The 2025 JKTS Awards: Editors' Choice Part Two

 Editors' Choice, Part Two

Yesterday, we presented the first part of our 2025 JKTS  Awards honoring those theater people - new faces and familiar faces - that made the 2024-2025 Broadway season the special one that it was. Today, we offer more fun recognition for the lighter side of the season.

Spotlight Awards

  

Best Logos: 

• Musical: Swept Away 
• Play: Our Town

Both are visually interesting, and both perfectly captures the content, mood and themes of the shows they represent.

Extra! Extra! Broadway's Biggest Headline:

• The Rise of Gen Z - Romeo + Juliet, John Proctor is the Villain

The youth came in droves to see both. Many came to see their favorite TV stars, but I'll bet most of them came away with much more than a stage door autograph and a photo op for social media. They got to see, in both productions, sublime acting and shows that spoke to them. As an "old guy," I loved the energy the audiences brought, and the relief that the future of Broadway is in good hands.  

Best Showstopper:

• "Rose's Turn," Gypsy

Seeing this live in the theater is an experience I will never forget. Audra is more than an icon, she is living Broadway history. 

Best Special Effects Sequence (TIE):

• The Memories, Maybe Happy Ending
• The "Opening Credits," Sunset Blvd.

When I say my jaw dropped when the HelperBots connected and memories were read, I mean my mouth was actually agape. I'm pretty sure I stopped breathing.

Like many of you, as I was watching the Jamie Lloyd bare bones approach to Sunset Blvd., I was wondering how they'd do the car chase scene. Would they even do it? Well, they did, and it was a clever way to show us what we were really seeing: a movie in Norma's mind.

Sorry We Missed It: 

• Boop!

Maybe I'm saying this prematurely, but I have a feeling I won't get to see Broadway's next big thing: Jasmine Amy Rogers. And every clip I see and hear from it makes me smile. These days, that is a big loss.

 

"I'm Still Here" Award for Longevity: 

• Jeb Brown, Dead Outlaw
• Bonnie Langford, Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends

Both of these outstanding performers made their Broadway debuts 51 years ago, in 1974! Brown made his debut as The Child in a revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Langford made her debut as Baby June in the Angela Lansbury-led revival of Gypsy. How wonderful that half a century later, she's back in another Sondheim show, singing "I'm Still Here."

Best Non-musical Dance Number: 

• Final Scene John Proctor is the Villain

When Sadie Sink and Amalia Yoo began their presentation about The Crucible, the tension was palpable, and you could hear a pin drop. As it escalated into an all out dance, and more cast members joined in, the shock and awe of it all was a cathartic burst of energy on both sides of the proscenium.

Six Award for Best Actors Playing Real-life Characters: 

• Andrew Durand as Elmer McCurdy, Dead Outlaw
• Natasha Hodgson as Ewen Montagu, Operation Mincemeat
• Jak Malone as Hester Leggatt, Operation Mincemeat
• Taylor Trensch as Skeets Miller, Floyd Collins
• Joy Woods as Gypsy Rose Lee, Gypsy 

Brilliance all the way around! I would hope that somehow the people they were playing would heartily approve.

One Actor/Two Roles Award:

• Tommy Dorfman as Tybalt and the Nurse, Romeo + Juliet

If I didn't see it actually happening right in front of me, I'd never believe it. They were amazing in both roles - both in type and gender. Come back soon and often, Tommy.

 

Mother Nature Award: 

• Beauty: Redwood 
• Wrath: Storm and shipwreck, Swept Away

Hana S. Kim's stunning video work and Jason Ardizzone-West's cutting edge scenery brought the majestic beauty of the titular trees to jaw-dropping life.

The extreme weather event that was the impetus for the events of Swept Away were a true group effort on the part of Rachel Hauck's Tony-nominated scenic design, Kevin Adam's lighting and John Shiver's sound design. If you didn't see it, you really missed something.

