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Most homelabs begin with dashboards because dashboards help manage mess and make things look clear. Most people use things like Grafana panel, Portainer, a Proxmox summary tab, and an uptime monitor to make a bunch of services look like infrastructure until you realize that the system only helps when you are already looking at it. That is where Gotify started to make sense. A dashboard waits for me to check it, but a good alert tells me when something needs a look.

You might think that an all-SSD NAS is a waste of money—and you'd be right. However, I still find a use for one in my homelab. Here's how I use my all-SSD NAS when I have several other storage systems already in my homelab.

The most exciting part of building a smart home is adding new gadgets. Whether it's a cool new sensor, smart plug, camera, or light bulb, it's easy to keep expanding your setup over time—especially now that even inexpensive devices are Matter-compatible.

If your Linux system is running low on storage, you don't need to spend hours going through files and deleting what you don't need. There's an easier way to do it. Let me show you what I do when I need to declutter and clear up space.

Are you in the mood for a rom-com this weekend? Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein star in Office Romance, a new movie now streaming on Netflix.

Bluetooth is one of those convenient features we all use so much that we often take for granted. In recent years, Bluetooth quality, range, and reliability have greatly improved, but we still deal with frustrating disconnections at times. We've all been there, forgetting a device and trying to re-pair it, but there's one setting that should eliminate most of those problems.

Supports are a necessary but often frustrating part of 3D printing. These structures serve as a base for overhanging elements, so that your model doesn’t warp or sag in unexpected ways.

Building an Excel dashboard usually means spending an entire afternoon on layout design. So, I pitted ChatGPT against Gemini to see which tool automates the grunt work best—and only one came close to what I hoped for.

From swarms of lovebugs along the Gulf Coast to dust storms on the Southern Plains and pollen blanketing nearly the entire country, keeping your car clean this time of year is a real challenge. And that’s not even counting the daily barrage of rain, mud, and road grime.

Who’s up for a weekend full of thrilling, pulse-pounding entertainment on Amazon Prime Video? These types of shows thrive on tension, unexpected twists, and complex characters to pull audiences into worlds where danger lurks around every corner and nothing is ever quite what it seems, and that's where we're heading.

Buying an ESP32 development board can be a little confusing for a newcomer. These dev kits are available from a variety of different manufacturers at slightly different prices, and some even come embedded in other devices.

Hulu tends to fly under the radar next to its flashier rivals like Netflix and Prime Video (it also pumps out fewer titles each month), but tucked inside that Disney+ bundle is one of the best catalogs in streaming, including stunning FX shows like Alien: Earth and The Bear, a bottomless true-crime well, comedies, thrillers, and more.

Excel and other spreadsheets are ubiquituous in business because they let you create simple graphics. If you want to take your reports and presentations to the next level, you might want to consider learning Python to create powerful visualizations that will help you stand out from the crowd.

Windows on Arm is finally maturing to the point of being truly usable, and the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7X Gen 11 only helps its case. With a fantastic build quality, great performance, and a gorgeous screen, this is one of my favorite 14-inch Windows laptops I've ever used.

Portable fans are a hot-weather staple. When I got married on a sweltering July day, one of my bridesmaids passed me a portable fan, which didn't leave my side all day. So it's no surprise that personal fans are coming back in even bigger ways this summer.

Personal fans can be found for under $20, but this year, some big names in appliances are joining the trend. Dyson dropped its $99 personal fan, but not before Shark launched the ChillPill this year. Shark's personal fan features the most unique and elaborate design of any personal fan. Even Justin Bieber collaborated with Shark on a special edition of the ChillPill just in time for Coachella.

So I put the Shark ChillPill to the test on the hottest day of the year, and spoiler, my cats might love this fan more than I do.

Dyson HushJet Mini Cool $99.99 at Best Buy
  Shop Now at Best Buy Shop Now at Dyson Shop Now at Amazon Shark ChillPill $149.99 at Shark
  Shop Now at Shark Shop Now at Best Buy Shop Now at Amazon An innovative design, but is it practical? The Shark ChillPill fan looks like a a small pair of binoculars, but twists so you can hold one side while the other blows cool air. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The design is unlike any fan I've encountered IRL. It's two cylinders stacked on top of each other. The piece with the actual fan can twist to work from different angles. Rather than a wand-like grip, it's bulkier, which makes it feel awkward to hold. That said, the design makes it exceptionally easy to set down on surfaces. Suddenly, I had a mini desktop fan. I liked it best when stationary and imagined that, if I had used it while walking, it might have felt too big to hold.

The ultimate test will be when I take it on my European honeymoon and see how it holds up in the peak summer heat, whether I'm walking through ruins or lounging in a cabana.

It comes with three swappable fan heads

The ChillPill comes with three different attachments. The basic fan head, a misting fan head, and a metal cooling plate — each of which felt particularly useful in my time testing it on a sweltering day.

