Sunset Blvd changed me this year. I’m convinced it altered something genetically, something deep within me. My inner theatre kid had laid dormant for a long, long time…but then seeing Nicole Scherzinger in the St. James, being both Norma and not-Norma, powerfully delivering every bit of herself in her Tony-winning performance awakened me. She embedded all of her energy, all of herself into that role. I was completely enamored. Entranced. I realized then how important attending live theatre is—how special it is to allow real human beings to stand in front of you, to tell you a story onstage, and to share that moment with whomever is in the audience at that moment. Nicole talks a lot about this in Actors on Actors, and I agree with her. It very much goes back to why I write—I write to connect, to hopefully make a person smile—to create something for another person that will help them feel like they are not alone, like there is someone else out there like them.

Today I want to offer a round up of the shows I’ve seen this year (both live and in movie theaters—more on that, later). Some of these are no longer in production, but for posterity’s sake, I want to include them. I want to give you the vibes. That’s what makes the theatre special, right? Once the actors are done acting and the theatre is empty—it doesn’t exist for people to have anymore (minus all these taped performances I’m going to tell you about, ha). It truly is a pure form of joy, of transience.

Alright, so this is what I saw (except now I have another pile of shows to share from my most recent trip, so soon!). Similar to my cinephile diaries, I’m not super interested in giving a full synopsis, etc. Nor will I be bashing any of these incredible artists. I feel so strongly that literally every piece of art is meant for someone. If it isn’t meant for me, that is FINE. It doesn’t mean it is bad. But I won’t click with every actor or every story or setting. I’ll let you know when that happened, but by no means does that make the story/person/actor “bad.” It’s all subjective. What is reality, anyways?

Existential crisis over, let’s get on with the shows:

Good Night, and Good Luck (April 2025–Winter Garden Theatre, New York City)

Watching George Clooney play the role of Edward Murrow in the fifth row of the Winter Garden Theatre as my first-ever real show on Broadway was….electrifying, to say the least. It had been a long time since I had experienced live theatre (I think prior to this, my last live show was Phantom in the West End circa 2018). I forgot how magical it is to see the set construction, to watch these real people perform their craft right in front of you—and then to realize they are doing it upwards of eight times a week, but are still somehow producing work that is heart-wrenching, beautiful, and believable. I am glad this show was my return to the stage. The set was very cool (lots of old-timey televisions+cameras, seeing as it was set at CBS in the 50’s), seeing George Clooney act in front of my face was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I truly think it warmed me back up to theatre before my full Sunset immersion. My only major complaint about the show was the very wild abundance of stage cigarettes, which, by the end of the operation, made the entire venue a hacking, coughing mess. Like, it was a little comical. Subject-matter wise, this show is SO RELEVANT. I know you can’t go see it at Winter Garden now, but please check out the live broadcast from CNN—if I’m not mistaken, this is the first time a Broadway show was streamed live, for free.

Sunset Blvd (x2 April 2025, June 2025–St. James Theatre, New York City)

*Curtain call from my second time seeing the show at the St. James.*

This was my life-changer of a show. I don’t say that lightly. Like, it has literally changed the trajectory of my life in 2025. I feel a little silly writing that, but on the other hand—when did it become silly to let things actually mean something to you? Every aspect of this show means so much to me. The actual story, the sparse staging, the phenomenal performances, the actors themselves. It spoke to me in ways I hadn’t really let this kind of work reach me before. I’ve always connected deeply to the written word. Lesser so to artwork. But a musical? Never. I do credit Nicole with a lot of this, but really—it’s the book. The music. The music! Gosh, it was spectacular. The messaging will also connect with “women of a certain age” (I mean anyone over 25, probably). Norma Desmond’s strife with wanting to be relevant and do the thing she loves while feeling that she has absolutely been left behind is very, very relatable. I very much hope that this show will have a theatrical release—it surely deserves it. Until then, you can listen to the full cast recording on Spotify, see the casts’ Tiny Desk Concert, Tom’s Olivier performance, or else watch the absolutely fabulous film that the show was based upon.

