What's Playing in South Florida — May 2026

Welcome to the inaugural column on this brand-new website! After years on the old platform, Spotlight on the Stage has a fresh home — and the excitement is real. Here's a look at what's lighting up South Florida stages this month.

Whether you're a longtime reader or discovering this column for the first time, the mission remains the same: help you find the very best live performances this region has to offer, from intimate black-box productions to grand touring Broadway spectacles.

Before closing out May, it's worth looking ahead to what's on the horizon at Boca Black Box, which continues to be one of the most reliably excellent intimate venues in South Florida.

June is shaping up beautifully. Mark your calendars for the upcoming shows — the full calendar is always available at bocablackbox.com. This venue consistently delivers performances that punch well above their weight, and the June lineup is no exception.

If you haven't been to Boca Black Box recently, now is the time. The room is small enough that there isn't a bad seat in the house, and the productions have a polish and energy that rival anything you'd see on a much larger stage.

Come From Away continues its run and remains one of the most emotionally resonant shows on South Florida stages. Based on the true story of the small Canadian town of Gander, Newfoundland, that took in nearly 7,000 stranded airline passengers in the days following September 11, 2001, this musical is a testament to human kindness and community.

If you haven't seen it yet, don't wait. Tickets are available at browardcenter.org.

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts will be hosting Hamilton — and yes, it is every bit as extraordinary as you've heard. Lin-Manuel Miranda's retelling of Alexander Hamilton's life through hip-hop, R&B, and show tunes is a genuine once-in-a-generation theatrical achievement.

Tickets are available at browardcenter.org. We cannot recommend this one highly enough.

The calendar is filling up with some genuinely exciting announcements for later in the year:

• Blue Man Group at Au-Rene Theater at Broward Center (June 11–14) — always a spectacle, always fun
• Vince Gill at the Broward Center (June 7) — a legend in concert
• Forever Everly at Florida Rep (September 18–October 25) — a tribute to the Everly Brothers
• An Evening with Victoria Clark — November 22, one night only

Full previews and ticket links for each of these will be posted as the dates approach. Stay tuned.

For longtime readers: yes, the site looks different! We've moved to a new platform that will make it much easier to keep things updated and to give each column its own permanent, shareable link. You can always find the full archive at the Archives Index, and every new column will live right here at /columns.

Thank you, as always, for reading. The curtain is up — let's enjoy the show.