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Critic James Lindhorst's Best of St. Louis Theatre in 2025

This past season was the year of the comedy in St. Louis Theater. Companies across the city had audiences laughing all season long with slapstick, farce, and satire. There were some wonderful musical productions that really sang, a few hard hitting dramas, but comedies reigned in both quantity and quality. Instead of publishing a Top 10 list this year, I’m going to recognize the Best in St. Louis Theater for 2025. “The Best” is still a shortened list of just 13 shows out of the nearly 90 shows I saw this past year. It took weeks of thought and painstaking consideration to decide which productions would be included in my annual list. Here they are. The productions are listed in alphabetical order, not ranked by favorites:

Review: The Muny's LA CAGE AUX FOLLES is The Best of Times

The Muny’s La Cage Aux Folles is enormity in storytelling. Contrasted with the intimacy of last week’s Dear Evan Hansen, Marsha Milgrom Dodge’s La Cage captures the grandeur of what The Muny does best. It is a grand venue that supports epic productions.

Review: The Muny's Emotionally Charged DEAR EVAN HANSEN Packs an Emotional Wallop

The Muny production of Dear Evan Hansen is a departure from the huge overblown musical extravaganzas that normally populate The Muny stage. It's a much smaller show but it is profoundly emotional. It creates intimacy that was once thought impossible in this large venue and opens other opportunities for the stories that the Muny can tell.  Like his emotionally charged direction of Fiddler on the Roof last season, Rob Ruggerio’s Muny version of Dear Evan Hansen packs an emotional wallop. Michael Fabisch, Jackie Burns, Maggie Lakis, Rob McClure, Afra Sophia Tully, and the rest of this cast grabs the audience, holds them close, and leaves them with a deeply touching and poignantly warm theatrical experience. 

Review: DISNEY’S FROZEN at The Muny is Moving and Heartfelt Storytelling

The Muny’s Frozen is filled with endearing performances, gasp-inducing stagecraft, beautiful musical direction by Darryl Archibald, and loveable puppets created by Puppet Kitchen’s Eric Wright. But it's not the many wow moments that make Frozen special. Frozen is touching because of John Tartaglia’s moving storytelling that takes the audience on a journey beyond Arendelle to explore a sister’s love and the basic need for human connection.

Review: COME FROM AWAY at The Muny is a Soul-Stirring Piece of Musical Storytelling

The Muny’s emotionally impactful Come From Away captures the humanity, heart, and soul of Irene Sankoff and David Hein’s poignant book and beautifully soaring score. This elite cast of actors transports the audience back to Gander, Newfoundland with lived-in and emotionally truthful performances. Director Seth Skylar-Heyn did the near impossible shrinking the colossal Muny’s stage into an intimate storytelling space. Scenic designer Edward E. Haynes’ revolving stage is genius.

Full Cast Set For FROZEN at the Muny

The Muny has revealed the full cast for its premiere production of Disney's Frozen, which runs next month on the James S. McDonnell Stage in Forest Park. Learn more here!

Video: Behind the Scenes of BRING IT ON at The Muny

The Muny has shared a new look behind the scenes of Bring It On: The Musical! Brace yourself for the ultimate cheer showdown with The Muny's first production of the summer! Their upcoming season will also include Frozen, Evita, Come From Away, and more. Watch the video!

Full Cast Set For BRING IT ON at the Muny

The Muny has announced the full cast for its premiere production of Bring It On: The Musical, which opens the theatre's 107th season in Forest Park beginning this month.

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