Suffs Empowerment Moment:

• "Real Women Have Curves" Solidarity Strip, Real Women Have Curves

Somehow, people find issue with this. I found it delightful and empowering, and deserving of its mid-show ovation.

 

Death Warmed Over Award:

• Group: The Immortals, Death Becomes Her
  
• Individual: Andrew Durand, Dead Outlaw

Death was a big theme in a lot of shows this year - the word appears in the titles of TWO shows! Was immortality ever sexier and more appealing than in Death Becomes Her? And no one plays dead better than Andrew Durand in an iconic performance.

 

Best Entrance (TIE): 

• Joe Gillis (Tom Francis) in a body bag, Sunset Blvd.
• Princess Winnifred (Sutton Foster), Once Upon a Mattress
  

Emerging from a body bag? Another thing you had to see to believe. A stunning start to a stunning show.

When the princess finally makes her entrance, drenched after swimming a moat, and coming all the way from her swamp kingdom, the litany of things that emerged from her gown and hair was a joy to behold. Sutton was perfection.

Best Place to Spot a Diva: 

• 44th Street

Come on! Audra, Joy and Tyson (not to mention Lesli) at the Majestic. Jasmine making a storied debut at the Broadhurst. Nicole in a Tony-winning turn at the St. James. And LaTanya and Kara at the Hayes. A historic embarrassment of riches.

Best Kiss of the Season:

• Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler, Romeo + Juliet

Probably the most illegally photographed smooch in Broadway history, it was also sexy AF. 

 

Bloody, Bloody Broadway (There Will Be Blood):

• Juliet, Romeo + Juliet
• Joe Gillis and Norma Desmond, Sunset Blvd.

Oh, happy dagger!

Oh, violent death...she kisses his mouth...

The Kimberly Akimbo Award for Best Aging: 

• "Millicent's Song," sung by Julia Knitel in Dead Outlaw

I loved this song, both revealing and blisteringly funny, she went from young child to grown woman in a matter of minutes. 

 

The Thenardier Award for Most Suffering Spouse:

• Play: Mary's Husband, played by Conrad Ricamora in Oh, Mary!
• Musical: Helen's Husband, Ernest Menville, played by Christopher Sieber in Death Becomes Her

I think the photos above say more than I could possibly come up with.

Best Abs in a Musical: 

• Leading Role: Tom, Diego and Jimin, Sunset Blvd. 
• Supporting Role: Jacob Dickey, Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends

I mean if you are going to die in your underwear, why not look hot doing it?

And a sexy wolf? Of course. But bare-chested in a tuxedo jacket? Woof, indeed! 

Grin and Bear It Award: 

• The Cast of Real Women Have Curves

The hard working ladies and the men who love them are not being seen by enough people. Why??? Easily a top three musical in a crowded season of great shows, people need to see it!

 

Grin and Bare It Award: 

• The Strippers from Gypsy: Mylinda Hull, Lesli Margherita, Lili Thomas
• The Strippers from Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends:Beth Leavel, Bernadette Peters, Joanna Riding

Two takes on the same song in the same season (not as rare as it once was), and both hilarious for different reasons. Stopped the show at both the Friedman and the Majestic, and rightly so.

The Final 2025 JKTS Awards Tally

Between your Readers' Choice Awards and our Editors' Choice Awards, we honored 19 shows that opened this season with a whopping 79 awards!

Sunset Blvd. - 17

Maybe Happy Ending - 11

Romeo + Juliet - 6

Floyd Collins - 5

Dead Outlaw - 4

Gypsy - 4

John Proctor is the Villain - 4

Operation Mincemeat - 4

Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends - 4

Boop! - 3

Real Women Have Curves - 3

Swept Away - 3

Death Becomes Her - 2

Oh, Mary! - 2

Once Upon a Mattress - 2

Our Town - 2

Buena Vista Social Club - 1

Purpose - 1

Redwood - 1