The Shark ChillPill comes with three swappable heads, including a cooling plate. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The standard head doesn't need explanation, while the other two have a little more flair. The attachment with a stainless steel surface is a cooling plate that claims to lower skin temperature by up to 16 degrees Fahrenheit. While I can't confirm that exact amount, I can say that on a 90-degree day when I was sweating without air conditioning, it was an incredible relief when pressed to my wrists, neck, and temples.

For those in dry heat, the misting head is particularly attractive. I tried it out in the New England humidity, and I have to say, it was still so refreshing, especially in the hottest temperatures. For as much as I love it, my two water-loving cats love it more, eagerly running over whenever I turn it on.

The only downside to the misting head is that it has a mini tank and runs out fast, especially when you turn up the speed. You can shut off the misting to conserve water, and then it operates like a standard fan head.

10 speeds of cool that's most effective up close The screen displays what speed the fan is set to and as you can see, also displays the battery status, too. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The Shark ChillPill is secretly pretty smart. It has slightly different controls based on which fan head you use, and it automatically registers when you swap them. On the side of the ChillPill is an on/off switch, but to start it, you need to press the digital screen, which turns on the cooling function.

There are 10 speeds to choose from, and on sweaty days, I found I never needed to go beyond level three for a nice breeze. But I also didn't necessarily want to, as the ChillPill gets loud fast. If you were to crank it up to 10 in a public space, it would be making a scene. However, you do need to turn up the fan strength if you have it positioned far away, as I didn't find it had a very long reach.

Battery life made for summer travels The Shark ChillPill's misting function in action. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

When fully charged, the fan lasts up to 11 hours. Using it intermittently over a few weeks, the battery held strong. The battery's strength is pretty impressive, and I'd feel confident bringing it on summer travels, knowing it will last all day and only need to be charged overnight. It recharges via USB-C, which most phones and tech use these days, meaning you won't need to pack an extra charger.

Let's talk about the price

Part of the appeal and widespread use of portable fans is their affordability. Most options on Amazon are under $20, and even Shein and Temu sell them alongside festival wear (though we're not sure we recommend them). So it's startling to see the Shark ChillPill's price of $149.99. It's more expensive than Dyson's portable fan ($99.99) and/or even a home fan like the super powerful Vornado 660 ($89.99). It's the same price as Shark's larger, more powerful FlexBreeze HydroGo Pro.

Even with its features and extra fan heads, and even though I love the fan, I still think it's way too expensive. If it were just $100, I'd say it was a good value, but for such a small, limited-use device, I don't think it's a great value, especially when you can get a much larger fan for much less than $150.

Is the Shark ChillPill worth it? Is the Shark ChillPill worth $149.99? We're undecided. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The Shark ChillPill is the most unique take on the personal fan that I've ever encountered. With 10 speeds, it's effective at cooling you down, even on the hottest of days. With special attachment heads like the mister and cooling plate, it goes above and beyond most portable fans. Even with powerful settings and long battery life, it isn't without its downsides. Its innovative design may serve more as a hindrance, especially when you're on the go. But more importantly, is it worth its $149.99 price tag? I'm not so sure.

If you're eager to spend the money, the Shark ChillPill is an effective and useful way to stay cool, but I think you should wait to buy it until it's on sale.

Shark ChillPill $149.99 at Shark
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Paul Rudd (Anaconda, Friendship) Nick Jonas (The Jonas Brothers), and legendary filmmaker John Carney (Once, Sing Street) meet up with Mashable Executive Producer Mark Stetson and to discuss their new film Power Ballad.

Out of SXSW, Power Ballad got a lot of love from critics, who cheered its feel-good comedy vibe. Paul Rudd stars as Rick Power, a middle-aged American who came to Dublin 15 years ago on tour with his rock band. What might have been a path to fame and fortune was rerouted when Rick met the cool girl who'd become his wife (Marcella Plunkett), and they had a daughter (Beth Fallon) together. Nowadays, he still rocks, but as the lead of a wedding band called the Bride and Groove. As such, he mostly plays cover songs, though he still yearns to make music of his own. So, when one wedding gig throws him in the path of former boy bander Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas), his life has the potential to change forever. The two spend the night jamming, sharing songs, and connecting on all things songwriting. What starts as potential buddy film, quickly takes a turn towards the unexpected. Power Ballad becomes a cautionary tale of what happens when ambition overtakes the pure love of making music.

In the interview with Mashable, Rudd, Jonas, and Carney talk about the creative process and the songs they wish they had been lucky enough to write.

Power Ballad is now in theaters.

