Phantom, Rocky Horror and Idina Menzel lead the Broadway lineup at New York Comic Con
Playbill's fifth Broadway takeover brings panels on Phantom, Rocky Horror, Little Shop and Maybe Happy Ending to the Javits Center, Oct. 8 to 11.
Theater fans get their own lane at New York Comic Con this year. From Oct. 8 to 11, the Javits Center hosts a lineup of Broadway panels organized by Playbill, which is marking its fifth annual takeover of the fan convention.
The Rocky Horror Show, Little Shop of Horrors, Maybe Happy Ending and Schmigadoon! all have sessions on the schedule. A panel celebrating The Phantom of the Opera rounds out the list.
Broadway panels at New York Comic Con, day by day
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s masked antihero opens the program on Thursday, Oct. 8. His musical reaches its four-decade milestone, and the anniversary session will also cover how the show led to Masquerade, the immersive production now playing in New York. In the afternoon, Cinco Paul, who created Schmigadoon!, traces his path from animated films, Despicable Me among them, to the Apple TV series, which later became a Broadway show.
Friday, Oct. 9, opens with the creative team of Maybe Happy Ending, who will walk through the projections, automation and lighting behind the show’s futuristic world. Later in the day, queer and trans cast members from Rocky Horror on Broadway sit down to discuss representation, fandom, Hollywood and the nerdy interests that helped form them.
Theater artists return Saturday, Oct. 10, for the fifth annual Big Broadway Nerd Panel, sharing how comic books, fantasy and science fiction influence both their careers and their personal lives. Sunday, Oct. 11, belongs to Little Shop of Horrors. The current off-Broadway production, a revival, has topped 2,300 performances, and no staging of the musical has run longer. Its cast and creative team will talk about that staying power.
Idina Menzel, Wayne Brady and more theater programming
Beyond the show panels, Tony winner Idina Menzel leads a Spotlight session, while Wayne Brady hosts Improv Nerdvana, which centers on music. Other programming explores how Broadway and Hollywood connect and where musicals overlap with manga. The actor who voices Professor Oak in Pokémon is the host for a session on BALLS: The Monster-Catchin’ Musical Comédy.
Additional panel guests have not yet been announced. Tickets, single-day passes included, are available on the New York Comic Con website.
Quick answers
When is New York Comic Con 2026?
The convention runs Oct. 8 to 11 at the Javits Center.
Which Broadway shows have panels at New York Comic Con?
Sessions cover The Phantom of the Opera, Schmigadoon!, Maybe Happy Ending, The Rocky Horror Show and Little Shop of Horrors, plus the Big Broadway Nerd Panel.
How do I get tickets?
Tickets, including single-day passes, are available on the New York Comic Con website.
