Hudson Theatre | Opening September 28, 2025
Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter reunite (no, not as Bill & Ted) in Jamie Lloyd’s stripped-down revival of Beckett’s existential classic. Can two dudes just wait in peace? Apparently not.

OEDIPUS
Studio 54 | Opening November 13, 2025
Mark Strong and Lesley Manville lead Robert Icke’s critically-acclaimed West End take on Oedipus Rex. Modern, political, and devastatingly precise.

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BUZZY NEW PLAYS & MUSICALS

THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES
St. James Theatre | Opening November 10, 2025
Kristin Chenoweth returns in a glitzy new musical based on the infamous documentary about Jacqueline Siegel. With music by Stephen Schwartz and direction by Michael Arden (Maybe Happy Ending), this could be the season’s most outrageous (and opulent) new musical.

LITTLE BEAR RIDGE ROAD
Booth Theatre | Opening October 30, 2025
Playwright Samuel D. Hunter (The Whale) and director Joe Mantello team up for a quietly devastating family drama starring Laurie Metcalf. Small town. Big heartbreak.

MARJORIE PRIME
Hayes Theatre | Opening December 8, 2025
Jordan Harrison’s sci-fi-tinged meditation on memory and aging makes its Broadway debut, with Anne Kauffman at the helm. Get ready for tears, tech, and talkbacks.

THE LOST BOYS
Palace Theatre | Spring 2026
Yes, that Lost Boys. Michael Arden’s adaptation of the 1987 vampire flick is set to take a bite out of Broadway, fangs and all.

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MORE NOTABLE ARRIVALS:

• DOLLY: AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL – Dolly Parton is writing her own Broadway bio-musical. Enough said.
• DOG DAY AFTERNOON – Stephen Adly Guirgis brings the gritty bank heist story to the stage, starring Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
• THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW – Let’s do the Time Warp again… at Studio 54, no less.
• JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE – August Wilson’s classic returns with Taraji P. Henson and Cedric the Entertainer, directed by Debbie Allen.
• THE BALUSTERS – David Lindsay-Abaire and Kenny Leon bring suburban HOA drama to a boiling point.
• WANTED – Formerly Gun & Powder, this explosive new musical centers on twin sisters in the post-Reconstruction South.
• PRIVATE LIVES and FALLEN ANGELS – Noël Coward’s comedies of manners and mischief are both slated for spring, starring Rose Byrne and Kelli O’Hara.

As Broadway artists and enthusiasts await the 2025 Tonys, there’s already so much to celebrate. This year’s class of nominees includes some historic firsts and notable exceptions to the rule, worth a shoutout. Read on!

Kara Young: Four Years, Four Noms

Breakout Broadway star Kara Young continues her impressive roll of nods with a fourth consecutive Tony nomination for Featured Actress in a Play—this time for playing Aziza Jasper in Purpose. She is now the first and sole Black artist nominated in this category for four consecutive years. Her previous nods were for her Broadway debut in Clyde’s (2022), followed by Cost of Living (2023), and Purlie Victorious (2024), for which she took home the award.

Pulitzer Power in the Best Play Category

In a major crossover between two of America’s greatest theatrical honors, three of the five Best Play-nominated pieces this season are already Pulitzer Prize finalists or winners. Purpose by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is already the recipient of the 2025 Pulitzer for drama, with Cole Escola’s Oh, Mary! cited as a finalist, and English won last year’s Pulitzer before making its Broadway debut this season. This year’s class of Best Play Tony nominees represents a staggering overlap—and evidence of the power of this season’s storytelling onstage. 

Audra McDonald Makes Tony History

Broadway icon Audra McDonald has officially broken the record, becoming the most Tony-nominated actor in history. She already holds the record for Tony-winningest performer in Broadway history, with six to her name. Another milestone in an already impressive career. Her latest nomination—her 11th—is for her performance as Rose in the revival of Gypsy, breaking Chita Rivera and Julie Harris’s previous record of 10.

