2025 Broadway in review
This was a busy year life-wise, so not much happened on this blog. But I will try to keep up the yearly reviews, if nothing else as a personal reflection for what I've watched. Below are some of the shows that stood out to me the most in 2025, along with what I'm looking forward to watching next year.
(Yes, I've seen & Juliet three more times this year for a total of six times. I would totally watch it a seventh time. It's just that good.)
Best set: Stranger Things: First Shadow
Knowing that the same production designers also built the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child set only got me more excited for this show. The play went all out in effects, even going so far as to transform parts of the lobby heading into the theater:
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This show is designed to be watchable without needing to actually watch the TV show as well, since the events take place chronologically before the events of the show. However, I think having watched the show some plot elements are more fun because you'll understand the easter eggs and can appreciate the younger versions of the characters you see on Netflix.
There were several moments of "oh my god I can't believe they pulled that off" with respect to the set design. The way they depicted the Upside Down, the constant lighting and stage effects, and even sending out actors into the audience was so fun. There was so much going on at times that I kind of want to go back and watch the play again, especially after watching the final season of Stranger Things. I'm sure I missed some stage elements the first time!
Aside from the set design, the actor that plays Henry Creel was incredible. He walked a fine line between making you feel for his plight while also being wary of his abilities. Knowing where his storyline goes having watched the show just makes you feel more uneasy (in a good way).
There's also a fun easter egg if you go out to look at the merchandise during intermission (I won't spoil it here). They did something similar in the Harry Potter play as well.
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Most unique: Masquerade
Masquerade is an interactive form of Phantom of the Opera where audience members are asked to arrive in black, white, or silver cocktail attire and a masquerade mask (one will be provided if you don't have one). Your ticket is a password emailed to you the day before the show, and you enter at the entry time you purchased, after which you are guided through an immersive version of the musical. Even the ticket buying experience was unique for Broadway.
The marketing leading up to this take on Phantom of the Opera generated just the right amount of intrigue. Early on, I couldn't actually tell if it was a gimmick/Instagram trap until I finally saw this post from Andrew Lloyd Webber himself:
This show was probably the most unique theater experience I've had to date. The way what was formerly Lee's Art Shop was completely transformed was nothing short of miraculous. Every scene in the musical was represented, from the opera stage, to the basement where the Phantom lived, to the rafters of the theater. Even the roof of the building and the outdoor spaces were utilized. If you stand outside the 218 W 57th street while the show is running, roughly every 15 minutes a different Phantom should pop out and start singing from the roof (there are 6 actors playing the Phantom). Amusingly while this particular scene was happening, I could see curious onlookers watching from the clothing store across the street.
There's nothing quite like experiencing a musical where the main characters are weaving around you while you're standing literally in the middle of every scene. There's an amazing feat of logistics towards the end of the show where audience members are divided into dressing rooms and watch specific scenes before the show's climax. You won't miss anything though, since the cast members rotate between the dressing rooms after their scene ends until everyone has seen everything, just in a different order.
I've already bought tickets to watch it again in January. The fact that you and everyone else are dressed up and wearing masquerade masks really makes it feel like you're a part of the musical as well. The tickets are pricey, but the experience and theatrics made it totally worth it.
You're not allowed to take pictures during the show, so here's a picture of the mask I received to wear instead:
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Best performance: The Picture of Dorian Gray
In terms of pure theater, hands down the best performance I witnessed was Sarah Snook in The Picture of Dorian Gray. It wasn't so much the plot or drama of the play that was impressive to me, but the sheer athleticism and might that it took to pull off the one act play. She 1000% deserved her Tony award, and I also completely understood why the run was so short (just a few months).
In the play, Sarah Snook plays all 26 characters from Oscar Wilde's novel while being live filmed on stage, with the video being live streamed onto screens for the audience to see. Some of the characters were pre-recorded and projected onto screens, where she interacts with them in e.g. a dinner party scene. Other times she's actively switching between characters, either within the same minute or via very quick costume changes.
How she manages to keep all of the personas straight, run around stage, and always hit her mark to look dead into the camera was incredible. It was basically a non stop monologue, since she played every character. I think I saw her take a single sip of water the entire time. She's otherwise always on stage or always on camera, always talking, sometimes at breakneck speed, and always moving. Watching the play makes you feel like you're holding your breath the entire time, and you can only let it out once the play is finished.
What I want to watch in 2026
There are a couple shows that came out this year that I didn't get a chance to watch yet. I plan on watching these early next year:
- Just in Time, with Jonathan Groff and Sarah Hyland
- All Out, with a rotating cast of comedians
- The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, an Off-Broadway show where I hear they also have a guest actor come and spell on stage each night.
- Tom Felton in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (he's playing adult Draco Malfoy!).
