Audible Theater and TOGETHER are bringing back a provocative hit to Off-Broadway this spring: Hannah Moscovitch’s Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes, starring Hugh Jackman and Ella Beatty. The production, which electrified New York audiences in 2025, will run for a limited engagement from March 17 through April 20, 2026, at the Minetta Lane Theatre. It’s a much-anticipated return, and for good reason—this play isn’t just a compelling drama; it’s a sharp, unsettling look at desire, perspective, and the shifting sands of power.
According to Playbill, the story centers on Jon (played by Jackman), a celebrated novelist and charismatic university professor whose personal life is unraveling as he faces the end of his third marriage. Enter Annie (Beatty), a 19-year-old college student and devoted admirer of Jon’s work. Their connection—fraught, intoxicating, and perilous—serves as the play’s engine, propelling both characters into territory that’s as emotionally charged as it is ethically ambiguous. Moscovitch’s script deftly explores how attraction and authority can become entangled, raising questions that linger long after the curtain falls.
This return engagement is notable for several reasons. First, it marks the kickoff of TOGETHER’s second season, a partnership between producer Sonia Friedman and Hugh Jackman himself, in collaboration with Audible Theater. Their inaugural season saw Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes playing in repertory opposite Jen Silverman’s adaptation of Strindberg’s Creditors, and now, the play is taking center stage once again. As BroadwayWorld reports, additional programming for the 2026 season will be announced in the coming months, but the spotlight right now is firmly on Moscovitch’s daring narrative and its two magnetic leads.
Jackman’s star power hardly needs introduction. A Tony, Emmy, and Grammy Award winner, he’s fresh off his acclaimed run as Harold Hill in the 2022 Broadway revival of The Music Man and a recent turn on the big screen in the Neil Diamond musical biopic Song Sung Blue. His portrayal of Jon has been praised as “self-effacing and self-aware, his megawatt charm hooks us on Jon’s every dubious word,” according to the New York Theatre Guide. In the hands of a lesser actor, Jon’s character might come across as simply predatory or unsympathetic, but Jackman brings nuance to a role that demands both vulnerability and unsettling charisma.
Ella Beatty, meanwhile, is carving out her own impressive path. She made her Broadway debut in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Appropriate and starred with Rose Byrne in the Oscar-nominated drama If I Had Legs I'd Kick You. Her Annie is no mere ingénue; Beatty’s performance captures the complexity of a young woman navigating admiration, agency, and the blurry boundaries of consent. The chemistry between Jackman and Beatty was a highlight of the 2025 run and is expected to be just as riveting in this new engagement.
Ian Rickson returns as director, guiding the production with a steady hand. The creative team is packed with talent: scenic design by Brett J Banakis and Christine Jones, costumes by Ásta Bennie Hostetter, lighting by Isabella Byrd, and sound by Mikaal Sulaiman. Jim Carnahan handles casting, while Merrick A. B. Williams serves as production stage manager. Theatrical supervision comes courtesy of ShowTown Theatricals and Beacon Theatrical Services, ensuring the show’s technical and artistic elements are top-notch.
Accessibility is front and center in this production’s ticketing strategy. As reported by BroadwayWorld and Playbill, 25% of seats for every performance are being offered at just $35, available exclusively on the day of the show via the TodayTix app or in person at the Minetta Lane box office. It’s a move designed to open the doors to a wider audience, reflecting a growing trend among theater producers to make high-quality performances more affordable and inclusive.
For those unable to attend in person, there’s another way to experience the play. The original Off-Broadway run was recorded as an Audible Original and released worldwide on October 9, 2025, making the gripping story accessible to millions of listeners. This digital release has helped extend the play’s reach far beyond the New York stage, inviting global audiences to grapple with its provocative themes.
The narrative itself doesn’t shy away from discomfort. Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes is described as “a razor-sharp examination of desire, power, and blurred boundaries,” as BroadwayWorld puts it. The play traces not only the initial spark between Jon and Annie but also the years-later aftermath, asking audiences to consider the lingering effects of such relationships. It’s intimate, unsettling, and designed to leave viewers questioning their own assumptions about agency, culpability, and the stories we tell ourselves about love and transgression.
Audible Theater and TOGETHER’s decision to revive the play speaks to its resonance in the current cultural moment. As debates about consent, authority, and the complexities of student-teacher relationships continue to swirl in the broader conversation, Moscovitch’s work feels both timely and timeless. The play doesn’t offer easy answers—nor does it demonize or exonerate its characters. Instead, it invites audiences to sit with the ambiguity, to recognize the ways in which perspective shapes every encounter and memory.
Looking back, the premiere season of TOGETHER included not just Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes but also a revised revival of Creditors, demonstrating the company’s commitment to challenging, conversation-starting theater. The anticipation for this spring’s run is palpable, with theatergoers eager to see Jackman and Beatty reprise their roles and to experience the play’s raw emotional power in an intimate setting.
While New York’s theater scene is no stranger to stories that push boundaries, this production stands out for its willingness to dwell in the gray areas. It’s not just a story about a professor and his student—it’s a meditation on how easily lines can blur, how charm and intellect can become weapons, and how the consequences of our actions ripple out in ways we can’t always foresee.
For those planning to attend, tickets are expected to move quickly, especially with the $35 accessible seats in high demand. And for anyone who can’t make it to the Minetta Lane, the Audible Original recording remains a powerful alternative, ensuring that this conversation—about desire, power, and the stories we tell—continues well beyond the footlights.
With its stellar cast, incisive writing, and commitment to accessibility, Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes is poised to be one of the most talked-about productions of the spring. Whether experienced live or through headphones, it’s a play that refuses to let audiences off the hook—and that’s exactly what makes it so vital.