‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,’ ‘The Outsiders,’ ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ among Dr. Phillips Center’s 10th Broadway season

(Photos courtesy Dr. Phillips Center)

ORLANDO | The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts announced its 10th Broadway season April 4, and the 10-show season includes four Tony Award winners for Best Musical with another four shows nominated for Best Musical, as well as the global sensation “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” which will make its Florida debut exclusively in Orlando.

“Thanks to a decade of community support, the arts center has become a premier Broadway destination,” said Kathy Ramsberger, president & CEO of Dr. Phillips Center, in a press release. “We’re thrilled to debut Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in Florida—right here in Orlando. Our 25/26 season features award-winning productions fresh from Broadway, reinforcing our commitment to expanding Broadway in Orlando and delivering world-class arts directly in our community.”

The 2025-26 season will open Sept. 30 with the classic, Tony Award-winning musical “The Wiz,” followed by a trio of hit musicals fresh from Broadway: “Water for Elephants,” playing Nov. 4-9; “The Outsiders,” playing Dec. 16-23; and “& Juliet,” playing Jan. 6-11.

The stage is then set for a four-week run of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” running Jan. 24-Feb. 21.

The season wraps with three more recent Broadway hits: “Hell’s Kitchen,” playing March 3-8; “Kimberly Akimbo,” playing April 14-19; and “The Notebook,” playing May 12-17.

Two blockbuster musicals also return as season options: “Hadestown,” running Nov. 28-30, and “Six,” running June 2-7.

Current AdventHealth Broadway in Orlando subscribers can renew their subscriptions starting today. For more information on the Dr. Phillips Center’s upcoming Broadway season, visit DrPhillipsCenter.org. You can read more about each of the 2025-26 season’s shows below.

“The Wiz”: Sept. 30-Oct. 5, 2025

The Tony-Award winning Best Musical that took the world by storm is back. “The Wiz” returns “home” to stages across America in an all-new tour, direct from Broadway. The Baltimore Sun raves “Powerhouse performances. Stunning choreography. Visionary sets” and the Chicago Sun-Times proclaims ”The Wiz” is “An eye-popping and high-intensity revival!”

This groundbreaking twist on ”The Wizard of Oz” changed the face of Broadway — from its iconic score packed with soul, gospel, rock and ’70s funk to its stirring tale of Dorothy’s journey to find her place in a contemporary world. Everybody rejoice — this dynamite infusion of ballet, jazz and modern pop brings a whole new groove to easing on down the road.

“Water for Elephants”: Nov. 4-9, 2025

“Many wonders await audiences in this gorgeously imaginative Broadway musical,” writes The New York Times. The critically acclaimed bestselling novel comes to “thrilling, dazzling” life (Time Out New York) in a unique, spectacle-filled new musical! Hailed as a Critic’s Pick, The New York Times calls it “stunning, emotional, heart-filled and gorgeously imaginative.”

After losing what matters most, a young man jumps a moving train unsure of where the road will take him and finds a new home with the remarkable crew of a traveling circus, and a life — and love — beyond his wildest dreams. Seen through the eyes of his older self, his adventure becomes a poignant reminder that if you choose the ride, life can begin again at any age. Tony Award-nominated director Jessica Stone’s “huge, heart-filling” production (The New York Times) features a book by three-time Tony-Award nominee Rick Elice adapted from Sara Gruen’s novel and a soaring score by the acclaimed PigPen Theatre Co.

So, step right up to the “spellbinding entertainment” (Variety) at “Water for Elephants,” “the best new musical on Broadway” (Theatermania).

“Hadestown”: Nov.28-30, 2025

Welcome to “Hadestown,” where a song can change your fate. Winner of eight 2019 Tony Awards including Best Musical and the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, this acclaimed new show from celebrated singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and original director Rachel Chavkin (“Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”) is a love story for today … and always.

Intertwining two mythic tales — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone — “Hadestown” is a haunting and hopeful theatrical experience that grabs you and never lets go.

“The Outsiders”: Dec. 16-23, 2025

The winner of four 2024 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, is “The Outsiders.” This classic coming-of-age story takes you to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1967, where Ponyboy Curtis, his best friend Johnny Cade and their family of Greaser “outsiders” dream about who they want to become in a world that will never accept them.

