2025's 10 Best Theatrical Productions

Notwithstanding the existential threats that plague theater (and so many other things) in 2025, a number of worthwhile shows were produced this year.  In terms of quality, 2025 was not a good as last year, but still much better than 2023.  Indeed, I had no problem finding worthy shows to make my top 10 list, plus some very honorable mentions.

There are a few noticeable deficiencies in the below list.  There is not a single new musical that made the top 10 (Note: my #10 below is not really a musical or a play- more akin to a staged song cycle).  In addition, there is only one musical revival.  The very risky economics of staging musicals is evident.  

On the positive side, 5 new plays (Note: Robert Icke's adaptation of "Oedipus" seems best considered a new play) made the list this year, including 3 that were staged on Broadway.  Even though all three were billed as limited runs from the outset, it suggests that some producers were still willing to invest in quality new plays.  

This year's list is weighted towards work produced on stages beyond Broadway, again highlighting the economic risks of mounting a Broadway production.  Sadly, those risks are not limited to the main stem as non-profits in New York and beyond are still almost universally struggling.  One can hope that some new models emerge in 2026 that make producing theater a more viable and sustainable venture.

In order of preference my 10 best shows of 2025 were:

1. RAGTIME [Broadway/ Lincoln Center] - eerily timely & even better than it was last year's @ Encores

2. BROTHERS SIZE [The Shed]- astounding acting left me an emotional wreck at the conclusion

3. PURPOSE [Broadway]- addition of Kara Young to the cast made it better than @ Steppenwolf

4. STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE [BAM]- viscerally exciting with the most interesting & unusual Blanche I have seen

5. MEET THE CARTOZIANS [Second Stage]- stylistically bold, beautifully written & very funny

6. LITTLE BEAR RIDGE ROAD [Broadway]- overdue Broadway debut for Samuel Hunter featuring a magnificent performance by Laurie Meltcalf

7. CAROLINE [MCC]- deeply moving exploration of the damage wrought by broken family ties

8. OEDIPUS [BROADWAY]- Robert Icke's masterful adaptation of a centuries old work that plays like a nail biting thriller

9. PRIMARY TRUST [Dallas Theater Center]- emotionally astute staging of '24 Pulitzer winning play

10. ORATORIO FOR LIVING THINGS [Signature Theatre]- wildly original & beautifully sung music cycle that left and indelible imprint on me

Honorable Mentions: REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES [Broadway]; TWELFTH NIGHT [Shakespeare in the Park]; BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB [Broadway]; JOSEPH & THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT [Dallas Theater Center]

"Cartozians" & "Oedipus" Shine Brightest In Year End NY Theater

For habitual theatergoers one of the most invigorating experiences is to come across an outstanding and boundary pushing play by a relatively new playwright whose work was previously unknown to you.  I had that very experience while watching Talene Monahan's "MEET THE CARTOZIANS," playing through December 14 at Second Stage's space at the Signature Theatre complex.  "Cartozians" two acts, set in 1924 and 2024 respectively, uses a 1924 federal immigration lawsuit centered on whether Armenians are members of the white race as the jumping off point for thoughtful and layered explorations of socieatal issues, inlcuding race, class and religion, that are as relevant and divisive in 2024 as they were a century earlier.  The first act is largely a family drama with doses of subtle humor and the second act uses the same actors playing different characters in a trenchant and very funny comedy that takes place on the a reality tv show set.

Among the many things to admire about this brilliant play are the way the two very differently styled acts are in conversation with one another, and despite the tricky shift both the play and the production deftly navigate the tonal differences, which is very difficult to do.  Ample credit is due to the precise direction by David Cromer, and the talent and range of the production's six actors, which include Tony winners Andrea Martin and Will Brill.  This play will almost certainly be a very strong contender for the next year's Pulitzer Prize for drama, and is so masterful that I eagerly await Ms. Monahan's next play.

If you want to see how a centuries old play can be adapted into an exciting contemporary drama, you need look no further than Studio 54 where the Robert Icke's adaptation of Sophocles' "OEDIPUS" is running through February 8.  Icke sets his adaptation in a contemporary political campaign and the focus is weighted towards the title character (perfectly played by Mark Strong) as compared with other productions that often focus primarily on the Jocasta character (usually played in this production by Leslie Manville who was out at my performance, but was replaced by her terrific understudy Denise Cormier).  Icke's direction and staging meticulously crafts a thriller like atmosphere for a story that most of the audience already knows the ending, which in itself is a major feat of theatrical imagination.

Bess Wohl can be a hit or miss playwright for me, but the widespread and near universal critical acclaim that greeted the Broadway production of her play "LIBERATION" convinced me to see it.  While I thought it was a good play, the theatrical devices Ms. Wohl repeatedly employs here (fourth wall breaking, ample narration, actors changing characters) created an emotional distance for me such that I was left somewhat unmoved throughout.  I also found some of the dialogue to be unduly glib, another issue that I find in some of Ms. Wohl's other works.  Having said all of that, I appreciate the play's take on gender issues that were current in the 1970's that stubbornly remain current today.

Finally, the bouncy, very funny, perfectly cast and expertly paced revival of William Finn's "THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE" playing at New World Stages is a great palate cleanser for our increasingly troubling times.  Danny Mefford's production aims to entertain and that it joyously and consistently does throughout its 1 hour 45 minute running time.