Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
April Saul
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/17/06
#1Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 9:17am
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.
#2re: Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 11:27am
Very little overlap... hm... That wasn't always the case, right?
~Steven
RentBoy86
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
#2re: Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 12:51pmWhich "Our Town" is Isherwood referring to?
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#3re: Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 12:56pm
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
Poster Emeritus
#4re: Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 1:00pm
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
#5re: Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 1:24pm
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
#6re: Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 1:38pmI'm really surprised In the Heights is not on either these lists.
www.krisroberts.350.com
#7re: Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 2:03pm
Where is XANADU??? 
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
--Aristotle
#8re: Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 5:52pmXanadu opened last year and I imagine In the Heights was considered for their list during its off-Broadway run.
#9re: Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 5:56pmBut GYPSY made the list, and the City Center production was done the summer before last Christmas.
#10re: Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 5:58pmBut didn't Brantley completely change his opinion of the show from the City Center run to Broadway?
#11re: Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 5:59pm
Updated On: 12/20/08 at 05:59 PM
#12re: Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 6:00pmYeah. 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.
#13re: Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 6:03pmSince 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.
#14re: Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 6:05pmOh. makes sense now. I agree, I love how he put the 3 stunning revivals on there.
#15re: Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 6:07pmI also think making 6 of his 10 choices musicals says a lot about Brantley's growth as a critic.
theminutepast
Broadway Star Joined: 2/1/06
#16re: Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 6:20pmIsherwood 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.
#17re: Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 7:21pm
I could be wrong, but if I remember it right IN THE HEIGHTS was in Isherwood's list last year?
J*
#18re: Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 7:26pmFrom the raves I've been hearing about August: Osage County, I thought it would be up there on one of those lists.
#19re: Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 7:53pmI'm pretty sure AUGUST: OC topped both their picks last year, or maybe just Brantley's.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
#20re: Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 7:55pm
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
#21re: Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 7:57pm
Huh, guess not. Thanks for posting, jaystarr
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
#22re: Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 8:00pm
I cant find Isherwood's list from 2007~but he did reviewed A : OC (not Brantley)
J*
A Director
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/18/07
#23re: Brantley and Isherwood's Top Ten Lists
Posted: 12/20/08 at 11:28pm
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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