TL;DR: Live stream Chwalinska vs. Andreeva in the 2026 French Open women's final for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The exciting and highly unpredictable 2026 French Open has reached the women's singles final. One on side of the court is the Russian world No. 8 Mirra Andreeva, on the other is Polish qualifier and world No. 114 Maja Chwalinska.

It's been a remarkable few weeks for Chwalinska, who had only won a single Grand Slam match before this tournament. She's battled through to the final with a series of impressive wins, helped along the way by the shock early exists of top seeds such as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Could Chwalinska get that fairytale ending and lift the coveted Suzanne-Lenglen cup?

Andreeva, however, will prove immensely tough competition on the clay court. The 19-year-old decisively beat Marta Kostyuk in the semi-final and is sure to fancy her chances at winning a first Grand Slam title. Whatever happens, this will be an exciting conclusion to an unforgettable French Open.

If you want to watch Chwalinska vs. Andreeva in the 2026 French Open final for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Chwalinska vs. Andreeva for free

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer pretty generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Roland-Garros without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream the 2026 French Open before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming platforms from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for sport?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:

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A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Chwalinska vs. Andreeva in the 2026 French Open for free with ExpressVPN.

Motorola has effectively bricked its WiFi routers without warning, and the issue has been ongoing for nearly a month, according to a Mashable investigation and user complaints across the App Store, Amazon, and Reddit.

Sometime around mid-May, Motorola's MotoSync+ app for iOS and Android went down. On iOS, the MotoSync+ app opens to the login screen, and a loading wheel just spins and spins. On Android, the app also loads to the login screen but displays a "Server License Expired" message.

Because the Motorola MotoSync+ app is required to set up all new compatible WiFi routers released by Motorola, many users have been completely blocked from using their routers.

SEE ALSO: The confusing U.S. router ban, explained: Which routers are banned?

Some Motorola customers may also be completely unaware of the issue, as existing router setups may continue to work — for now. However, if that user ever needs to factory reset their router, which Motorola recommends when experiencing certain problems, they must use the app to do so, according to Motorola's support documentation. Likewise, users with new Motorola routers can only add devices, change settings, or perform troubleshooting within the MotoSync+ app.

Mashable reached out to Motorola repeatedly for this story, but the company hasn't provided any explanation for the problems.

A Mashable screenshot showing errors with the iOS MotoSync+ app. Credit: Mashable screenshot A Reddit user shared this screenshot from the Android app (personal info obscured). Credit: Screenshot courtesy of Reddit

Motorola's networking products and the MotoSync+ app are produced and operated by Premier LogiTech, LLC, which licenses the Motorola brand for WiFi products.

What's happening to Motorola routers?

Mashable first noticed the issue in May shortly after we began testing one of Motorola's latest networking devices, the Motorola Q15 WiFi 7 mesh router, which came out late last year and costs between $129.99 and $349.99, depending on the configuration.

Luckily, we set up the base router before the MotoSync+ app stopped working, so the router continues to work for now. However, we cannot set up the rest of the mesh network while the app is unavailable.

In comments on sites like Reddit and Amazon, angry users have left dozens of comments about the situation and the lack of customer support from Motorola.

Motorola has yet to publicly address the issue, and its routers are still being sold on Amazon and at retailers such as Best Buy. Motorola's main website continues to promote its routers on the Motorola Network ecommerce shop as well. 

However, Motorola recently removed all of its routers and modems from the Motorola Network online store, and product pages now return a 404 "Page not found" error or redirect to the home page. An archive of the site shows that Motorola was still selling routers up until at least May 18, roughly one week after the app stopped working.

SEE ALSO: Motorola phones are reportedly injecting affiliate codes into the Amazon app All of Motorola Network's products have suddenly been removed from sale. Credit: Mashable screenshot What are Motorola Network users saying?

A Reddit thread about the MotoSync+ app issue was originally posted on May 12 and has quickly been filled with negative comments from other unhappy customers.

"Tried without success to contact tech support again yesterday," said Reddit user u/Ok_Fortune_8672. "Unless you are contacting them about a cellphone, the lights are out and nobody's home."

Consumers have resorted to leaving negative comments across Motorola router product pages on sites like Amazon. 

"Phone based setup didn't work, returned. Motorola support was non-existent," reads one Amazon review posted on May 5, suggesting the MotoSync+ issue may have started earlier than previously reported.

The App Store and Google Play Store pages for the MotoSync+ app have also been filled with negative reviews. According to the MotoSync+ app profile on the App Store, the MotoSync+ app last received an update two months ago.

"The previous MotoSync app worked wonderfully with my MG8702 router, but ever since I was forced to switch to the MotoSync+ app, it’s been a pain," said one user, referencing how Motorola shut down its original legacy MotoSync app in April, pushing users to the new MotoSync+ app.

However, it seems that the original MotoSync app faced similar downtime issues a few years ago, too. Back in 2023, Reddit users reported that they were unable to use the legacy MotoSync app to set up and edit their devices for roughly a month before the app began working again.