Billie Jean (August 2025-Chicago Shakespeare Theatre—Chicago)

Seeing all these Broadway shows made me want to hunt for ways to enjoy this magic closer to home: cue my discovery of Chicago theatre. Honestly, it should have come as no surprise to me that Chicago was home to a vibrant theatre arts scene—but I had never hunted it out before. Billie Jean, a revamp of a play called Love All, was a great introduction to what Chicago theatre can be. The show, partially spearheaded by Lily Tomlin, had a sharp script, engaging actors, and a set that was sparse (not quite as sparse as a Jamie Lloyd show) yet purposeful. It made sense to have everything happen with the tennis court behind Billie—it was a great physical reminder of what everything she did was centered around, after all. My only lasting complaint were the costumes for the other women tennis players. I realize they were meant to blend in a bit, to be a neutral base for the other clothing items they’d put on top of them when they’d assume other character roles—but they were so very…beige. Like sad oatmeal. Or uncooked chicken. I think they actually had the opposite effect on me—I couldn’t stop noticing how much I didn’t like looking at them.

Les Misérables (August 2025–Morris Performing Arts Center—South Bend)

*Imagine me watching the first song with my face pressed against the world’s smallest window.*

Traveling Broadway shows! I kind of had forgotten these existed, so of course I had to start taking advantage of them as well. Well, I gotta tell you. I fear my feelings on this one are biased because I missed the first twelve minutes and had to watch through a tiny window, so I was a little lost on plot for the first 45 minutes or so. As a result, I adopted the (very annoying) habit of changing the monikers of our protagonist/antagonist pair to “Gene VAL-Gene” and “JaVERT” (emphasis on the T). I was really impressed with the level of scenery and acting. I was never sure what story was actually happening, however. There were so very many storylines. And it was…so long. I don’t think Les Mis is actually my thing, but I enjoyed being able to see this caliber of a show outside of New York. I hadn’t attended a traveling Broadway show since I saw West Side Story in Chicago in 2011 or so, and this pushed me to buy a package to see the next year’s worth of traveling shows at the Morris.

King Lear (September 2025-DeBartolo Performing Arts Center—Notre Dame)

I kind of love Shakespeare. This feels a little controversial, and I’m not sure why. I think that man (maybe men?) had such an interesting, intricate grasp on the human condition, even 400 years ago. Many argue that Shakespearean English is inaccessible. I heartily disagree. I mean, it can be tricky to understand what each word means, and a little nuance gets lost so many centuries in the future—but that’s why we have scholars, y’all! If I’m reading a new Billy Shakes, I always invest in a “No-Fear Shakespeare” copy. The translations in modern English allow me to pick up the little details that might have gotten lost. So anyways, Notre Dame has a Shakespeare festival every year, and this year, they pulled out all the stops for a modern (Succession-style) staging of King Lear. At one point, Lil’ Jon’s “Get Low” started playing while a bunch of finance bros in performance fleece vests did blow. It was that kind of reimagining. Anyways, I highly rec you read King Lear if you haven’t already. It’s now taken the top for me—its absolutely my favorite Shakespeare. The levels of petty and deceit and just sheer body count are absolutely wild. I found it to be a total page turner.

Things with Friends (September 2025-American Blues Theatre—Chicago)

Alright, so this was my first “art house” work I experienced this year. I truly didn’t know what to expect. Within the first ten minutes, a whole, actual steak was cooked onstage (a major problem, as I hadn’t eaten and it smelled SO DANG GOOD). There was a narrator doing crowd work, who was the narrator and the stage directions but also..the city of New York? There was a lot of fast talking, some mumbled lines, and then an ending you really had to see to believe. I am not sure where to put this play, honestly. The premise drew me in so (dinner party at the end of the world?), but I can tell you with all honesty, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AT THE END (neither did the five old ladies behind me, as they kept screaming after curtain, “Can anyone tell me what just happened?!”). But you know what? I read a review of the play by a person who had seen both Things with Friends and Billie Jean, and they said while they gave Billie a quaint, favorable review, they didn’t think of the show again at all after they shipped it off. They, however, were still thinking about Things with Friends. And honestly? Me too.

NB: Since writing this blurb, I attended a Zoom with the playwright, Tony and Pulitzer Prize-nominated Kristoffer Diaz, and the talented cast. I feel like I have a better grasp on things now.

Ashland Ave (September 2025-Goodman Theatre—Chicago)

I did a theatre double header, and I saw this right after Things with Friends. It was opening night at the Goodman! They gave us tote bags! I was exceptionally excited about this, and I won’t lie, seeing Jenna Fischer live was a big draw for me. However, I found that Francis Guinan and Chiké Johnson really carried this show. They were the real deal—Chiké has such star power and impeccable comedic timing. The show was a little too long for me, but it was hysterically funny (the whole theatre burst into laughter, on average, every five minutes). The set was gorgeous. I think the play says a lot, but it just needs to say it a little faster (and maybe with a slightly different cast). If you love niche jokes about Chicago, dragon fantasies (you’ll see), and watching people pretend it is really cold and put on and take off their coats about two dozen times, you just might love this show, too.

