The Most Spectacular Broadway Set Designs to See This Fall

Theater goers know, Broadway’s magic extends far beyond the talented performers and dazzling scripts. The magic of Broadway also lies in the set design, the stage, the vision to take audiences out of their seats and into the world of the show.

From innovative puppetry to cutting-edge visual effects, the set design artistry on Broadway stages right now is nothing short of breathtaking. If you’re planning to catch a Broadway show this fall or winter, here are the most stunning set designs currently dazzling audiences in New York City.

1. Stranger Things: The First Shadow (March 28, 2025 – Open Run)

At the Marquis Theatre

The Tony Award-winning production Stranger Things: The First Shadow features groundbreaking scenic design by Miriam Buether. Through an innovative collaboration between set designers, illusion experts, and visual effects specialists, the Upside Down is brought to life in ways audiences could’ve never predicted. The show uses carefully synchronized video projections, real and computer-generated smoke effects, and practical illusions that makes the supernatural feel real.

Onstage, fans will find an immersive 1950’s Hawkins, Indiana, complete with mind-bending transformations that pay homage to the beloved Netflix series. You simply have to see this boundary-pushing production for yourself.

Stranger Things Tickets

2. The Outsiders (April 11, 2024 – Open Run)

At the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre

The Outsiders features scenography by design collective AMP, led by Brett J. Banakis and Christine Jones in collaboration with Tatiana Kahvegian. The set creates a kinetic space using multiple environments within one unified setting—including a run-down Greaser car that anchors the Curtis home, a drive-in theater backdrop, and a contested playground—all existing in Ponyboy’s memory.

The production includes a dramatic rain effect on stage, with water and small rubber pieces potentially reaching the first two rows of the Orchestra section. This immersive design choice, which brings the audience into 1967 Tulsa, Oklahoma, is making quite the stir.

The Outsiders Tickets

3. Wicked (October 30, 2003 – Open Run)

At the Gershwin Theatre

Eugene Lee’s Tony Award-winning scenic design has been spellbinding audiences since the show opened over 20 years ago. The backdrop of Wicked features gear-shifting machinery, totems to represent the Wizard’s power and control. The set incorporates pageant wagons and automated deck units, along with the clock mechanics, staying close to the well-known themes of the show.

The production uses natural, realistic materials including natural maple for the show deck, which is equipped with seven automated tracks lined with steel for visual interest. Lee created his own proscenium to extend the design closer to the audience, making the production feel more present and personal. This production has remained vital, much of its staying power built into the stage itself.

Wicked Tickets

4. Hamilton (August 6, 2015 – Open Run)

At the Richard Rodgers Theatre

David Korins’ scenic design for Hamilton brings American history to life through meticulous attention to detail. The set features 33 different colors of brick and giant turntables that quickly transport the stage and its performers in and out of the audience’s view in mere seconds.

Scaffolding plays a major role throughout the scenes, representing the slow but progressive structure of the United States. The design dutifully supports the revolutionary hip-hop storytelling, while still allowing for intimate moments within the epic American tale of its founding father.

Special Performance Note: Original cast member Leslie Odom Jr. has returned to star as Aaron Burr through November 26, 2025.

Hamilton Tickets

5. The Lion King (November 13, 1997 – Open Run)

At the New Amsterdam Theatre

The Lion King features an epic scenic design by Richard Hudson, with revolutionary mask and puppet co-design by Julie Taymor and Michael Curry, and lighting design by seven-time Tony Award-winner Donald Holder. This production famously revolutionized Broadway with its breathtaking fusion of puppetry, mask work, and stagecraft.

This production stuns audiences from the very beginning. The opening features the amazing Pride Rock set piece, which rotates and rises up through the stage floor by computer-controlled electric and hydraulic motors, while the rear of the stage rakes up to form a horizon line on the cyclorama. The iconic “Circle of Life” opening remains one of the most unforgettable moments in Broadway history.

The Lion King Tickets

6. MJ the Musical (February 1, 2022 – Open Run)

At the Neil Simon Theatre

Tony Award-winning scenic designer of MJ the Musical, Derek McLane, created a densely industrial cityscape suspended between Times Square and Tokyo, with the majority of the story set inside a spacious industrial dance rehearsal studio. Throughout the musical, audiences are repeatedly transported into Michael Jackson’s mind—his memories and dreams—with alternating dream sequences made to surprise audiences at every turn.

For the musical number featuring shattered mirror pieces, McLane created two intricate metal frames holding 160 mirror shards made of Lexan on automated traveler tracks, designed to appear as if floating through the air. Notably, the production won the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design of a Musical.

MJ the Musical Tickets

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