Friday, December 19, 2025

2025 in Review: Our Favorite Design Elements

We were fortunate to have seen 17 different productions in 2025: 14 on Broadway and 3 off-Broadway. These are the shows we considered in all categories this year: Bat Boy: The Musical, Buena Vista Social Club, Dead Outlaw, Death Becomes Her, Floyd Collins, Gypsy, Heathers, John Proctor is the Villain, Operation Mincemeat, The Queen of Versailles, Ragtime, Real Women Have Curves, Redwood, Romeo + Juliet, Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) and Urinetown. There were two productions we paid another visit to: Hadestown and Sunset Boulevard and considered only those elements which were new to us this time around. We made our selections separately, so below you'll see where we agreed, where we differed, and those things we each just had to include. Our selections are arranged in alphabetical order below.

How did we compare to your favorites? Let us know via social media - @jkstheatresecene on all platforms. (X, Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky and Yahoo mail)

2025 in Review:
Our Favorite Design Elements 

FAVORITE SHOW LOGO
BROADWAY - TIE
Operation Mincemeat     Real Women Have Curves

HONORABLE MENTION
Dead Outlaw     Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends

OFF-BROADWAY - TIE
Bat Boy: The Musical     Heathers: The Musical

FAVORITE SCENIC DESIGN
TIE

Buena Vista Social Club
Designed by Arnulfo Maldonano


Death Becomes Her
Designed by Derek McLane

HONORABLE MENTION
Jeff and Mike


The Queen of Versailles
Designed by Dane Laffrey


Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Designed by Soutra Gilmour


HONORABLE MENTION
Jeff


Redwood
Designed by Jason Ardizzone-West

HONORABLE MENTION
Mike


John Proctor is the Villain
Designed by AMP and Teresa L. Williams


FAVORITE COSTUME DESIGN

Death Becomes Her
Designed by Paul Tazewell

HONORABLE MENTION
Jeff and Mike


The Queen of Versailles
Designed by Christian Cowan


Ragtime
Designed by Linda Cho

FAVORITE LIGHTING DESIGN
TIE

Death Becomes Her
Designed by Justin Townsend


Sunset Boulevard**
Designed by Jack Knowles

HONORABLE MENTION
Jeff and Mike


Buena Vista Social Club
Designed by Christian Cowan


Floyd Collins
Designed by Scott Zielinsky


The Queen of Versailles
Designed by Natasha Katz

FAVORITE VIDEO/PROJECTION DESIGN
TIE

Redwood
Designed by Hannah S. Kim


Sunset Boulevard**
Designed by Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransome

HONORABLE MENTION
Jeff and Mike

Bat Boy: The Musical
Designed by uncredited


Floyd Collins
Designed by Ruey Horng Sun

HONORABLE MENTION
Mike

Ragtime
Designed by 59 Studio

HONORABLE MENTION
Jeff


John Proctor is the Villain
Designed by Hannah Wasileski

FAVORITE SOUND DESIGN
TIE

Buena Vista Social Club
Designed by Jonathan Deans


John Proctor is the Villain
Designed by Palmer Heffernan

HONORABLE MENTION
Jeff and Mike


Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Designed by Tony Gayle

HONORABLE MENTION
Mike

Ragtime
Designed by Kai Harada

HONORABLE MENTION
Jeff


Redwood
Designed by Jonathan Deans

Wednesday, December 17, 2025

2025 in Review: Our Favorite Writing and Direction

We were fortunate to have seen 17 different productions in 2025: 14 on Broadway and 3 off-Broadway. These are the shows we considered in all categories this year: Bat Boy: The Musical. Buena Vista Social Club, Dead Outlaw, Death Becomes Her, Floyd Collins, Gypsy, Heathers, John Proctor is the Villain, Operation Mincemeat, The Queen of Versailles, Ragtime, Real Women Have Curves, Redwood, Romeo + Juliet, Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) and Urinetown. There were two productions we paid another visit to: Hadestown and Sunset Boulevard and considered only those elements which were new to us this time around. We made our selections separately, so below you'll see where we agreed, where we differed, and those things we each just had to include. Our selections are arranged in alphabetical order below.

How did we compare to your favorites? Let us know via social media - @jkstheatresecene on all platforms. (X, Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky and Yahoo mail)

2025 in Review:
Our Favorite Writing and Direction 

FAVORITE NEW BROADWAY SONG


"Dear Bill" from Operation Mincemeat
Sung by Jak Malone
Music and Lyrics by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts

HONORABLE MENTION
Jeff and Mike
"Dead" from Dead Outlaw
Sung by the Company
Music and Lyrics by David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna

"If I Were a Bird" from Real Women Have Curves
Sung by Aline Mayagoitia and Tatianna Córdoba
Music by Benjamin Velez and Joy Huerta

"New York" from Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Sung by Sam Tutty
Music and Lyrics by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan

