Last week we announced the final title in our 2025-2026 KeyBank Broadway Series -The Outsiders, which will join Hell's Kitchen, The Notebook, Water for Elephants, SUFFS, The Great Gatsby and Stereophonic to make up your seven show package for the next #BroadwayCleveland season. With Season Tickets going on sale tomorrow, let's take a moment to get to know these seven shows that will light up our stage very soon!
HELL'S KITCHEN
What's it about? A semi-autographical musical based on a period of time in the life of 17-Time Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys, using her music to tell the story of a young girl growing up in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of New York City.
Who wrote it? Alicia Keys wrote the music and lyrics for Hell’s Kitchen. The musical features new music written for it plus hit songs from Keys’ catalog. Award-winning playwright Kristoffer Diaz wrote the musical’s book.
Accolades: The Broadway production garnered 13 Tony nominations including Best Musical, and won two. It also won the 2025 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
Playhouse Square is honored to be the launch city for the first National Tour of Hell's Kitchen. Throwback to our announce video with Alicia Keys herself!!!
SUFFS
What's it about? Set in the early 1900s, SUFFS is an original musical about the events leading up to the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. Based on true events with real historical figures like Alice Paul, Carrie Chapman Catt, Ida B. Wells, and Inez Milholland.
Who wrote it? Written and composed by Shaina Taub, who also starred in the production on Broadway.
Accolades: The show received six Tony Award nominations in 2024, winning Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score.
Cleveland received a personal shoutout from writer Shaina Taub back in October.
THE NOTEBOOK
What's it about? Based on the best-selling novel by Nicholas Sparks that inspired the iconic 2004 Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams film. The story follows Allie and Noah, both from different worlds, who share a lifetime of love despite the forces that threaten to pull them apart, in a deeply moving portrait of the enduring power of love.
Who wrote it? This adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' beloved novel features features music and lyrics by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson and book by Bekah Brunstetter (NBC’s This Is Us).
Accolades: The Notebook earned multiple Tony nominations in 2024, including Best Book of a Musical and Best Lead Actress in a Musical for Maryann Plunkett.
Playhouse Square is thrilled to be the launch city for the first National Tour of The Notebook. Check out this beautiful performance of 'My Days' from the show's Broadway run.
THE OUTSIDERS
What's it about? Set in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1967, Ponyboy Curtis, his best friend Johnny Cade and their Greaser family of ‘outsiders’ battle with their affluent rivals, the Socs. The Outsiders navigates the complexities of self-discovery as the Greasers dream about who they want to become in a world that may never accept them.
Who wrote it? Adapted from S.E. Hinton’s seminal novel and Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic film, this thrilling new Broadway musical features a book by Adam Rapp with Justine Levine, music and lyrics by Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay & Zach Chance).
Accolades: The Outsiders led the 2024 Tony Awards with 12 nominations and won four, including Best Musical and Best Direction of a Musical for Danya Taymor.
Playhouse Square was proud to receive a Tony Award as Co-Producer of this incredible show. Pictured below is our Senior V.P. of Programming David Greene with our Outsiders Tony!
THE GREAT GATSBY
What's it about? The Great Gatsby is a new musical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s beloved novel of wealth, class, and the American Dream during the Roaring Twenties. Set in the summer of 1922, the story follows Nick Carraway, a young man who moves to Long Island, New York, to work in the bonds business and becomes neighbors with Jay Gatsby – an eccentric and mysterious millionaire known for throwing extravagant parties.
Who wrote it? This adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel features choreography by Dominique Kelley (So You Think You Can Dance), a book by Kait Kerrigan (The Mad Ones) and a jazz- and pop-influenced original score by Jason Howland (Little Women) and Nathan Tysen (Paradise Square).
Accolades: The production received critical acclaim for its innovative staging and costume design, earning a Tony Award for Best Costume Design of a Musical for Linda Cho in 2024.
Check out this music video for 'For Her/ My Green Light' with the show's original Broadway cast members Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada.
STEREOPHONIC
What's it about? Stereophonic mines the agony and the ecstasy of creation as it zooms in on a music studio in 1976. Here, an up-and-coming rock band recording a new album finds itself suddenly on the cusp of superstardom. The ensuing pressures could spark their breakup — or their breakthrough.
Who wrote it? Written by David Adjmi, directed by Daniel Aukin, and featuring original music by Arcade Fire's Will Butler, Stereophonic invites the audience to immerse themselves — with fly-on-the-wall intimacy — in the powder keg process of a band on the brink of blowing up.
Accolades: The play led the 2024 Tony Awards with 13 nominations and won five, including Best Play and Best Direction of a Play for Daniel Aukin.
The Original Broadway cast of Stereophonic performs “Masquerade” from the show.
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS
What's it about? After losing what matters most, a young man jumps a moving train unsure of where the road will take him and finds a new home with the remarkable crew of a traveling circus, and a life—and love—beyond his wildest dreams. Seen through the eyes of his older self, his adventure becomes a poignant reminder that if you choose the ride, life can begin again at any age.
Who wrote it? Adapted from Sara Gruen's best-selling novel, this musical features a book by Rick Elice and a soaring score by the acclaimed PigPen Theatre Co.
Accolades:
The Broadway musical Water for Elephants received seven Tony Award Nominations in 2024 including Best Musical.
Enjoy this performance of 'Easy' from Broadway cast members Isabelle McCalla and Antoine Boissereau.
Join our #BroadwayCleveland community with KeyBank Broadway Series Season Tickets available from February 26 at playhousesquare.org/broadway