By Matthew Wexler
We saw hundreds of plays, musicals, and variety shows from New York City to Los Angeles in 2025. Some came and went faster than you can say The Queen of Versailles. But others knocked us out of our seats in the best way possible.
1 Minute Critic contributors awarded 18 productions five-star reviews. A combination of talent and timing takes a show to the top, and these shows were the best of the best. A few of our Broadway picks are still running (indicated below), with 2-for-1 tickets available during Broadway Week, January 20 – February 12, 2026.
Take a look at what brought us to our feet in 2025:
Forget what you think about biomusicals: Jonathan Groff changes the game ‘Just in Time’
Jonathan Groff brings crooner Bobby Darin to life, but don’t expect a traditional tribute performance. This one stops time. Literally.
Read our full review — still playing!
Divine intervention: ‘The Gospel at Colonus’ turned tragedy into testimony
Director Shayok Misha Chowdhury transformed cursed kings into gospel gold in Little Island’s most ambitious production yet.
Free Shakespeare in the Park roared back to life with Lupita Nyong’o & Sandra Oh in a dazzling ‘Twelfth Night’
The newly renovated Delacorte Theater debuted with a star-studded Shakespeare comedy featuring real-life siblings Lupita and Junior Nyong’o.
It wants better content.
No body better: ‘Dead Outlaw’ was Broadway’s most unlikely arrival
From bungled heist to carnival attraction, Broadway’s Dead Outlaw killed it as 2025’s best new musical about life after death. It didn’t last long, but we have a feeling the show will find new life in future productions.
Sadie Sink led a powerful Gen Z takedown of ‘The Crucible’
In John Proctor is the Villain, Sadie Sink and a powerful ensemble dismantled Arthur Miller’s American classic.
June Squibb in ‘Marjorie Prime’ asks if AI can ease grief or just complicate it
June Squibb leads a stellar cast through Marjorie Prime, Jordan Harrison’s unsettling play about AI, grief, and why we keep each other alive so long.
Read our full review — still playing!
Chicago Shakespeare’s ‘Paranormal Activity’ proved horror can be highbrow
The live Paranormal Activity at Chicago Shakespeare was terrifyingly good—witty, well-acted, and packed with production value.
Michael Cerveris leads a radiant ‘A Christmas Carol’ at PAC NYC
The Broadway hit A Christmas Carol returns to PAC NYC with Michael Cerveris leading a top-notch cast in this deeply moving, Tony-winning production.
Read our full review — playing through January 4.
Tarell Alvin McCraney’s ‘The Brothers Size’ returned with a force more potent than ever
Tarell Alvin McCraney’s powerful drama about two Black brothers navigating life after incarceration returned in a stellar Off-Broadway revival starring André Holland.
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This underground Chicago theater made ‘Amélie’ better than Broadway
Kokandy’s whimsical Amélie, starring Aurora Penepacker, proved that intimacy beats spectacle at Chicago’s Chopin Theatre.
‘Ragtime’ returns to Broadway with undeniable urgency and uncomfortable truths
The great American musical returns: Ragtime‘s latest revival proves its message of social justice remains heartbreakingly relevant today.
Read our full review — still playing!
Samuel D. Hunter’s ‘Little Bear Ridge Road’ proved that real people aren’t always desperately doing things
Laurie Metcalf and Micah Stock earned their Tony buzz in Little Bear Ridge Road, an intimate family drama about the ghosts we live with and the words we can’t say.
15 years in, ‘Nutcracker Rouge’ remains NYC’s sexiest holiday tradition
Company XIV’s Nutcracker Rouge celebrates 15 years of baroque burlesque. Austin McCormick’s adults-only holiday tradition delivers.
Read our full review — playing until January 31, 2026.
‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’ revival spells it out: J-O-Y
Twenty years on, “Spelling Bee” arrives Off-Broadway with fresh energy, proving the quirky musical’s charm remains timeless.
Read our full review — still playing!
‘Prince Faggot’: A meta-theatrical queer reckoning that hit like a London downpour
What’s more shocking than a royal scandal? Royal truth. Jordan Tannahill’s meta-masterpiece crowned itself king of uncomfortable conversations.
‘Jekyll & Hyde’ got a maximalist makeover in Kokandy’s powerhouse Chicago revival
Kokandy’s Jekyll & Hyde traded intimacy for maximalism with powerhouse vocals, gothic sexuality, and a riveting lead performance by David Moreland.
In her new solo play, Jen Tullock embodied 11 lives shattered by one memoir
When a memoir about evangelical abuse goes public, everyone faces consequences. Jen Tullock’s solo show explored faith and trauma through storytelling.
One punch, two families, and a heart that won’t stop beating
Based on Jacob Dunne’s memoir, Punch transformed one teen’s deadly mistake into a powerful meditation on justice, grief, and forgiveness.
