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Comedy shows on Broadway are one of the best past times for NYC locals and tourists alike. Ironically, they’re some of the most over-looked attractions when it comes to searching for tickets for a Broadway show when they’re next to competitors like Hamilton, Sweeney Todd, and Some Like It Hot. If you want to know what Broadway has to offer right now, check out my list of the best current Broadway shows in NYC.
But if there’s one thing the Tony Awards taught us this 2022-2023 season, it’s that Broadway comedy is at a high, with some of the biggest names in showbiz taking home some of the most-renowned prizes.
Want to learn more about the best comedy shows on Broadway this year? Keep reading!
These are the Best Comedy Shows on Broadway right now!
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01 Shucked
It’s pretty safe to say that Shucked is Broadway comedy at its best currently. With reviews like “”A deliciously corny new musical” and “A fun night out!” it’s hard not to look forward to a good show.
Shucked is about a fictional rural town of Cob County, where its livelihood, corn, begins to die, and it’s up to a farm girl to go to the big city to get help. It’s there, in Tampa, where she meets a corn doctor who has more than what meets the eye. -
02 Peter Pan Goes Wrong
Peter Pan Goes Wrong is exactly what you think it is. Imagine watching a Peter Pan play where everything…goes wrong. With slapstick comedy and hilarious timing, a drama society tries to put a play where everything bad happens if something can go bad. Well, or at least hilariously funny. Between set mishaps and cast fights, you’ll see the best and worst of showbiz.
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03 Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group has been around for years, and that’s for a good reason. This show is matched with insane stage effects, classic comedy, and the classic miming blue men. If you’re expecting just a laugh, though, change that thought process. The first few rows come with ponchos and other shields—but no spoilers. We’ll let you figure out what happens.
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04 The Play That Goes Wrong
You guessed it! This is the same type of play as Peter Pan Goes Wrong, but if you’re expecting the same production, don’t! There’s plenty of differences that will leave you feeling like you’ve never seen anything like it. Plus, this one came first, so you can’t not see the OG, right?
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05 Titanique
Have you ever wondered what would happen if the Celine Dion soundtrack played throughout the sinking of the Titanic? Well, we have your answer! This hilarious rendition of a classic has Celine Dion hijacking a Titanic Museum tour explaining what she believes happened. And frankly, you wouldn’t guess what she believes.
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06 The Shark Is Broken
All you Steven Spielberg lovers, this one’s for you.
Imagine: The year is 1974, and the beloved, or most-feared, movie, Jaws, hasn’t been released yet. In fact, imagine you’re in the middle of making it. There are delays, everyone is crammed into a too-small boat, and the water is just about as bad as it can get. You’ll get to the mechanical shark later. How does it all go down? And how bad can it get? Watch The Shark Is Broken to find out.
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07 Just For Us
This “belly-laugh funny” (according to the New York Times) show will have you gasping for air as you watch this one-man show take place.
Standup comic Alex Edelman will take you through Queens as he tries to get to the bottom of anti-Semitic remarks against him online. There, he finds the masked voices behind the keyboard: a meeting of White Nationalists. It’s here that the story unfolds, and viewers are taken through a poignant yet hilarious storyline. -
08 Death Drop
Wait no longer: The London-based drag murder mystery is hitting the NYC stage! This much-loved show has RuPaul’s Drag Race stars Jujubee and Willam leading a drag company hilariously and amazingly.
The show is about a party that takes place in the early 90s on a remote island celebrating the anniversary of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. As the soiree unfolds with stories and gossip, dead bodies also start to pile up, swirling more suspicion and drama from the Queens. Everyone is a suspect, and it’s their job to figure out who slayed…literally.
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09 The Cottage
For lovers of a good rom-com, The Cottage is set in early 1920s England, unfolding the love and betrayal of protagonist Sylvia as she exposes her affair to her husband—and her lover’s wife. Get ready to shed some laughter and tears as you follow the story of a woman finding her fate.
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10 The Book of Mormon
One of the most beloved musicals on Broadway, The Book of Mormon, follows two missionaries as they head to Uganda on a mission to convert as many people as possible to Mormonism. As these two eccentric missionaries land in the country, they quickly discover that their mission may not be as simple as expected.
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11 Funny Girl
Funny Girl is a love letter to Broadway that has it all! This show features one of the most beloved scorers of all time by Bob Merrill and Jule Syne, a Harvey Fierstein revised book that’s based on Isobel Lennart’s original, tap choreography, and Michael Mayer’s direction.
Yet it also brings a phenomenal cast with Lea Michele, the Drama Desk Award Nominated actress, as Fanny Brice, and Ramin Karimloo, a Tony Award nominee. Funny Girl dazzles with comedy and music. Expect to hear songs such as “People,” “I’m the Greatest Star,” and “Don’t Rain On My Parade.”
