New Musicals ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ and ‘Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812’ Lead Ticket Demand

Fall often starts as a tough season for Broadway being sandwiched between the very lucrative summer and holiday seasons. Fewer families and college students are visiting New York City now that school is back in session. Because of that, fewer shows tend to open on Broadway in the fall, but those that open with good reviews and positive word-of-mouth can expect to see large crowds come November and December.

These five musicals will be opening on Broadway this fall. If you're interested in seeing any of these shows, it's best to get tickets to these before the holiday crowds start flooding Manhattan.

Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (Opened November 14)

The biggest thing about Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 isn't the lengthy title, it's that the musical features the Broadway debuts of multi-platinum singer Josh Groban and actress Denée Benton. Audiences will hear a lot of their acclaimed voices because nearly the entire musical is sung. Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 - which is an abridged adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's novel War & Peace - previously appeared in New York in 2012 in a pop-up venue. That production received rave reviews for its eclectic mix of musical styles, so producers are hoping the Broadway production at the Imperial Theatre will continue that success. Tickets for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 can be purchased right through box office for the cheapest ticket, which range from $59-$169.

A Bronx Tale: The Musical (Opening December 1)

A Bronx Tale has had many lives - it originated as a one-man Off-Broadway play written and performed by Chazz Palminteri in 1989, then as a popular film in 1993 featuring Palminteri, then a Broadway revival in 2007 again starring Palminteri which was followed by a national tour. Audiences won't see Palminteri on stage in this musical adaptation, but he wrote the book based on his coming-of-age experiences growing up in the Bronx in the early 1960s. The film version was directed by Robert De Niro, and the Academy Award-winning actor also co-directed the musical alongside Tony Award-winner Jerry Zaks. The pre-Broadway run at New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse was well-received, and fans of the film are expected to rush for the tickets to see the musical, which includes Broadway veterans Richard H. Blake, Nick Cordero, and Ariana DeBose among the cast. Tickets for A Bronx Tale: The Musical can be purchased through Telecharge, where tickets range from $45-$167.

Dear Evan Hansen (Opening December 4)

Undoubtedly the hottest ticket of the season, Dear Evan Hansen comes to Broadway after an extremely successful debut in Washington D.C. and an even more successful award-winning Off-Broadway run earlier this year. The title character (played by Pitch Perfect star Ben Platt), a teenager with social anxiety, inadvertently becomes the most popular boy in school after he is mistakenly thought to be the best friend of a student who committed suicide. Composing team Pasek and Paul are poised to also gain even fame for writing the music for the anticipated film musical La La Land, which will be opening in theaters just days after Dear Evan Hansen opens on Broadway. That buzz might heighten the demand for tickets for this show. Tickets for Dear Evan Hansen range in price from $69-$159 right through the box office.

In Transit (Opening December 11)

The final musical opening on Broadway in 2016 is by far the most unique. For one thing, In Transit is the first-ever a cappella musical in Broadway history. It's also the Broadway debut of co-composer Kristen Anderson-Lopez, best known for co-writing the songs in Disney's blockbuster animated film Frozen, with vocal arrangements by Pitch Perfect's Deke Sharon. The cast includes 2016 America's Got Talent contestant Moya Angela and 2012 American Beatbox Champion Steven "HeaveN" Cantor. With talent like that involved, audiences will likely forget why Broadway musicals even need bands at all.

TagsBroadway, A Bronx Tale: The Musical, Dear Evan Hansen, In Transit