Joe Keery Makes Broadway Debut in Other Desert Cities at Hudson Theatre
Joe Keery steps onto the New York stage this fall to make his Broadway debut in Jon Robin Baitz’s play Other Desert Cities, opening Oct. 18 at the Hudson Theatre for a run scheduled through Jan. 17, hollywoodreporter.com reported. Directed by John Benjamin Hickey, the production casts the Stranger Things star as a smooth-talking Hollywood figure attempting to keep his fractured family together during a tense holiday gathering.
Today, Joe Keery makes his Broadway debut with the first preview performance of ‘Other Desert Cities’. The show will officially open on October 18th, and continue through January 17th. pic.twitter.com/T0EumvJGXP
The production brings together a high-profile cast that initially drew Keery to the project. During early table reads, Keery performed alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Allison Janney, and Ed Harris, admitting that receiving the casting offer prompted an immediate exclamation of surprise, hollywoodreporter.com reported. Lily Rabe subsequently joined the ensemble as Keery’s sister, setting the plot in motion by bringing an explosive unpublished manuscript to her conservative parents’ desert home.
Balancing Music Tours and Broadway Rehearsals
Managing the rehearsal schedule required an intense logistical pivot following Keery’s international music commitments. Performing under the stage name Djo, Keery saw his track “End of Beginning” go viral on TikTok and climb the Billboard Hot 100 before he embarked on a tour of Mexico and South America, followed by opening dates for Tame Impala and a U.K. tour leg, hollywoodreporter.com reported. Rehearsals for Other Desert Cities began immediately after his U.K. dates concluded. “I finished on a Sunday, flew on a Monday, and then started rehearsing on a Tuesday,” Keery told hollywoodreporter.com, noting the heavy initial whiplash of transitioning straight from concert venues to theater blocking.
Within the star-studded ensemble, Keery handles a pivotal monologue that challenges Rabe’s character over the truth and potential harm contained within her family exposé. Preparation involved extensive walking, memorizing dialogue, and collaborating closely with director John Benjamin Hickey to internalize the text. Keery noted that despite working alongside veteran screen actors, the rehearsal room quickly sheds ego. “Everyone’s doing it because they want to do it. Everyone’s doing it because they love it,” Keery told hollywoodreporter.com.
Following Fellow Cast Members to the New York Stage
Keery joins a growing roster of Stranger Things alumni transitioning to New York theater, following co-stars Gaten Matarazzo and Maya Hawke. His decision to accept the Broadway role was actively encouraged by Sadie Sink, who starred in the 2025 production of John Proctor is the Villain, hollywoodreporter.com reported. Alongside his stage commitments and music career, Keery continues to field independent film and television roles, including an appearance in Fargo, while declining to map out rigid career blueprints.
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