2023 Broadway spring season preview of plays includes stage versions of Oscar-winning films

We’re now about halfway through the 2022-23 Broadway season, and there are currently nine productions of plays (eight new, one revival) set to open this spring. Could we be seeing any of them contend at this year’s Tony Awards? Below is a plot overview of each play as well as the awards history of its author, cast, and creative teams, plus the opening and (where applicable) closing dates.

“Pictures From Home” (opens February 9; closes April 30)

This stage adaptation of Larry Sultan’s 1992 photo memoir is a comic and dramatic portrait of a mother and father, and the son who photographed their lives. As Larry tries to capture his parents, their reality explodes from the frame in an exploration of the power of art and how much it reveals.

Adapted for the stage by WGA nominee Sharr White (“Halston,” 2021), the production stars Tony winner Danny Burstein (“Moulin Rouge!,” 2021), three-time Tony winner Nathan Lane (“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” 1996; “The Producers,” 2001; “Angels in America,” 2018), and four-time Tony nominee Zoë Wanamaker. It is directed by Tony winner Bartlett Sher (“South Pacific,” 2008).

“A Doll’s House” (opens March 9; closes June 4)

The 13th Broadway revival of Henrik Ibsen’s 1879 classic centers on a family consisting of Torvald Helmer, a bank lawyer, his wife Nora, and their three children. Torvald considers himself ethical, while his wife takes on the role of the pretty and irresponsible woman in order to flatter him. Into this arrangement intrude several outsiders, one of whom may expose a fraud that Nora once committed to save her husband’s life.

Of the three previous revivals that took place since the Tonys were established in 1947, only two of them received nominations. The first in 1975 starring Liv Ullmann earned a Best Lead Actress in a Play bid. The second in 1997 starring Janet McTeer won four awards (including Best Play Revival). This production features a revised script by Pulitzer Prize nominee Amy Herzog (“4000 Miles,” 2013). The cast includes Oscar winner Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” 2021), Tony nominee Arian Moayed (“Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo,” 2011), Jesmille Darbouze, Tasha Lawrence, Michael Patrick Thornton, and Okieriete Onaodowan. It is directed by Tony nominee Jamie Lloyd (“Betrayal,” 2020).

“Life of Pi” (previews begin March 9; opens March 30)

In this stage adaptation of Yann Martel’s 2001 novel (which also served as the basis of Ang Lee’s 2012 Academy Award-winning film), 16-year-old Pi Patel and his family set off to emigrate from India. But their ship sinks, leaving Pi stranded on a lifeboat with a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a Royal Bengal tiger.

Adapted for the stage by Lolita Chakrabarti, this production follows a successful run in London’s West End, where it won five Laurence Olivier Awards (including Best New Play). It is directed by Max Webster.

“Summer, 1976” (opens April 25, 2023; closes June 7)

In this new play by Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner David Auburn (“Proof,” 2001), a friendship forms between Diana, an iconoclastic artist and mother, and Alice, a free-spirited housewife. As the bicentennial is celebrated across the country, these two Ohio women help each other discover their own independence.

The production presented by Manhattan Theatre Club stars five-time Tony nominee Laura Linney and Tony nominee Jessica Hecht (“A View From the Bridge,” 2010). It is directed by Tony winner Daniel Sullivan (“Proof,” 2001).

“Fat Ham” (opens April 12; closes August 6)

In this new play by James Ijames, Juicy is a queer, Southern college kid grappling with questions of identity when the ghost of his father shows up and demands that Juicy avenge his murder. But revenge doesn’t come easy to Juicy, a sensitive and self-aware young Black man in search of his own happiness.

The production is directed by Drama Desk nominee Saheem Ali (Off-Broadway’s “Merry Wives,” 2022).

“Room” (opens April 17; closes September 17)

In this stage adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s 2010 novel (which also served as the basis of Lenny Abrahamson’s 2015 Academy Award-winning film), a mother struggles to raise and protect her child while they’re held captive in a solitary room.

Adapted for the stage by Donoghue herself, the production stars Tony winner Adrienne Warren (“Tina – The Tina Turner Musical,” 2021). It is directed by Cora Bissett.

“Peter Pan Goes Wrong” (opens April 19; closes July 9)

In this original comedy by Olivier winners Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields (“The Play That Goes Wrong,” 2015), the “Cornley Drama Society” are back on stage battling technical hitches, flying mishaps, and cast disputes as they attempt to present a production of J.M Barrie‘s much-loved play “Peter Pan.”

This production follows a successful premiere in London’s West End back in 2015, where it received an Olivier nomination for Best New Comedy. The cast includes Chris Leask, Henry Lewis, Ellie Morris, Charlie Russell, Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields, Greg Tannahill, and Nancy Zamit. It is directed by Adam Meggido.

“Prima Facie” (opens April 23; closes June 18)

In this new solo play by Suzie Miller, Tessa is a young, brilliant barrister who loves to win. She has worked her way up from working-class origins and can now defend, cross-examine, and light up the shadows of doubt in any case. But an unexpected event forces her to confront the lines where the patriarchal power of the law, burden of proof, and morals diverge.

This production follows a successful run in London’s West End last year. It stars Emmy winner Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve,” 2019) and is directed by Justin Martin.

“Good Night, Oscar” (opens April 24; closes August 27)

This new play by Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright (“I Am My Own Wife,” 2004) is set in 1958. Jack Paar hosts the hottest late-night talk-show on television. One night he brings on his favorite guest: character actor, pianist, and wild card Oscar Levant.

The production stars Tony nominee Sean Hayes (“Promises, Promises,” 2010), Emily Bergl, Marchánt Davis (“Ain’t No Mo’,” 2022), Peter Grosz, Ben Rappaport (“Fiddler on the Roof,” 2015), Tony nominated producer Alex Wyse (“What the Constitution Means to Me,” 2019), and John Zdrojeski. It is directed by Lisa Peterson.

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