What's even more frustrating for some users: The new MotoSync+ app offers an optional subscription service for premium features. Paying users can't access these features either while the app is down.

Motorola customers on platforms such as Reddit report contacting the company and receiving either a generic automated reply or no response at all. However, Reddit user u/SnooPoems7789, who started the main thread on Reddit about the issue, posted that they received a reply on May 14 from Motorola claiming it was an "issue with our networking vendor" and the company was "taking actions to address the problem."

Another Reddit user reported calling a customer support number listed on the MotoSync+ app and being connected with a router software company called Gryphon. The company currently sells the Motorola MQ20 router on its website. However, Gryphon reportedly told the customer that they "don't support MotoSync" and the user needed to speak to Motorola directly.

MotoSync+ app in the App Store Credit: Mashable screenshot

Interestingly, Gryphon has an app called Gryphon Connect on Apple's App Store that looks exactly like the MotoSync+ app. The user interface and even the App Store screenshots and marketing copy promoting the app are identical, with only the brand names for Gryphon and Motorola swapped out for each app.

Mashable also reached out to Gryphon to inquire about the company's relationship with Motorola.

"While the apps may look similar and are both associated with Gryphon technology, the Motorola MQ20 uses a different platform and management system from the Gryphon Tower, Guardian, and AX models," a Gryphon spokesperson said in a statement provided to Mashable. "The Motorola MQ20 has its own dedicated support environment and diagnostic tools, which are handled specifically by Motorola Support. They have access to the proper system needed to check the router status, settings, logs, and advanced diagnostics for the MQ20."

For now, however, many Motorola customers are left without answers or a working WiFi router — at least for the time being.

"Tbh if I was you I would go ahead and get rid of it and get a different router," wrote Reddit user u/SnooPoems7789 in the replies to other users on his Reddit thread. "They literally made it a paperweight now."

We know. You can't have a post-credits scene for a Broadway show, because they don't have credits — they have curtain calls. But what else are we to call it when, after the cast of the 12-time Tony–nominated The Lost Boys: A New Musical takes to the stage for their curtain call, the lights drop for one more scene? 

"We call it a tag," The Lost Boys director/co-lighting designer Michael Arden told Mashable in an interview over Zoom. "But it is a post-credit[s] scene." 

The two-time Tony–winning director is up for Best Director of a Musical and —alongside Jen Schriever — Best Lighting Design of a Musical this Sunday at the 79th Annual Tony Awards. So, as Mashable's Entertainment Editor, I sat down to delve into how Arden and company adapted Joel Schumacher's 1987 cult classic into a Broadway musical that has critics (this one included) raving. We talked about the changes from the movie, the expanded queer representation, and, of course, flying vampires.

Then, I had to ask about the scene that urges audiences to leave not on the high of a cheery curtain call, but on the dizzying surprise of what comes after. 

What happens in The Lost Boys: A New Musical's post-credits scene?  LJ Benet, Ali Louis Bourzgui, Brian Flores, Dean Maupin, and Sean Grandillo fly in "The Lost Boys: A New Musical." Credit: Matthew Murphy

The lights rise to reveal the old ironworks at Coronado Bluff, the abandoned factory that the vampire David and his lost boys call home. But with them all staked and gone, who could possibly be poking around this place of death and decay? 

It's Mrs. Vasquez, the unwittingly widowed wife of Officer Vasquez, the cop who bit it in the show's opening. Over the course of the play, Mrs. Vasquez entreats the people of Santa Clara to help her find her missing husband, offering flyers with his picture on them to billboards and passersby, including new-to-town mom Lucy Emerson. 

At the end of the show, it seems her amateur sleuthing has brought her to the last place her husband let out a breath. She finds his police cap on a table, and groans. Then, she sees a bottle. 

It's the bottle that contains David's blood, introduced when he tempted Michael to drink. As the orchestra music plays a dark theme, Mrs. Vasquez seems irresistibly drawn to the bottle, drawn to drink. As she lifts the bottle to her lips, the curtain falls, leaving her future and that of Santa Clara uncertain. 

Arden said of this scene, "Ashley Jenkins, who plays Mrs. Vasquez, is an actor I've worked with a bunch of times. So the fact that she gets to end the show, and that we get that the next Big Bad bad-ass vampire might be like a fierce Black woman? I'm obsessed with [it]." 

Why does The Lost Boys: A New Musical's have a post-credits scene? Ali Louis Bourzgui hovers over LJ Benet in "The Lost Boys: A New Musical." Credit: Matthew Murphy

For Arden, it's all about keeping true to the genre of the original film. Arden explained, "The cold open of our show is a character we never meet again that's killed. That is such a horror-specific trope. And I was like, 'Well, it feels like it wants that bookend, wouldn't it be crazy? Do you think we could ever?' And so I wrote a version of it, and put it on the last page of the script. And everyone was like, 'Ha, ha, ha! Wait, could we really do that?' And I was like, 'Why not? We make up the rules, baby!'" 

