This is one of those weeks when the theater calendar is actually spoiled for choice. A Broadway musical adaptation of a cult Apple TV show opened yesterday. A beloved movie is about to get its first-ever Broadway musical treatment. An off-Broadway true-crime thriller is in previews before its formal opening on Sunday. And if you have a student ID or a flexible mid-week schedule, you can see most of this for under $50. Here is exactly where to be and how to get in cheap.
Don’t Miss: KENREX at Lucille Lortel Theatre (Opens April 26)
The off-Broadway pick of the week is KENREX, the new drama at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in the West Village. Previews began April 15, with formal opening night on Sunday, April 26. Billed as “a blistering true-crime thriller about the thin line between justice served and justice taken,” this is the kind of small-venue play that disappears before it gets the word-of-mouth it deserves. Get in while it is still in previews if you want the lower ticket price.
New Broadway Openings
Schmigadoon! (Opened April 20)
The stage adaptation of the Apple TV musical comedy — itself already a love letter to Golden Age musicals — officially opened Monday, April 20. If you loved the show, the stage version leans even harder into the genre pastiche. If you didn’t see the show, go in blind. Rush tickets are typically released in the morning; check the TodayTix app and the theater box office.
Beaches: A New Musical (Opens April 22)
Wednesday is the big night. Beaches: A New Musical officially opens on April 22, turning the 1988 film into a full-scale Broadway production. Expect a packed house of original-movie fans and a score that leans into the emotional territory the film made famous. Digital lottery is live on the show’s website — enter daily, it is genuinely the best odds on Broadway right now for a new opening.
Cats: The Jellicle Ball (Now Playing)
Quick reminder that Cats: The Jellicle Ball — the ballroom-culture reimagining of the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic — opened at the Broadhurst Theatre on April 7 and is officially a hit. Rush tickets are reportedly tough to land, but matinees mid-week are your best shot.
Off-Broadway Picks
What Happened Was… at Minetta Lane Theatre
This one is a sleeper. Corey Stoll and Cecily Strong star in the off-Broadway revival of What Happened Was… at Minetta Lane Theatre. Two co-workers meet for a first date in a one-bedroom Manhattan apartment, and the evening “quickly unravels into an achingly tender chamber piece about attraction, secrets, and the desperate need for connection.” It is a short run with two of the most interesting performers in the city right now. You have to check this out.
RHEOLOGY at Playwrights Horizons
Playwright Shayok Misha Chowdhury collaborating with his physicist mother Bulbul Chakraborty on a play about flow, matter, and family? This is exactly the kind of genuinely weird, genuinely thoughtful work that Playwrights Horizons exists to stage. It opened April 14 at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre and it is worth a subway ride just to see something you could not see anywhere else.
Rush and Lottery Strategy for the Week
Here is the actual playbook for getting into shows cheap this week:
- TKTS Times Square booth: Same-day tickets up to 50% off. Go at 3 p.m. for evening shows — the lines at 10 a.m. are a scam unless there is a specific show you are hunting.
- TKTS Lincoln Center and Brooklyn booths: Shorter lines, same inventory for most shows. The Lincoln Center booth is the local secret.
- Digital lottery: TodayTix app plus the individual show websites. Enter every morning for every show you are willing to see. New productions like Beaches have the best odds because the regular audience hasn’t built yet.
- In-person rush: Show up at the box office when it opens (usually 10 a.m.). Bring a book. Most Broadway shows have a handful of rush seats under $50.
- Best days to go: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday — especially matinees. Weekend demand pushes prices up; weekday matinees are where the real discounts live.
- Student programs: The 30 Under 35 program and Broadway Bridges are back in 2026. Bridges offers $10 tickets to NYC sophomores — a program every NYC parent should know about.
The Week at a Glance
Tuesday, April 21: Hit a Broadway matinee (Cats, Schmigadoon!) using TKTS. Wednesday, April 22: Beaches opens — enter the lottery in the morning. Thursday, April 23: Off-Broadway night — RHEOLOGY or What Happened Was… Friday, April 24: Rush the hot ticket you missed earlier. Saturday, April 25: KENREX preview at the Lucille Lortel. Sunday, April 26: KENREX opening night or a relaxed matinee — your choice.
New York does not do a slow theater week, and late April is when the spring season really stacks up. Pick one big Broadway night, one downtown discovery, and one matinee bargain. That is your week.
Show dates, previews, and opening nights are current as of April 21, 2026. Lottery, rush, and TKTS availability varies daily. Check theater box offices and ticketing platforms for the most up-to-date pricing and availability.
