My belated list, in alphabetical order:
Awake and Sing!
Who thought this stodgy chestnut would be so moving?
A Chorus Line
As exciting, if not more so, than the first time I saw it, which was the first time I saw a Broadway show.
The Clean House
I thought Sarah Ruhl couldn't possibly be as good as people said she was, until I saw her very funny play.
Company
This could be what my life is like in 8 years. Or sooner.
The Drowsy Chaperone
The Broadway production couldn't possibly top the surprise
of seeing such a hilarious reading of this show at the National Alliance for Musical
Theater Festival years ago. But the Broadway version was superbly
executed. It's not only funny, it captures the passion of
being a fan of something and watching it or listening to it over and
over again.
The History Boys
I loved this show, as many people did. But, I would be dishonest if I I have two major problems, both of which seem small, but they really irked me. One: why
would these students stand for being molested by their teacher while
riding with him on his motorcycle? Wouldn't they say something to
someone? From my perspective, Alan Bennett's assumption that they would accept this pedophilia seems to wildly overestimate the homoeroticism of an all-boys
school. Two: the Indian guys (two of them, the night I saw it) said nothing during the entire play. As a
result, I refuse to be swept along with the feel-good chummy
togetherness of these guys that the play and the marketing of the play
are pushing. You can't tell us that you've created a group but
then leave certain people out of it completely. And it would
benefit the play to get a perspective from students that come from
another culture.
The Lieutenant of Inishmore
I was a bit disappointed after
seeing this at the Atlantic, except for the last few scenes, which were
riveting (see my article in Slate). I had more fun watching it on Broadway and
hearing 800 people shrieking and laughing at the same time.
Red Light Winter
Rarely do I see plays about people my age that ring true, and plays that are this creepy and chilling.
Stuff Happens
Regardless of what was true and what wasn't in David Hare's account of the
Bush Administration during the months before the Iraq War, it simply told a great story.
Voyage (Part One of The Coast of Utopia)
I thought maybe I
was fooling myself when I said in the past that I enjoyed Tom
Stoppard's plays, as opposed to merely appreciating their intelligence.
But I actually really enjoyed myself here and couldn't wait to see the
next two parts. It was so great to see characters, especially young
characters, speaking so passionately about something, as epitomized by Billy Crudup's
climactic speech.
Honorable mention: The Trip to Bountiful, The Seven, Hell House, Les Miserables, The Pajama Game
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