The bittersweet comedy does an amazing job telling the story of the determined Fanny Brice, a Lower East Side girl who dreamed of performing on the stage. Though everyone in her life said she would never be a star, something quite odd happened – she became one of history’s most iconic performers!
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12 Wicked The Musical
If you are on vacation in New York, you should see one of the many great musicals. One of them is Wicked. For 10 years this famous musical has been on Broadway. It tells the so far mysterious story of the Witches of Oz around the green-skinned witch Elphaba and her special friendship with the witch Glinda.
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13 Moulin Rouge
Finally, Moulin Rouge made it to Broadway! The musical has long been anticipated by both theater enthusiasts and fans of the movie from 2001. Replacing Kinky Boots in Al Hirschfeld Theatre, Moulin Rouge brings one of your all-time favorite movies to life. Yet, you shouldn’t expect a musical that’s 100% true to the original!
Our personal Moulin Rouge review
Moulin Rouge surely blew us away! It is one of the most entertaining musicals I have seen. The way the performers worked the crowd was unparalleled. Everybody had a great time and the applause after each musical number reflected the excitement in the theater. Moulin Rouge made sure to keep the audience entertained at all times. Before the show even started, artists on the stage set the mood for a licentious Parisian burlesque show. The final musical number even had the entire audience clapping, singing and dancing along. Everybody celebrated the show.
Al Hirschfeld Theatre was completely transformed for Moulin Rouge. The set and stage design is the most opulent one I have ever seen. It truly sets the scene for what it is; a musical sparkling with diamonds. Having been to the real Moulin Rouge in Paris before, I definitely felt some similarities. That was only reinforced by the premium seating in the Front Orchestra section that had little tables and special seats resembling the seating in the Paris’ Moulin Rouge. As I have mentioned before, however, I do not recommend selecting those seats if you want to get the best experience.
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14 Chicago
Chicago is the hottest musical Broadway has ever seen in New York. The show at the Ambassador Theater offers a passionate mixture of love and lies, glory and vanity, fraud and betrayal, sex and crime – in addition there is excellent jazz and unique dance scenes in the lifestyle of the 1920s.
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15 Aladdin
Who doesn’t know the story of Aladdin and his magic lamp? On Broadway, the stage show by Casey Nicholaw enchants hundreds of spectators daily. Jasmine, the genie in the bottle and the flying carpet make this musical a favorite of many kids and adults alike.
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16 Fat Ham
FAT HAM, the critically acclaimed and Pulitzer Prize-winning new play, is coming to Broadway following a sold-out run at The Public Theater. Written by James Ijames and directed by Saheem Ali, this hilarious and thought-provoking play reinvents Shakespeare’s masterpiece.
The story follows Juicy, a queer, Southern college student grappling with questions of identity, as he is visited by the ghost of his murdered father and is asked to seek revenge. However, as a sensitive and self-aware young Black man seeking his own happiness and liberation, Juicy finds that revenge is not easy. From a family cookout emerges a powerful examination of love and loss, pain and joy. This compelling play will run at the American Airlines Theatre, with previews starting on March 21, 2023.
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17 Gazillion Bubble Show
Are you looking for a fun Broadway show that’s kid-friendly? Check out the Gazillion Bubble Show at New World Stages – Stage Two at 340 West 50th Street, New York, NY. Created by Fan Yang, the Gazillion Bubble Show that is designed like an air light slip that’s actually a children’s variety show built on one subject.
Fan Yang, also known as the Master of Bubbles, brought his unique and exciting brand of bubble artistry to Broadway in 2007. And since then, he’s been wowing crowds of all ages. Families love this show because it features Fan Yang, his wife, two children, and his brother. Expect to see lots of mind-blowing bubble magic, striking laser light shows, and you may even find yourself inside of a bubble! Don’t miss this 65-minute masterpiece, and don’t forget to bring the entire family!
FAQ
Where can I buy tickets?
Tickets for each show are available for purchase on their websites, the theaters’ websites, and through third-party vendors.
Are there lottery tickets for these shows?
Yes! Many of these shows have lotteries through TodayTix and Broadway Direct Lottery.
How far in advance can you buy Broadway tickets in 2023?
Normally, you can get tickets to a Broadway show up to six months in advance. And a lot of the time, the earlier you can get your seat, the better your seat will be.
How much will a ticket cost?
This question really depends on timing, where you want to sit, and when you want to go. If you want to sit close to the stage and buy a seat at the last minute, you can expect to dish out $150+ a ticket. Other times, if you wait till the last minute and do a lottery, you can score a ticket for $30.
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