Hamilton, the new, hip-hop musical about Alexander Hamilton from In The Heights composer, Lin-Manuel Miranda, seems to be the only show getting press notice recently. However, the summer mega-hit is about to meet some new neighbors, as seventeen productions have announced opening nights between September and December.  To kick off the start of the fall 2015 Broadway season, I’ve highlighted four productions (one from each category) which I consider “must sees.”

School of Rock
First Preview: November 9, 2015
Opening: December 6, 2015

School of Rock is a new musical adapted from the 2003, Jack Black movie of the same name. It follows wannabe rock star, Dewey Finn, as he tries to convert an elementary school class into a rock band. The composer is seven-time Tony winner Andrew Lloyd Webber, whose previous works include The Phantom of the Opera, Cats & Evita, and stars Alex Brightman, who has recently played roles on Broadway in Big Fish & Matilda. Starring alongside Brightman is Sierra Boggess, who has already garnered a following on Broadway and was seen recently in The Little Mermaid and last season’s It Shoulda Been You. Get Tickets

Spring Awakening
First Preview: September 8, 2015
Opening: September 27, 2015

The original production of Spring Awakening closed on Broadway just under six years ago. Now, it is being revived, in a new production that incorporates the use of American Sign Language. Reviving a show that closed less than six years ago is rare, unless it is Les Miserables, which has done so twice. However, the current production already received critical acclaim on the West Cost where it ran last year, and the use of ASL is new to the revival. For the Broadway run, Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin joins the cast. Get Tickets

China Doll
First Preview: October 21, 2015
Opening: November 19, 2015

David Mamet’s new play, China Doll, was written specifically for Al Pacino, who stars in the piece about a billionaire on the brink of retirement. Christopher Denham (The Lieutenant of Inishmore, “Argo”) also stars. Tony winner Pam MacKinnon (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Clybourne Park) directs the production. Get Tickets

Old Times
First Preview: September 17, 2015
Opening: October 6, 2015

Clive Owen makes his Broadway debut this fall in the revival of Harold Pinter’s Old Times, which was last seen on Broadway over 40 years ago. Kelly Reilly (“True Detective”) and Eve Best (The Homecoming) round out the cast. Though not a musical, Old Times will include incidental music by Thom Yorke of Radiohead. Get Tickets

Bonus: Off-Broadway Happenings

Invisible Thread @ Second Stage
First Preview: October 31, 2015
Opening: December 2, 2015

Invisible Thread, an award winning musical about a young actor who travels to Uganda to do aid work, will play at Second Stage beginning in October. The musical was previously produced at Boston’s A.R.T., under the title Witness Uganda, where it opened to rave reviews and was directed by two-time Tony Award winner, Diane Paulus (HAIR, Pippin). Paulus returns to direct the Second Stage production. The team responsible for bringing the show to New York includes myself, as well as Rent, Avenue Q, & In the Heights producer, Kevin McCollum. Get Tickets

There you have it!  Four shows from the fall 2015 Broadway season to look out for, and one from the fall 2015 off-Broadway season.  There are plenty of other fall shows that we are excited to see.  For a full list of shows opening this fall, visit playbill.com.