This reporter noted I couldn't think of any other theatrical production with a "tag," and Arden responded, "I don't think there are any. I think this might be the first." 

But what does it mean? 

Will The Lost Boys: A New Musical get a sequel?  Maria Wirries and LJ Benet play Star and Michael in "The Lost Boys: A New Musical." Credit: Matthew Murphy

Schumacher's The Lost Boys got two. Twenty-one years after the first film, Lost Boys: The Tribe was released, starring Kiefer Sutherland's half-brother Angus as the surfer-bro vampire Shane. Two years later, Lost Boys: The Thirst debuted, with Corey Feldman stepping up from supporting player to protagonist, reprising the role of Edgar Frog. 

So, could The Lost Boys: A New Musical be expanded into a sequel? Sure, it's rare for a musical to get a sequel. But so are post-credits scenes in theatre. And what is a post-credits scene if not a teaser for more? 

Asked about the possibility, Arden took a pregnant pause, and then said, "Not at the moment. We all need a good rest." 

The Lost Boys: A New Musical is now on Broadway. 

The 79th Annual Tony Awards are coming this Sunday, and we're absolutely giddy in anticipation.

As big fans of Broadway, Mashable's Entertainment team has been hitting the Great White Way to see the best (and worst) of Broadway. Last winter, we celebrated eventual Tony nominees like Oedipus, Liberation, and Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York City) as the best theater experiences of 2025.

Since then, we've reviewed new Broadway productions, like the Daniel Radcliffe-led revival of Every Brilliant Thing, the Jon Bernthal-led stage adaptation of Dog Day Afternoon, the disastrous musical — not based on the movie — Beaches, the joyous Céline Dion jukebox musical Titaníque, the ballroom-influenced Cats: The Jellicle Ball, and the astounding musical re-imagination of The Lost Boys. Yet there are even more shows we saw that we haven't had a chance to sing the praises of yet, including the biting revival of Becky Shaw and 12-time Tony nominee Schmigadoon!

So, before the 79th Annual Tony Awards announces its winners on June 7, we're sharing which shows we loved and why. Be sure to check out our critics' notes before you commit to your Tony predictions.

The Lost Boys: A New Musical

What's it about: Inspired by Joel Schumacher's 1987 horror movie about teen vampires menacing the beach city of Santa Carla, The Lost Boys: A New Musical reimagines the fanged biker gang as a local rock band, whose allure is sexual and supernatural. The Emerson family — Lucy (Shoshana Bean) and her two teen sons, Michael (LJ Benet) and Sam (Benjamin Pajak) — are new in town, but quick to find its dark and bloody underbelly. Specifically, Michael's attraction to a mysterious girl called Star (Maria Wirries) draws him into her circle, led by a charismatic and mulleted bad boy known as David (Ali Louis Bourzgui). Meanwhile, Lucy's flirting with the video shop owner, Max (Paul Alexander Nolan), and Sam has made new friends, self-proclaimed vampire slayers the Frog Brothers (Jennifer Duka and Miguel Gil). As one of the original songs by The Rescues goes, together, can they "make it through the night"?

SEE ALSO: 'The Lost Boys' musical's director Michael Arden on re-imagining a cult classic, queer representation, and making vampires fly

Why we love it: Look, real talk, Schumacher's movie is loved most for being beautiful and bonkers, not particularly good. Director Michael Arden smartly pulls the best bits from the movie — its dramatic lighting, blend of comedy and horror, intoxicatingly cool vampires, and, yes, the oiled up, muscle-bound saxophone player — and brought them to the stage with remarkable showmanship. The masterful use of blocking and light to draw the eye makes seeing The Lost Boys feel like a horror movie you get to experience, and when his vampires take flight — well, as I raved in my review, it's "breathtaking."

But Lost Boys is marvelous for far more than its effects, which you can see from its 12 Tony nominations. The original songs by The Rescues are moving, while ranging from charmingly silly but sweet ("Superpower") to wistful ("Wild") to heart-wrenching ("Belong to Someone") to sexy as hell ("Have to Have You"). While the cast is full of terrific performances, Tony nominee Ali Louis Bourzgui is absolutely outstanding as David. Far from imitating Kiefer Sutherland's snarling vamp, he seems to draw on the surly sultriness of Rocky Horror-era Tim Curry, with a side of Catholic idolatry in his gestures and rituals. Altogether, The Lost Boys is a marvel, making moody magic on Broadway. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

Tony nominations: Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score Written for the Theater, Best Scenic Design of a Musical, Best Costume Design of a Musical, Best Lighting Design of a Musical, Best Sound Design of a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical — Michael Arden, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical — Shoshana Bean, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical — Ali Louis Bourzgui

How to watch: The Lost Boys: A New Musical is now on Broadway.

