'Sunset Boulevard,' 'Gypsy,' 'A Wonderful World' and 13 more Broadway shows to see

Fall is turning out to be a divine season for divas on Broadway.

Northport's Patti LuPone pairs up with longtime pal Mia Farrow in the "Odd Couple"-ish comedy "The Roommate." Six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald takes on the powerhouse role of Mama Rose (a diva in her own right) in the latest revival of "Gypsy." Nicole Scherzinger gets ready for her close-up as delusional diva Norma Desmond in the return of "Sunset Boulevard." And there's also "Tammy Faye," a new musical that takes a behind-the-makeup look at televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker with London's Katie Brayben reprising her Olivier Award-winning role.

It's not strictly a women's club, though. James Monroe Iglehart stars as the great Satchmo in "A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical." Brayben is joined by Broadway fave Christian Borle in "Tammy Faye" and "Lost" star Daniel Dae Kim can be found in the outrageous farce "Yellow Face." Finally, there's Oscar winner Robert Downey Jr. making his long-overdue Broadway debut in the original drama "McNeal."

In total, 16 shows will open on Broadway this fall, many of which are limited runs. Here's a sneak peek at what's ahead.

THE ROOMMATE (Booth Theatre, 222 W. 45th St., in previews, opens Sept. 12, runs through Dec. 15, theroommatebway.com) Iowa divorcee Sharon (Farrow) advertises for a roomie and gets more than she bargained for when tough New Yorker Robyn (LuPone) moves in. Jen Silverman's two-person comedy has been described as "The Odd Couple" meets "Breaking Bad."

THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA (Broadhurst Theatre, 235 W. 44th St., previews begin Sept. 11, opens Sept. 29, runs through Dec. 8, thehillsofcalifornia.com) Sam Mendes directs this Jez Butterworth drama about four sisters who reunite at their family's English seaside home when they learn their mother is dying. The action switches to California in flashbacks dealing with the siblings' attempts to become the next Andrews Sisters.

MCNEAL (Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center, 150 W. 65th St., previews begin Sept. 5, opens Sept. 30, runs through Nov. 24, mcnealbroadway.com) Downey takes center stage in Pulitzer Prize winner Ayad Akhtar's drama as a writer who's in line for the Nobel Prize for literature. However, he's not likely to win any awards as Father of the Year. There's also a subplot involving his fascination with artificial intelligence. The strong supporting cast includes Melora Hardin, Andrea Martin and Ruthie Ann Miles.

YELLOW FACE (Todd Haimes Theatre, 227 W. 42nd St., previews begin Sept. 13, opens Oct. 1, runs through Nov. 24, roundabouttheatre.org) Kim taps into his comic side as the star of David Henry Hwang's farce based on the playwright's own experience. The plot concerns a writer who protests when Asian actors are not cast in a production of "Miss Saigon" and then mistakenly casts a white performer as the Asian lead in his own play.

OUR TOWN (Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 243 W. 47th St., previews begin Sept. 17, opens Oct. 10, runs through Jan. 19, ourtownbroadway.com) Jim Parsons leaves "The Big Bang Theory" behind and enters the world of Grover's Corners, New Hampshire, where he takes on the role of Stage Manager in this latest incarnation of the Thornton Wilder chestnut. Katie Holmes, Richard Thomas and Ephraim Sykes are among the many residents of Wilder's seemingly idyllic town. Spoiler alert, on the off-chance your high school never did this show: All does not end happily.

SUNSET BOULEVARD (St. James Theatre, 246 W. 44th St., previews begin Sept. 28, opens Oct. 20, sunsetblvdbroadway.com) Fresh off her success in the London production comes former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, who sinks her claws into the juicy role of Norma Desmond, a faded film star who hires a washed-up screenwriter to work on her movie script. The scenario takes a dark turn when love enters into the picture. 

