Broadway Legend Joined: 2/17/06
As per Broadway World.com:
In the current weekend edition of the New York Times Arts Section, Times theater critics Ben Brantley and Charles Isherwood offer their 'Top Ten' choices for the stage for 2008.
Ben Brantley:
Billy Elliot
Blasted
Boeing-Boeing
Dividing The Estate
Gypsy
HAIR in the Park
Liza's at the Palace...!
The Seagull
South Pacific
Sunday in the Park with George
Special Citation: Forbidden Broadway Goes To Rehab
Charles Isherwood:
Adding Machine
Chekhov Lizardbrain
Eccentricities of a Nightingale
Garden of Earthly Delights
Liza's at the Palace...!
On the Town
Our Town
Passing Strange
Streamers
What's that Smell: The Music of Jacob Sterling
What does everybody think?
I was glad to see Gypsy, Seagull, Streamers and What's that Smell get some respect, although not sure Boeing Boeing and Dividing the Estate were so amazing. The only place they intersected was Liza, so I'm not sure if they were deliberately making two lists, one for Broadway and one for off-Broadway, especially since Isherwood claimed Passing Strange, which I'm assuming was on his last year's list, since I thought it opened at the Public in '07.
Very little overlap... hm... That wasn't always the case, right?
~Steven
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
Which "Our Town" is Isherwood referring to?
Saw 6 out of Brantleys 10 & 2 out of Isherwoods
Not to bad. Some of isherwoods I never hear of & the titles do nothing for me
Can't argue with any of those picks. Some EXCELLENT theatre this year (especially in the off-bway houses).
Saw 8 of Brantley's picks and 5 (soon to be 7) of Isherwood's.
Surprised/would have like to have seen All My Sons or From Up Here squeezed in there somewhere.
Updated On: 12/20/08 at 01:00 PM
Couldn't agree more with Brantley!
Yay! for LIZA!!! Saw 6 of Brantley's list. I still have to see BILLY ELLIOT~which most likely it will win the TONYS for Best New Musical!
J*
Updated On: 12/20/08 at 01:24 PM
I'm really surprised In the Heights is not on either these lists.
Where is XANADU???
Xanadu opened last year and I imagine In the Heights was considered for their list during its off-Broadway run.
But GYPSY made the list, and the City Center production was done the summer before last Christmas.
But didn't Brantley completely change his opinion of the show from the City Center run to Broadway?
Updated On: 12/20/08 at 05:59 PM
Yeah. But I thought you were saying if a show's off-broadway production was eligible for the list, then the transfer wouldn't be. I think I'm confusing myself now.
Since his opinion of In the Heights didn't change, I assume he scratched it off his list. Or, maybe it just wasn't in his top 10 regardless. It really was a better year for revivals than new musicals.
Oh. makes sense now. I agree, I love how he put the 3 stunning revivals on there.
I also think making 6 of his 10 choices musicals says a lot about Brantley's growth as a critic.
Broadway Star Joined: 2/1/06
Isherwood reviewed In the Heights, so none of us really know what Brantley thought of In the Heights. Isherwood wrote a glowing review of it, so I was surprised In the Heights didn't appear on his list.
I could be wrong, but if I remember it right IN THE HEIGHTS was in Isherwood's list last year?
J*
From the raves I've been hearing about August: Osage County, I thought it would be up there on one of those lists.
I'm pretty sure AUGUST: OC topped both their picks last year, or maybe just Brantley's.
Brantley's TOP TEN list from last year (2007)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/23/theater/23bran.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
(not in order)
1. Blackbird
2. Black Watch
3. Cyrano de Bergerac
4. Dividing the Estate
5. Dying City
6. F/N
7. The Homecoming
8. Journey's End
9. Rock N' Roll
10. The Seafarer
Updated On: 12/20/08 at 07:55 PM
Huh, guess not. Thanks for posting, jaystarr
I cant find Isherwood's list from 2007~but he did reviewed A : OC (not Brantley)
J*
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/18/07
I also think making 6 of his 10 choices musicals says a lot about Brantley's growth as a critic.
What does this say about his growth as a critic? Is he a better critic because he picked 6 musicals? I think your comment you reflects your taste.
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