The Best Theater of 2025: Shows that Ruled the Year
Which Broadway (and off-Broadway) shows were the best of 2025? Find out!
By: Sidney Paterra Dec. 20, 2025
As 2025 comes to a close, New York City's top theatre critics have been taking stock of this theatre season- deciding on their personal choices for their favorite productions of the year. The season has been full of so many stellar plays, musicals, revivals and new works, both on Broadway and off. Be sure to check back later for new additions as they're released!
Note: Some lists include productions that were performed regionally.
Catch up on the best London theater of 2025.
New York Times
Laura Collins-Hughes
Deirdre O’Connell in Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.
Marisha Wallace in Cabaret
Brian d’Arcy James in Eurydice
Kara Young in Gruesome Playground Injuries
Real Women Have Curves
Ruthie Ann Miles in The Seat of Our Pants
Alexis Soloski
Mark Strong and Lesley Manville in Oedipus
Natalie Palamides in Weer
Julia McDermott in Weather Girl
Lea Michele in Chess
John Proctor is the Villain
Elisabeth Vincentelli
Liberation
Jinkx Monsoon in Oh, Mary!
Out of Order
Paranormal Activity
Nina Hoss in The Cherry Orchard
The New Yorker
Helen Shaw
Liberation
Vanya
The Picture of Dorian Gray
John Proctor Is the Villain
Lobster
The Brothers Size
Ragtime
The Bride and the Goodnight Cinderella
The Burning Cauldron of Fiery Fire
Practice
%20Matthew%20Murphy.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "The Best Theater of 2025: Shows that Ruled the Year")
New York Theatre Guide
Becoming Eve
English
Gruesome Playground Injuries
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
I'm Assuming You Know David Greenspan
John Proctor Is the Villain
Liberation
Masquerade
Mexodus
Nothing Can Take You From the Hand of God
Operation Mincemeat
Ragtime
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The Baker's Wife
The Brothers Size
The Burning Cauldron of Fiery Fire
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Twelfth Night
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Wine in the Wilderness
Washington Post
Naveen Kumar
Lberation
The American Five
In the Heights
Dead Outlaw
Purpose
Damn Yankees
Downstate
Vanya
Paradise Blue
Twelfth Night
LA Times
Charles McNulty
A Man of No Importance
Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
Jesus Christ Superstar
The Night of the Iguana
Furlough’s Paradise
Bacon
Fiddler on the Roof
& Juliet
Life of Pi
Paranormal Activity
Chicago Tribune
Chris Jones
Angels in America
Translations
A Raisin in the Sun
True West
Mr. Wolf
Big White Fog
Lobby Hero
Much Ado about Nothing
Berlin
Jekyll and Hyde
Instinct
Rob Shuter
Liberation
Vanya
Ragtime
Just In Time
John Proctor Is the Villain
Wall Street Journal
Charles Isherwood:
Oedipus
Little Bear Ridge Road
Grangeville
A Streetcar Named Desire
Vanya
Lunar Eclipse
The Brothers Size
Just In Time
Floyd Collins
Ragtime
Vulture
Sara Holdren:
Liberation
Lobster
Vanya
When the Hurlyburly's Done
Initiative
The Brothers Size
Practice
John Proctor is the Villain
A Streetcar Named Desire
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Jackson McHenry:
Liberation
Can I Be Frank?
Vanya
The Borthers Size
Initiative
Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp.
I'm Assuming You Know David Greenspan
Jewish Plot
Meet the Cartozians
Slanted Floors
Entertainment Weekly
Operation MIncemeat
Purpose
John Proctor is the Villain
Ragtime
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Real Women Have Curves
Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Just In Time
Liberation
Chess
.jpg?format=auto&width=1400 "The Best Theater of 2025: Shows that Ruled the Year")
New York Theater
Jonathan Mandell:
Good Night, and Good Luck
Just In Time
Liberation
Little Bear Ridge Road
Masquerade
Prince Faggot
Purpose
Ragtime
Well, I'll Let You Go
Wicked
Theatremania
Zachary Stewart:
Ragtime
Purpose
Dead Outlaw
Oedipus
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Slant
Dan Rubins:
Dead as a Dodo
Mexodus
John Proctor is the Villain
Liberation
Deep Blue Sound
Not Not Jane’s
We Had A World
Becoming Eve
Vanya
Creditors
Videos