2025 in Review: Our Favorite Performances

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 Performances 

This year, Mike and I were nearly 100% in agreement in all categories!

FAVORITE SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE OF 2025

Fina Strazza as Beth Powell in John Proctor is the Villain

HONORABLE MENTION

(in alphabetical order)

Natalie Venetia Belcon as Omara in Buena Vista Social Club

Danny Burstein as Herbie in Gypsy

Julia Knitel as Maggie Johnson & others in Dead Outlaw

Jak Malone as Hester Leggat & others in Operation Mincemeat

Lizzy McAlpine as Nellie Collins in Floyd Collins

Taylor Trensch as Skeets Miller in Floyd Collins

FAVORITE PRODUCTION NUMBERS OF 2025

(in alphabetical order by show title)

"For the Gaze" from Death Becomes Her

Music and lyrics by Julia Mattison and Noel Carey

Directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli

Performed by Megan Hilty and the Ensemble

"Is That Remarkable/The Carnival" from Floyd Collins

Music and lyrics by Adam Guettel

Directed by Tina Landau  Choreographed by Jon Rua

Performed by Reporters and Company/Jeremy Jordan and Company

"A Glitzy Finale" from Operation Mincemeat

Music and lyrics by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts

Directed by Robert Hastie  Choreographed by Jenny Arnold

Performed by the Company

"Ragtime" from Ragtime

Music by Stephen Flaherty  Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens

Directed by Lear deBessonet   Choreographed by Ellenore Scott

Performed by the Company

"Real Women Have Curves" from Real Women Have Curves

Music and lyrics by Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez

Directed and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo

Performed by Tatianna Córdoba and the Factory Ladies

"Let's Do Lunch" from Sunset Boulevard

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber  Lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton

Directed by Jamie Lloyd  Choreographed by Fabian Aloise

Performed by Tom Francis and the Ensemble

FAVORITE ENSEMBLES OF 2025

(in alphabetical order by show title)

Buena Vista Social Club - Band and Dancers

Death Becomes Her - The Immortals

Ragtime - The Ensemble

Sunset Boulevard - Hollywood People

FAVORITE FULL COMPANY ENSEMBLES OF 2025

(in alphabetical order by show title)

Operation Mincemeat

Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends

FAVORITE UNDERSTUDY PERFORMANCE OF 2025

Diego Andres Rodriguez as Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard

HONORABLE MENTION

Malcolm Armwood as Hermes in Hadestown

FAVORITE DANCER OF 2025

Kevin Csolak as Tulsa in Gypsy

FAVORITE LEADING PERFORMANCE OF 2025

Audra McDonald as Rose in Gypsy

HONORABLE MENTION

(in alphabetical order)

Kit Connor as Romeo Montague in Romeo + Juliet

Andrew Durand as Elmer McCurdy in Dead Outlaw

Joshua Henry as Coalhouse Walker, Jr. in Ragtime

Jeremy Jordan as Floyd Collins in Floyd Collins

Cassie Levy as Mother in Ragtime

Nicole Scherzinger as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard

Sadie Sink as Shelby Holcomb in John Proctor is the Villain

Sam Tutty as Dougal in Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Jack Wolfe as Orpheus in Hadestown