Titanique is also coming to Broadway – I'll be curious to see if they expand upon the set compared to the Off-Broadway version I saw this year. The Celine Dion impressions were spot on, so I'd watch probably watch it again.
Another one I'm excited to see come to NYC is Burnout Paradise, which I had actually seen at Fringe in Edinburgh in 2024. It was described as 4 people on a treadmill (and yes, I immediately pictured Here It Goes Again by OK Go, which they do perform at some point). It ended up being a decidedly unique theater experience that's hard to describe but a lot of fun to experience. For a sense of the chaos that is this show, here's a picture:
All shows watched
I watched 23 shows this year, 7 of which were Off-Broadway, and 14 of which were via lottery or rush.
This was a jukebox musical where Shakespeare and his wife play out the scenario where Juliet doesn't actually die, with hits by Max Martin (i.e. "I Want It That Way" and "Oops! ..I Did It Again")
The way they matched the lyrics to the plot was hilarious, and for a 90s kid it was a great way to relive those songs. The music was incredibly catchy, and I watched it again (and would yet again) just for the music.
The musical follows a mother (Idina Menzel) figuring out how to grieve her dead son in the middle of the Redwoods with the reluctant help of 2 arborist's she runs into in the middle of the woods.
The redwood tree they built to actually scale and climb during the show was really impressive. Khaila Wilcoxon, who plays one of the arborists Idina's character interacts with, was fantastic and has an amazing solo I still think about sometimes. Otherwise, it was hard to connect with Idina's character as she inserted herself in the 2 arborist's day jobs.
An aspiring Hollywood writer meets a washed up actress and they spiral downward together.
This was probably theater in its purest form – unreal vocalists, minimal set, excellent lighting, and a creative use of steady cams. At one point they're live filming on the streets of NYC and it makes me want to go see it from the outside. Nicole Sherzinger was absolutely phenomenal – I had never seen standing ovations in the middle of a musical before, so that was a first.
Two “best friends” who are rivals in every aspect of life battle it out after becoming immortal.
The practical effects of this show were awesome, especially when the two leading actresses get into an epic cat fight and heads literally start rolling. I loved the story arc of going from frenemies to actual best friends.
An interactive stage performance of a condensed DnD game.
The dungeon master was phenomenal . Charismatic and entertaining, he also managed to explain enough of DnD to the audience that even if you weren't an avid player you understood what was happening. It was also fun that they got the audience to participate via mini games and live voting to influence what happened with particular dice rolls. I'll note that the demographic of the audience was highly overlapping with that of MIT Mystery Hunt, so I felt right at home.
Vinny DePonto guides the audience through their memories and their own in a unique feat of both mentalism and stage magic.
The show was mostly memorable for its unique set design, which wasn't revealed until a little ways in and led to a constant trickle of fun surprises as you were left wondering what the next thing he would pull out of the depths of the set would be.
This was a jukebox musical where Shakespeare and his wife play out the scenario where Juliet doesn't actually die, with hits by Max Martin (i.e. "I Want It That Way" and "Oops! ..I Did It Again")
The way they matched the lyrics to the plot was hilarious, and for a 90s kid it was a great way to relive those songs. The music was incredibly catchy, and I watched it again (and would yet again) just for the music.
An interactive stage performance of a condensed DnD game.
The dungeon master was phenomenal . Charismatic and entertaining, he also managed to explain enough of DnD to the audience that even if you weren't an avid player you understood what was happening. It was also fun that they got the audience to participate via mini games and live voting to influence what happened with particular dice rolls. I'll note that the demographic of the audience was highly overlapping with that of MIT Mystery Hunt, so I felt right at home.
Shakespeare's Othello set in a modern day backdrop.
I rarely watch Shakespeare, and this show reminded me why – there's definitely a bit of buffering my brain had to do to understand the dialogue. Jake Gyllenhaal's performance as Iago really stood out (he does diabolical very well), but otherwise it was hard to see Denzel Washington as anything other than Denzel Washington during the show. But I didn't fall asleep, as I normally do in plays!
A musical about putting on a musical about Marilyn Monroe, and the natural dysfunction that follows.
The plot was a little too ridiculous for my taste (a lot of drama, a confusingly toxic nun, and an untidy ending). However, there were some bright moments as unexpected actresses got their moment in the spotlight, leading to some amazing sounding solos. My favorite moment was a character saying something along the lines of "why go watch a sad musical when I can just cry at home for free?".
This musical follows Betty Boop when she gets tired of stardom in her world and comes to our world (New York City) instead.
Honestly this was a really fun musical, with a light hearted plot, some really excellent choreo that melded the black and white cartoon world with the color of the real world, and overall fun song and dance numbers.
The musical follows a goddess who loves music and comes down to earth to interact with the humans in an Afro-jazz club in Mombasa, Kenya.
