5 Shows to See in New York This Month

1. North Star
I want to make sure you catch the last few performances of North Star, the extraordinary new show at Irish Arts Center (it closes June 21). Part concert, part poetry-reading, part documentary, it is inspired by the time abolitionist author Frederick Douglass sought refuge in Belfast, as well as the city’s mixed reception of refugees in the 21^st century. Vocalist Winnie Ama wraps us in her warm vocals, rapper OneDa gets us bopping with her unflappable flow, and the seven-person choir radiates pure joy throughout the theater, which has been converted into an open floor where audience members can dance.

2. Music City
After a false start, Music City has begun performances at St. Luke’s Theatre off-Broadway. This musical with songs by J.T. Harding and a book by Peter Zinn is about a struggling Nashville songwriter who must come up with cash fast if he wants studio time. A surprise hit when it played the West End Theatre during the 2024-25 season, it invites audiences into an East Nashville dive bar, with the action playing out all around us in Eric Tuckers’s immersive production. It’s an innovative experience that still relies on the classic building blocks of a good story and great songs.

3. La Cage aux Folles
Harvey Fierstein and Jerry Herman certainly had those elements lined up when they wrote La Cage aux Folles, which will play a concert production at New York City Center Encores! June 17-28. Wayne Brady plays Georges, the proprietor of a drag club in St. Tropez, and Billy Porter plays Albin, his longtime partner and the headliner of the club. They lead an all-Black cast that includes Tonya Pinkins and Sharon Washington in this staging from director Robert O’Hara, who helmed Jelly’s Last Jam for Encores! in 2024. One should never pass up an opportunity to hear a Jerry Herman score with a big fat orchestra.

4. Camping
Colt Coeur has forged a reputation for giving new American dramas exceedingly well-acted premieres, and the company (led by the brilliant director Adrienne Campbell-Holt) has done just that with Victoria Lynne Barclay’s Camping. It’s about Brit (Alice Kremelberg) and Ari (Colby Minifie), two best friends from southern Ohio. We see them age over the course of 25 years through a series of scenes set in the same tent—a place of milestones, secrets, and forbidden desire. If you’re looking for a rip-your-heart-out drama this Pride month, you can do no better.

5. Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody
But if you’re in the mood for a silly musical comedy on homosexual themes, you’ll want to book a ticket to Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody. It stars Jimin Moon and Jay Armstrong Johnson as hockey stars and secret lovers Shane and Ilya. Writer Dylan MarcAurele cleverly frames their romance in the Ambien gaze of the people who really made the HBO series a hit—heterosexual wine moms, or as they’re called in the show, “Susans.” The whole thing is stupid fun and a perfect night out with the girls.