The Best of Broadway (and Beyond): A 2026 Review of Last Year's Standout Shows

I won this book as part of Early Reviewers.

I was curious to see how I would feel about this book after reading and enjoying the book "Broadway for Beginners" from this same author. Unfortunately, this one does not quite hold up. I agree with another reviewer in questioning who this book is for?

It essentially reads like a travel diary of the shows Brian Guy saw in 2025. And while some of the technical reviews are quite interesting, the notes about particular performances left me wanting. Because those same actors will not be performing by the time anybody reads this book.

If the reader is a huge theatre fan, then maybe they would enjoy an annual release. Otherwise, pick up the author's other book and learn something about theatre as an show more art form. show less

This book was sent to me by the author unrequested. It arrived as a bonus with a book by the same author that I’d won at LibraryThing, Broadway for Beginners: A Tourist’s Guide to Broadway and off-Broadway in New York City. I received both on 6/5. I read this one after the other, from 6/8-6/10.

I recently watched the Tony Awards on tv and came away wanting to see musicals and plays I hadn’t known I did, including. Liberation, Ragtime, Schmigadoon, Every Brilliant Thing and quite a few others. I’ve yet to see Wicked. I missed it when it was in my city. I’m waiting to see the movies until I can see them together or in close proximity to one another and I’m still hoping to eventually also see it performed on stage.

This book: 3 show more stars means I liked it and I did like it, but it was also basically just a journal of the author’s theatre attendance in 2025.

Sometimes I enjoyed and appreciated all the details and sometimes I found myself wanting to skim through the minutiae.

The problem with this book is I’m not sure for whom it is written, other than the author.

For me, as someone who hasn’t attended the theatre since before 2025, it simply made me yearn to see a lot of the productions he mentions but that is not feasible. Armchair traveling can be fun but it can also be frustrating. He did write about some plays and musicals I hadn’t known about that I would like to see that I’ve added to my wish list and I guess I’m grateful for that. For people who’ve seen a lot of the plays and musicals he mentions maybe it will make them reminisce about their experiences and they might enjoy that, but their experiences are not going to mirror his. I suppose for readers who can go to the musicals or plays and the theaters he mentions it might give them tips on where to sit and will definitely give them information on which productions and cast members they might want to make a point of seeing. That could be useful.

In the back of the book the author says this book is an experiment to see if this might become an annual series. For frequent theatre goers, especially those in NYC, or for those about to make a NYC trip to go to a lot of musicals/plays I can see that latest book being helpful but that would be a small readership for each book. show less

Excellent way to see which show would interest you best, both on and off stage. This isn't a critical review either, this is a personal view of love for the theater. A true love story of a thespian. Well done