The music, dancing, and overall energy were amazing, with some incredibly catchy numbers (especially Boom Boom). There were parts of the show that slowed down a little too much, in contrast with the high energy of the rest of the show, but it was otherwise a really fun and unique watch.
This serves as a prequel to the events of the Netflix show, Stranger Things, following the life of Henry Creel in high school.
The production design was done by the same folks who designed Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and they really upped their game. The way they integrated some parts in the audience, layered screens to represent the upside down, and overall matched the theatrics of the show but live on television was fantastic. I'm sure I missed a ton of easter eggs the first time, so I would totally watch it again. For those that do want to go watch it, go outside during intermission for a fun element.
Based on the 2002 movie, the musical follows Ana Garcia as she's caught between two worlds, wanting to be a journalist while also supporting her family's sewing business.
The story was really heartwarming, with upbeat music and a story that hits hard given the political climate of when it was on stage. There's a fantastic moment on stage where they sing "Real Women Have Curves" and women of all shapes and sizes celebrate their bodies as-is, and I loved watching the audience react to it almost as much as watching the performance itself.
Celine Dion's (but not actually) re-telling of how she thinks the events of Titanic should have gone.
This was a hilarious musical comedy, with a really great impression of Celine Dion paired with an intentionally nonsensical plot. There was a particular scene from the movie they reenacted with a toy eggplant and a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe car from the 90s that was awkward to watch with the parents, but otherwise the singing was fantastic and the acting hilarious.
A musical comedy detailing the real life Operation Mincemeat from World War II.
Admittedly the show took more concentration that I would have liked given how fast they talked with a British accent, and some of the humor went over my head. Otherwise the plot was entertaining given it was based on real events, and the fact that the cast was only 5 people rotating between multiple characters each was impressive. The ending stood out the most where it seemed the production design (and musical numbers) pulled out all the stops in an otherwise minimal set.
Sarah Snook plays all 26 characters in enacting Oscar Wilde's novel on stage in a one act play.
Sarah Snook deserved her Tony Award, full stop. I think I saw her take a single sip of water the entire show – she was otherwise talking non stop, live on camera. She even conversed with pre-recorded versions of herself playing other characters, and the way they blended screens with live streamed video from cameras on stage was brilliant. Kudos to both her and the stagehands!
Wicked follows the wicked witch of the west, in that what if she wasn't actually wicked.
Wicked was my first ever Broadway show, and it set the bar high with its musical numbers and production design. Watching it again over ten years later after the movie came out was a treat. It did reinforce why I would remember the songs from the first act but the plot from the second act – Defying Gravity is hard to beat, but all the plot advancement happens in the second act.
This was a jukebox musical where Shakespeare and his wife play out the scenario where Juliet doesn't actually die, with hits by Max Martin (i.e. "I Want It That Way" and "Oops! ..I Did It Again")
The way they matched the lyrics to the plot was hilarious, and for a 90s kid it was a great way to relive those songs. The music was incredibly catchy, and I watched it again (and would yet again) just for the music.
Set during 1930s Berlin, Cabaret follows Sally Bowles, a dancer at the Kit Kat Club, and an American writer, Cliff Bradshaw, during the rise of Nazi power.
The set design was unique – they transformed the theater to have seats surrounding a small circular stage instead of the traditional orchestra/mezzanine in front of the stage. This gave the actors opportunities to mingle directly with the audience, which I thought was cool. I was otherwise unprepared for how sad the story would be (I knew nothing going in), but getting to watch Eva Noblezada live again was a treat.
Phantom of the Opera, but interactive. Audience members followed the action all throughout the building (even outside!) while dressed in cocktail attire and masquerade masks.
This was truly a unique experience, and it was amazing to see how they completely transformed the space into every part of the opera house, from the basement, to the rafters, and even the building's roof and outside elements. The fact that everyone is dressed up and also part of the action makes you feel actually immersed in the musical, and the vocals were so good – made even better by the fact that they're literally singing right next to you.
Think Mean Girls, but with murder.
This was another surprisingly fun musical, with overall funny plot elements. Lorna Courtney, who played the main character but also had played Juliet in & Juliet, was fantastic as always. Casey Likes, who was Marty McFly in the Back to the Future musical, was a surprisingly good villain – he was almost unrecognizable playing an evil high schooler. Sometimes I still get the Candy Store song stuck in my head.
A Cold War-era musical about 2 chess grandmasters from the US and Russia, respectively, caught in both a political minefield and love triangle at the same time. Cue drama!
I came mostly to see Aaron Tveit, and left surprisingly impressed by his co-star, Nicholas Christopher. The three leads all had amazing solos throughout the show. I was curious if the chess moves they rattled off were legit, but they were short and few in between. The narrator of the show was surprisingly funny, occasionally breaking the fourth wall and slipping in jokes involving current events. The plot was otherwise alright, and you could tell they did their best with the source material.