2025-26 KeyBank Broadway Series announces ‘The Outsiders’ at Playhouse Square, Cleveland: Check out all the upcoming shows

Playhouse Square in Cleveland has just announced that “The Outsiders” will be part of the 2025-26 KeyBank Broadway Series lineup, with performances scheduled from April 28 to May 17, 2026.

David Greene, senior vice president of programming at Playhouse Square, expressed great pride in their investment in The Outsiders. He stated, “From the very beginning we knew this show was something special. Presenting the first national tour here at Playhouse Square and sharing The Outsiders with Cleveland audiences is a true full circle moment.”

Here’s a synopsis of “The Outsiders” as provided by Playhouse Square:

The Outsiders is set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1967, focusing on Ponyboy Curtis, his close friend Johnny Cade, and their Greaser family as they confront their affluent rivals, the Socs. The storyline explores the journey of self-discovery as the Greasers aspire to define themselves in a world that may not embrace them. Featuring an engaging original score, The Outsiders weaves a tale of friendship, family, belonging, and the enduring belief in the goodness that still exists in the world.

The other shows in the KeyBank Broadway Series include:

• “The Notebook”
• “Hell’s Kitchen”
• “Stereophonic”
• “Suffs”
• “Water For Elephants”
• “The Great Gatsby”

Want to see them all? Playhouse Square offers season tickets, which will be up for grabs starting at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26, with plans ranging from $165 to $775 per seat. Monthly payment plans are available.

Here are the dates and descriptions for each of the shows coming soon to Playhouse Square in Cleveland (all descriptions provided by Playhouse Square)…

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.

Ali is a 17-year-old girl full of fire – searching for freedom, passion and her place in the world.

How she finds them is a New York City coming-of-age story you’ve never felt before – Hell’s Kitchen, a new musical from 17-time Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys, whose new songs and greatest hits about growing up in NY inspire a story made for Broadway.

Rebellious and stifled by an overprotective single mother, Ali is lost until she meets her mentor: a neighbor who opens her heart and mind to the power of the piano. Set to the rhythm of the 90s, Hell’s Kitchen is a love story between a mother and daughter. It’s about finding yourself, your purpose, and the community that lifts you. Come remember where dreams begin.

Hailed as a New York Times Critic’s Pick that is, “thrilling from beginning to end – a rare must-see!” Hell’s Kitchen is directed by four-time Tony Award nominee Michael Greif, with choreography by four-time Tony Award nominee Camille A. Brown, a book by Pulitzer Prize finalist Kristoffer Diaz, and the music of Alicia Keys.

The most Tony Award-winning Show of the year. The most Tony Award-nominated Play of all time. Stereophonic mines the agony and the ecstasy of creation as it zooms in on a music studio in 1976. Here, an up-and-coming rock band recording a new album finds itself suddenly on the cusp of superstardom. The ensuing pressures could spark their breakup — or their breakthrough. Written by David Adjmi, directed by Daniel Aukin, and featuring original music by Arcade Fire’s Will Butler, Stereophonic invites the audience to immerse themselves — with fly-on-the-wall intimacy — in the powder keg process of a band on the brink of blowing up.

Direct from Broadway, comes the acclaimed Tony Award-winning musical Suffs about the brilliant, passionate, and funny American women who fought tirelessly for the right to vote. Created by Shaina Taub, the first woman to ever independently win Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score in the same season, this “thrilling, inspiring and dazzlingly entertaining” (Variety) new musical boldly explores the triumphs and failures of a struggle for equality that’s far from over. Winner of the Outer Critics’ Circle Award for Best New Musical.

“Like all of the best Broadway musicals, Suffs humanizes, empowers, moves, and entertains.” Chicago Tribune

“Many wonders await audiences in this gorgeously imaginative Broadway musical.” – 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 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).

Description provided earlier in this story.

The Great Gatsby is a “Broadway extravaganza that explodes with life and energy” (Entertainment Weekly). Based on the classic American novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the Tony Award®-winning new musical is an unforgettable journey of love, wealth and tragedy that brings the Roaring Twenties to life on stage.

Directed by Marc Bruni (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), this story of extravagance and longing features choreography by Dominique Kelley (So You Think You Can Dance), a book by Kait Kerrigan (The Mad Ones) and a jazz- and pop-influenced original score by Jason Howland (Little Women) and Nathan Tysen (Paradise Square).