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

What it's about: Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) is just what it sounds like: a tale of two strangers, a wedding cake, and an odyssey across New York City. Our strangers? Polar opposites Robin (Christiani Pitts) and Dougal (Sam Tutty). She's a world-weary Brooklynite, and he's an Englishman overjoyed to be in New York for the first time. Robin's also on cake duty for her sister's wedding to Dougal's father, and he's all too happy to help her bring the dessert from Brooklyn to Manhattan. But what starts as a simple task soon morphs into something deeper: an unlikely friendship, and an examination of Robin and Dougal's strained relationships with their own family members.

Why we love it: Take a look down Broadway, and what do you see? Waves and waves of musicals based on pre-existing IP. Case in point: this year's Best Musical field, which features a film adaptation (The Lost Boys), a TV adaptation (Schmigadoon!), and an inspired riff on both Céline Dion and Titanic (Titaníque). While they're all heavy hitters, Two Strangers stands alone as the only original work among them, and that deserves to be celebrated. It's a charming two-hander that tempers its fizzy joy with a disarming darkness. Nowhere is this clearer than in its two leading performances: Tutty lights up the stage with his enthusiasm, while Pitts' cool façade hides a wounded interior. The pair are electric, and the show, like its titular cake, is one sweet treat. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

Tony nominations: Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score Written for the Theatre, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical — Sam Tutty, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical — Christiani Pitts, Best Scenic Design of a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical — Tim Jackson, Best Orchestrations

How to watch: Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) is now on Broadway.

Schmigadoon!

What it's about: Based on Apple TV's comedy of the same name, Schmigadoon! is here to lovingly send up your favorite Golden Age musicals, from Oklahoma! to The Music Man. The show centers on couple Melissa (Sara Chase) and Josh (Alex Brightman), who find themselves in the magical town of Schmigadoon. Here, everything is a musical, and the only way to leave is by crossing the bridge out of town with your true love. Given that Melissa and Josh are going through a rough patch, that last bit might be tricky. Can they find love with any member of the town's chorus of musical archetypes, or even rekindle their own affection?

Why we love it: Schmigadoon! already works great on TV, but, man, it really high-kicks into a new gear on stage. Immaculate sets, costumes, and capital-D Dancing bring Golden Age Broadway roaring into 2026, with the show nicely balancing reverence and satire for its influences. Look no further than Cinco Paul's fiendishly clever songs for proof. Ported straight over from the show, they're a dense whirlwind of references, in-jokes, and pure, catchy fun. (Good luck getting "Corn Puddin'" out of your head.) Plus, they're performed by a killer cast whose delight is downright infectious. Now, is it too early to ask for a stage adaptation of Schmicago? Or of Schmigadoon!'s canceled third season, Into the Schmoods? Musical gods, if you're listening, I need them.

Tony nominations: Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score Written for the Theatre, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical — Sara Chase, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical — Ana Gasteyer, Best Scenic Design of a Musical, Best Costume Design of a Musical, Best Sound Design of a Musical, Best Lighting Design of a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical — Christopher Gattelli, Best Choreography, Best Orchestrations

How to watch: Schmigadoon! is now on Broadway.

Cats: The Jellicle Ball

What it's about: As Andrew Lloyd Webber once said, "Hal, it's about cats." But in Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Cats becomes so much more. Directors Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch transpose the musical's Jellicle Ball — a parade of cats competing to be reborn through the Heaviside Layer — onto the ballroom scene, an underground haven of queer expression. It's still the music and storyline of Cats, just in a different context, and that context is what makes Cats: The Jellicle Ball truly great.

SEE ALSO: 'Cats: The Jellicle Ball' review: Ballroom and 'Cats' are a match made in the Heaviside Layer

Why we love it: Cats: The Jellicle Ball is exactly what you'd want from a Broadway revival. Its ballroom focus breathes new, extraordinary life into an oft-maligned musical, lending it deeper meaning. At times, it's a raucous celebration of ballroom, full of clacking fans, gravity-defying vogueing, and showers of glitter. At others, it's a moving reflection on the history of the art form, complete with a tear-jerking ode to the Founding Mothers to kick off Act 2. Overall, it's a triumphant reinvention that, as I wrote in my review, "is the only way I'll accept Cats from now on." — B.E.

Tony nominations: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical — André De Shields, Best Scenic Design of a Musical, Best Costume Design of a Musical, Best Lighting Design of a Musical, Best Sound Design of a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical — Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, Best Choreography, Best Orchestrations

How to watch: Cats: The Jellicle Ball is now on Broadway.

