It’s complete! Playhouse Square announced that The Outsiders, winner of the 2024 Tony Award for Best Musical, is the final title on their seven show KeyBank Broadway Series 2025-2026 lineup. Season ticket packages will be available for purchase beginning Wednesday, February 26, at 11 a.m.
Adapted from S.E. Hinton’s seminal novel and Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic film, this thrilling new musical features a book by Adam Rapp with Justin Levine, music and lyrics by Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay & Zach Chance) and Justin Levine, music supervision, orchestration, and arrangements by Justin Levine, choreography by Rick Kuperman & Jeff Kuperman, and direction by Tony Award® winner Dayna Taymor. Entertainment Weekly says, "It has the power to inspire an entire generation."
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, 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. With a dynamic original score, The Outsiders is a story of friendship, family, belonging…and the realization that there is still “lots of good in the world.”
As a co-producer on The Outsiders, Playhouse Square received a 2024 Tony Award for Best Musical after the show’s win in June.
“We are incredibly proud of our investment in The Outsiders,” said David Greene, senior vice president of programming at Playhouse Square. “From the very beginning we knew this show was something special. Presenting the first national tour here at Playhouse Square and sharing The Outsiders with Cleveland audiences is a true full circle moment."
The announcement capped a months-long reveal which began back in August 2024, when the new musical The Notebook announced that it would launch its national tour at Playhouse Square. Based on the best-selling novel that inspired the iconic film, The Notebook features music by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson and a book by playwright Bekah Brunstetter (This is Us). Those performances will kick off the new 25-26 KeyBank Broadway Season with performances September 6-27, 2025.
Playhouse Square will also host the national tour launch of Hell’s Kitchen, the new musical from 17-time Grammy® Award winner Alicia Keys, whose new songs and greatest hits about growing up in NY inspire a story made for Broadway. Hell’s Kitchen will play Playhouse Square for three weeks, October 10 – November 1, 2025.
“Hosting two national tour launches back-to-back is a thrilling prospect for not only Playhouse Square but the entire city of Cleveland,” said Greene. “Our audiences will be the first to see these shows outside of Broadway. The cast and crew of each show will spend several weeks calling Cleveland home while they prepare the show for the road. We get to be a part of their story, and we can’t wait to welcome them to Playhouse Square.”
“When the Ohio General Assembly approved dedicated tax credits for theater, that was the crucial final element we needed to attract the best of Broadway to open their national tours right here in Cleveland,” said Playhouse Square President & CEO Craig Hassall. “Now we see this come to fruition with the opening of not just one, but two, national tours at the start of our next season. Audiences will get to see these award-winning shows before they travel anywhere else and this is a great benefit to the Northeast Ohio economy.”
The season continues in 2026 with Stereophonic (January 6-25, 2026), the 2024 Tony Award winner for Best Play and the most Tony nominated play in history; Suffs (February 3-22, 2026), an original, Tony Award winning musical about the brilliant, passionate, and funny American women who fought tirelessly for the right to vote; Water for Elephants (March 10-29, 2026), adapted from the critically-acclaimed best-selling novel; The Outsiders (April 28 – May 17, 2026), winner of the 2024 Tony Award for Best Musical; and The Great Gatsby (June 9-28, 2026), the Tony Award-winning new musical that brings F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic story and the Roaring Twenties to life on stage.
With more than 40,000 season ticket holders annually, Playhouse Square is the country’s premier market for touring Broadway. No other touring Broadway venue in North America has a larger season ticket holder community than Playhouse Square.
Season ticket holders to the KeyBank Broadway Series not only enjoy a savings of up to 55% compared with purchasing shows individually, but also incredible benefits and flexibility in scheduling. Season ticket holders can pay off their packages over a period of time by choosing a monthly payment plan that works for their budget. They also receive exclusive pre-sale access to other shows at Playhouse Square. And should something prevent a season ticket holder from attending a show on their scheduled date, they have the option of exchanging their tickets into another performance that works for them. That means as many as 23 alternative dates for each show on the series!
Season tickets for the 2025-2026 KeyBank Broadway Series at Playhouse Square will be available for purchase beginning Wednesday, February 26 at 11:00 a.m.
More information can be found at playhousesquare.org/broadway. Season ticket plans range from $165 - $775 per seat, with monthly payment plans available.
The website playhousesquare.org is the official online source for tickets to performances at Playhouse Square. Buying directly from Playhouse Square guarantees the authenticity of tickets.
The 2025-2026 KeyBank Broadway Series lineup includes:
THE NOTEBOOK
September 6-27, 2025
NotebookMusical.com
Based on the best-selling novel that inspired the iconic film, The Notebook tells the story of Allie and Noah, both from different worlds, who share a lifetime of love despite the forces that threaten to pull them apart. “Full of butterfly-inducing highs and beautiful songs” (Entertainment Weekly), The Notebook is a deeply moving portrait of the enduring power of love.
