George Clooney, Denzel Washington, Sarah Snook and All the Celebrities Leading Broadway’s Starriest Season Yet

Some of the world’s biggest celebrities are taking center stage for the 2024-2025 Broadway season

George Clooney, Denzel Washington, and Sarah Snook. Photo: Joseph Okpako/WireImage; LISA O’CONNOR/AFP via Getty; Sam Tabone/Getty

The lights on Broadway are shining extra bright during the 2024-2025 season.

That’s because a plethora of popular celebrities from across the entertainment industry are treading the boards, many of them — including Oscar winners like George Clooney and Robert Downey, Jr.,; Gen-Z stars like Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler; and singing sensations like Nicole Scherzinger and Adam Lambert — making their long-awaited stage debuts.

It’s not necessarily uncommon. For decades, the theater industry has attracted top talent with everyone from A-list actors to award-winning singers citing Broadway as their career goal.

The experience also makes one eligible for a Tony Award. The theater industry’s top honor, it’s the “T” in the coveted EGOT alongside the Emmy Award (for television), Grammy (for music) and Oscar (for film). To snag a nomination for the 2025 Tony Awards — which will be held on June 8, 2025 — stars will have had to have been in a show that opened between April 26, 2024 and April 27, 2025.

Competition is sure to be tough. The season’s roster of stars is stacked with legends of the industry like Denzel Washington, Audra McDonald, Sutton Foster, Patti LuPone, Mia Farrow, Jim Parsons, Katie Holmes, Shailene Woodley, Zachary Quinto, Daniel Dae Kim, Kieran Culkin, Jake Gyllenhaal and more.

Here’s a full list of Broadway’s best:

David Hyde Pierce and Jinkx Monsoon — Pirates! The Penzance Musical

David Hyde Pierce.

David Hyde Pierce will be back on to Broadway in the Roundabout Theatre Company newly imagined revival of the Gilbert and Sullivan opera The Pirates of Penzance.

Now titled, Pirates! The Penzance Musical, the jazz-infused, New Orleans-style Broadway production (adapted by Rupert Holmes) casts the Frasier alum as Gilbert/Major General Stanley alongside two time RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon as Ruth. This will mark Monsoon’s first original Broadway role.

Ramin Karimloo, last seen on Broadway in the 2022 revival of Funny Girl, joins the two as the Pirate King. Nicholas Barasch (Frederic), Preston Truman Boyd (Sullivan/Police Sergeant) and Samantha Williams (Mabel Stanley) also star.

The cast also includes Kelly Belarmino, Maria Briggs, Eddie Cooper, Cicily Daniels, Ninako Donville, Alex Dorf, Rick Faugno, Niani Feelings, Tommy Gedrich, Alex Gibson, Afra Hines, Dan Hoy, Ryo Kamibayashi, Tatiana Lofton, Nathan Lucrezio, Shina Ann Morris, Cooper Stanton and Bronwyn Tarboton.

Jinkx Monsoon. Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images

This is the first revival of The Pirates of Penzance to hit the Main Stem in over 40 years. The production will be directed by Scott Elis with choreography by Warren Carlyle — both of whom worked on the 2019 revival of Kiss Me, Kate.

Previews begin on April 4 at the Todd Haimes Theatre with an opening set for April 25. The limited run is expected to conclude on June 22.

Pierce, a four-time Emmy Award winner, has graced the Broadway stage several times throughout his career, starring in revivals of Monty Python’s Spamalot and Hello, Dolly. He originated the role Lieutenant Frank Cioffi in the Broadway musical Curtains, which earned him a Tony Award in 2007.

Tickets for Pirates of Penzance are now on sale.

Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Stranger Things: The First Shadow.Manuel Harlan

The Netflix hit show Stranger Things is coming to Broadway!

Stranger Things: The First Shadow begins previews on March 28 at the Marquis Theatre, with an opening set for April 22. The show premiered at the Phoenix Theater in London in December 2023, where it is still playing.

The anticipated prequel is based on an original story by Stranger Things creators Duffer Brothers, as well as Harry Potter and the Cursed Child writer Jack Thorne and Stranger Things writer and co-executive producer Kate Trefry.

Stranger Things: the First Shadow takes place in Hawkins, Indiana in 1959 and follows known characters Jim Hopper, Joyce Maldonado (later Joyce Byers) and Bob Newby as high school students facing everyday challenges. When new student Henry Creel arrives, they begin to experience supernatural mysteries.

Three-time Tony winner Stephen Daldry will direct Trefry’s script with Justin Martin.

The principal cast includes Rosie Benton as Virginia Creel, Alex Breaux as Dr. Brenner, Andrew Hovelson as Principal Newby, Alison Jaye as Joyce Maldonado, T.R. Knight as Victor Creel, Louis McCartney as Henry Creel, Gabrielle Nevaeh as Patty Newby and Burke Swanson as James Hopper, Jr.

