The best theater and shows to see in Miami this winter

A wintertime favorite with adventure and romance to spare, this musical adaptation of the 1997 animated classic retains the story’s historical origins, as the amnesiac title character escapes her oppressive life in imperialist Russia and hopes to reconstruct her past with the unlikely help of a con artist and ex-aristocrat. Celebrated playwright Terence McNally wrote the book for the musical. Slow Burn Theatre at Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW 5th Ave, Fort Lauderdale (954-462-0222). Dec 21–Jan 5: various show times; $72 and up.

Nothing is sacred in the not-so-hallowed halls of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in this gleefully vulgar farce from up-and-coming playwright Selina Fillinger. Despite the acronym in the title, the president of the United States doesn’t have a speaking part in this all-female satire, but his louche actions set in motion the zany antics of a rogues’ gallery of Beltway archetypes tasked with protecting—or exposing—his reputation. Zoetic Stage at Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd, Miami (305-949-6722, arshtcenter.org). Jan 9–26: 7:30pm Thu–Sat, 2:30pm Sun; $56–$61.

This hit-filled musical, authorized by the late performer, charts the tumultuous journey of Tennessee-born Anna Mae Bullock, later christened Tina Turner by Ike Turner, the showman and bandleader who discovered her, married her and abused her. By Act II, Turner has shed her violent first husband and embarks on a new musical vision as a solo artist, despite the pervasive racism and ageism of the era. The songs are a marvelous assemblage of 20th-century rock and soul. Broadway in Miami at Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd, Miami (305-949-6722, arshtcenter.org). Jan 14–19: various show times; $30–$135.

A Pulitzer Prize and Tony winner upon its 1967 Broadway premiere, this hulking portrait of domestic dysfunction from playwright Edward Albee is considered among the undisputed masterpieces of the second half of the 20th century. A late middle-aged couple flees an indefinable sense of terror to cohabitate with their best friends, whose own problems, from divorce and alcoholism to potential infidelity, are all too tangible. Island City Stage, 2304 N Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors (954-928-9800). Jan 16–Feb 9: various show times; $48.

One of the foundational productions in the peak era of the jukebox musical, this four-time Tony winner charts the historic rise and personal struggles of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons through two decades of the vocal group’s pioneering explorations of four-part harmony. “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Walk Like a Man” are among the irrepressible earworms. Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables (305-444-9293, actorsplayhouse.org). Jan 22–Feb 23: 8pm Wed–Sat, 3pm Sun; $60–$70.

The final show in LakeHouseRanch’s third season of provocative plays in intimate settings, Mackenzie Raine’s world-premiere comedy takes its name from four artists, selected for different reasons, who are enlisted to design and build a new American flag. As a consensus choice grows more elusive, Raine takes an absurdist look at patriotism and symbolism in the 21st century. LakehouseRanchDotPNG.com at Main Street Playhouse, 6812 Main St, Miami Lakes (lakehouseranchdotpng.com). Jan 24–Feb 2: 8pm Fri–Sat, 2pm Sun; $20.

Fresh from Broadway—where it won the 2024 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play—Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ searing dark comedy is set on a decaying plantation in the cicada-filled environs of Arkansas, where a family has gathered to quarrel over their departed patriarch’s inheritance. When an estranged brother appears unexpectedly, and buried relics resurface among the clutter, the already fractious reunion reaches a boiling point. GableStage, 1200 Anastasia Ave, Coral Gables (305-445-1119, gablestage.org). Jan 31–Feb 23; various show times; $25–$80.

Jason Robert Brown’s sobering, fact-based musical explores the trial and wrongful sentencing of a Jewish factory owner in the racist, anti-Semitic Atlanta of 1913, for the unspeakable crime of raping and murdering a 13-year-old employee. In their handling of this pivotal case, Brown and his book writer, Alfred Uhry, unravel the ways in which stubborn prejudice clouds rational inquiry, through tunes both elegiac and trenchant. Slow Burn Theatre at Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW 5th Ave, Fort Lauderdale (954-462-0222). Feb 8–23: various show times; $72 and up.

The ABBA-soundtracked jukebox musical, celebrating its 25th anniversary tour, has entrenched itself in our cultural firmament in a few modern musicals have. At its heart, it’s escapist fun set on a fictional Greek island, whose story is window dressing for the goofy and endearing repartee and those great dance songs—including “Money Money Money,” “Super Trouper” and “Dancing Queen.” Broadway in Miami at Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd, Miami (305-949-6722, arshtcenter.org). Feb 18–23: various show times; $30–$135.

Set during the familiar period of cautious reemergence from the coronavirus pandemic, John Mabey’s brand-new comedy centers on Ruth, a fully vaccinated empty-nest mother preparing to (finally) embark on a cruise. Her increasingly asocial husband Denny, however, has come to prefer the imposed isolation of quarantine, a conflict that is complicated by the arrival of their two grown children—with a less-than-savory boyfriend in tow. Main Street Playhouse, 6812 Main St, Miami Lakes (mainstreetplayers.com). Feb 21–March 9: 8pm Fri–Sat, 2pm Sun; $30.