All Play Revivals Closed

In a highly unlikely turn of events, each of the four Best Revival of a Play nominees—Eureka Day, Our Town, Romeo + Juliet, and Yellow Face—had already closed by the time nominations were announced. That’s a strange plot and departure from norms, given that voters prefer productions still running during awards season. It’s normal for plays to open as limited engagements, but this often puts a wrench in Tony recognition later in the season; recency bias is (usually) real.

The 2015 Broadway revival of The Color Purple, directed by John Doyle was a landmark production. The show performed at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre and ran for over a year and a half, spotlighting powerhouse work from newcomers and established performers alike. The revival won two Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Leading Actress for Cynthia Erivo. Since it ended its run in 2017, the cast has moved on to some pretty big projects. Let’s take a look at where the stars of this moving production are now.

Cynthia Erivo (Celie)

Cynthia Erivo’s star has only continued to rise since her Tony-winning Broadway debut. Shortly after The Color Purple, she transitioned into film with her acclaimed role as Harriet Tubman in Harriet (2019), earning Oscar nominations for Best Actress and Best Original Song. She went on to star in HBO’s The Outsider (2020), play Aretha Franklin in Genius: Aretha (2021), and appear as the Blue Fairy in Disney’s Pinocchio (2022). She took on the iconic role of Elphaba in Wicked: Part One (2024) and will reprise the role for Part Two (2025), opposite Ariana Grande. Erivo sang a moving rendition of ‘Defying Gravity’ from the blockbuster musical at the 2025 Oscars. She is now not only an EGOT nominee but a bona fide Hollywood A-lister. What’s more, she’s hosting this year’s Tony Awards!

Jennifer Hudson (Shug Avery)

Already an Oscar winner by the time she made her Broadway debut as Shug Avery, Jennifer Hudson has continued to thrive. She delivered a soulful turn as Aretha Franklin in Respect (2021), and currently hosts The Jennifer Hudson Show, a daytime talk show that’s won her a Daytime Emmy. She also voiced Young Nana in the animated film Sing 2 (2021). In 2022, JHud got her EGOT when the new Broadway musical she produced, A Strange Loop, won the Tony for Best Musical, proving her GOAT status as the youngest woman to ever achieve that.

Danielle Brooks (Sofia)

Danielle Brooks followed her Tony-nominated Broadway debut with a mix of screen and stage work. She reprised Sofia in the 2023 film adaptation of the Color Purple musical, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. On television, she played Leota Adebayo in Peacemaker (2022), earning praise for her comedic timing and emotional depth. Brooks also returned to voice acting in Close Enough and remains a vocal advocate for diversity in entertainment.

Isaiah Johnson (Mister)

Isaiah Johnson continued his stage career with performances in regional productions and workshops, as well as a turn in Hamilton (Los Angeles production) and the musical adaptation of The Notebook. He’s appeared in television series such as The Good Fight and Bull, and remains an in-demand stage actor.

Kyle Scatliffe (Harpo)

After The Color Purple, Kyle Scatliffe took on the emotional role of Tom Robinson in Broadway’s To Kill a Mockingbird (2019–2020). He also appeared in The Prince of Egypt in London’s West End, and continues to perform on national tours and concert stages across the U.S.

Joaquina Kalukango (Nettie)

Joaquina Kalukango has become one of Broadway’s most celebrated leading ladies. In 2022, she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her electrifying performance in Paradise Square, in which she belted the show’s 11 o’clock number ‘Let it Burn.’ She had previously earned a Tony nomination for Slave Play (2019) and appeared in Regina King’s film One Night in Miami (2020). She also had a six-episode stint as Esme in the TV show Lawmen: Bass Reeves.

Lawrence Clayton (Ol’ Mister)

Broadway veteran Lawrence Clayton brought depth to Ol’ Mister in The Color Purple, and continued to shine in the national tour of Les Misérables (as Bishop Myriel) and regional theater productions across the country. He made guest appearances on The Last O.G. and Bull, and continued to mentor young performers while remaining active in educational theatre. Clayton sadly passed away in 2020 at the age of 64.

Grasan Kingsberry (Buster)

A standout dancer and ensemble member he moved on to book big Broadway shows like Once On This Island (2017–2019) and Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations (2019–2022). In 2020, he was in the film The Aerialist. What’s more, he’s found a life in artistic offstage leadership, having recently choreographed and performed in regional productions of Rent and Caroline, or Change.

