Orlando’s 2026-2027 Arts Season Preview: Broadway Brings Gatsby, Hamilton and More To Orlando
For Orlando audiences, Broadway has become more than an occasional stop on a national tour. It has become a destination in its own right.
The Broadway cast of The Great Gatsby bring their star-studded moves and sets to Orlando February 16-21, 2027. Courtesy Dr. Phillips Center For The Performing Arts
THE DR. PHILLIPS CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS CONTINUES THAT TRAJECTORY WITH A 2026-27 ADVENTHEALTH BROADWAY IN ORLANDO SEASON that balances blockbuster returns with high-profile premieres, reinforcing the venue’s growing reputation as one of the country’s premier touring markets. The 10-show subscription season, with two additional season options, mixes Tony Award-winning classics, fresh Broadway hits and productions making their Orlando debut.
“Broadway in Orlando” has evolved dramatically since the center opened in 2014. More than 1 million guests have attended Broadway performances in the Walt Disney Theater, while the subscriber base has doubled over the past decade. That growth has helped Orlando secure longer engagements for mega-hits and attract first-run national tours that once bypassed Central Florida.
The season opens in spectacular fashion with Hamilton (Sept. 29-Oct. 18), returning for an extended three-week engagement. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s revolutionary musical about founding father Alexander Hamilton remains one of Broadway’s defining cultural events, blending hip-hop, R&B, jazz and traditional musical theater into an award-winning production that continues drawing audiences nearly a decade after its Broadway debut. Its extended run reflects the sustained demand that has made Orlando one of the production’s strongest touring markets.
From there, the season shifts to one of Broadway’s newest sensations. Buena Vista Social Club (Oct. 20-25), winner of multiple Tony Awards, brings the beloved Grammy Award-winning album to life through the story of the legendary Cuban musicians whose music captivated audiences around the world. Combining live Afro-Cuban music, dance and theatrical storytelling, the production arrives in Orlando as one of the most acclaimed new musicals currently on tour.
Comedy takes center stage in early December with Death Becomes Her (Dec. 1-6), adapted from the cult-favorite 1992 film starring Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn and Bruce Willis. The Tony Award-winning musical transforms the dark Hollywood satire into a lavish stage comedy filled with elaborate special effects, larger-than-life performances and plenty of supernatural spectacle.
WICKED comes to the Dr. Phillips Center January 6 – 31, 2027. Courtesy Dr. Phillips Center For The Performing Arts
One of the season’s biggest subscription perks arrives in January with Wicked (Jan. 6-31), offered as a season option. Stephen Schwartz’s beloved musical remains one of Broadway’s most enduring successes, exploring the untold story behind the witches of Oz decades before Dorothy’s arrival. Its nearly monthlong engagement gives Central Florida audiences ample opportunity to revisit—or experience for the first time—the musical that has become a cultural phenomenon.
February brings another literary adaptation with The Great Gatsby (Feb. 16-21), the Tony Award-winning musical based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Jazz Age classic. Featuring lavish production design, jazz-infused contemporary music and opulent staging, the show transforms the Roaring Twenties into a Broadway spectacle while remaining rooted in Fitzgerald’s timeless themes of ambition, wealth and longing.
The season then pivots to one of musical theater’s most cherished classics. The Sound of Music (March 2-7) celebrates more than six decades as a family favorite with a new national touring production. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s unforgettable score—including “Do-Re-Mi,” “My Favorite Things” and “Climb Ev’ry Mountain”—continues to introduce new generations to the story of Maria and the von Trapp family.
Another new Broadway arrival follows with BOOP! The Musical (March 30-April 4), bringing the iconic Betty Boop character to life in a colorful production that blends Golden Age nostalgia with contemporary Broadway storytelling. Making its Orlando premiere, the musical represents the type of newer work increasingly finding a place alongside established classics in touring seasons.
Don’t miss Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, April 20 – May 2, 2027. Courtesy Dr. Phillips Center For The Performing Arts
Spring welcomes the return of Disney magic with Beauty and the Beast (April 20-May 2), presented in a newly reimagined touring production. Featuring redesigned sets, updated choreography and the beloved Alan Menken and Howard Ashman score, the production revisits one of Disney’s most influential stage adaptations while introducing visual enhancements for modern audiences.
Tim Burton fans will get their turn in May when Beetlejuice (May 11-16) returns as another season option. The irreverent musical comedy has become a favorite among younger theatergoers for its gothic humor, inventive stagecraft and rock-inspired score, proving Broadway can successfully embrace cult cinema while creating something entirely new.
Beetlejuice The Musical takes the story we all know and makes it even better with some catchy original songs. Courtesy Dr. Phillips Center For The Performing Arts
Closing the season is Jersey Boys (June 22-27), the Tony Award-winning jukebox musical chronicling the rise of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Packed with enduring hits including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” the musical remains one of Broadway’s most successful biographical productions and provides a crowd-pleasing finale to the season.
Taken together, the lineup reflects the increasingly diverse nature of Broadway itself. Traditional Rodgers and Hammerstein classics share the stage with contemporary adaptations, original historical dramas, jukebox musicals, literary adaptations and productions inspired by film and pop culture. The result is a season designed to appeal as much to first-time theatergoers as longtime subscribers.
Just as important, the season signals Orlando’s continued rise within the national touring ecosystem. Longer engagements for productions like Hamilton and Wicked, multiple Orlando premieres and a steady pipeline of Tony Award-winning shows demonstrate the confidence producers now place in Central Florida audiences. What once required a trip to New York increasingly arrives downtown at the Walt Disney Theater, making Orlando not simply a stop on Broadway’s touring circuit but one of its marquee destinations.
