The Apple Boys, a musical comedy set among the sideshows and hot dog stands of Gilded Age Coney Island, arrives Off-Broadway this winter at the Duke on 42nd Street, with previews from Tuesday, February 16, 2027.
Opening night is Thursday, February 25, 2027, and the engagement is scheduled to run through Friday, June 18, 2027. Producers Johnnie Hawkins and LaChanze announced the production on September 30, with Larry Bomback and AJ Epstein completing the producing team.
The show is not new to New York. Jonothon Lyons, who wrote the book, and composer-lyricist Ben Bonnema first brought it to HERE Arts Center in 2018, and it had its first regional production at Bucks County Playhouse in Pennsylvania in the spring of 2025. This winter's staging is billed as its Off-Broadway premiere. David Alpert directs, with choreography by Marc Kimelman.
The plot runs on apples and harmony. Jack, a grandson of Johnny Appleseed, learns that a crooked landlord is scheming to take the family orchard, and he and his blue-collar friends have to find the money before it is gone. Their plan is to enter the biggest singing contest of the age and win it. Lyons and vocal arranger Matt Gallagher, associate music supervisor for the North American companies of Hamilton, are both members of the Barbershop Harmony Society.
LaChanze said the musical has “all the elements that make for a deeply satisfying musical comedy, from its lovable characters to its glorious score,” adding: “These songs will leave you wanting to sing for joy!”
The design team is Adam Koch (sets), Johanna Pann (costumes), Rui Rita (lighting) and Alex Neumann (sound). Rona Siddiqui is music supervisor, Jason Styres is casting director, and Evan Bernardin Productions is general manager. The key art is by Scott Stowell, set in a typeface designed by Tobias Frere-Jones.
No casting has been announced; the producers say it will follow soon. Tickets are on sale now through the production's website, TheAppleBoysMusical.com. The Duke on 42nd Street is at 229 West 42nd Street.
