Broadway Takes Over NYCC: Rocky Horror, Phantom & More Star 2026's Biggest Theater Event

New York Comic Con is usually the domain of superheroes, sci-fi franchises and cosplayers. Next month, however, the Javits Center will make room for another famously obsessive fandom: Broadway fans.

Playbill is returning to New York Comic Con for its fifth annual Broadway takeover, bringing panels dedicated to hit musicals like Schmigadoon!, Maybe Happy Ending, Little Shop of Horrors and The Rocky Horror Show to the convention from October 8 through 11. The lineup also includes a celebration of The Phantom of the Opera and Playbill’s annual gathering of theater’s biggest self-professed nerds.

A Night of Theatrical Obsession

The crossover begins Thursday, October 8, with a panel marking 40 years of The Phantom of the Opera. The conversation will explore how Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical inspired Masquerade, the immersive production currently haunting New York. Later that afternoon, Schmigadoon! creator Cinco Paul will discuss his path from animated films including Despicable Me to the Apple TV series and its subsequent Broadway adaptation.

On Friday, October 9, the creative team behind Maybe Happy Ending will explain how it constructed the show’s futuristic world through projections, automation, lighting and what Playbill calls “theatrical sleight of hand.” Later that day, queer and trans stars of Broadway’s Rocky Horror will gather for a candid conversation about representation, fandom, Hollywood and the geek culture that shaped them. Yes, doing the Time Warp in cosplay is presumably encouraged.

Saturday brings the fifth annual Big Broadway Nerd Panel, where theater artists will discuss the influence of comic books, fantasy and science fiction on their work and personal lives. On Sunday, the cast and creatives of the off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors will unpack the production’s longevity as it passes 2,300 performances and becomes the longest-running staging in the musical’s history. (Audrey II remains hungry, apparently.)

Star-Studded Lineup

Elsewhere at the convention, Tony winner Idina Menzel will headline a Spotlight panel and Wayne Brady will host the music-driven Improv Nerdvana. Other events will examine the relationship between Broadway and Hollywood, the unlikely overlap between musicals and manga and BALLS: The Monster-Catchin’ Musical Comédy, hosted by the voice of Professor Oak from Pokémon.

Panel guests are still being announced. New York Comic Con runs October 8–11 at the Javits Center, with tickets and single-day passes available through its website.