Elisabeth Vincentelli News

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.

37 Broadway shows opened in 2025, and while not all of them were loved by the critics, there were plenty of standouts all year long. We're breaking down the best Broadway shows of 2025 by month, as reviewed by New York City theatre critics and rounded up right here at BroadwayWorld.

Tony Award winner Matthew Broderick returns to the stage as the title character in Molière’s Tartuffe in the world premiere production of a new version from playwright Lucas Hnath, Read all of the reviews!

Marjorie Prime, the existential drama from Jordan Harrison is now playing at the Helen Hayes Theater, directed by Anne Kauffman. The production stars Danny Burstein, Christopher Lowell, Cynthia Nixon, and June Squibb in the title role of Marjorie Prime. 

The recently extended Off-Broadway production of the cult-hit musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, is now open at New World Stages! Read the reviews here!

Performances are now underway for the world premiere stage adaptation of the iconic film, PURPLE RAIN. The Broadway-aimed production is playing at Hennepin Arts’ historic State Theatre in Minneapolis. Read the reviews for Purple Rain here!

Bat Boy: The Musical is now running at New York City Center, featuring several brand-new songs and revised book by the original creators. See what the critics are saying here...

Read reviews for for Romy & Michele: The Musical starring Broadway veterans Laura Bell Bundy (Legally Blonde, The Cottage) as Romy White and Kara Lindsay (Newsies, Wicked) as Michele Weinberger.

Manhattan Theatre Club's American premiere of Punch, by James Graham is now playing on Broadway at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Read the reviews!

The first-ever Broadway revival of ART by Yasmina Reza is now running on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre. The production stars Bobby Cannavale, James Corden, and Neil Patrick Harris. Read the reviews!

Here we go again! The beloved jukebox musical classic turned global film phenomenon MAMMA MIA! has returned home to Broadway is now playing at the Winter Garden Theatre. Read the reviews!

JOY: A New True Musical, starring Tony Award nominee Betsy Wolfe as 'Joy,' is now playing off-Broadway at the Laura Pels Theatre. See what the critics had to say and read the reviews here!

Atlantic Theater Company celebrates the opening of Lowcountry. The play, written by Abby Rosebrock and directed by Tony Award nominee Jo Bonney, stars Jodi Balfour (“Ted Lasso”), Keith Kupferer (Ghostlight), and Babak Tafti (“Succession”). Read reviews for the production.

The New York Drama Critics' Circle has named Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s Purpose Best Play of the 2024-25 season. The award for Best Musical went to Maybe Happy Ending, book by Will Aronson and Hue Park, music by Will Aronson, lyrics by Hue Park.

The East Village supper-club Pangea is presenting its first “Singer Songrwiter Series” this month, from May 2 to 30. 

The French-Israeli singer and guitarist ZaZa Flamenca will return to New York after a multi-year hiatus in a one-night stand at the East Village supper club Pangea, on Thursday. May 15, at 9:30pm. 

Midnight Theatricals in association with The Tank and The Flying Carpet Theatre Company will present the Off-Broadway Premiere of Crystal Skillman's award-winning play OPEN. Learn more!

The winners of the 2025 New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards will be announced next week. The awards include a cash prize of $2,500 for Best Play, made possible by a grant from the Lucille Lortel Foundation.

Broadway gets turned upside down in the new high-tech, supernatural thriller STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW, now running at Broadway’s Marquis Theatre! What did the critics think of their theatrical trip to Hawkins, IN? Read the reviews.

Now running at at New York City Center Encores! is Love Life, directed by Victoria Clark ad starring Kate Baldwin and Brian Stokes Mitchell. Check out what the New York theatre critics are saying about the much forgotten musical here!