Theatrely31: Class of 2025

What does the theatrical landscape of tomorrow look like? The Theatrely31 is our newly minted annual compilation of visionary actors, directors, and theatre makers poised for a meteoric rise. These trailblazers and emerging stars are carving unique paths within our industry, and we eagerly anticipate the exciting destinations they will take us to next. See last year’s list here. 

Diego Andres Rodriguez

As buzz around Jamie Lloyd’s Sunset Boulevard revival spread and the throngs of fans gathered on 44th Street to glimpse Tom Francis’ outdoor “walk” grew and grew, the task of understudying the man at the heart of such a spectacle might have seemed unenviable. But the Sunset fandom quickly embraced Diego Andres Rodriguez, whose confident, sultry take on the character of Joe Gillis drew immediate acclaim—as did Rodriguez’s comparatively gentler work as Artie Green, his regular character in the show. 

Lloyd himself took notice, too. He quickly grabbed up Rodriguez for the role of Che in his widely celebrated West End revival of Evita, running at The London Palladium June – September 2025. It’s surely the first of many credits to come for Rodriguez, who was praised by What's On Stage as “making a remarkable West End debut, with charisma and bite.” Hopefully Rodriguez will be back on New York stages soon, both in Evita and many other shows beyond. –Joey Sims, Senior Critic 

Jacob Ryan Smith

Upcoming composer Jacob Ryan Smith is one to watch. The University of Michigan Musical Theatre alum doubles as an actor, who you may have caught Off-Broadway in Relapse and Lizard Boy. Currently, he’s working on a new musical Like Father, which is a thriller about the teenage daughter of a serial killer. When a true-crime podcast about her father goes viral after his arrest, she must navigate moving in with a mother she’s never known and grapple with her similarities to her father. We can’t wait to see it! To get a taste of his style, you can hear Heathers star Lorna Courtney sing his song Do You Remember. –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow 

Hannah Solow

I regret to say, I was late to the Hannah Solow train. I first caught her hilarious performance of Gertie Cummings on the national tour of Oklahoma! out in Los Angeles a few years back and ever since I have been hooked. She truly took the industry by storm since joining the company of Oh, Mary! downtown at the Lortel and following it to Broadway as the Mary Todd Lincoln and Mary’s Chaperone’s understudy. As soon as the news dropped that she was going on the first time, some in my office quite literally dropped everything they were doing to run to the Lyceum to grab a ticket. While her social media is nothing less than hysterical, it was her “Well, We Could See Boop!” video that not only went viral and seeped it way into mainstream popular culture, but truly by my estimates sold thousands of tickets to that production. Solow is a performer who is really just beginning and I can wait to see where her dazzling future takes her next, we will all be watching. –Kobi Kassal, Editor-in-Chief 

Alyssa Payne

To start, Alyssa Payne’s energy is nothing short of infectious. Her incredible musical work on social media caught our attention so much that we hired her to compose our 2025 Tony Award music video! Payne’s energy and style radiates Broadway, and her music is simultaneously modern, unique, and classic show-biz. She is working on a number of projects — including an entirely new musical — that we will be patiently awaiting. –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow

Emilio Ramos

It pays to keep an eye on those Assistant Director credits. Under the Andrew Scott Vanya and City Center’s The Light in the Piazza, and under Michael Arden’s productions of A Christmas Carol, Parade and Maybe Happy Ending, you’ll find Emilio Ramos’ name. And before you think maybe he’s just an excellent assistant, I’ll remind you Arden’s directing Tonys, for those intricately constructed latter two shows, could not have happened alone. And if, for some reason, you still need proof? Then I hope you caught Ramos’ New York directorial debut, where they staged Michael John LaChiusa’s tough chamber piece See What I Wanna See into a glorious ode to Japanese performance styles. With marionettes, shadow play and bunraku puppets, not to mention an excellently assembled cast, Ramos showed a real gift for intimate storytelling, erotic and evocative, that transforms emotional truth into captivating entertainment. –Juan A. Ramírez, Chief Critic