Tickets for Stranger Things: The First Shadow are now on sale.

Bernadette Peters — Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends

Bernadette Peters at the Clive Davis 90th Birthday Celebration in 2022.Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Broadway legend Bernadette Peters is returning to The Great White Way in a tribute to the late Stephen Sondheim.

Aptly titled Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, the production is set to begin previews on Mar. 25, 2025 at Samuel J. Friedman Theatre with direction by Matthew Bourne and Julia McKenzie. Opening is April 8 and closing, June 1.

The musical previously ran on the West End in 2023, following a gala performance at the Sondheim Theater in London in 2022.

Peters has been part of all three productions, while theater veteran Lea Salgona — who also star in the Broadway run — joined the cast in the West End.

Alongside the two will be Jasmine Forsberg, Kate Jennings Grant, David Harris, Bonnie Langford, Beth Leavel, Gavin Lee, Jason Pennycooke, Joanna Riding, Jeremy Secomb, Maria Wirries, Daniel Yearwood, Kevin Earley, Paige Faure, Alexa Lopez, and Peter Neureuther.

Jonathan Groff Opens Up About the ‘Life-Changing Effect’ Musical Theater Has Had on Him: ‘I Feel So Lucky’

Two-time Tony winner Peters has starred in several of Sondheim’s works on the Broadway stage including the original productions of Into the Woods and Sunday in the Park With George, as well as revivals of Gypsy, Follies and A Little Night Music.

Tickets forStephen Sondheim’s Old Friends are now on sale.

Sadie Sink — John Proctor Is the Villain

Sadie Sink in August 2024.Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty

Sadie Sink is coming back to the boards! The actress and Stranger Things will star in the Broadway premiere of John Proctor Is the Villain, a new play by Kimberly Belflower directed by Tony winner Danya Taymor.

Performances begin Thursday, March 20 at the Booth Theatre in New York City ahead of an opening night on Monday, April 14.

Set in a Georgia high school, the play follows a group of students studying Arthur Miller’s classic play, The Crucible, in their English class — though “young love, sex ed and a few school scandals” are preoccupying their minds, according to an official synopsis. Still, “as they delve into the American classic, the students begin to question the play’s perspective and the validity of naming John Proctor the show’s hero.”

This will be Sink’s third Broadway credit. She previously starred in the 2012 revival of Annie, and later was an alternative for Young Elizabeth in 2015’s Helen Mirren-led play, The Audience.

John Proctor Is the Villain is the first time Sink will lead a Broadway play. It’s also the first Broadway credit for Belflower, an young playwright who has had her work commissioned, produced and developed regionally to great acclaim.

Tickets to John Proctor Is the Villain are on sale now.

Adrienne Warren and Nick Jonas.Norman Jean Roy

The first-ever Broadway production of The Last Five Years will star Nick Jonas and Tony winner Adrienne Warren.

Set to begin previews on Mar. 18 at Hudson Theatre, before opening on April 16, 2025, the fan-favorite musical will run for 14 weeks with direction by Whitney White.

The show first premiered at Chicago’s Northlight Theatre in 2001 followed by an Off-Broadway production starring Norbert Leo Butz and Sherie Rene Scott.

Featuring a book, music, and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, the musical follows the demise of a relationship between a rising novelist named Jamie (Jonas) and a struggling actress named Cathy (Warren), across two different timelines. His perspective is told in chronological order from when the couple first got together, while hers is told in reverse from the end of their marriage.

Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren.Eugene Gologursky/Getty

Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren Belt from Broadway’s The Last Five Years in First Listen at Upcoming Revival (Exclusive)

Jonas was last seen on Broadway in 2023, when he did a five-day residency with his band, the Jonas Brothers. He also starred in the 2001 revival of Annie Get Your Gun, the 2002 revival of Beauty and the Beast, the 2010 revival of Les Misérables and the 2012 revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

Meanwhile, Warren originated the role of Tina Turner in Tina, the musical based on the music icon’s life, for which she earned a Tony Award. The actress made her Broadway debut in the musical adaptation of Bring It On in 2012 and later starred in the 2016 musical Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed.

Tickets to The Last Five Years are now on sale.

George Clooney — Good Night, and Good Luck

George Clooney at the Los Angeles premiere of ‘The Boys in the Boat’ in 2023.Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images

George Clooney is making his Broadway debut twice over.

The Oscar winner will both star in and co-write the stage adaptation of Good Night, and Good Luck, the 2005 film he directed, co-wrote and acted in about CBS news journalist Edward R. Murrow’s legendary exposé on Senator Joseph McCarthy.

