BEST and WORST shows of 2014: What do you think?

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BEST and WORST shows of 2014: What do you think?

Posted: 12/3/14 at 2:41pm

Yes, amazingly enough, it's that time of year again. So, starting off with Time Out New York's lists:

Adam Feldman and David Cote's Best of 2014

Updated On: 12/3/14 at 02:41 PM

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/3/14 at 2:47pm

I figure I would add my own. I don't feel qualified to deem anything "best" or "worst," so I'll stick with:

MY FAVORITES of 2014 (in no particular order):
Between Riverside and Crazy
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Dinner With Friends
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill
Our Lady of Kibeho
Satchmo at the Waldorf
Father Comes Home From the Wars
The Lion (MTC, at City Center)
The Cripple of Inishmaan
Mothers and Sons
On the Town
Red Eye to Havre de Grace (about Poe, at NYTW)
Bootycandy
The Invisible Hand

Honorable mentions: Heathers (great score), Love and Information (it made me think), The Belle of Amherst (a very moving performance)

WHAT I DISLIKED/HATED
Rocky
If/Then
Tales of Red Vienna
Fly by Night (Playwrights)
Your Mother's Copy of the Kama Sutra (Playwrights)

Edited to add: I loved The Invisible Hand

What's on your lists?

Updated On: 12/15/14 at 02:47 PM

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/3/14 at 2:56pm

2014 is not yet over.

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/3/14 at 3:27pm

WORST
If/Then

BEST
Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Use my fabulous TodayTix code: JEYCY

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/3/14 at 3:28pm

Best:
If/Then
Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill
The Cripple of Inishmaan
Cabaret
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Side Show

Disliked/hated:
Rocky
Violet

Updated On: 12/3/14 at 03:28 PM

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/3/14 at 3:33pm

Worst:
A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

Best:
If/Then
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Mothers and Sons
Cabaret
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
On the Town
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Heathers

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/3/14 at 4:03pm

BEST:
BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY
ON THE TOWN
CURIOUS INCIDENT
AFTER MIDNIGHT

WORST:
THEN SHE FELL
BULLETS OVER BROADWAY

HONORABLE MENTION:
HURT LOCKER, THE MUSICAL

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/3/14 at 4:08pm

Best:
SideShow
On The Town
Violet
Cabaret
If/Then
Hedwig
You Cant Take it with you
Act One
Heathers

Worst:
A Gentalmens Guide...
Rocky

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/3/14 at 4:08pm

^^^^ LOL for Hurt Locker!

#10

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/3/14 at 4:16pm

Best (in no particular order)
Act One
Of Mice and Men
Dinner With Friends
Sticks and Bones
Violet
The Oldest Boy
Love Letters (Farrow/Dennehy)
The Cripple of Inishmaan
The Most Happy Fella
Indian Ink

Worst (also in no particular order)
Bullets Over Broadway
While I Yet Live
Lost Lake
When We Were Young and Unafraid
Sex With Strangers
The Threepenny Opera (Atlantic Theatre Company production)
Casa Valentina
The Country House
The Real Thing
Lips Together Teeth Apart

#11

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/3/14 at 4:48pm

Best:
Hedwig
Cabaret
Bridges

"The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world." - F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

#12

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/3/14 at 5:01pm

Best:
Gentleman's Guide to Love and Muder (saw it in 2014)
Cabaret
Old Hats (ACT-SF)

Worst:
Hard to decide between Once and Motown. At least at Once the theater (the Curran) was comfortable and beautiful, so I had something to distract myself from the wailing on stage. The set was nice for Once too. For Motown, I was stuck in that awful place known as the Golden Gate, and it had a seriously tacky production, but at least the music was decent. I would say they were tied.

#13

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/3/14 at 5:05pm

I loved, in something like this order:
An Octoroon (my personal favorite of the year)
Machinal
You Can't Take It With You
Casa Valentina
Appropriate
Curious Incident
The Open House
On the Town
Hedwig
Bootycandy
Indian Ink
This Is Our Youth
And a trifecta of shows people here hate: The Last Ship, The Realistic Joneses, and Rocky

I loathed (in no particular order):
The Country House
The Real Thing
Bullets Over Broadway
If/Then
Red Eye to Havre de Grace
It's Only a Play
Honeymoon in Vegas
The Maids
Angels in America at BAM
Found

#14

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/3/14 at 5:13pm

Although my theatre-going is not yet over for the year, I won’t be seeing anymore NY shows for the rest of the month. From the 15 shows I saw in NY this year, here are my picks:

BEST:
The Bridges of Madison County
tick, tick…Boom! (Off-Center Encores! performance)
Violet
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill

WORST:
Gentleman’s Guide

#15

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/3/14 at 5:32pm

I don't live in New York, so I don't get to see everything. But in terms of the cast recordings, I'll list my top 5 favorites.

1. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical*
2. Aladdin*
3. The Bridges of Madison County
4. Violet
5. Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill

*I did get to see it on my trip last June.

Though I did like the new revival of Les Miserables.

Updated On: 12/3/14 at 05:32 PM

#16

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/3/14 at 5:35pm

BEST: ON THE TOWN!!!

#17

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/3/14 at 5:36pm

I forgot that Machinal technically opened this year, since I saw it last December. Anyway. A magnificent production that should have gotten more recognition. Certainly deserves to be on any "best" list.

#18

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/3/14 at 7:15pm

I'm also out of New York so I'm fairly careful of what I'll be seeing. My two favorites for '14 were The Realistic Joneses and You Can't take It With You. I'm guessing (from reading the original script) It's Only A Play would have been my worst had I attended.

#19

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/3/14 at 7:35pm

I got to NYC twice this year...

LOVED
Bullets Over Broadway
The Bridges of Madison County
If/Then
Cabaret

LIKED
Rocky
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

LOATHED
Les Miserables

"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "

#20

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/3/14 at 10:20pm

In my opinon...

LOVED (my top 5 in order)

The Mysteries
Heathers
Then She Fell
Cabaret
Lady Day

HONORABLE MENTION

Hedwig

HATED
Rocky
A Gentlemen's Guide...
Les Misérables

#21

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/3/14 at 10:26pm

Best:
Hedwig
Hand to God
The Killer
Ghost Quartet

Worst:
Anthem
The parts of the Tony Awards where A Raisin in the Sun and Kenny Leon won

"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."

#22

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/3/14 at 10:47pm

In my opinion, as these were what I enjoyed the most this year.

BEST (in no particular order)
-Hand to God (my first viewing of it was at that the Lortel this year)
-Hedwig
-YCTIWY
-Curious Incident
-Lady Day
-Ghost Quartet

WORST (in no particular order)
-The Motown tour (Berry Gordy should be ashamed of himself. I'll leave it at that.)
-This is our Youth (Something really soured on that production between Steppenwolf and Broadway)
-Queen of the Night
-It's Only a Play
-Rocky
-Anthem

I consider it a good year when I see much more good theater then bad. This past year, the things I saw that I disliked the most weren't truly awful ('cept Motown tour and Anthem. Poor, poor Anthem. I had a friend in the cast so I wanted to support them. I should have sent a nice card.)), but hugely disappointing. It's Only a Play had so many great actors in it, but it didn't come together and work. The performances in This is our Youth seemed so forced band wooden compared to the more laid back show in Chicago.

Frustration more then feeling like I just wasted money and time I won't get back.

Updated On: 12/3/14 at 10:47 PM

#23

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/3/14 at 11:38pm

I haven't seen Gentlemen's guide but I thought supposedly everyone loved it. What's wrong with it?

#24

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/4/14 at 1:18am

Best:

-ON THE TOWN
-Sideshow
-Tick Tick Boom!
-The Bridges of Madison Co.
-Aladdin
-Cinderella(with Carly Rae Jepsen/Fran Drescher)

Worst:

-Violet
-Bullets Over Broadway
-Sleep No More

Just "OK":

-If/Then

"People have their opinions and that doesn't mean that their opinions are wrong or right. I just take it with a grain of salt because opinions are like as*holes, everyone has one". -Felicia Finley-

Updated On: 12/4/14 at 01:18 AM

#25

BEST and WORST shows of 2014

Posted: 12/4/14 at 1:32am

"I haven't seen Gentlemen's guide but I thought supposedly everyone loved it. What's wrong with it?"

Absolutely nothing. It is deeply hilarious, unbelievably creative, and the talent is outstanding. It won Best Musical for a reason.

Best:
After Midnight
Bridges of Madison County
Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder
Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3)
Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill
Tick, Tick...Boom!

Not Great:
If/Then
Holler If Ya Hear Me

Updated On: 12/4/14 at 01:32 AM

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