Mark Kaplan’s Tony Award Challenge 2025
It’s Tony Awards season, and once again, Mark Kaplan is challenging our readers to match wits with him in predicting the winners.
Think you know Broadway better than Mark? Submit your picks for this year’s winners here by June 4. If you beat Mark, you’ll win a $100 gift certificate. But you’d better bring your A game. Mark has seen every nominated show.
While the awards ceremony honoring last year’s productions is still ahead, the new Broadway season has come to a close. Here, Mark shares his top picks for the best new shows:
My favorite new production is The Picture of Dorian Gray at the Music Box Theatre. Emmy and Golden Globe winner Sarah Snook plays an astonishing 26 characters in this innovative stage adaptation of the Oscar Wilde classic. Alone on stage, Snook performs while cameras swirl around her, capturing every angle. Through live compositing, she holds conversations with the other characters, herself. It's the most spectacular use of technology in live theatre I’ve ever seen.
The only drawback? The cost. Tickets peak at $600, and that’s not the exception. Good Night and Good Luck tops out at $800, while Glengarry Glen Ross and Othello can set you back upwards of $900 a ticket. If you paid full price, would you walk away satisfied? Thankfully, there are plenty of discount options (see below).
This season is full of exciting productions. The musical Dead Outlaw just opened at the Longacre Theatre after a successful off-Broadway run. It tells the strange but true story of Elmer McCurdy, a small-time bank robber who gained posthumous fame.
Other productions I recommend include:
Maybe Happy Ending – Belasco Theatre
Death Becomes Her – Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
Buena Vista Social Club – Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre
Boop! The Musical – Broadhurst Theatre
Floyd Collins – Vivian Beaumont Theatre
Gypsy (revival) – Majestic Theatre
Pirates! The Penzance Musical (starring David Hyde Pierce) – Todd Haimes Theatre
Just in Time – Circle in the Square Theatre
John Proctor is the Villain – Booth Theatre
Purpose – Helen Hayes Theatre
If you're an out-of-towner planning to see eight shows in a week, there’s more than enough to choose from—and you’ll probably leave thinking, “I wish I’d seen that one too!”
Dining Recommendations
Here are a few new additions to my list of favorite restaurants:
Left Bank (West Village): The iron skillet split chicken is phenomenal.
Shukette: A top-tier Israeli spot known for seafood and kebabs.
One White Street: A bit more upscale, but worth it for its excellent dishes.
Looking to dine well and save? Try the inKind app—it works at nearly 4,000 participating restaurants and offers discounted pricing.
Discounts for Broadway Tickets
Want to enjoy Broadway on a budget? Check out these ticket-saving platforms:
With a little planning, you can enjoy the best of Broadway—and great meals—without breaking the bank.