Stranger Things: The First Shadow on Broadway New York, NY

One of the Most Visually Astonishing Productions I’ve Ever Seen Stranger Things: The First Shadow – Marquis Theatre, NYC My journey to this show started long before I took my seat at the Marquis Theatre. I spent six unexpected hours stranded at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, navigating rolling delays, crowded gates, and a terminal full of restless travelers. When my flight finally took off, I landed at LaGuardia, rushed onto the Q70 bus, jumped to the subway, and made a flat-out sprint to my hotel just to drop my bags. With minutes to spare, I pushed through Times Square and slid into the theatre just in the nick of time. And somehow — the show made every chaotic minute worth it. A Production on a Completely Different Level Stranger Things: The First Shadow delivers something I did not think was possible on stage. The production feels cinematic, but alive — the type of theatre that makes the entire audience lean forward at once. This isn’t a simple prequel. It’s the origin story the TV series always hinted at but never had the canvas to paint. Standout Elements • Visuals: The stagecraft is astonishing. Seamless transitions, impossible effects, and illusions I still can’t explain. At times it felt like watching a blockbuster unfold in real time. • Performances: The actor playing Henry Creel is a revelation — unsettling, magnetic, completely in control of the room. His physicality and vocal choices were so precise that I genuinely forgot I was watching an actor. Young Joyce was another standout, delivering warmth and grounded emotion that anchored the chaos around her. • Key Moments: Without giving spoilers: • The Act I finale involving Dr. Brenner left the entire audience frozen. • Patty’s scene was heartbreaking and brilliantly executed. • The final moments — revealing Eleven — were pitch-perfect and exactly what long-time fans hoped for. Story Notes (No Spoilers) I went in thinking Henry Creel was simply “born bad.” The play adds nuance: if what happens to him in Nevada is truly out of his control, we’re looking at a tragic rewrite of a person’s entire being — not a simple villain arc. The show invites that debate, and I appreciated the complexity. What Surprised Me Most I expected nostalgia. I got something richer, darker, and more emotionally layered — a production that raises the bar for franchise theatre. I’ve seen a lot of stage work, and this ranks among the top visual experiences of my life. After a difficult travel day, unpredictable transit, and barely making curtain, this show didn’t just save the night — it became the highlight of my entire trip. If you’re in NYC, this is absolutely worth your time.

Took the family to NYC to enjoy a day trip after Thanksgiving. The adult kids picked this broadway show to watch. We haven’t watched a broadway show for a while so the excitement is real. The show was not a disappointment, it was almost full in the theater. The audience was really immersed into the action. The effect is so real and sometimes a bit scary. Although the sound effects were a bit too loud and my watch reminded me several times that I had to pause for the day. So all the characters are great and deserve a standing ovation.

Felt unsafe, harassed by security guard Devon for waiting for family actively purchasing merchandise. We were a group of 5, after the show one family member went to restroom, told her we would meet at the merchandise counter where I was with her husband and son. My husband was unfortunately not separated from group with push of crowd. He called me and I was on the phone telling him where we were and looking out glass doors for him, the glass doors are super reflective so it’s hard to see thru. I see him and guide him back to us. Now we are inside near merchandise, still purchasing, a female staff and security guard Devon come inside and start harassing us. They said I was taking video of production, mind you we are the public lobby and the show is OVER and there was nothing to film… odd. They said there were actors on the other side of the glass taking pictures with the public in the lobby and accused me of filming them. Pointed out that you can’t see thru the mirrored reflective doors let alone film (pictures attached showing location and glass doors). Also all areas are public. I told them we were waiting for one person in the bathroom and pointed to the rest of our party actively paying for merchandise. They tried to separate our group, telling my husband and I to leave our group. Our group visiting from out of the country, English is not their first language and they don’t have US phones. We refused to be separated. My husband told them they were power tripping. We felt unsafe. They should not be trying to separate families for reasons they made up in their own head. If the merchandise counter is open and our group is actively purchasing, there’s no reason to separate us. This is NOT safe for families or groups. Devon needs retraining, this is supposed to be a family environment. Adding pictures.

Honest review here. The show was good , great special effects , some good acting some very poor and cringy, the theatre however is a nightmare of nasty people, long lines. The consession stand is incredibly slow where at intermission you don’t even have enough time to get anything. We were told there was a shop on 8th floor to get some refreshments snacks, we went up there then the same person very nastily said we can’t bring it back to the seats if you did my but it at the stranger thing stand. Why even tell us? Same with bathrooms, unless you run out right away you won’t have enough time to get back. 40 people were waiting in the lobby for a break so they can return to their seats. Also some drinks run you $25. I was asked to tip the merchandise vendor which I quickly declined and was given a dirty look. I would avoid this theatre.

If you are a fan of Stranger Things than you will love the origins of how things began. Recommend to review the playbill before the start of the show so you can understand who all the characters are and how they relate to the current cast of characters. Great story, Amazing Production and Effects, and the actors did a great portrayal of each character.