Chess

What it's about: Like most stagings of Chess before it, Broadway's 2025 revival examines the interplay between three chess players: American grandmaster Freddie (Aaron Tveit), Soviet grandmaster Anatoly (Nicholas Christopher), and Florence (Lea Michele), the brilliant woman caught between them. Unlike prior stagings, this revival turns up the Cold War allegory to DEFCON 1 levels, with Danny Strong's new book looping in real-life Cold War events. (Along with fourth wall-breaking Donald Trump and Joe Biden jokes, for some reason.) 

Why we love it: It's understandable that Chess missed out on a Best Revival nomination. It is, frankly, a bit of a mess. (Again, those fourth-wall jokes are a lot, and not in a good way.) But what isn't a mess are the performances, especially the three that picked up Tony nominations. Bryce Pinkham's Arbiter is a coy agent of chaos, so captivating he can make even the current-day political jokes seem funny and relevant. Hannah Cruz storms the stage as Svetlana, turning her 23 minutes of stage time into an emotional tour de force. And leading it all is Nicholas Christopher's spectacular turn as Anatoly. His lung-bursting "Endgame" makes even the hokiest of Chess's new jokes worth it. — B.E.

Tony nominations: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical — Nicholas Christopher, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical — Bryce Pinkham, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical — Hannah Cruz, Best Lighting Design of a Musical, Best Orchestrations

How to watch: Chess is on Broadway until June 21.

Every Brilliant Thing

What it's about: Ice cream. Things with stripes. People falling over. These are just three of the entries on the million-long list of things worth living for at the heart of Every Brilliant Thing. The one-man-play's unnamed narrator (Daniel Radcliffe) began the list at the age of seven, after his mother attempted to die by suicide. He continues it well into his adulthood, a story he recounts to us with copious amounts of audience participation.

SEE ALSO: 'Every Brilliant Thing' review: Daniel Radcliffe gives us one million reasons to love life. This play is one of them.

Why we love it: Every Brilliant Thing is a euphoric, life-affirming play bolstered by Radcliffe's ability to invite us in. Here, he must play two roles: that of the narrator, and that of facilitator, inviting audience members onstage to serve as key members of the story. Radcliffe's pure openness helps let participants' guards down, turning Every Brilliant Thing into the most communal theater experience I've ever been a part of. It's captivating, sob-worthy, and yes, brilliant. — B.E.

Tony nominations: Best Revival of a Play, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play — Daniel Radcliffe

How to watch: Every Brilliant Thing is now on Broadway, with Mariska Hargitay in the narrator/facilitator role until July 7, when Tracee Ellis Ross takes to the stage.

Liberation

What it's about: Feminism's past and present collide in Bess Wohl's Pulitzer Prize–winning play Liberation. Tony nominee Susannah Flood stars as Lizzie, the founder of a '70s women's group. She also plays Lizzie's daughter, who connects with the group's remaining members in the present day to understand what happened to the promise of the feminist movement, as well as her own mother's role in it.

Why we love it: Part reflection on second-wave feminism, part mother-daughter story, Liberation is a towering play that acknowledges that there are no easy answers to the questions it's posing. It doesn't try to wrap up its own conversations in a neat bow, nor is it afraid to acknowledge its own blind spots. Take, for example, its examination of how second-wave feminism failed to include Black women. In these moments, Wohl reckons with whether she, as a white playwright, even gets to tell this story. It's these moments of reflection, as well Liberation's many cathartic women's group discussions, that made it such a vital watch during its run. — B.E.

Tony Nominations: Best Play, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play — Susannah Flood, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play — Betsy Aidem, Best Costume Design of a Play, Best Direction of a Play — Whitney White

How to watch: Liberation has closed.

Titaníque 

What's it about? Created by Tye Blue, Marla Mindelle, and Constantine Rousouli, Titaníque is a jukebox musical that uses Céline Dion's songs to retell the story of the Titanic. Sorry, I mean the story of Titanic. See, in this gleefully queer parody, Céline Dion (played by a pitch-perfect and wildly funny Mindelle) crashes a tour of the Titanic museum to recount the story of James Cameron's blockbuster movie as only she remembers it. Between songs and thumping her chest with her fist, Céline introduces her audience to the impoverished artist Jack (Rousouli) and poor little not-so-rich girl Rose (Melissa Barrera), as these star-crossed lovers swoon while avoiding her wretched mother (Jim Parsons in light drag), her cruel fiancé (John Riddle), an unforgiving iceberg (Layton Williams), and Victor Garber (Frankie Grande). 

Why we love it: We first fell for Titaníque during its Off-Broadway run, which began in 2024. There, a rotating cast — often peppered with celebrity guest stars — would weave in wacky bits specific to their fame. Like, when I saw RuPaul's Drag Race's Willam in the role of Victor Garber, he playfully recreated his messy exit from the runway. 

