Since I have a little lull between shows, I thought I'd post my list of top ten shows from last year. I posted this on my facebook page, but I don't think many of my facebook friends really cared. :)
in no particular order (well, sort of in chronological order of when I saw them):
1. The Color Purple (touring): what can I say, I cried buckets at Alice Walker’s inspiring story.
2. RENT (on tour with original stars Anthony Rapp as Mark and Adam Pascal as Roger): my favorite musical and the one I’ve seem most often (I think this was number 11). After 13 years of listening to the soundtrack it was beyond thrilling to see and hear these two together (in row 2 center!!).
3. Passage of Dreams (Theater Latte Da): truly lovely and innovative musical theater, as Latte Da usually does. It was three original short musicals, all of which were beautiful and unique.
4. Next to Normal (Broadway): I saw this knowing almost nothing about the show and was totally blown away. Absolutely brilliant, it gives me hope for the future of original musical theater.
5. West Side Story (Broadway): one of my favorite musicals of all time and beautifully done in this revival. Also the best stage door experience ever! [Note: this was before my HAIR stage door experience in 2010]
6. Kushnerfest at the Guthrie: three great works by one of America’s best living playwrights.
a. Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures: I had the good fortune to see this beautiful and complicated new play still in previews, introduced by Kushner himself. It was still a work in progress (in a few scenes the actors carried scripts) which made me feel like a part of the process. It was powerful and thought-provoking.
b. Caroline, or Change: beautiful and moving original musical theater.
c. Tiny Kushner (an evening of short plays): some weird, some great, all interesting. And Jim Lichtsheidl gave an amazing performance as many different characters in one of the pieces. [Note: this show is currently playing at the Tricycle Theatre in London with the Guthrie cast.]
7. A Chorus Line (touring): I can’t believe I call myself a theater fan and it took me this long to see this show! The quintessential musical about musicals. What I did for love, indeed!
8. The Full Monty (Theater Latte Da): this year’s “girls night out at the theater” selection was a hit! I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard in the theater. Again, Latte Da knocks it out of the park.
9. In the Heights (touring): everything musical theater should be – original, relevant, and inspiring.
10. The Guthrie Cabaret: not the musical Cabaret, but a cabaret show with some of the best talent in the cities. I’m so grateful to live in this amazing theater town!
theatrical musings in Minnesota and beyond