On screen, Clooney played news producer Fred Friendly. Now, he’ll step into the shoes of Murrow.

The play, which Clooney and co-wrote with his screenwriting collaborator Grant Heslov, will be directed by Tony winner David Cromer. Performances begin Wednesday, March 12 at the Winter Garden Theatre ahead of an opening night for Thursday, April 3.

Clooney has a stead stream of screen credits, including starring in the NBC medical drama ER for five years. On screen he’s been seen in Up in the Air, The Descendants, Michael Clayton, The Ides of March, Batman & Robin, Out of Sight, the Ocean’s movie franchise and most recently, Wolfs.

He won his Academy Award in 2006 for his supporting acting work in Syriana — the same year Good Night, and Good Luck earned him nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.

Sarah Snook — The Picture of Dorian Gray

Sarah Snook attends the press night afterparty of ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ at The Haymarket Hotel on Feb. 15, 2024 in London, England.Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images

Sarah Snook will make her Broadway debut in The Picture of Dorian Gray. The Emmy-winning Succession actress will play 26 characters in the production, which employs “an explosive interplay of video and theater through an intricately choreographed collection of on-stage cameras.”

The play, directed by Kip Williams, is set to premiere at the Music Box Theatre on March 10, ahead of an opening on March 27. The limited production is scheduled through June 15.

A stage adaptation of Oscar Widle’s 1890 novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray tells the story about a young man who trades his soul for eternal youth.

Snook previously starred in the show at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London, winning an Olivier Award for her work in it. Developed by the Sydney Theatre Company, the production premiered in Australia back in 2020, extending twice in Sydney before touring the content.

Tickets for The Picture of Dorian Gray are on sale now.

Kieran Culkin, Bob Odenkirk and Bill Burr – Glengarry Glen Ross

Kieran Culkin, Bob Odenkirk, Bill Burr.Jamie McCarthy/Getty; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty; Charley Gallay/Getty

Kieran Culkin, Bob Odenkirk and Bill Burr are coming to Broadway in a new revival of Glengarry Glen Ross!

Previews begin on Monday, March 10 ahead of an official opening on Monday, March 31 at The Palace Theatre. The production will play a strictly 12-week limited run.

Written by David Mamet, the show takes place over two days in “a cutthroat Chicago real estate office, where four salespeople compete to sell mostly worthless properties to unwitting customers,” according to an official synopsis. The stakes are high as the person who sells the most will win a car, while the one who sells the least will lose their job.

The production will be directed by Tony winner Patrick Marber, who helmed the four-time Tony Award-winning Broadway premiere of Leopoldstadt in 2022.

Glengarry Glen Ross premiered at the National Theatre in London before opening on Broadway in March 1984. The show has been revived twice on Broadway in 2005 and 2013. Both productions had starry casts, featuring actors like Liev Schreiber, Jeffrey Tambor, Bobby Cannavale and David Harbour.

Burr and Odenkirk will be making their Broadway debuts in the show while Culkin returns to the Main Stem after having starred in a 2014 production of Kenneth Lonergan’s This Is Our Youth opposite Michael Cera.

Tickets for Glengarry Glen Ross are now on sale.

Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal — Othello

Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal.Momodu Mansaray/WireImage; Unique Nicole/WireImage

Oscar winner Denzel Washington and Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhall return to Broadway in spring 2025 in a new production of William Shakespeare’s Othello. Previews begin Feb. 24 ahead of an opening night on March 23 at the Barrymore Theatre. The limited engagement is currently scheduled through June 8.

Tony Award winner Kenny Leon is directing the work after having previously directed the 2023 production of Hamlet for New York City’s Shakespeare in the Park.

Othello will feature Washington as the title character, a general of the Venetian army, with Gyllenhaal as Iago — a man seeking revenge against the commander.

Joining Washington and Gyllenhaal are Neal Bledsoe as ‘The Duke of Venice’, Julee Cerda as ‘Bianca’, Ezra Knight as ‘Montano’, Gene Gillette as ‘Gratiano’, Rob Heaps as ‘Ludovico’, ensemble members William Connell, Ty Fanning, Ben Graney, Daniel Reece, Christina Sajous, Greg Wood, and swing Abiola Obatolu.

Previously announced cast members included Molly Osborne as ‘Desdemona’, Tony winner Andrew Burnap as ‘Cassio’, Anthony Michael Lopez as ‘Roderigo’, Daniel Pearce as ‘Brabantio’, and Kimber Elayne Sprawl as ‘Emilia.’

Washington starred in N.Y.C. productions of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus and The Tragedy of Richard III at The Public Theater in 1979 and 1990 respectively. He had his Broadway debut in 1988’s Checkmates before going on to star as Troy Maxson in the 2001 revival of August Wilson’s play Fences, for which he received a Tony Award. The actor also starred in the 2005 Broadway production of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.