More fun still, this show had a light immersive element, with Céline going into the audience and getting them to interact with props and engage in silliness. We worried this inclusivity and irreverence of that production might get lost on a prestigious Broadway stage. But props to director/co-author Blue, Titaníque leveled up without losing its low-brow edge. 

As I cheered in my rave review, "This energy has been successfully transferred to Broadway, where the Heart of the Ocean shimmers high as a club mix welcomes the audience. The seats are cushier, but the vibes are still party." The bigger stage and flashier staging, "allows Mindelle to bloom, and her co-stars too. Together, they create a musical, magical epic, sure to please, but likely to make you want to shout, 'I'm alive!'" — K.P. 

Tony nominations: Best Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical — Marla Mindelle,  Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical — Layton Williams, Best Book of a Musical

How to watch: Titaníque is now playing on Broadway until Sept. 20. 

Becky Shaw

What's it about? Simply put, this is a darkly funny play about a date so bad it has ripple effects across a deeply dysfunctional American family. When the patriarch of the Slater clan dies, his wife Susan (Linda Emond), daughter Suzanna (Lauren Patten), and adopted son Max (Alden Ehrenreich) are all desperate to fill the hole in their hearts, be it with sex, work, or an impulsive wedding to a guileless indie dude (Patrick Ball). But when Max goes on a blind date with the nervous Becky Shaw (Madeline Brewer), the family's wicked wit is not enough to extract them from her tangle of need and manipulation. 

Why we love it: Playwright Gina Gionfriddo's Becky Shaw may have debuted Off-Broadway in 2009, but all these years later, her brand of politically incorrect humor is sharper and less apologetic than the barbs lobbed in rival Broadway shows like Giant, which is about Roald Dahl's antisemitism, and The Balusters, which explores the prejudice and hypocrisy in suburban HOAs. At the 2026 Tonys, Becky Shaw is not competing with these plays, however, as they're both new. Instead, it faces off against fellow revivals Every Brilliant Thing, Death of a Salesman, Fallen Angels, and Oedipus. 

Being the funniest of these shows won't guarantee it a win. But regardless of how Tony night goes, we urge you to see Becky Shaw while you still can, because Alden Ehrenreich is on fire as the morally gray Max. 

The wide-eyed actor who starred in Solo and stole scenes in Hail, Caesar! is ruthlessly intense as the Slater family's fixer. He says the tough thing without blinking. He makes the move others fear to. He's an absolute bastard, but mesmerizing as he drops devastating witticisms and hard truths. Incredibly, even as his actions urge us to loathe Max, Ehrenreich's flickering vulnerability won't let us. See him do this emotional tightrope walk before Becky Shaw closes. — K.P.

Tony nominations: Best Revival of a Play, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play — Alden Ehrenreich

How to watch: Becky Shaw is now playing on Broadway until June 14. 

Oedipus

What's it about? Playwright and director Robert Icke re-contextualizes Sophocles' Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex as a contemporary political thriller. Mark Strong stars as the eponymous tragic hero, who, in this version, is an idealistic politician under great strain on election night. One of his campaign promises is that he'd release his birth certificate and uncover the truth of how the old ruler, King Laius, died. However, his adviser Creon (John Carroll Lynch) and wife Jocasta (Lesley Manville) urge him to let sleeping dogs lie. After all, Jocasta was married to Laius back then. Revelations could get messy. Of course, a modern audience likely knows what the truth is going in. So watching Oedipus determinedly stomp toward his own destruction is a nerve-shredding experience, sharpened by a countdown clock that emphasizes the incoming moment that will change everything.

Why we love it: Staged in a simple office setting, Oedipus created a claustrophobic feel, where we're trapped with this family in the reality they've built. Strong and Manville are phenomenal together, sharing an electric sexual chemistry that is on full display as husband and wife find pleasure in each other's flesh. Of course, as the truth begins to come out, their world shatters. And Manville was, in particular, riveting. As I cheered in our Best of 2025 Theater experiences round-up, "She delivers monologues that radiate with rage and pain, and still rattle in my head days later. When she declares, 'Cowardice is sometimes the cost of survival,' I felt my heart crumble for her. And I could see by the counter, we still had a ways to go before the terrible, tragic end. A nail-biter, indeed." — K.P.

Tony nominations: Best Revival of a Play, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play — Mark Strong, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play — Lesley Manville, Best Direction of a Play, Best Scenic Design of a Play, Best Lighting Design of a Play, Best Sound Design of a Play

How to watch: Oedipus has closed.

The Tony Awards will air live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Sunday, June 7, 2026 (8-11 p.m. ET/5-8 p.m. PT) on CBS. The Tonys will be streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S., preceded by The Tony Awards: Act One on Pluto TV.