It’s rare for a show to be the launching catalyst for so many performers. The futures these artists found in TV, Film, and Theatre are proof enough that this revival was pretty incredible, and incredibly cast, rich with talent.

If you’ve walked past the Palace Theatre lately and seen David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross on the marquee, you’re not imagining things — yes, a play is taking over one of Broadway’s most famous musical houses. And not just for a quick run — this revival, scheduled to run for over three months, marks a real Broadway milestone: the longest-running play ever at the Palace.

That’s a bold statement for a theater as legendary as the Palace. Since opening its doors in 1913, the Palace has welcomed the biggest showbiz stars, from vaudeville legends Judy Garland and Fanny Brice to countless blockbuster musicals. Some of Broadway’s biggest musical spectacles — La Cage aux Folles, Beauty and the Beast, Aida, and An American in Paris, to name but a few — have taken up residence in the storied house.

But plays have popped up here and there — although they didn’t stay long. In 1975, The First Breeze of Summer, a moving family drama first produced by the Negro Ensemble Company, made a move to the Palace but ran for only a month. In 1977, George Bernard Shaw’s Caesar & Cleopatra, starring Rex Harrison, ran a relatively longer 38 performances — although still a blink by Palace standards.

Next was a near-unbelievable string of one-night-only performances. In 1979, Break a Leg, a backstage farce by Ira Levin (of Deathtrap renown) and featuring the great Julie Harris, opened and closed in one night. The next year, A Meeting by the River, a stage adaptation by Christopher Isherwood of his own novel, played only one performance. And in 1981, Frankenstein, Victor Gialanella’s stage version of the classic, starring great John Glover, closed on opening night — the third straight play at the Palace to last for a single performance.

Even before that series of short-lived shows, Shaw’s London Assurance — revived in 1974 and starring Donald Sinden and Roger Rees — fared no better than a month of performances, meanwhile having the idol cast to spare. Therefore, while the Palace has dabbled every now and then in straight plays, they’ve been rare visitors to a theatre more famous for showstoppers and overtures rather than snappy dialogue and tempered tension.

Some of that’s just the nature of the venue. The Palace is a big house, and musicals — with their spectacle, dance numbers, and big sound — traditionally have been the obvious choice to fill that room with energy. But Glengarry Glen Ross is defying that trend now, demonstrating that a quick-paced, verbally dexterous play can hold its own in a venue built to accommodate Broadway’s biggest spectacles.

It’s happening at a fascinating moment in the life of the theater. Having been closed for nearly six years for a thorough makeover — including the now-notorious mission of raising the entire theater 30 feet off the ground to make way for new construction beneath it — the Palace reopened in 2024 with a Ben Platt concert residency and Elton John and Jake Shears’ Tammy Faye.

And yet now, Glengarry Glen Ross is bringing a whole new kind of drama to that stage — and making history with it. With its all-star cast led by Kieran Culkin, Bob Odenkirk, Bill Burr, and Michael McKean, this revival of Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play is bringing incisive dialogue and life-and-death suspense that can pack the Palace in a whole different way than crowds are used to.

So you don’t often see a play take over one of Broadway’s biggest musical houses, but Glengarry Glen Ross is here to remind us that there’s room for any kind of theater at the Palace—and sometimes, a good well-timed insult can hurt as much as a high note.

Think of the days when Neil Simon comedies like Barefoot in the Park or The Odd Couple could settle into their Broadway houses for years, or thrillers like Sleuth and Deathtrap kept audiences gasping and guessing night after night. Plays used to aim for open-ended runs, hoping to join the rarefied air of the longest-running shows. But in recent seasons, a new trend has emerged: plays aren’t sticking around forever anymore. Instead, limited engagements—where a show announces its closing date before it even opens—have become the Broadway standard for plays.

At first glance, this might seem disappointing. If a play is great, shouldn’t it be able to run indefinitely like Wicked or The Lion King? But there’s a method to the madness. First, there’s the star factor. Big-name actors—think Sarah Paulson in Appropriate or Jessica Chastain in A Doll’s House—often commit to Broadway for a set number of weeks because they have other projects lined up.