Gyllenhaal, on the other hand, made his Broadway debut in 2014’s Constellations and later starred in the 2017 revival of Sunday in the Park with George and the 2019 production of Sea Wall/A Life — the latter of which nabbed him a Tony nomination.

Tickets for Othello are now on sale.

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The Buena Vista Social Club

Buena Vista Social Club.Ahron R. Foster/Courtesy of Atlantic Theater Company

Buena Vista Social Club will have fans dancing again, this time in an all-new Broadway musical from all-star producing team including Broadway vet John Leguizamo, Luis Miranda and LaChanze.

The new musical, inspired by the making of the Grammy Award-winning 1997 studio album, will begin performances on Feb. 21 before officially opening on March 19 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.

Buena Vista Social Club will feature a book by Marco Ramirez, direction by Saheem Ali and choreography by Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck. David Yazbek will lead the music team with Dean Sharenow serving as music supervisor.

The Broadway cast is set to star Natalie Venetia Belcon, Julio Monge, Mel Semé, Jainardo Batista Sterling and more. An official synopsis teases an “unforgettable tale of survival, second chances, and the extraordinary power of music.”

Tickets for Buena Vista Social Club are now on sale.

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Idina Menzel — Redwood

Idina Menzel at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards in 2020. Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Stage and screen star Idina Menzel returned to Broadway in the new musical Redwood, which she also co-conceived. Preview performances began on Jan. 24 at the Nederlander Theatre ahead of its opening on Feb. 13.

Written and directed by Landau, Redwood features music by Kate Diaz with lyrics by Diaz and Landau. Additional contributions are by Menzel.

The show — which had its world premiere at California’s La Jolla Playhouse last February — is described as “a transportive new musical about one woman’s journey into the precious and precarious world of the redwood forest” that “explores the lengths (and heights) one travels to find strength, resilience and healing.”

The Tony winner made her Broadway debut in the original cast of Jonathan Larson’s hit rock musical Rent (which also played at the Nederlander Theatre) before going on to star in the original Off-Broadway cast of The Wild Party and originating the role of Elphaba in Wicked.

She also voices Elsa in the Disney animated movie Frozen and its sequel.

Tickets for Redwood are now on sale.

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Zoë Chao — Eureka Day

Zoe Chao. Raymond Hall/GC Images

Zoë Chao headed to the Main Stem in the Broadway premiere of Eureka Day, which began previews on Nov. 25 at Samuel J. Friedman Theatre with an opening on Dec. 16. Performances wrap on Feb. 16.

Written by Jonathan Spector, the play follows the board of directors at a private elementary school in California as they argue over vaccines during a mumps outbreak. “As cases rise, the board realizes with horror that they’ve got to do what they swore they never would: make a choice that won’t please absolutely everybody,” the official synopsis teases.

Anna D. Shapiro directed the production. In addition to Chao, Amber Gray, Jessica Hecht, Bill Irwin and Thomas Middleditch also starred.

In addition to The Afterparty, Chao has starred in television shows The OA, Living With Yourself, Love Life and Party Down. The actress also held roles in the Netflix romantic comedy Your Place or Mine and the Amazon original Somebody I Used to Know. She appeared, too, in the anticipated movie adaptation of Nightbitch, alongside Amy Adams.

Tickets to Eureka Day are no on sale.

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Audra McDonald — Gypsy

Audra McDonald in ‘Gypsy’.Julieta Cervantes

Audra McDonald has long found her name in the history books, with six Tony Awards on her shelf — more than any other performer. But this season, she made history again when she became the first Black woman to play Mama Rose in the beloved musical, Gypsy.

Long considered to be the Mt. Everest of musical theater roles, McDonald followed in the footsteps of a legendary line of actresses who have played the role on Broadway before: Ethel Merman, Tyne Daly, Angela Lansbury, Bernadette Peters and Patti LuPone.

She wasn’t alone in making history. The production, directed by George C. Wolfe, also featured Jordan Tyson and Joy Woods, the first Black actress to play Rose’s daughters Baby June and Louise on Broadway.

The cast of ‘Gypsy’.Marc J. Franklin

Gypsy is often named the greatest American musical of all time. Inspired by the 1957 memoirs of legendary burlesque entertainer, stripper and actress Gypsy Rose Lee, the enduring musical has a masterful book by Arthur Laurents rich in character development and captivating dramatic structure. That’s all seamlessly integrated into a score by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim filled with show tune staples like “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” “You Gotta Get a Gimmick,” “Together, Wherever We Go” and “Rose’s Turn.”

The revival began previews on Nov. 21 at Majestic Theatre with an opening night on Dec. 19.

Tickets for Gypsy are now on sale.