HONORABLE MENTION
Jeff
"For the Gaze" from Death Becomes Her
Sung by Megan Hilty and the Ensemble
Music and Lyrics by Julia Mattison and Noel Carey

Mike
"Millicent's Song" from Dead Outlaw
Sung by the Julia Knitel
Music and Lyrics by David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna


FAVORITE NEW SCORE
TIE


Dead Outlaw
Music and Lyrics by David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna


Real Women Have Curves
Music by Benjamin Velez and Joy Huerta

HONORABLE MENTION
Jeff and Mike

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Music and Lyrics by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan

FAVORITE ORCHESTRATIONS
TIE


Floyd Collins
Orchestrations by Bruce Coughlin


Ragtime
Orchestrations by William David Brohn

HONORABLE MENTION
Mike

Sunset Blvd.**
Orchestrations by David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber

HONORABLE MENTION
Jeff

Buena Vista Social Club
Orchestrations by Marco Paguia

FAVORITE NEW BOOK OF A MUSICAL


Operation Mincemeat
Book by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts

HONORABLE MENTION
Jeff and Mike

Dead Outlaw
Book by Itamar Moses

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Book by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan

FAVORITE CHOREOGRAPHY


Buena Vista Social Club
Choreography by Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck

HONORABLE MENTION
Jeff and Mike

Death Becomes Her
Choreography by Christopher Gattelli

FAVORITE DIRECTION - PLAY

 

Danya Taymor 
John Proctor is the Villain

FAVORITE DIRECTION - MUSICAL


Lear deBessonet
Ragtime

HONORABLE MENTION
Jeff and Mike

David Cromer
Dead Outlaw

Tina Landau
Floyd Collins


** - Mike saw Sunset Boulevard in 2025 and he will consider the show for this year's review. I saw it for the first time in 2024, and I will not be considering it for any honors unless it is a new-in-2025 element.

Monday, December 15, 2025

Broadway Quiz: Diva Digs

We love our Leading Ladies, don't we? We know their famous roles. We know their signature songs. We know their awards. But do we know where they had their biggest Broadway moments?

Broadway Quiz:
Diva Digs

DIRECTIONS: Answer each question about where these amazing women have played on Broadway. Good luck!

1. Angela Lansbury opened in Mame in which TWO theaters?
    A. Gershwin Theatre    B. Mark Hellinger Theatre    
    C. Winter Garden Theatre    D. Shubert Theatre

2. Patti LuPone has won three Tony Awards. She gave her award-winning performances in each of these theaters EXCEPT:
    A. The Vivian Beaumont Theater    B. The Broadway Theatre
    C. The Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre    D. The St. James Theatre


3. Caissie Levy is best known as a musical actress, but which theater did she open in a play on Broadway?
    A. Al Hirschfeld Theatre    B. St. James Theatre
    C. Longacre Theatre    D. Vivian Beaumont Theater

4. Betty Buckley made her Broadway debut singing "He Plays the Violin: in 1776. Which theater was that in?
    A. Lunt-Fontanne    B. Majestic Theatre
    C. Royale Theatre    D. 46th Street Theatre

5. Judy Kuhn was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical three times. Which three theaters did these musical open in?
    A. Criterion Center Stage Right    B. Circle in the Square Theatre
    C. Broadway Theatre    D. Imperial Theatre


6. Audra McDonald won her first Tony Award for a show that played in which theatre?
    A. John Golden Theatre    B. Vivian Beaumont Theater
    C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts    D. Royale Theatre

7. Bernadette Peters opened in shows that played in all of the theaters EXCEPT:
    A. Samuel Friedman Theatre    B. Palace Theatre
    C. Royale Theatre    D. St. James Theatre

8. Rebecca Luker played Mrs. Banks in Mary Poppins, which played which Broadway house?
    A. New Amsterdam Theatre    B. The Lyric Theatre
    C. Gershwin Theatre    D. Lunt-Fontanne Theatre


9. Lea Salonga most recently appeared in Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends which played which theater?
    A. Circle in the Square Theater    B. Lena Horne Theatre
    C. Eugene O'Neill Theatre    D. Samuel J. Friedman Theatre

10. Sutton Foster has appeared in 14 Broadway shows (not including benefit performances). Which is the only Broadway theater that she played in more than once?
    A. Broadway Theatre    B. Minskoff Theatre
    C. Marquis Theatre    D. Stephen Sondheim Theatre    

Friday, December 12, 2025

Broadway Games: The Shows of Sherie Rene Scott

Who knew that being a stand-by could make you the talk of the season? Well, that's exactly what has happened to Sherie Rene Scott, Kristin Chenoweth's stand-by in the ill-fated The Queen of Versailles. For some, she's a new face, but for those of us who've been around the theater scene for awhile, we know she's been taking Broadway by storm for decades.


Broadway Games:
The Shows of Sherie Rene Scott

DIRECTIONS: For each production photo below, name the show and the role Sherie Rene played in it. Good luck!

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.


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