Several upcoming productions exemplify this trend. Sadie Sink, celebrated for her role in Stranger Things, is set to lead the upcoming play John Proctor Is the Villain in a strictly limited engagement. The revival of Glengarry Glen Ross boasts a star-studded cast, including Kieran Culkin, Bob Odenkirk, and Bill Burr, all committed to a limited run. Similarly, the finite run of Othello will feature the powerhouse duo of Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, while Good Night and Good Luck, an adaptation of the 2005 film, marks George Clooney’s Broadway debut for a matter of weeks. These productions, with their all-star lineups, are designed as limited engagements, ensuring that performances remain exclusive events.

Limited runs also create urgency. When a play only has 16 weeks to dazzle audiences, people are more likely to snap up tickets fast, leading to a sold-out, buzzy hit rather than a slow-burn success.

Meanwhile, Oh, Mary!, a surprise downtown-sensation-moved-uptown, has bucked the trend by extending multiple times, something that’s become increasingly rare for plays. Originally slated for a short Off-Broadway run, Cole Escola’s darkly hilarious take on Mary Todd Lincoln’s life has proven so popular that it’s made the jump to Broadway with a string of extensions already in place, breaking box office records almost week to week. But this is the exception, not the rule. While extensions are more common for musicals, it’s a rare feat for a play to keep building momentum like this. Most plays, no matter how well-reviewed, close when they originally say they will.

And then there are the outliers—plays that still opt for the old-school open-ended model, usually because they have a built-in audience or added appeal. Stranger Things: The First Shadow is set to join the very short list of non-musicals launching an open-ended Broadway run, following in the footsteps of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Apparently, if you want to go for the long haul, it helps to have a massive pop-culture franchise behind you. The recent revival of To Kill a Mockingbird and last season’s new play Grey House were among the few other recent examples of plays to open without a closing date set.

For Broadway fans, this shift means that plays have become more of an event—something you need to catch while you can. If a show is a limited run, you know it’s now or never. And while some plays do extend, most close exactly when they say they will, making each production feel a little more special. It’s a different model from the past, but in a world where theatergoers have more entertainment options than ever, Broadway has found a way to make plays must-see experiences again.

It is that time of year again! A rush of new Broadway shows is about to begin performances seemingly all at once. With so much hitting the New York boards in the next three months, we are narrowing the pack to the things we can wait the least to see!

With honorable mentions to The Jonathan Larson Project and Goddess, both playing Off-Broadway venues this spring, here’s the breakdown of the most anticipated coming to Broadway:

“Purpose”
Opening February 25
Branden Jacobs Jenkins’ new play comes from Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre after his previous play Appropriate nabbed the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play in 2024. Directed by Phylicia Rashad, the cast includes LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Tony Award winner Kara Young, Glenn Davis, and more.

“Buena Vista Social Club”
Opening March 19
Cuban musical stylings will make their Broadway debut when this new musical lands on Broadway after debuting last season at the Atlantic Theatre Company.

“Othello”
Opening March 23
Denzel Washington. Jake Gyllenhaal. Kenny Leon. Shakespeare. Barrymore Theatre. This Spring.

“Glengarry Glen Ross”
Opening March 31
Hollywood hotshots Kieran Culkin, Bill Burr, and Bob Odenkirk form the headlining trio of sleazy real estate agents in this Patrick Marber-helmed revival of David Mamet’s foul-mouthed Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

“Stranger Things: The First Shadow”
Opening April 22
Netflix’s big hit series has spawned a thriller play, which premiered in London and now makes its way to New York stages.

“The Picture of Dorian Gray”
Opening March 27
Succession star Sarah Snook plays more than 25 characters in the one-person adaptation of this perennial story. The production has previously played to sold-out audiences in the UK and Australia.

“Floyd Collins”
Opening April 21
Adam Guettel’s musical will play Broadway at Lincoln Center Theater, led by Jeremy Jordan and Lizzy McAlpine. Tina Landau, who wrote the book and directed the original productions in the ’90s, is back in the director’s seat for this revival.