This post was originally published on Playbill - News
Written by: Margaret Hall
There are 22 days left until the 2025 Tony Awards, which means there is still time to see a few shows before the winners are revealed!
It has been a banner year for Broadway, with a beautifully diverse mix of stories coming together to create a truly special season. Some incredible work arrived on Broadway this year from far flung shores, be it Operation Mincemeat from the UK, The Picture of Dorian Gray from Australia, or Maybe Happy Ending from South Korea. But today, we are honing in on a selection of American artists who threaded something valuable into the tapestry of the American theatre canon this year.
Each of these five shows offer something special—and more importantly, something true. Whether it’s unearthing forgotten history, challenging old narratives, or spotlighting new voices, they’re all part of what makes American theatre so exciting right now. Make sure to grab your ticket now to secure your bragging rights before the Tony accolades are handed out!
The company of Floyd Collins. Photo By Joan Marcus
Floyd Collins
If you’re looking for a musical that’s as haunting as it is beautiful, Floyd Collins is a must-see. Tony nominee Jeremy Jordan delivers what very well may be the best performance of his career as Collins, a caver trapped underground in 1925 Kentucky. His portrayal is both emotionally raw and vocally stunning, especially in soaring numbers like “The Call”, and “How Glory Goes.” The production, directed by Tina Landau, brings Adam Guettel’s beloved score to life in a way that’s both intimate and epic. It’s a story about ambition, isolation, and the American obsession with spectacle, with Jordan’s acrobatic-yet-grounded performance leading the way. This Tony-nominated revival is a testament to the power of storytelling and the human spirit, reflecting the nation’s complex relationship with heroism and tragedy. Just make sure to bring tissues!
Click here for tickets and information.
Jon Michael Hill, Kara Young, and Harry Lennix in Purpose. Photo By Marc J. Franklin
Purpose
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins has given us something truly remarkable with Purpose. This play—which started in Chicago and has now taken Broadway by storm, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama—explores the fault lines within a powerful Black American family as they gather for an emotional reunion. What unfolds is much more than a domestic drama. Purpose becomes a raw examination of faith, public image, generational responsibility, and the weight of legacy in a society that still asks Black families to perform perfection. The writing is razor-sharp and deeply human, filled with characters who are messy, brilliant, and unforgettable. It’s no wonder the show is up for Best Play and five acting Tonys—there’s real fire in these performances. Purpose doesn’t offer easy answers, but it does offer space to grapple with big, necessary questions about identity and the costs of visibility. It’s the kind of play you talk about for days after, because it taps into something deeply American and deeply personal.
Click here for tickets and information.
Julia Knitel and Andrew Durand in Dead Outlaw. Photo by Matthew Murphy
Dead Outlaw
Dead Outlaw is, hands-down, one of the most original musicals to reach Broadway in years. David Yazbek and Itamar Moses (the genius team behind The Band’s Visit) have taken a bizarre true story and turned it into something bold, weird, and wonderful. The plot centers on an infamous Wild West outlaw whose corpse becomes a sideshow attraction, traveling around the country long after his death. Sounds strange? It is—but in the best way. The show is darkly funny, musically inventive, and surprisingly moving, all while taking a hard look at how American myths are made and sold. The music is punchy, darkly comic, and full of unexpected turns, and the storytelling swings from irreverent to poignant with ease. This isn’t just a fun, offbeat night at the theatre—it’s a full-on exploration of American legacy, image, and the stories we tell to make sense of our past. It’s as smart as it is entertaining, and you’ll leave the theatre humming and thinking—and probably Googling the real story behind it all. This musical—nominated for seven Tonys, including Best Musical—is clever, edgy, and a totally fresh.
Click here for tickets and information.
Sadie Sink and Amalia Yoo in John Proctor is the Villain. Photo by Julieta Cervantes
John Proctor is the Villain
There’s a reason everyone (especially Gen Z-ers) is talking about John Proctor Is the Villain. Kimberly Belflower’s sharp, fearless Tony-nominated play takes place in a high school classroom in rural Georgia, where students are reading The Crucible—but it quickly becomes something much more urgent and layered. As the students unpack Arthur Miller’s text, they start to question who really deserves to be called a hero, and what justice looks like in their own lives. With a vibrant ensemble cast led by riveting Tony nominee Sadie Sink, the show captures the messy, complicated process of young people coming into their own. In particular, Tony nominee Fina Strazza shines as Beth Powell, a student who grapples with the complexities of her own identity and truth in the information age. Her performance is both grounded and nuanced, capturing the turmoil of adolescence with authenticity. It’s funny, heartbreaking, and completely of-the-moment. What’s amazing is how the play speaks to the larger American story—how history is taught, who it centers, and how the next generation is already rewriting the script. It’s not just a great night at the theatre; it’s a wake-up call, in the best way.
Click here for tickets and information.
Cole Escola in Oh Mary! Photo By Emilio Madrid
Oh, Mary!
If you’re in the mood for something openly offbeat, Oh, Mary! is a wild and wonderful romp—and one of the funniest, strangest shows to hit Broadway in years. Written by and starring Tony nominee Cole Escola, this absurd reimagining of Mary Todd Lincoln’s final days as First Lady turns American history into a queer, chaotic fever dream that is not for the easily offended. But beneath all the laugh-out-loud comedy and campy antics is something surprisingly poignant. Through Mary, Escola explores what it means to be a woman dismissed, miscast, and misunderstood by the country around her—a reflection of how America tends to rewrite and reduce people, especially women, into one-dimensional symbols. After all, how much do you actually know about Mary Todd Lincoln? Chances are, you have no idea who she was outside of her marriage, leaving Escola a fertile playing ground to sow increasingly insane twists and turns into Mary’s “theoretical” life. The show is irreverent, yes, but also fiercely smart, offering a fresh, very funny take on how we mythologize the past and the figures we push to its margins. It’s history, rewritten through a hilarious and heartbreakingly human lens—only in America could something this strange and this sharp feel so necessary.
Click here for tickets and information.
Daniel Dae Kim in Yellow Face. Photo by Joan Marcus
