2025 Broadway Wrapped

my first and last post of 2025: dedicated to my third space

In 2025, I sat through 15 Broadway shows. All musicals, to be clear. There is nothing I love more than taking my ass to Midtown and sitting through 2+ hours of non-stop singing and dancing. It is pure magic.

To ease my way back into Substack (I sort of fell out of love with writing this year), I figured, why not share a list of what I saw with my thoughts (ramblings) and ratings.

In the order in which I saw them:

1. SMASH - 2/5 ⭐️ - March 15, 2025

   

   Boy, oh boy. Where do I even begin with this? SMASH was the most anticipated musical of MY LIFE. As a huge fan of the TV show and after waiting through years and years of development, I was so excited to see this musical finally come to life. I’d gotten a sneak peek of the show at The Guggenheim for one of their Works & Process programs, so I knew to expect that the Broadway show was going to be completely different from the TV show. I also knew it was going to be extremely meta and campy. With that said, I was still excited. I was able to snag 6th row tickets on the Theatr App for the 2nd night of previews, but that’s pretty much where my excitement ended. The Broadway show was a Frankenstein of what the TV show was (I know I said I knew this going into it, but it was still shocking…) and left much to be desired. The cast was phenomenal. The book was….weak. Everything was a wink-wink nod-nod about making a Broadway show. It was heartbreaking to see some of my favorite songs from the TV show be sung in Lululemon leggings and get broken up by terrible dialogue. Some of the costumes were stunning (the ones specifically from the show Bombshell, which is the Broadway show within the show), but we didn’t get enough of them. There were too many characters all fighting for time on stage, and none of them got their moment. The only redeeming part was the songs…which again, were from the TV show.

2. & 4. BOOP! - 5/5 ⭐️ - April 18, 2025 & May 9, 2025

   

   Let’s just get this out of the way…BOOP! deserved better. I’ll never forgive the world for not selling out this show every night. Leading to it’s unfortunate early closure. BOOP! was so much fun from the catchy songs, to the extravagant tap numbers, and to the standout cast (Jasmine Amy Rogers was born to play Betty Boop). Seeing it twice was not enough, I could have easily seen it 10 more times. The top of the second act, where the actors switch from black and white to technicolor was truly one of the most jaw-dropping moments, all thanks to the outstanding costuming done by Gregg Barnes. Like this show was whimsy! It was cute! There was not one but two love stories! And multiple laugh-out-loud moments! With a feel-good ending! What more can you ask for? Justice for BOOP!

3. The Last Five Years - 3/5 ⭐️ - April 20, 2025

   

   Okay, I know what you’re thinking. There was no way I could have enjoyed the travesty that was Nick Jonas playing Jamie. But, he actually wasn’t that bad. Let me be clear, when I saw the casting announcement, I was livid (and that is coming from an OG Jonas Brothers fan). How could they cast the fabulous Adrienne Warren alongside Nick Jonas? I had to find out. Adrienne stole the show (as expected), but Nick held his own. With each song, his Jamie got more confident (God, I hate Jamie so much!!!) and by the end, I was satisfied with his performance. Now again, Adrienne stole the show. She outacted, out-sang, and outperformed Nick in every way. The layers she brought to Cathy were breathtaking. Cathy being a woman of color hits so much harder and makes it all the more heartbreaking (“Climbing Uphill” broke me!!!). I’m glad I didn’t spend an outrageous amount of money on these tickets, but I am still glad I got to experience it.

5. GYPSY - 4.5/5 ⭐️ - June 5, 2025

   

   AUDRA freaking McDONALD! Wowowow. How lucky am I that I got to see this on the last night of Tony voting?! Audra’s “Rose’s Turn” left me gutted. She channeled all her emotions and left everything on that stage. I don’t think I’ll ever experience anything like that ever again. Everything about this show was on point. Joy Woods and the rest of the cast went toe to toe with Audra. The first act felt slow to me, but the second act was perfection. I didn’t really know anything about the plot of GYPSY, however, I was thrilled with how it all unfolded. It was like an emotional rollercoaster with catchy songs, hilarious costumes, and actors who brought their A game

6. Real Women Have Curves - 4/5 ⭐️ - June 24, 2025

   

   Another show that deserved better. I loved this show; it was so heartwarming. Seeing it during its final days made it all the more bittersweet. I absolutely loved the one scene with all the dresses coming down from the ceiling. Jaw was on the floor. For a new original musical, it had so much charm and heart. Every character had their moment and got to shine. I cry pretty easily, but there were multiple tears shed throughout the show. Ugh, I wish I could see it again!

7. SUNSET BLVD. - 5/5 ⭐️ - July 6, 2025

   

   If you know me, you know how much I love this show. It’s an obsession. This was my third and final time seeing this amazing musical (I had to go to my bb Tom Francis’ final performance). Jamie Lloyd, I love your mind so much. SUNSET left me inspired and energized each time I saw it. It pushed so many boundaries, there is nothing like it. As a writer/artist, it made me want to push myself to express my artistic vision in ways I wouldn’t typically do. Tom Francis’ walk to the title song will forever live rent-free in my head. Also, have to give a shout out to the most jaw-dropping moment: the phone call scene where the screen goes red. Inject that into my mind forever. All three times, there were standing ovations. All well deserved. I would give my right kidney to be able to see this show again

8. Hadestown - 5/5 ⭐️ - July 29, 2025

   

