Broadway’s 2025 season has unfolded as a vibrant tapestry of stories, sounds and spectacle, spanning jazzy nightclubs, Kentucky caves, Roaring Twenties excess, and ’90s New York grit. This collection of musicals delivers moments of brilliance, though some fall short of their potential. Below Patrick Honoré offers a round-up of some standout shows, beginning with a crooner’s comeback and concluding with a nostalgic and traditional nod to the past.
Just in Time at the Circle in the Square Theatre kicks off with Jonathan Groff embodying Bobby Darin’s vintage charisma, seamlessly transforming the stage into a swinging Copacabana-style nightclub under the lively direction of Alex Timbers.
Supported by a live band, Groff’s magnetic performance revitalises classics like ‘Mack the Knife’ and ‘Beyond the Sea’, though the book by Warren Leight and Isaac Oliver skims Darin’s life too thinly, rushing his later years into a brief monologue.
Groff’s heartfelt nod to theatre’s fleeting magic during his curtain call elevates the experience, he actually deserves to win a Tony for for the second consecutive year. He is well-accompanied by Gracie Lawrence (also Tony-nominated, like Groff), making her splashy Broadway debut as Connie Francis (Darin’s first great love), Erica Henningsen as Sandra Dee, Michele Pawk as Darin’s mother Polly (marking her thirtieth Broadway show) and Joe Barbara in multiple male roles.
Much more than a concert tribute, Just in Time manages to go deep into the psyche of the complex character of Darin and his obsession with an early death, and the immersive format with frequent direct addresses to the audience works wonders, especially in the relatively intimate space of Circle in the Square.
Floyd Collins at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre plunges into the claustrophobic tale of a trapped speleologist, with Jeremy Jordan delivering a deeply soulful performance that anchors the production. Adam Guettel’s folk-bluegrass score, rich with haunting dissonances, shines in songs like ‘How Glory Goes’, yet Tina Landau’s minimalist staging, which relies on a single chair to represent the cave, occasionally feels static.
The vastness of the theatre dilutes the intimacy of Floyd’s predicament, but Jordan’s intensity ensures the emotional weight remains intact, making the show an ambitious but imperfect production. The show, however, registered much better in the smaller, wooden space of Wilton’s Music Hall, where it was successfully revived in 2016.
The Great Gatsby at the Broadway Theatre dazzles with its lavish spectacle, yet struggles to fully capture F Scott Fitzgerald’s soul. Chase Peacock brought a nervous intensity to Jay Gatsby while Traci Elaine Lee delivered a miscast Daisy Buchanan whose pop-inflected vocals clashed with the show’s Jazz Age aesthetic (both were on as understudies).
Composer Jason Howland and lyricist Nathan Tysen have crafted a score that offers catchy moments such as the opening ‘Roaring On’, but somehow sometimes sound computer generated with cliché ballads like ‘For Her’, which seem devoid of depth.
Kait Kerrigan’s book sidesteps Gatsby’s backstory and softens Daisy’s flaws, missing the novel’s crucial grit. Though Linda Cho’s exquisite costumes impress, the production leans too heavily on its visual grandeur, leaving the heart of the story somewhat obscured. Let’s hope the London production is an improvement, as has often been the case lately, with the likes of Pretty Woman and Frozen.
A transfer from London, Old Friends at the Samuel J Friedman Theatre serves as a deservedly warm tribute to Stephen Sondheim, with the late master’s personal muse, Bernadette Peters, and the somehow new to his repertoire Lea Salonga revisiting his timeless classics and affectionately celebrating his genius.
Bonnie Langford, with her showstopping ‘I’m Still Here’; Joanna Riding, stealing the show with her ‘Getting Married Today’; Gavin Lee, with his brilliant gender-reversed ‘Could I Leave You?’; and the incredible Jason Pennycooke, with his irresistible ‘Buddy’s Blues”; head the mostly English cast with the welcome addition of Broadway diva Beth Leavel, delivering a delightful ‘Ladies Who Lunch’.
Catering to the Sondheim shows produced by Cameron Mackintosh in London, notably Follies and Hey, Mr Producer!, this tribute show is much more than a revue, thanks to the scenic design by Matt Kinley, the direction by Matthew Bourne, and most of all the brilliant work of Stephen Mear, reproducing and enhancing his London choreography for the whole show.
Redwood at the Nederlander Theatre marked the return of Idina Menzel, not seen on Broadway since If/Then in 2014, once again delivering another powerhouse performance.
