Here are the 5 top shows to see in Phoenix this fall – and why they're worth your time

Hundreds of shows will be staged at metro Phoenix theaters this fall. To help you avoid missing out, we’re here to point out five in particular that are worth a look.

There’s a dark comedy on our list. There’s a singalong show we think your whole family will enjoy. One play will revisit a legend of the 1600s – guess who. There’s even a brand new show that started in England and features a cast of one – yes, one man to tell his emotional story through spoken word and song.

And finally, there's a new version of a Broadway classic show that casts an old favorite in a whole new light.

Here are five Phoenix-area shows you don't want to miss this fall.

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Phoenix Theatre Company: 'Book of Will'

It's hard not to know about William Shakespeare. But few people know about Henry Condell and John Heminges, who are remembered for preserving his works after he died.

Lauren Gunderson’s play “Book of Will,” set three years after Shakespeare died, recounts the “car chase” of Condell and Heminges searching and compiling the first folio.

“It’s about family, it’s about legacy,” said Melissa Rain, the show’s director. “Without these men, we wouldn’t have Hamlet today.”

The Hormel Theatre is transformed into London’s Globe Theatre for the show, and the costumes with Shakespeare’s words printed on the clothing are “astounding,” Rain said.

Details: Aug. 31-Sept. 18.  Phoenix Theatre, 1825 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. Tickets start at $50. 602-254-2151, phoenixtheatre.com.

Stray Cat Theatre: 'Ghosts of Bogotá'

The tagline of "Ghosts of Bogotá," written by Colombian playwright Diana Burbano, is “Come get haunted." And you just might.

"It takes a dark subject, the idea that ghosts and demons haunt families, and explores how they move through life with them, around them and past them," said Ron May, the show's artistic director. "And it's just in time for Halloween."

“Ghosts of Bogotá'' is about three Cuban American siblings who return to Bogota, Colombia, to bury their grandfather – whom no one will mourn. He sexually abused his granddaughters when they were young and beat his wife, the kids’ beloved grandmother Nena.

The show explores healing and family relationships. It’s a paradoxical story where comedy meets heartbreak told through a Latinx lens, featuring a cast that is fully people of color, May said.

"This is the first of the four shows that we are doing that features predominantly BIPOC artists," May said. "Anyone who's seen a Stray Cat show, you know what you're getting yourself into. It's still cutting-edge and contemporary."

Details: Sept. 30-Oct. 15, Tempe Center for the Arts Studio Theatre, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe. Call the box office for pricing. 480-227-1766, straycattheatre.org.

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ASU Gammage: 'Oklahoma!'

When you think of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s "Oklahoma!", you’re probably not thinking of this version.

The newest "Oklahoma!", re-envisioned by director Daniel Fish, is dark, brilliant and unlike past interpretations. This staging of the classic won a 2019 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.

The show features a 12-person cast with a seven-piece orchestra that plays on stage for the audience to see. Not much of the story has changed – not a line of the dialogue is different – but amid the love chases and romantic gestures are the tensions of order and lawlessness in frontier America.

The show runs six nights only. Buy tickets while you can.

Details: Oct. 18-23. ASU Gammage, 1200 S. Forest Ave., Tempe. Tickets start at $30. 480-965-3434, asugammage.com/oklahoma.

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Arizona Theatre Company: 'The Lion'

This one-man show will command your attention.

British actor Max Alexander-Taylor plays six guitars and sings his way through his story of reconnecting with his estranged father – altogether heartbreaking and beautiful and raw in a show that makes people cry, said Sean Daniels, the show's director.

"It’s because it feels so powerful and emotional for them. It costs more to sit and emotionally take something in, but the reward is greater,” Daniels said.

“The show wants to feel like a friend told you a story in a kitchen at a party. You invest in him and next thing you know, you’re 70 minutes in and screaming and clapping.”

The first version of "The Lion" found its place in London in 2015. Then it toured the United States, only to halt when its lead actor stepped away because the role was emotionally taxing. It took three years to find someone who could play the guitar as well as the original lead.

Details: Oct. 20-Nov. 6. Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe St., Phoenix. Tickets start at $25. 833-282-7328, atc.org/show/the-lion.

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Phoenix Symphony: 'Disney in Concert'

Come see your favorite Disney movies reimagined.

This year’s “Disney in Concert” performances by the Phoenix Symphony will transport fans into classics like “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Lion King,”  “Mary Poppins,”  “The Little  Mermaid”  and “Frozen.”

The performances will feature movie scenes on screen while the orchestra plays the original scores.

The show is singalong style – and dress-up style – so come in your favorite prince or princess attire for an evening with all your favorite characters.

Details: Nov. 25-27. Symphony Hall, 75 N. Second St., Phoenix. Tickets start at $34. 602-495-1999, tickets.phoenixsymphony.org/1332.

Reach the reporter at sofia.krusmark@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram @sofia.krusmark.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: These are the absolute best shows in the Phoenix area this fall