Chris Jones of The Chicago Tribune says The Notebook is “absolutely gorgeous, not to be missed,” and The New York Daily News calls it “a love story for the ages.”
The Notebook is directed by Michael Greif (Dear Evan Hansen, Next to Normal, RENT) and Schele Williams (The Wiz, Aida), and features music and lyrics by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson, book by Bekah Brunstetter (NBC’s This Is Us), and choreography by Katie Spelman.
HELL’S KITCHEN
October 10 – November 1, 2025
HellsKitchen.com
Ali is a 17-year-old girl full of fire – searching for freedom, passion and her place in the world. How she finds them is a New York City coming-of-age story you've never felt before – Hell’s Kitchen, a new musical from 17-time Grammy® Award winner Alicia Keys, whose new songs and greatest hits about growing up in NY inspire a story made for Broadway.
Rebellious and stifled by an overprotective single mother, Ali is lost until she meets her mentor: a neighbor who opens her heart and mind to the power of the piano. Set to the rhythm of the '90s, Hell’s Kitchen is a love story between a mother and daughter. It's about finding yourself, your purpose, and the community that lifts you. Come remember where dreams begin.
Hailed as a New York Times Critic’s Pick that is, “thrilling from beginning to end – a rare must-see!"
Hell’s Kitchen is directed by four-time Tony Award nominee Michael Greif, with choreography by four-time Tony Award nominee Camille A. Brown, a book by Pulitzer Prize finalist Kristoffer Diaz, and the music of Alicia Keys.
STEREOPHONIC
January 6-25, 2026
StereophonicPlay.com
The most Tony Award-winning Show of the year. The most Tony Award-nominated Play of all time. 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. 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.
SUFFS
February 3-22, 2026
SuffsMusical.com
BEHIND EVERY POWERFUL WOMAN… ARE MORE POWERFUL WOMEN.
Direct from Broadway, comes the acclaimed Tony Award®-winning musical Suffs about the brilliant, passionate, and funny American women who fought tirelessly for the right to vote.
Created by Shaina Taub, the first woman to ever independently win Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score in the same season, this “thrilling, inspiring and dazzlingly entertaining” (Variety) new musical boldly explores the triumphs and failures of a struggle for equality that’s far from over. Winner of the Outer Critics’ Circle Award for Best New Musical.
“Like all of the best Broadway musicals, Suffs humanizes, empowers, moves, and entertains.” Chicago Tribune
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS
March 10-29, 2026
WaterForElephantsTheMusical.com
“Many wonders await audiences in this gorgeously imaginative Broadway musical.” - The New York Times
The critically acclaimed bestselling novel comes to “thrilling, dazzling” life (Time Out New York) in a unique, spectacle-filled new musical! Hailed as a Critic’s Pick, The New York Times calls it “stunning, emotional, heart-filled and gorgeously imaginative.”
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.
Tony Award-nominated director Jessica Stone’s “huge, heart-filling" production (The New York Times) features a book by three-time Tony nominee Rick Elice adapted from Sara Gruen’s novel, and a soaring score by the acclaimed PigPen Theatre Co.
So, step right up to the “spellbinding entertainment” (Variety) at Water For Elephants, “the best new musical on Broadway” (Theatermania).
THE OUTSIDERS
April 28 – May 17, 2026
OutsidersMusical.com
The winner of the 2024 Tony Award® for Best Musical is The Outsiders.
Adapted from S.E. Hinton’s seminal novel and Franic Ford Coppola’s iconic film, this thrilling new musical features a book by Adam Rapp with Justin Levine, music and lyrics by Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay & Zach Chance) and Justin Levine, music supervision, orchestration, and arrangements by Justin Levine, choreography by Rick Kuperman & Jeff Kuperman, and direction by Tony Award® winner Danya Taymor.
Entertainment Weekly says, "It has the power to inspire an entire generation."
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, 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. With a dynamic original score, The Outsiders is a story of friendship, family, belonging…and the realization that there is still “lots of good in the world.”
THE GREAT GATSBY
June 9-28, 2026
BroadwayGatsby.com
THE PARTY’S ROARING IN CLEVELAND!
The Great Gatsby is a “Broadway extravaganza that explodes with life and energy” (Entertainment Weekly). Based on the classic American novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the Tony Award®-winning new musical is an unforgettable journey of love, wealth and tragedy that brings the Roaring Twenties to life on stage.
Directed by Marc Bruni (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), this story of extravagance and longing 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).