5 Must-See Shows Opening in December That Aren’t Holiday Related
Daphne Rubin-Vega, who’s starring in a revival of The Night of the Iguana
Catch Rachel Bloom’s return, new takes on Tennessee Williams and more
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La Femme Theatre Productions: The Night of the Iguana – begins December 6
The Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 West 42nd Street between Dyer and Tenth Avenues in Midtown West
Previews begin December 6. Opens December 17. Closes February 25. If you’re a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase discount tickets.
Tony-nominated director Emily Mann (Having Our Say, the longtime leader of New Jersey’s lauded McCarter Theatre Center) helms this starry revival of Tennessee Williams’ steamy The Night of the Iguana, which hasn’t enjoyed a major NYC mounting in three decades. Tim Daly (Wings, Madam Secretary) plays a defrocked priest turned tour guide, who gets into love trouble south of the border on the cusp of World War II. Tony nominee Daphne Rubin-Vega (Rent, Anna in the Tropics), Lea DeLaria and Austin Pendleton are some of the folks who further complicate his life. Mann first took a crack at revitalizing this classic during the pandemic shutdown with an online presentation. Now she brings this timely play exploring faith, morality and identity to the stage.
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Death, Let Me Do My Show – begins December 7
Orpheum Theatre, 126 Second Avenue at 8th Street
Begins December 7. Closes January 6, 2024. If you’re a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase discount tickets.
Back in September, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Emmy winner Rachel Bloom made her New York stage debut with a sold-out, monthlong run of this almost solo show. It was such a success, she’s bringing this amusing and moving meditation on mortality back for an encore engagement. In this funny and personal work featuring irreverent original songs, Bloom explores the challenges she faced when the pandemic upended our lives. Not only did it derail all her projects at a time when she was grappling with being a new mother, it also took the lives of multiple friends, including her longtime music producer Adam Schlesinger. An absolute must for Bloom fans, though even newbies may become converts to her dark and daring humor.
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Audible Theater: In Love and Struggle, Volume 3: The Future is Around Us – begins December 14
Minetta Lane Theatre, 18 Minetta Lane between Sixth Avenue and MacDougal Street in the West Village
Begins December 14. Closes December 16. If you’re a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase discount tickets.
For three nights, groundbreaking Black women and nonbinary artists come together to share their talents in this Afrofuturist variety show inspired by the work of legendary sci-fi writer Octavia Butler. Enjoy stories, music, comedy and monologues from celebrated singer-songwriter Nona Hendryx, Lincoln Center’s inaugural poet-in-residence Mahogany L. Browne, Upload‘s Zainab Johnson, Insecure‘s Amanda Seales and others.
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Manhattan Theatre Club: Prayer for the French Republic – begins December 19
Previews begin December 19. Opens January 9. Closes March 3, 2024.
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The Whole of Time – begins December 28
Torn Page, 435 West 22nd Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues in Chelsea
Previews begin December 28. Opens January 7, 2024. Closes February 11, 2024.
Lauded downtown actor-director Tony Torn helms the English-language premiere of The Whole of Time, Argentinian playwright Romina Paula’s inventive reimagining of The Glass Menagerie, which takes Tennessee Williams’ deeply dysfunctional family in an unexpected direction. This intimate staging is performed for just 22 audiences members at a time and unfolds in the townhouse of Torn’s parents: the late, great actors Rip Torn and Geraldine Page. Tickets are pay-what-you-wish with a suggested donation of $44.
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