"Many found the music offensive, the dancing objectionable, and the popularity of both with young people verging on a mental health crisis." So writes music historian Susan C. Cook about ragtime, the heavily syncopated ancestor of jazz that arose in the late 1800s. Like all things, ragtime's subversiveness faded over time, and, a century later, the works of Scott Joplin and other practitioners had been relegated to carnivals and fairs, their jaunty piano melodies now evoking quaint notions of old-timey fun.
In a year marked by political unease, cultural whiplash, and an industry still recalibrating its sense of purpose and underlying economics, New York theater often looked backward even as it searched for new ways forward. This list reflects the ten best Broadway and OffBroadway shows that opened in 2025. Thus, it does include shows that were part of the 2024-2025 season but opened in 2024, including Maybe Happy Ending and Sunset Boulevard.