Special Reports

6 Broadway Shows to Complete Your Perfect Mother's Day

Nothing says “I love you, Mom” better than a Broadway show.

There are few more delightful ways to spend Mother’s Day than in a Broadway theater. A play or a musical can express so much more than a greeting card. With that in mind, here are six Broadway shows to consider when planning your perfect Mother’s Day outing. Whether you want to salute mom for her unconditional love, or send her a subliminal message about her lack thereof, we think you’ll find a show that says everything in the list below.

For tickets, click on the title of a show.


The Glass Menagerie

Joe Mantello and Sally Field in The Glass Menagerie at the Belasco Theatre.
Joe Mantello and Sally Field as Tom and Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie at the Belasco Theatre.
(© Julieta Cervantes)

Sure, Sally Field is Hollywood’s favorite mom, but how does she stack up onstage? Find out in this revival of Tennessee Williams’ groundbreaking memory play. Field plays faded Southern belle Amanda Wingfield, a mother hell-bent on finding a man for her daughter with a disability. While she pursues this task, Amanda has to deal with sarcasm and side-eye from her (probably gay) son, Tom, the unreliable narrator of this domestic drama. Field recently received a Tony nomination for her idiosyncratic performance, a mixture of comedy and longing as refreshing as a glass of lemonade. Every child is sure to see at least a little bit of their mom in Amanda. Though we’re sure moms will beg to differ.


A Doll’s House, Part 2

Laurie Metcalf and Condola Rashad as Nora and her estranged daughter Emmy in A Doll's House, Part 2.
Laurie Metcalf and Condola Rashad as Nora and her estranged daughter, Emmy, in A Doll’s House, Part 2.
(© Briggite Lacombe)

Even if you occasionally have your differences with mom, you can at least be thankful that she’s not Nora Helmer. Laurie Metcalf plays the protagonist in Lucas Hnath’s unauthorized (and hilarious) sequel to Henrik Ibsen’s classic play of domesticity and its discontents. Nora walked out on her husband and kids in that first part, but now she’s back for a very awkward family reunion. Condola Rashad plays daughter Emmy with exquisite passive-aggression, while Metcalf sheds new light on one of the most famous characters in Western drama. Whether your mom has a Ph.D. in Norwegian literature or she’s just an avid fan of Roseanne, she’s guaranteed to have a blast at this surprisingly thoughtful comedy.


Amélie

Phillipa Soo as the title character in Amélie at the Walter Kerr Theatre.
Phillipa Soo as the title character in Amélie at the Walter Kerr Theatre.
(© Joan Marcus)

Not only is Amélie the perfect Mother’s Day show, but Mother’s Day will be one of your last opportunities to see Amélie, which plays its final Broadway performance on May 21. The title character (played by Tony nominee Phillipa Soo) is laden with plenty of parental baggage — her dead mother and distant father contributing to a case of extreme introversion. But if you’re looking for a few tips on how to connect to the people closest to you in this world — particularly of the maternal variety — this is the show has all the feelings you’re looking for.


Miss Saigon

Eva Noblezada as Kim in Miss Saigon with Samuel Li Weintraub as her onstage son Tam.
Eva Noblezada as Kim in Miss Saigon with Samuel Li Weintraub as her onstage son Tam.
(© Matthew Murphy)

Mothers are known to risk it all for the well-being of their children. In Boublil and Schönberg’s Miss Saigon, a young mother puts her life on the line to get her son out of Vietnam and into the arms of his American dad. This iconic rock opera is guaranteed to bring on the tears this Mother’s Day as newly minted Tony nominee Eva Noblezada belts power ballads like “I’d Give My Life for You” to the rafters, and then makes the ultimate sacrifice.


On Your Feet!

Ektor Rivera as Emilio Estefan with Alma Cuervo and Andréa Burns as his grandmother- and mother-in-law.
Ektor Rivera as Emilio Estefan with Alma Cuervo and Andréa Burns as his grandmother- and mother-in-law.
(© Matthew Murphy)

As most of us know, one of the issues that can most strain your relationship with your mother (and father) is a romance of which they disapprove. That’s one of the lessons Gloria Estefan learns in the first act of On Your Feet!, as she falls headfirst for the charming musician Emilio. But never fear! By the time Act 2 reaches its emotional climax, Gloria’s beloved mother has come around to the idea of Emilio so much that they not only join forces to aid Gloria’s recovery from a bus accident, but also join voices in the touching ballad “If I Never Got to Tell You.” So if you and your mom have been on the outs because of a controversial romance, put her fears at ease at On Your Feet!, where the rhythm always gets you and turns the beat around.


Waitress

Sara Bareilles and Ella Dane Morgan as Waitress' mother-daughter pair.
Sara Bareilles and Ella Dane Morgan as Waitress‘ mother-daughter pair.
(© Jeremy Daniel)

While all moms leave a legacy of their own, it’s what gets passed down to the next generation (the good and the bad) that comes to life in Waitress. Everyone’s favorite singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles currently stars as Jenna, a waitress and expert pie-maker who is trapped in a loveless marriage and discovers she has a baby on the way. Jenna’s deft and imaginative baking skills, learned from hours spent making pies with her (now deceased) mother, might be her only salvation. A love letter to mothers, daughters, and the bonds that are forged over sugar, butter, and flour, there isn’t a mom out there who would turn down a musical this sweet.

Featured In This Story

Miss Saigon

Closed: January 14, 2018

Waitress

Closed: January 5, 2020

Amélie

Closed: May 21, 2017