LEFT ON TENTH (James Earl Jones Theatre, 138 W. 48th St., previews begin Sept. 26, opens Oct. 23, runs through Feb. 2, leftontenthbroadway.com) "You've Got Mail" screenwriter Delia Ephron penned this real-life romcom based on her memoir. Julianna Margulies stars as Ephron and Peter Gallagher plays the man from her past with whom she reconnects.

ROMEO + JULIET (Circle in the Square Theatre, 235 W. 50th St., previews begin Sept. 26, opens Oct. 24, runs through Feb. 16, romeoandjulietnyc.com) For never was a story of more woe than this immortal Shakespeare tale of love and death. Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler portray the star-crossed lovers in this modern spin on the Bard's tragedy, which has already been extended for four more weeks before even beginning previews.

A WONDERFUL WORLD: THE LOUIS ARMSTRONG MUSICAL (Studio 54, 254 W. 54th St., previews begin Oct. 16, opens Nov. 11, louisarmstrongmusical.com) Well, hello Louis! "Aladdin" Tony Award winner Iglehart, who is also listed as a co-director, plays the legendary Armstrong in this show which looks at his life and music as told from the perspectives of each of his four wives.

MAYBE HAPPY ENDING (Belasco Theatre, 111 W. 44th St., previews begin Oct. 16, opens Nov. 12, maybehappyending.com) Heart and Seoul are at the center of this Korea-set musical starring Darren Criss as a robot deemed obsolete. Then when his robot neighbor (Helen J. Shen) asks to borrow a charger, sparks fly.

TAMMY FAYE (Palace Theatre, 160 W. 47th St., previews begin Oct. 19, opens Nov. 14, tammyfayebway.com) Brayben breaks out the mascara in this London import about the rise and fall from grace of televangelist superstar Tammy Faye Bakker. Borle co-stars as her husband, charismatic preacher Jim Bakker, and the songs feature music by Elton John and lyrics by Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears.

SWEPT AWAY (Longacre Theatre, 220 W. 48th St., previews begin Oct. 29, opens Nov. 19, sweptawaymusical.com) This musical, inspired by the events of a British shipwreck, has nothing to do with the 1974 Lina Wertmuller Italian film comedy (or the 2002 Hollywood washout with Madonna). Here the setting is 1888 New Bedford, Massachusetts, and concerns four men and their fight for survival when a storm sinks their whaling vessel. Instead of traditional sea shanties, the music comes from the catalog of folk rockers the Avett Brothers.

DEATH BECOMES HER (Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, 205 W. 46th St., previews begin Oct. 23, opens Nov. 21, deathbecomesher.com) In this new musical, Megan Hilty, Jennifer Simard and Christopher Sieber take on the roles played, respectively, by Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn and Bruce Willis in the zany 1992 film comedy about friendship, rivalry and immortality. Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child pops up as a mysterious mixer of a magic potion.

CULT OF LOVE (Hayes Theater, 240 W. 44th St., previews begin Nov. 20, opens Dec. 12, 2st.com) A holiday gathering starts out promising with the family gathering to sing carols, but the festivities hit a sour note as old conflicts come to the surface. It doesn't help that everyone is starving as their Christmas dinner takes forever to be ready.

EUREKA DAY (Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, 261 W. 47th St., previews begin Nov. 25, opens Dec. 16, manhattantheatreclub.com) To be vaccinated or not to be vaccinated? That is the question in Jonathan Spector's comedy about an exclusive private school that gets hit by an outbreak of the mumps. The show is sure to get a boost from its cast, which includes Broadway veterans Bill Irwin and Jessica Hecht.

GYPSY (Majestic Theatre, 245 W. 44th St., previews begin Nov. 21, opens Dec. 19, gypsybway.com) Let Audra McDonald entertain you as the mother of all stage mothers in this revival of the musical based on the life of burlesque queen Gypsy Rose Lee. The timeless Jule Styne-Stephen Sondheim score includes "Together," "Some People." "Small World" and — egg roll please — "Mr. Goldstone, I Love You."