Favorite Theatre & Events of 2025

This year I decided to keep track of all the things I saw, read, heard, and experienced! I created a template in my journal to record all the important artists that contributed to a project and my ratings and reviews on each piece. This project ultimately helped me find patterns of what I enjoy and inspired my own creative work! It was also just fun to do and made me feel like I was 'doing the work' instead of just consuming content for no reason. I highly recommend you try it - stay tuned for this template on the blog soon!

Let's talk...

THEATRE

I moved to LA from NYC in 2024. One of the things I miss most about New York is the access to live theater. I went from seeing around 50 shows a year to about 10... But luckily, I still managed to see some incredible ones in 2025!

2025 Live Shows

Well I'll Let You Go - The Space at Irondale (NYC) - @letyougonyc

This play was written by Bubba Weiler and directed by Jack Serio - both friends of mine from NYU! I actually took a train into NYC on a trip to Philly just to see this production. The ensemble (cast by the amazing Taylor Williams) was comprised of top tier New York actors. I was blown away by these performances. And they were given such incredible material to work with in the writing! I feel lucky to have seen this one. I'd love to see this production transfer to Broadway simply so more people could experience it and am excited to see where the script goes in the future.

Something Rotten - Upper Darby Summer Stage (Philadelphia) - @udsummerstage

My boyfriend is the Artistic and Managing Director of Upper Darby Summer Stage in Philadelphia, so he spends his summers producing 8 shows in 6 weeks! And I have the pleasure of watching many of them! The main stage production is always high quality, and this year was no different. The script is so clever and fun, and this production, directed by Pat Walsh, executed the tongue-and-cheek humor perfectly. And the choreography, done by Devon Sinclair, was epic as his choreography always is. Such an enjoyable night at the theater!

Anahid - The Judson Theatre (NYC) - @anahidmusical

My best friend from NYU, Gabriel Elizabeth Kadian, has spent close to 10 years writing a musical adaptation of a book written by her father about their family's experience during the Armenian genocide. I have watched her work through so many stages of this development and am so proud of her and what she has created. This year she produced a staged reading at The Judson Theater. It was hauntingly beautiful. Seeing it come together with a full, and incredibly talented cast (including Gabriel herself!), and live musicians was extraordinary. I can't wait to see a full production one day soon.

Noises Off - Geffen Playhouse (LA) - @geffenplayhouse

This was a co-production with Steppenwolf in Chicago, so I knew it would be fantastic! I really love this play, and this was an excellent production. The cast was strong, and it felt so good to spend the night laughing.

Edie (LA) - @edie_the_show

Okay the theme of my favorite shows this year is 'I have so many talented friends'! My friend Jessica Toltzis wrote and performed in a one-woman show about the life of Edith Windsor, the lead plaintiff in a pivotal 2013 LGBTQ rights case at the Supreme Court. I saw an early staged reading version in LA before it moved to NYC and then the Edinburgh Fringe Festival! It was already pretty incredible when I saw it and went on to be highly acclaimed at the Fringe! Jess composed an intricate and beautiful script and was captivating as Edie onstage. I'm excited for the future of this one as well.

Previously Released Scripts But New To Me (That I Read)

Grounded - George Brant (2013)

This is a one-woman show about an Air Force fighter pilot who is reassigned to flying drones. She then proceeds to fight a war sitting behind a computer thousands of miles away from the war zone. The New York premiere production was produced by Page 73 and directed by one of my favorite directors I've worked with, Ken Rus Schmoll! It was later produced at The Public staring Anne Hathaway. I'd love to produce and perform this script. It's a complex topic and has so many dynamic opportunities for a one-woman show.

Proof - David Auburn (2000)

This is a classic, and I'm sure I read it once in college. It's about a young woman dealing with the death of her father and discovering his mathematical proofs written in his final days. It's about grief, mental illness, family, loneliness, trust and love. The original Broadway production starred Mary Louise Parker, and there's even a film adaptation with Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins (though I've heard it's not as great as the play sadly). The play is well known for a reason. The characters and the story are deep and complex. I'd love to see a full production someday.

Next up...

EVENTS

Improv, Magic, Music, oh my!

Ben Schwartz & Friends - The Orpheum Theater (LA) - @rejectedjokes

I have been such a fan of Ben Schwartz since his Jean Ralphio days in Parks and Rec, and I love his long form improv shows! I've seen a few in the past in NYC but this year saw him perform with Drew Tarver, Jess McKenna, and Gil Ozeri in LA. I honestly don't always love watching improv - I tend to feel nervous as if I'm the one who's supposed to perform. But Ben and his cast have such an ease and joy on stage that is genuinely contagious. I highly recommend seeing this one in a city near you for a night full of laughs!

Mat O'Neill: UNFORGETTABLE - Illusion Magic Lounge (LA) - @matmemory

Y'all. This is hands down one of the craziest things I've ever seen. Mat O'Neill is an absurdly talented mentalist magician. I saw him perform in 2024, produced by my friend Maddie Beckham, and jumped at the chance to take more of my friends to see him again. One thing he talks about is how every time he meets someone he sees an image in his head. When he met me for the first time, not knowing anything about me at all, he saw two actors on a Broadway stage leaning in for a kiss! I mean, come on! The show just can't even be described or explained. It's actual magic. He is an actual mind reader. You must see him if you ever have the opportunity.

Mumford & Sons -The Palladium, Hollywood Bowl (LA), Moody Center (Austin) @mumfordandsons

My friends make fun of me because I used to be a songwriter, and now I never listen to music. I can't explain why. But there are two bands that always break through, and I got to see them both in concert this year for the first time in a long time. Mumford & Sons is my favorite band. I first heard them play when I was a freshman at NYU. I camped out for 24 hours outside 30 Rock to get tickets to see SNL, and Mumford & Sons was the musical guest! I was blown away by them then and still am today. I think I've seen them live nine times now - three of those times being this year. All of the shows were so special. There's always a moment where I'm overcome with emotion all of a sudden when I watch them perform. My mom said it was the best concert she's seen in years. I have to agree!

HAIM - The Bellwether (LA) - @haimtheband

The second band I really love is HAIM. My friends and I came across them playing at ACL back in 2013, and I've been following them since. They are another group that is just so fun to watch perform live! Their energy is electric. They are true LA girls, so seeing them in LA felt extra cool.

You can check out my Favorite Movies and Favorite TV Shows posts if you're interested in more of my opinions about art in 2025! I hope this inspires you to either see these shows and/or keep track of your own favorites in 2026!