Julia Riew

Julia Riew is a rare talent. Her vital hit Dive, which reimagines the Korean folktale Shimcheong, has captured millions online — and it’s now being developed at the American Repertory Theater with Tony Award-winning director Diane Paulus backing it. Not only is she a composer, but a talented author with her latest novel released on July 29 published through Penguin Random House. If that’s not multi-hyphenate, I’m not sure what is. –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow 

Abubakr Ali

Charming, charismatic and pleasingly seductive, Abubakr Ali was the breakout star of Rajiv Joseph’s tense two-hander Dakar 2000 at Manhattan Theatre Club in spring 2025. A graduate of the Yale School of Drama, Ali starred in Billy Porter’s Anything’s Possible for Amazon in 2022. He also made history as the first Arab Muslim to lead a comic book adaptation in Netflix’s (later abandoned) series Grendel. On the New York stage, Ali has also appeared in Toros at Second Stage Theatre. An exciting young talent and a natural presence on stage, Ali doubtless has a thrilling career ahead. –Joey Sims, Senior Critic

Rebekah Bruce

Every day as soon as we get home from work, my partner puts the Dead Outlaw cast album on our speaker. Neither of us can get enough of that music. When I saw the show (twice in one week!) I could never take my eyes off that piano player, though. Without knowing it, Rebekah Bruce captured my utmost attention — even when there was a corpse on stage trying to steal it. Bruce’s music direction on that show was nothing short of inspired, and a culmination of years of impressive work. From playing in the likes of Company, A Strange Loop, and beginning with Mean Girls, Bruce has proven herself a staple on the piano. –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow 

Leana Rae Concepcion 

A successful run juggling her immense ensemble track plus standing by for Beth in the hit revival of Merrily We Roll Along only scratched the surface of Leana Rae Concepcion’s musical theater prowess. A first generation Filipina-American actor and singer, Concepcion is a star on the (rapid) rise, making history in the 2023 Paper Mill Playhouse revival of Rent as the first Asian-American woman to play Joanne in a professional production. She also made her 54 Below solo debut with Love Letters in March 2025. Next up, Concepion will co-star in the hotly anticipated off-Broadway revival of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, reprising her work as Marcy Park from the 2024 Kennedy Center run. It’s a deserved big break, and it won’t be her last. –Joey Sims, Senior Critic 

Derek Taylor

I first witnessed Derek Taylor’s supreme tap dancing skills back in Funny Girl, and he has only continued to wow audiences ever since. A standout tapper in The Great Gatsby slaying Dominique Kelley’s euphoric choreography, Taylor just completed his run over at Boop! The Musical. He’s one of those magnetic performers that you can’t keep your eyes off of when they dance, and what a joy for the audience that is. Whatever comes next, I can’t wait to see where those tap shoes go. –Kobi Kassal, Editor-in-Chief 

Jason Thinger

Leading the charge on the next generation of Broadway casting directors is Jason Thinger. A member of Jim Carnahan’s casting office, he’s been just about everywhere this past season. He cast Sunset Boulevard, Pirates! The Penzances Musical, and Just In Time on Broadway, while juggling Jamie Lloyd’s Evita over on the West End. He also is the genius behind the current revival of Little Shop of Horrors at the West Side Theatre — all your favorite Seymore and Audrey pairings are in part due to his eye for talent and chemistry. –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow

Alison Jaye

Alison Jaye was part of the Stranger Things: The First Shadow family from its early days. Seeing her onstage, it’s with good reason. Jaye is infectious in the role, and her leading energy is impressive. She has also been seen on stage in Mary Poppins as Jane and Sunday in the Park With George as Louise. We know she’s going to continue to shine! –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow

Qween Jean

Qween Jean’s exquisite costuming reached a new height last year with Cats: The Jellicle Ball. Her inventive, specific and pitch-perfect looks beamed the prismatic joy of queerness onto a radically reimagined tale of acceptance, but Jean’s designs are not the only ones to walk the walk. As the co-founder of Black Trans Liberation, she has led protests and parades, rallied and roused, curated and cared for her people – and by extension, us all. That we can admire her activism while lauding her creative work (Jordans! Parker Posey in The Seagull/Woodstock, NY! The upcoming Honey Dijon-Sia musical, Saturday Church!) is a rare gift, and she continues to close the gap between her worlds, most visibly in her annual Summer Legacy Ball at Little Island. –Juan A. Ramírez, Chief Critic

Kolton Krouse

Kolton Krouse first dazzled Broadway audiences with their joyful grace — and unbelievable high-kicking moves — in Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, an anthology of the dance master’s work that played a brief run in 2023. A masterful mover, Krouse made their Broadway debut with Cats in 2019. But it was Dancin’ that allowed Krouse the space to exist freely, and oh so beautifully, as a nonbinary performer, bringing their full and complete self to a production that did not ask Krouse to leave certain parts of themselves at the stage door. That freedom has now extended into Krouse’s ensemble work over at Death Becomes Her, where they are a consistent standout. Not content to sit around waiting and hoping for Broadway’s dated gender definitions to expand, Krouse is instead boldly leading the way. –Joey Sims, Senior Critic 

Keiko Green

Keiko Green has been making major waves on the West Coast. Her plays have been developed by the Old Globe, the Kennedy Center, the National New Play Network, Playwrights Realm, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Atlantic Theater Company, and twice by the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference. This year, she was named one of Atlantic Theatre Company’s Judith Champion Launch Commissions, which will support her and two other playwrights in developing a new play. The work that comes out of it will be a must-watch! –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow

Joshua Grosso 

Joshua Grosso has toured the country in such hits as Les Miserables and The Band’s Visit, but I finally was able to catch him shine in Gatsby: An American Myth at ART last summer. Earlier this year he made his understudy debut as Bobby Strong in Urinetown this past year at Encores! With an angelic voice, he stole the show and what a delight that was. He then went on to star as Fabrizio opposite Emily Skinner in The Light in the Piazza at the Huntington this summer and turned in an incredible performance. I can’t wait to see what he does next, but I am sure it will be spectacular! –Kobi Kassal, Editor-in-Chief 

Nazareth Hassan

How comforting to look up the writer of a play that has just entranced you and see they have a new work all lined up for the near future. Like its name suggests, Nazareth Hassan’s Bowl EP was a hypnotic, messy calling card for their wide range of writerly ambitions, and even wider scope of inspiration. How its two lovable queer skaters flipped from shotgunning vape hits and enjoying each others’ lips into a psychic hellscape of trauma and personal misadventure, emceed by a demonic entity called Lemon Pepper Wings – well, it all made sense in the skate park they built into the Vineyard Theatre. Still does. When it ended, I learned that Hassan’s next work, at Playwrights Horizons, will be a “shapeshifting psycho-comedy.” What kind of helmets do skaters use? –Juan A. Ramírez, Chief Critic

Nasia Thomas

Nasia Thomas has been wow-ing audiences for years between her year-long turn in Six as Anna of Cleves, dance captaining Caroline or Change, and the many hats she wore in Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations and in her Broadway debut in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Most recently, she served as the Cathy Standby in the first Broadway production of The Last Five Years. She brought such depth to the role, and her vocals were outstanding - yes we aren’t forgetting that terrific Last Five Years during the pandemic either! We’re so grateful to have seen her get her flowers on standby night, and hope to continue seeing her shine for years to come. –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow  

John Yi

We first became familiar with John Yi for his stellar work in KPOP on Broadway in 2022, and he has continued to wow us since! He was absolutely scene-stealing in The Big Gay Jamboree at the Orpheum Theatre in 2024, and in New York City Center’s Urinetown as part of its 2025 Encores! series. He also recently performed in Red Bull Theater’s revival of Molière’s The Imaginary Invalid — a performance that got him recognized by The New York Times. We can’t wait to continue following his career! –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow

Hagan Oliveras

It’s always impressive when someone makes their Broadway debut at a young age, but to do two shows in one season as Hagan Oliveras just did with Our Town and John Proctor is the Villain is nothing short of a wondrous feat. Many will remember Roundabout’s Jonah Off-Broadway early last year but I have been following Oliveras’ work for quite some time now with him being a part of The Fricks. This burgeoning eclectic experimental theatre group that is making a name for itself, Oliveras was brilliant in their immersive I Want To Go To There. This is only the beginning for this South Florida native, and we can’t wait to see what he cooks up next! –Kobi Kassal, Editor-in-Chief 

Marshall Pailet

I first came across Marshall Pailet’s name in an announcement about a workshop in Western Massachusetts he was co-writing with Ethan Slater titled Marcel On The Train, which will come to New York in February. When I spoke to him about it, he radiated confidence and genuine curiosity about his subject — two qualities of an excellent writer. He doubles as a director, triples as a composer. His show Private Jones — where he was book writer, composer, lyricist, and director — earned him the Helen Hayes Award for Best New Musical. Any time I see his name on any part of a project, I know I need to see what he’s concocted. –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow

a.k. payne

a.k. payne won the 2025 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for their play Furlough’s Paradise, which premiered at Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles in April. They graduated with both a B.A. and M.F.A from Yale, and has had plays developed by O'Neill National Playwrights Conference, The New Harmony Project, Great Plains Theater Conference, and Manhattan Theater Club's "Groundworks Lab." We can’t wait to see all she accomplishes in what we know will be a very long career! –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow

Erin Morton

There are few more impressive success stories than that of Erin Morton. The incoming college senior posted a video singing Creep by Radiohead to TikTok — and to say it blew up would be the understatement of the century. Soon after, she got a call from the casting team of the Off-Broadway return of Heathers, asking her to audition. Not only did she book the role of Martha Dunstock, but she steals the show (especially her Kindergarten Boyfriend — I can’t stop thinking about it). Morton is an absolute star in the making, and I can’t wait to see her on stage for many years to come. –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow

Darrell Grand Moultrie

Moultrie’s high octane choreography for Goddess at The Public Theater last spring is enough to land him on this list. That gorgeous production was further complemented by Moultrie’s sexy choreography, a mix of traditional and modern movement, steeped in the African folklore of the story while still paying homage to today’s sensibilities. Moultrie’s theatre credits are impressive on their own (Fat Ham on Broadway and at The Public; Jeremy O. Harris’ Daddy; Shakespeare in the Park’s Merry Wives of Windsor; Aida in Amsterdam, to name only a few), but to stop there would be to miss the rest of Moultrie’s spectacular accomplishments. His works have premiered with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, the American Ballet Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and a laundry list of ballet companies and dance ensembles across the country and internationally, too. Not to mention his collaborations with Savion Glover and Beyoncé for her Mrs. Carter World tour. Raised in Harlem, a Juilliard graduate—Moultrie is New York’s finest. It’s no wonder he has become one of today’s most sought-after choreographers. –Andrew Martini, Contributing Writer

Xhloe and Natasha

This pair of writers/performers is clowning around in the best possible way. Xhloe and Natasha are decade-long collaborators on absurdist physical theatre, clown content, and more. They received the Fringe First Award for Outstanding New Writing three years in a row at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Suffice to say, they’re on a roll — and their work is some of the most creative out there. —Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow

Amanda Simone Lee

After seeing Amanda Simone Lee absolutely belt her face off in The Big Gay Jamboree Off-Broadway, we were pretty sure there was nothing she couldn’t do. She’s continuing to impress as part of the ensemble of the National Tour of Hamilton. Plus, she’s covering all three Schuyler Sisters — talk about range! Her voice is undeniable, and we can’t wait to see how far she goes.  –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow

Marty Lauter aka Marciax3

The Emcee is a notoriously difficult role to pull off, especially after Alan Cumming’s indelible performance in the 1998 Broadway revival became the sine qua non for any actor tackling the role. What’s more — it’s rare that an understudy breaks through, creating a buzz of their own. Marty Lauter may have had some previous buzz from their run on season 15 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, but their performance in this revival of Cabaret, as Victor but especially as an Emcee understudy, stands on its own. With a sly wit, vocal prowess, and a take on the role that was specific and lived-in, drawing on their experience in drag performance and musical theatre, Lauter proved that there’s no replacement for raw talent. Ticket buyers flocked to performances they knew Lauter would be in for the Emcee, which is a testament to Lauter’s star power, especially when you consider the lineup of big names this production had cycling into that role. –Andrew Martini, Contributing Writer

Sophie McIntosh

I’ve seen two of the three plays Sophie McIntosh has had professionally staged in New York and might never forgive myself for missing cityscrape, in 2023. As a completist, having unwittingly set myself on an eternal hunt with 2022’s macbitches, that hurts. But there’s solace in knowing this wonderfully productive playwright’s track record means we’ll likely be getting a play a year. McIntosh, I once wrote, is interested in “exploring womanhood across a range of genres, modes, and tones.” That might look like a college comedy, subverted to ask piercing questions about women’s ambition and sexuality in a post #MeToo world (macbitches), or a surreal tale about a young wife who gives birth to a rabbit, which weaves dark humor and disquieting gender critiques into dreamscapes worthy of David Lynch. Lucky us, McIntosh has now co-created the Good Apples Collective to develop and produce further works, and its fruits are sure to be golden. –Juan A. Ramírez, Chief Critic

Will Dagger

I first saw Will Dagger – and probably, given the Wild Project’s size, he saw me – as a paranoid Rust Belt brony in The Antelope Party. Even without that theater’s intimacy, I knew I could feel every nerve ending on this shifty-eyed guy’s body pulsating as paranoia set into his character. That livewire energy has shot him up the New York stage ranks: from a feverishly loved Uncle Vanya in a studio apartment to Will Arbery’s Corsicana; from the trippy freakout of Give Me Carmelita Tropicana! (where he, at one point, again wore a flirty fursuit) to his Broadway debut as a harried TV exec in Good Night, and Good Luck. Typically mustachioed and always telling a minimum of three stories with his eagerly expressive eyes, to see Dagger’s name in a playbill is to know you’re in for something unconventional, cutting-edge, often transcendent and entirely the reason we come to live theatre. –Juan A. Ramírez, Chief Critic

Taylor Marie Daniel

In all ways, Taylor Marie Daniel is a queen. After graduating from The University of Michigan in 2022, Daniel has taken Broadway by storm in the ensemble of Once Upon A Mattress, and as the understudy for Cassandra and Roz in The Heart of Rock and Roll. Currently, she’s wow-ing audiences at the Lena Horne Theatre as Catherine Parr in Six. She’s bringing power and a refreshing perspective to the iconic show. –Emily Wyrwa, Editorial Fellow 

Ryan Dobrin 

For the versatile, virtuosic young director Ryan Dobrin, 2024 proved a breakout year. First came his haunting staging of Ryan Drake’s new play you don’t have to do anything, a disturbing work brought to careful, sensitive life by Dobrin. His follow-up was the witty immersive work The Voices in Your Head, praised by Theatrely’s critic as a “swift and subtle” staging and included on our Best Theater of 2024 list. Meanwhile, Dobrin was also keeping busy uptown, acting as associate director on both Merrily We Roll Along and director Whitney White’s revival of The Last Five Years. Dobrin just came off co-directing the new musical We Shall Someday at Alabama Shakes, and will next tackle The Great Comet at Montclair State. He’s in-demand, and for good reason: Dobrin’s thoughtful, finely crafted productions prize theatricality and collective catharsis above all else.  –Joey Sims, Senior Critic

The Theatrely31 was chosen by a committee composed of the Theatrely Editorial Board as well as a small group of industry professionals.