   Maybe one of my most special/sentimental nights on Broadway. I had seen Hadestown once before (with Jordan Fisher as Orpheus), so I knew what I was walking into, but two things made this time so much better: Ali Louis Bourzgui as Orpheus and taking two of my little sisters to witness the Tony Award winning musical. I had seen Ali in We Live In Cairo, so I knew he would be a good Orpheus. Plus, it is always meaningful to see an Arab on the big stage. I loved what he brought to the character and his tone…ugh, so good. BUT, bringing my baby sisters to this show made it all the more special. This was my sister Fatima’s first ever Broadway show, and my other sister Zainab’s second (her first was Moulin Rouge!, I guess I like to take them to shows where the characters don’t get a happy ending). They loved it. To this day, they still sing the songs. I kept watching them throughout the show to see their reactions. By the end, I was hoping they would experience the “Hadestown Gasp.” Ugh, I’ll start crying rn. Anyways, I highly recommend taking your sisters to see this show.

9. Just In Time - 3/5 ⭐️ - August 12, 2025

   

   Let me start by saying IDGAF about Bobby Darin (rude, I know), however, I do care a lot about Jonathan Groff. And so, if you’re like me, he is really the only reason to see this show. It was fun because he is fun. Gracie Lawerence and Erika Henningsen were also really good. But that’s pretty much it. My friend Jake woke up at the crack of dawn to get us rush tickets (standing room), and I think if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have prioritized seeing it.

10. Mamma Mia! - 2.5/5 ⭐️ - August 24, 2025

    

    This one hurts. I love ABBA and Mamma Mia! but this was not it. Jake won the lottery and graciously invited me to go see it. It’s safe to say that I think we both walked away disappointed. I mean, at the end of the day, it’s Mamma Mia! so it wasn’t terrible, but it felt…messy. This production was too small for the Broadway stage. There were some standouts like Jalynn Steele, the actor who plays Tanya, and the fact that the music is timeless, but really…it would be a pass if I were to make a recommendation.

11. Maybe Happy Ending - 4/5 ⭐️ - September 3, 2025

    

    My first ever lottery win! And…I’m still recovering from this. I can’t believe it took me so long to go see MHE (I saw it on day two of ABF’s Oliver…heh). It will forever amaze me that I could feel so much in one act. I truly walked away feeling empty. The songs were beautiful. A lot of laugh-out-loud moments. The set was innovative. The book was charming. I loved it. I want to see it again now that Darren Criss is back. Also, Helen J Shen should have gotten a Tony nom.

12. Death Becomes Her - 4/5 ⭐️ - October 1, 2025

    

    The SMASH redemption I needed. AKA I got to see mother Megan Hilty (the OG Ivy Lynn), and that was truly a bucket list item for me. She was everything! Jennifer Simard, Christopher Sieber, and the Michelle Williams were also amazing! Megan and Jennifer should star in other shows together because they are truly a dynamic duo. This show was CAMP. I was fully obsessed with the stunt doubles and outlandish choreography. The costumes by Oscar and Tony award winner Paul Tazewell were stunning. Glitz and glam to the extreme.

13. CHESS - 4.5/5 ⭐️ - October 15, 2025

    

    One thing about me, when I have an idea in my head, I will not stop until I get that thing. That’s what happened with CHESS. I was at an event in Times Square for Times Square Arts to celebrate Yvette Mayorga’s Magic Grasshopper just a few hours before the first preview of CHESS. I wanted to go, and really nothing was going to stop me from being there, despite not having tickets. I sat on the Theatr App and made a million offers until someone accepted an offer for THIRD ROW tickets 7-minutes before curtain. We ran across Times Square with just minutes to spare. It was so worth it. I went into it excited to see Lea Michele and my original Broadway boyfriend, Aaron Tveit, but walked away thinking that Nicholas Christopher stole the whole damn show. His vocals were so powerful, I was in awe of him. Aaron and Lea were as good as I expected. I also thought Bryce Pinkham was hilarious. I totally understand why people have beef with this show. Even with an updated book, it kinda was all over the place. But I loved it and would absolutely see it again. Especially, to see Nicholas’ performance again.

14. Bat Boy: The Musical - 4.5/5 ⭐️ - November 4, 2025

    

    I LOVE EDGAR, THAT LIL FREAK! I knew absolutely nothing about this show, and going in blind was such a treat. It was a perfect post-Halloween show. The cast was perfect (Kerry Bulter and Taylor Trench were the standouts, of course). I was taken by the set. It was refreshing seeing a hearty set (so many shows are going minimalist, which I don’t mind, but still nice to see). Another show that did camp the right way. I loved every single second of this. I need it to have a full Broadway run.

15. Heathers - 5/5 ⭐️ - December 15, 2025

    

    What a way to end the year! I have not stopped thinking about Heathers since I saw it. This was another lottery win, and it happened to be Makenzie Kurtz’s final performance (which was a shock to everyone?), so I was glad to catch it that night. The entire cast was perfection, and I seriously can not get the songs out of my head. We low-key need a new recording with this cast! I can’t wait to see this a million more times because it was perfect. No notes.

If you stuck around reading this whole thing…you’re a real one. And if we went to any of these shows together: ily thanks for fueling my obsession! I can’t wait to bring back this Substack (in a way that is true to me…like listing out all the Broadway shows I saw!). Until then, I hope you had a blessed Broadway year!

ANYWAYS, I LOVE YOU.

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Always Unedited. Mind the grammar.