16 Best Theater Moments of 2025 NYT | Top Stories By: Laura Collins-Hughes, Alexis Soloski and Elisabeth Vincentelli 11 December 2025 at 00:34 Lea Michele’s star turn in “Chess.” Kara Young as an 8-year-old. A 12-minute monologue delivered from a cloud. These are our favorite scenes from this year. © Sara Krulwich/The New York Times