Broadway Shows in Connecticut: Where to See Touring Musicals
You don't have to take the train into Manhattan to see a Broadway musical. Connecticut has a deep roster of historic theaters that host national touring productions — from the big hit musicals on their first road trip out of New York to long-running favorites. Here's where touring Broadway lands in Connecticut, and what each theater is best for.
The Bushnell — Hartford
The Bushnell runs Connecticut's flagship Broadway series, the biggest in the state. Its grand Mortensen Hall, completed in 1930 and seating around 2,800, is where the largest national tours play — the Wicked- and Book of Mormon-scale productions that need a full-size house. If you want a season subscription to the year's biggest touring shows, this is the anchor. Full details in our Bushnell guide.
The Shubert — New Haven
The Shubert is the most historically important theater in the state for Broadway. Opened in 1914 and nicknamed "The Birthplace of the Nation's Greatest Hits," it hosted hundreds of pre-Broadway tryouts and world premieres over the decades — Oklahoma! famously premiered here in 1943 (under its working title Away We Go!) before going on to Broadway, along with other Rodgers & Hammerstein landmarks and A Streetcar Named Desire. Today it runs its own Broadway subscription series. See our Shubert guide.
The Palace Theater — Waterbury
The restored 1922 Palace Theater in Waterbury runs a full Broadway series of national tours on one of the largest stages in the state — the central-Connecticut home for touring musicals. More in our Palace Theater Waterbury guide.
The Palace Theatre — Stamford
Down in Fairfield County, Stamford's Palace Theatre brings Broadway national tours along with concerts, comedy and dance, putting touring theater within easy reach of the southwest corner of the state. See our Palace Theatre Stamford guide.
The Garde Arts Center — New London
On the shoreline, the 1926 Garde Arts Center presents national Broadway musical tours in its one-of-a-kind Moroccan-themed auditorium — the southeastern Connecticut option. See our Garde guide.
The Warner Theatre — Torrington
Up in the northwest hills, the restored 1931 Warner Theatre brings touring Broadway-style productions, concerts and comedy to the Litchfield region. See our Warner guide.
Never miss a touring production
Track Broadway tours and every other show at 40+ Connecticut venues — all in one place — in the free CT Concert Center app.
Download on theApp StoreHow to pick
For the biggest, splashiest tours, start with the Bushnell. For history and atmosphere — and the thrill of a stage where Broadway classics were born — the Shubert is unbeatable. The Palaces, the Garde and the Warner each bring touring theater closer to home depending on where in the state you are. Whichever you choose, a restored historic theater is half the night out; many sit in walkable downtowns where you can pair the show with dinner (see our guide to dinner and a show in CT).
These rooms also rank among the state's finest historic theaters — and every show they book lives in the CT Concert Center app, alongside every other venue across the state.