Every Brilliant Thing (September 2025-DeBartolo Performing Arts Center—Notre Dame)

This was a last-minute ticket. It’s an hour-long, one man show. If you aren’t familiar with it, my guy Mickey will tell you all about it. Guys, it was brilliant. There’s no other word. I cried. I cried in a tiny, black box theatre. And then I went into my car and sobbed some more. I loved it, and I love that Notre Dame put this show on. It’s the first time I’ve ever felt a meaningful connection to the other audience members in a show (and not just because they are coughing incessantly and I want to ask them to please stop making body sounds).

Mr. Wolf (September 2025–Steppenwolf Theatre—Chicago)

The latest entry into my 2025 season. Guys, this is DARK. Like, I don’t even know how to recommend this play to anyone. I am not kidding when I tell you I had an honest-to-God panic attack right after I left the theatre. I knew it was going to be good (Steppenwolf had a big night at the Tony’s this year with Purpose). But I just wasn’t prepared for how emotionally wrung out I was going to be by the end of it all. I should have known. The show is about a girl who was kidnapped, and then twelve years later, she returns to her parents. I know this iteration of the script was reworked from Rajiv’s original, and I’m still not sure the ending is at 100 for me. I thought there were bits that accidentally made the audience laugh (such as the “horse,” iykyk) and parts that didn’t land quite right for me (a few of the argument scenes). These are small notes, though. I really found the story compelling. The ensemble was so talented. I’ve also never seen set pieces whoosh in and out of a stage with folks on them? So that was real cool, too. This is absolutely worth seeing. That said, I don’t think I could see it again (at least anytime soon), due to how emotionally devastated I was.

Theatre on the Big Screen

A Streetcar Named Desire (September 2025-Browning Cinema—Notre Dame)

This 2014 production at the National Theatre was…spectacular. I am so glad I saw it. I wasn’t aware that the National Theatre has a streaming service where a ton of past shows are filmed and available to watch—this is one of the productions they’ve added for this season, I think. I would absolutely recommend. Gillian Anderson is wildly talented as Blanche, the show is in the round and the set spins, and there’s something so sticky and intimate about the way this one was staged. A classic. I think I’ll get the National Theatre on demand just to watch this again.

Hamilton (September 2025-Cinemark…ha! It’s a nationwide release)

True and real Allie fact: I’d never watched Act II of Hamilton. Mostly, I didn’t want Hamilton to die. But you know what? I was missing out. I had no idea that Thomas Jefferson was in this show! How ridiculous of me. I saw the release of the Disney+ version in theatres, and like everyone else, I agree that they made a mistake regarding sing along vs. no sing along showings. Call me a curmudgeon, but I did not want to hear eight squeaky teens belting out the lyrics to the show. That said, I respect their right to want to do that—I think the movie theater should have just had designated sing along showings.

Wow. So there you have it. My life in theatre, so far. I hope to just post about shows as I see them…but I had to catch you all up!

If I were going to rank what I have here so far, top of the top?

Sunset Blvd (forever, probably)
Mr. Wolf
Things with Friends

I wrote that and literally said “that’s crazy.” There’s something so good about Things with Friends, even though I didn’t understand half of it. I think with some reworking, its going to be the Next Big Thing.

If you’ve read this far—-wow—-. First of all, just wow. But also—-what have you seen and loved this year? What should I see next?

-xx-Allie

A Streetcar Named Desire (September 2025-Browning Cinema—Notre Dame)

This 2014 production at the National Theatre was…spectacular. I am so glad I saw it. I wasn’t aware that the National Theatre has a streaming service where a ton of past shows are filmed and available to watch—this is one of the productions they’ve added for this season, I think. I would absolutely recommend. Gillian Anderson is wildly talented as Blanche, the show is in the round and the set spins, and there’s something so sticky and intimate about the way this one was staged. A classic. I think I’ll get the National Theatre on demand just to watch this again.

Hamilton (September 2025-Cinemark…ha! It’s a nationwide release)

True and real Allie fact: I’d never watched Act II of Hamilton. Mostly, I didn’t want Hamilton to die. But you know what? I was missing out. I had no idea that Thomas Jefferson was in this show! How ridiculous of me. I saw the release of the Disney+ version in theatres, and like everyone else, I agree that they made a mistake regarding sing along vs. no sing along showings. Call me a curmudgeon, but I did not want to hear eight squeaky teens belting out the lyrics to the show. That said, I respect their right to want to do that—I think the movie theater should have just had designated sing along showings.