“The Outsiders” features Danya Taymor’s Tony Award-winning direction that’s “refreshing, gritty, and endlessly effective.” (The New York Times). With “high-octane choreography” (New York Magazine), “The Outsiders” has been described as “more pulse-pounding than anything else on Broadway!” (Time Out New York).

“& Juliet”: Jan. 6-11, 2026

Broadway’s most fun hit musical, “& Juliet,” flips the script on the greatest love story ever told, imagining what would happen next if Juliet hadn’t ended it all over Romeo, and got a second chance at life and love – on her own terms. This audience favorite is created by the Emmy-winning writer of “Schitt’s Creek” and features a playlist of iconic pop hits from Max Martin and his collaborators, including “Since U Been Gone,” “Roar,” “I Want It That Way,” “Confident” and more.

“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”: Jan. 24-Feb. 21, 2026

Join the next adventure and experience the wizarding world like never before with this record-breaking hit and winner of six Tony Awards including Best Play. “It’s one of the most defining pop culture events of the decade” (Forbes).

When Harry Potter’s head-strong son Albus befriends the son of his fiercest rival, Draco Malfoy, it sparks an unbelievable new journey for them all — with the power to change the past and future forever. Prepare for a mind-blowing race through time, spectacular spells and an epic battle, all brought to life with the most astonishing theatrical magic ever seen on stage. It’s a “marvel of imagination” (The New York Times) that will “leave you wondering ‘how’d they do that?’ for days to come” (People Magazine).  

“Hell’s Kitchen”: March 3-8, 2026

“Hell’s Kitchen,” the award-winning Broadway musical created and inspired by Alicia Keys, takes you on the journey of Ali – a 17-year-old girl full of fire. Relatable, raw and refreshingly fun, it’s a celebration of finding yourself, your purpose and the people who lift you up.

The music, a mix of Keys’ classics and new songs written exclusively for the show, and exhilarating choreography bring to life a story that speaks to you no matter where you’re from, where you’ve been or where you’re going. Come experience where dreams begin: “Hell’s Kitchen.”

“Kimberly Akimbo”: April 14-19, 2026

A new musical about growing up and growing old (in no particular order), ”Kimberly Akimbo” is the winner of five Tony Awards including Best Musical. It features Tony Award-winning book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire (“Shrek”), a Tony Award-winning score by Jeanine Tesori (“Fun Home”), choreography by Danny Mefford (“Dear Evan Hansen”) and direction by Tony-Award nominated director Jessica Stone (“Water for Elephants”).

Kimberly is about to turn 16 and recently moved with her family to a new town in suburban New Jersey. In this “howlingly funny heartbreaker of a show” (The New Yorker), Kim is forced to navigate family dysfunction, a rare genetic condition, her first crush … and possible felony charges. Ever the optimist, she is determined to find happiness against all odds and embark on a great adventure.

“The Notebook”: May 12-17, 2026

Based on the best-selling novel that inspired the iconic film, ”The Notebook” tells the story of Allie and Noah, both from different worlds, who share a lifetime of love despite the forces that threaten to pull them apart.

“Full of butterfly-inducing highs and beautiful songs” (Entertainment Weekly), ”The Notebook” is a deeply moving portrait of the enduring power of love. Chris Jones of The Chicago Tribune says ”The Notebook” is “absolutely gorgeous, not to be missed,” and The New York Daily News calls it “a love story for the ages.” “The Notebook” is directed by Michael Greif (“Dear Evan Hansen,” ”Next to Normal,” ”RENT”) and Schele Williams (“The Wiz,” ”Aida”), and features music and lyrics by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson, book by Bekah Brunstetter (NBC’s “This Is Us”) and choreography by Katie Spelman.

“SIX”: June 2-7, 2026

From Tudor Queens to Pop Icons, the ”SIX” wives of Henry VIII take the microphone to remix five hundred years of historical heartbreak into a Euphoric Celebration of 21st century girl power! This new original musical is the global sensation that everyone is losing their head over!

The New York Times says ”SIX” “TOTALLY RULES!” (Critic’s Pick) and The Washington Post hails ”SIX” as “Exactly the kind of energizing, inspirational illumination this town aches for!” The ”SIX: LIVE ON OPENING NIGHT” Broadway album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard cast album charts and surpassed one billion streams worldwide!

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