Onstage NTX Writers’ 2025 ‘Bests & Faves’ (Carol)
—Carol M. Rice
In 2025 I saw or was involved with 121 shows, including brand new DFW start-up companies, touring companies, educational theatre, community theatre, Equity, regional theatre out of town, and Broadway. I don’t discriminate.
My two favorite Broadway shows this year were Maybe Happy Ending and Operation Mincemeat (which I saw twice in London’s West End in 2023 and 2024). If you get a chance to see it either place, do so! I also loved everything about Maybe Happy Ending – it was simply a delight.
Now on to local theatre.
First, designers—who are often overlooked:
The Savannah Sipping Society, Runway Theatre, Bessie Boynton, Set Design
Hadestown, Broadway Dallas, Aja Jackson, Lighting Design
Once Upon a Mattress, Repertory Company Theatre, Laura Alley, Costume Design
Back to the Future, the Musical, Broadway Dallas, Chris Fisher, Illusion Design
Back to the Future, the Musical, Broadway Dallas, Finn Ross, Video Design
Jekyll and Hyde, Lyric Stage, Scott Guenther, Production Design
Seussical, Outcry Community Theatre, Kathy Wright and Kristin Bell, Costume Design
Southlake, The Core Theatre, James Hansen Prince, Set Design
Catch Me If You Can, Garland Summer Musicals, Michael A. Robinson/ Dallas Costume Shoppe, Costume Design
Life of Pi, Broadway Dallas, Andrzej Goulding, Video and Animation Design
Be My Baby, Richardson Theatre Centre, Rusty Harding, Sound Design
A Murder is Announced, Stolen Shakespeare Guild, Jason Morgan, Set Design
Let’s Murder Marsha, Richardson Theatre Centre, Kyle Chinn, Set Design
The Thin Place, Lakeside Community Theatre, Lindy Englander, Sound Design
A few special notices for music and movement:
Hadestown, Broadway Dallas, Haik Demirchian, Trombone/Glocknspiel
Ragtime, Lewisville Playhouse, Margaret Miller, Music Director
The Wedding Singer, Repertory Company Theatre, Michelle Levall and Amanda Durbin, Choreography
Odysseus and Penelope, Evil Eye Productions, Skylar Duvall, Choreography (including fights)
Odysseus and Penelope, Evil Eye Productions, Harrison Polen and Logan Beutel, Music
Some of my favorite performances:
The Outsider, Frisco Artist Collective (now Ghostlight Theatre Company), Noelle Saul as Lulu
Almost, Maine, Allen Contemporary Theatre, Brett Femrite as Jimmy and Randy
Million Dollar Quartet, The Firehouse Theatre, Joey O’Reilly as Jerry Lee Lewis
Hadestown, Broadway Dallas, Nickolaus Colón as Hades
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Classics Theatre Project, Nancy Lamb as Petra Quince
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Classics Theatre Project, Robert San Juan asTheseus/Oberon
Into the Breeches!, Mainstage Irving-Las Colinas, Anell Rey as Ida Green
Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Pocket Sandwich Theatre, Chris Rodgers as Milt Fields
Back to the Future, the Musical, Broadway Dallas, Lucas Hallauer as Marty McFly
Jekyll and Hyde, Lyric Stage, Cameron Vargas as Jekyll/Hyde
Uncle Vanya, Lewisville Playhouse, Sasha Richie as Sonya
Waitress, Dallas Theater Center, Bob Hess as Joe
Mean Girls, AT&T Performing Arts Center, Katie Yeomans as Cady Heron
Mean Girls, AT&T Performing Arts Center, Alexys Morera as Janis Sarkinson
Mean Girls, AT&T Performing Arts Center, Maryrose Brendel as Karen Smith
Romeo & Juliet, the Melodrama, Pocket Sandwich Theatre, Tyler Knabe as Benvolio
Romeo & Juliet, the Melodrama, Pocket Sandwich Theatre, Benjamin Muscanere as Romeo
The Outsider, Allen Contemporary Theatre, Ryan Maffei as Dave Riley
The 39 Steps, Theatre Frisco, DR Hanson as Richard Hannay
Tom, Dick and Harry, Pocket Sandwich Theatre, Josh Hires as Tom
Death ChatGPT, Rooftop Productions, Jennifer Nachazel as Melinda
Ragtime, Lewisville Playhouse, Christian Black as Coalhouse Walker Jr. Ragtime, Lewisville Playhouse, Micaela Workman as Sarah
Ragtime, Lewisville Playhouse, Nolan Shaver as Tateh
Oklahoma!, The Firehouse Theatre, Makenna Ostrom as Ado Annie
Oklahoma!, The Firehouse Theatre, Hannah Lovato-Swaim as Laurey Williams
Southlake, The Core Theatre, Kristin Sutton Ford as Christine
Catch Me If You Can, Garland Summer Musicals, Gideon Ethridge as Frank Abagnale Jr.
Catch Me If You Can, Garland Summer Musicals, Brian Gonzales as Carl Hanratty
Disaster!, Theatre Frisco, Thomas Schnaible as Chad
Disaster!, Theatre Frisco, Mikey Abrams as Tony
Life of Pi, Broadway Dallas, Taha Mandviwala as Pi
Rock of Ages, The Firehouse Theatre, Brooke Matthews as Sherrie
Be My Baby, Richardson Theatre Centre, Matt Gunther as John
Of Mice and Men, The Core Theatre, Julian Harris as Slim
City of Angels, Upright Theatre Company, Joshua Wilson as Stone
cleaVage, Lakeside Community Theatre/MusicalWriters.com, Josh Hepola as Dr. John Conan
The Shape of Things, Ghostlight Theatre Company, Laila Jalil as Evelyn
And finally, my favorite local productions of 2025:
Mean Girls, original direction and choreography by Casey Nicholaw, tour direction by Casey Hushion, AT&T Performing Arts Center
Run For Your Wife, directed by Rachael Lindley and Janette Oswald, Richardson Theatre Centre
The Outsider, directed by Chris Berthelot, Allen Contemporary Theatre
Tom, Dick and Harry, directed by Nick Haley, Pocket Sandwich Theatre
Death ChatGPT*, written/directed by Jared Seman, Rooftop Productions
Ragtime**, directed by Wendi Brozek, Lewisville Playhouse
Southlake*, directed by Staci Ingram, The Core Theatre
Catch Me If You Can, dir. by Patty Granville, Garland Summer Musicals
Life of Pi, directed by Max Webster, Broadway Dallas
cleaVage*, directed by Rebecca Lowrey, Lakeside Community Theatre/MusicalWriters.com
The Wedding Singer, directed by Michelle Levall, Repertory Company Theatre
Dear Jack, Dear Louise, directed by Manny Garcia, Theatre Off the Square
*new work
**favorite overall
As a side note, in 2025 I was privileged to direct three bucket list shows (The Shakespeare Conspiracy at Rover Dramawerks, Cry Havoc at Lakeside Community Theatre, and The Mousetrap at Garland Civic Theatre), and if they weren’t mine, they’d be on this list, too.
GO SEE LIVE THEATRE!