Exploring the grief of a woman, Jesse, who has just lost her son before retreating to a life in California’s towering sequoias, this comparatively short one-act show contained stunning visual projections by Hana S Kim and awe-inspiring set designs by Jason Ardizzone-West. Kate Diaz’s score occasionally shone with beauty, creating an evocative atmosphere, but failed to deliver new hits for Menzel, whose climbing and aerial dancing while maintaining her signature vocal power and raw emotional authenticity was a testament to her extraordinary versatility. Each suspended moment felt organic, as if defying gravity was an extension of her character’s cathartic release, leaving audiences enraptured by her athletic precision and artistic commitment.
Tina Landau’s direction was efficient, but her book sometimes leant on familiar healing tropes, ultimately failing to offer the depth its themes required.
Zachary Noah Piser’s portrayal of Spencer, Jesse’s deceased son, was a star-making turn, anchoring the show with a commanding presence and stirring voice. De’Adre Aziza brought a warm, earthy presence to Mel, Jesse’s wife, while Khaila Wilcoxon as the scientist Becca literally stopped the show with ‘Becca’s Song’. So, while not a perfect work, Redwood, not alone for Menzel’s spectacular performance, didn’t deserve to be the first casualty of the season, sadly because of its lack of Tony nominations.
Hell’s Kitchen at the Shubert Theatre emerges as a pulsating block party set to Alicia Keys’ soulful catalogue with some new additions from Keys herself, where Jade Milan delivers a stunning breakout performance as the rebellious Ali.
Alongside showstopping turns from Jessica Vosk and Kecia Lewis, and the dynamic hip-hop choreography of Camille A Brown, the show brims with raw emotion and New York grit. While ‘Perfect Way to Die’ stands out as a powerful Act I closer and Durrell ‘Tank’ Babbs’ rendition of ‘Fallin’’ elevates Act II, this production occasionally treads familiar ground with its mother-daughter conflicts, but its sheer energy and musicality make it an undeniable highlight of this season.
It will surely extend through to the next season too, though personally I was more impressed with the performances of the original mother and daughter, the great Shoshana Bean and Maleah Joi Moon when I saw the show in its pre-Broadway run at The Public Theater in November 2023. The finale to ‘Empire State of Mind’ will help make this show the ultimate celebration of New York, which the musical New York, New York sadly failed to be in 2023 because of a weaker book, despite its other iconic anthem to the city.
BOOP! The Musical at the Broadhurst Theatre bursts with cartoonish joy. Jerry Mitchell’s choreography ranks among his best lately, together with his work on Becoming Nancy at the Birmingham Rep. David Foster’s score, while not instantly hummable, sustains a high-energy pace, while the story is well developed in the funny book by Bob Martin. At the heart of the show is Jasmine Amy Rogers, who delivers a tour-de-force performance as Betty Boop.
Rogers proves herself a triple threat, infusing the titular character with a magnetic blend of sass, vulnerability and larger-than-life charisma. Her vocal prowess shines in numbers like the jazzy ‘Where I Wanna Be’, where she effortlessly captures Betty’s signature blend of innocence and allure.
Stephen DeRosa brings a mischievous charm as Grampy, Betty’s eccentric inventor friend, his comedic timing and physicality elevating every scene he’s in, particularly in the slapstick-heavy sequences. World-renown marionettist Phillip Huber is equally impressive as Pudgy, Betty’s loyal pup, delivering a performance that balances youthful exuberance with surprising emotional nuance.
The ensemble is also perfect, filling the stage with infectious energy, particularly in the show’s larger dance numbers such as the Act II opener ‘Where is Betty?’ – cleverly playing with black and white and colour – but the evening also belongs to the always excellent Faith Prince as the stern yet lovable Valentina.
The production’s visual elements are a triumph: scenic designer David Rockwell crafts a whimsical world that seamlessly blends 2D cartoon aesthetics with 3D theatricality, complete with oversized props and clever projections by Finn Ross; costume designer Gregg Barnes delivers a parade of eye-catching outfits, from Betty’s iconic red dress to the ensemble’s kaleidoscopic array of period-inspired looks; and lighting designer Philip S Rosenberg bathes the stage in vibrant hues, amplifying the show’s playful tone.
While the story’s straightforward nature and occasionally formulaic score might prevent it from reaching the heights of Broadway’s most memorable musicals, the production’s heart, humour and sheer exuberance make it my personal favourite show in this new Broadway season.
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