Category: Arts & Entertainment
Broadway’s fall calendar gained more suspense, country music and classic musical theater on October 9: Paranormal Activity extended its run by eight weeks, DOLLY: A True Original Musical announced its complete company, and two other productions moved closer to opening.
The update gives New York theatergoers several distinct choices for the weeks ahead, from a supernatural thriller at the August Wilson Theatre to a new Broadway staging of The Fantasticks. At Lincoln Center, previews are underway for Aaron Sorkin’s A Few Good Men. The developments add fresh momentum to the city’s fall performance season and its wider NYC lifestyle news conversation.
Paranormal Activity adds eight weeks
The stage adaptation of Paranormal Activity will now play at the August Wilson Theatre through February 28, 2027, extending its previously announced schedule by eight weeks. The production had been set to close January 3.
Written by Levi Holloway and directed by Felix Barrett, the play tells a new story connected to the supernatural film franchise. It follows James and Lou, a couple who move from Chicago to London in hopes of leaving their past behind, only to encounter a haunting in their new home.
Cher Álvarez plays Lou and Travis A. Knight plays James. Shannon Cochran and Eva Kaminsky also appear. The creative team includes scenic and costume designer Fly Davis, illusion designer Chris Fisher, lighting designer Anna Watson, sound designer Gareth Fry, and video and projection designer Luke Halls.
The longer engagement keeps a suspense-driven production on the Broadway schedule through the winter. The show is at the August Wilson Theatre, 245 West 52nd Street.
Illustrative image; not a production photograph.
Dolly Parton musical announces its full company
DOLLY: A True Original Musical has completed its Broadway cast ahead of previews beginning December 7 at the St. James Theatre. The production is scheduled to open January 19, 2027.
Katie Rose Clarke plays Dolly Parton, with Carrie St. Louis as Dolly in her younger years and 11-year-old Norah Nunes as Little Dolly. John Behlmann portrays Carl Dean, Parton’s husband, and Gabriel Ebert plays country star Porter Wagoner. Crystal Kellogg joins the principal cast as Judy Ogle.
The ensemble includes Piper Allen, Bill Army, Josh Canfield, Lincoln Cohen, Ryan Demoville, Haley Fish, Sarah Hunt, Erin Kei, Evan Kinnane, Ryland J. Mar, Jenny Mollet, James Moye, Julian Ramos, Larkin Reilly, Maddie Robert, Alex Ross and Quinn VanAntwerp. Sarah Bockel, Sadie Daniels, Tiffany Engen, Michael Milkanin and Rixey Terry will serve as swings.
Parton wrote the musical’s songs, which include familiar hits and new material composed for the show. The production’s story follows her journey from the Smoky Mountains to international fame. Bartlett Sher directs, Mandy Moore choreographs, and the creative team includes scenic designer Derek McLane and costume designer Jennifer Moeller.
The St. James Theatre is at 246 West 44th Street.
The Fantasticks prepares for its Broadway premiere
Second Stage Theater’s new production of The Fantasticks begins performances October 22 at the Hayes Theater. The Broadway premiere of the musical is scheduled to open November 16 for a limited engagement.
The familiar story centers on two young people and a scheme devised by their parents to bring them together. Tom Jones wrote the book and lyrics, with music by Harvey Schmidt; Jones also revised the book and lyrics for this production. Christopher Gattelli directs and choreographs.
The cast includes Maxim Chlumecky and Nathan Levy as the young men, with Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer and Ruthie Ann Miles as their mothers. Zane Phillips plays El Gallo, Kevin Del Aguila is Mortimer, David Patrick Kelly is Henry, and Ahmad Simmons is the Mute.
The production revisits a work with a long performance history: its original Off-Broadway run began in 1960 and continued for more than four decades. The new staging brings the classic to a Broadway house while retaining its central focus on love, reconciliation and theatrical storytelling.
Performances are at the Hayes Theater, 240 West 44th Street.
Illustrative image; not a production photograph.
A Few Good Men begins previews at Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center Theater’s revival of A Few Good Men began previews on October 8, bringing Aaron Sorkin’s courtroom drama back to Broadway. The production is scheduled to open October 29 and continue through January 10, 2027.
Tom Blyth stars as military lawyer Daniel Kaffee, Krysta Rodriguez plays Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway, and Bradley Whitford portrays Lieutenant Colonel Nathan R. Jessep. Michael Arden directs the revival at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.
The story follows Kaffee and Galloway as they defend two Marines accused of murder. Their case draws them into a conflict over responsibility, military authority and the chain of command. The stage production places that high-stakes legal battle at the center of its return.
The Vivian Beaumont Theater is at 150 West 65th Street.
Illustrative image; not a production photograph.
A varied fall season for New York audiences
The four developments give Broadway’s October lineup a notably broad range: an extended horror engagement, a new musical built around Parton’s life and songs, a fresh production of a long-running classic, and a revival of a contemporary courtroom drama.
For theatergoers planning ahead, the dates mark different points in the season. A Few Good Men is already in previews, The Fantasticks begins performances later this month, DOLLY starts previews in December, and Paranormal Activity now has dates extending into late February.
New York News Daily’s arts and entertainment coverage follows Broadway openings, casting announcements and other developments shaping the city’s cultural calendar.