Best of 2008

[MrJNLong]

Posted: 12/31/08 at 4:19pm

So I'm from out-of-state and just got back from my 3rd NY trip this year. I thought I'd post my 'Best of 2008' lists. The new shows I saw for the first time in 2008 were:

Sunday in the Park with George
Xanadu
Altar Boyz (Off-Bway)
In the Heights
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Mary Poppins
The Little Mermaid
Gypsy
13
Equus
All My Sons

So, here are my favorites from that list:

*BEST MUSICAL: In the Heights
HONORABLE MENTION: Sunday in the Park with George

*BEST PLAY: All My Sons

*BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: Daniel Evans, Sunday in the Park
HONORABLE MENTION: Lin-Manuel Miranda, In the Heights & Gavin Lee, Mary Poppins

*BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: Patti LuPone, Gypsy
HONORABLE MENTION: Jenna Russell, Sunday in the Park

*BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY: Daniel Radcliffe, Equus
HONORABLE MENTION: Richard Griffiths, Equus & John Lithgow, All My Sons (who would have probably won this category if I had seen his whole performance, but he left at intermission because he was sick ...but what I saw was fabulous!)

*BEST ACTRESS IN A PLAY: Dianne Wiest, All My Sons

*BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: Robin DeJesus, In the Heights
HONORABLE MENTION: Boyd Gaines & Tony Yazbek, Gypsy

*BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: Laura Benanti, Gypsy
HONORABLE MENTION: Jackie Hoffman, Xanadu & Olga Merediz, In the Heights

*BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY: James Earl Jones, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
HONORABLE MENTION: Patrick Wilson, All My Sons

*BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY: Phylicia Rashad, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

*BEST DIRECTOR: Sam Buntrock, Sunday in the Park
HONORABLE MENTION: Simon McBurney, All My Sons & Thea Sharrock, Equus (gotta love those Brits!)

*BEST CHOREOGRAPHY: Andy Blankenbuehler, In the Heights
HONORABLE MENTION: Mary Poppins

*BEST MUSIC: Lin-Manuel Miranda, In the Heights
HONORABLE MENTION: Jason Robert Brown, 13

*BEST SCENIC DESIGN: Mary Poppins
HONORABLE MENTION: Sunday in the Park

*BEST LIGHTING DESIGN: In the Heights
HONORABLE MENTION: The Little Mermaid

*BEST COSTUME DESIGN: Mary Poppins

*BARFTASTIC AWARD FOR REALLY BAD THEATRE: The Little Mermaid
HONORABLE MENTION: The audience of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Updated On: 1/2/09 at 04:19 PM

[FeelingElectric]

Posted: 12/31/08 at 6:50pm

I guess it's time for me to post my theater favorites of 2008. I have seen well over 110 performances of 80 different shows in NYC,on tour,and in regional theaters. Here are my picks, and a few honarable mentions:

(All shows are Broadway or Off-Broaway unless indicated)

*Best New Musical:Next To Normal (Arena Stage)
Honarable Mentions:
[title of show]
In The Heights
ACE (Signature Theater, Virginia)

*Best Revival of a Musical: A Little Night Music (Center Stage, Baltimore)
Honarable Mentions:
South Pacific
Gypsy
Sunday in the Park With George
Enter Laughing: The Musical

*Best New Play: Reasons To Be Pretty
Honarable Mention: Farragut North

*Best Revival of a Play: Boeing Boeing
Honarable Mentions:
Macbeth
Top Girls
The Turn Of The Screw (Everyman Theater, Baltimore)


*Best Lead Actress in a Musical: Alice Ripley-Next To Normal
Honarable Mentions:
Patti LuPone-Gypsy
Barbara Walsh-A Little Night Music
Jenna Russell-Sunday in the Park With George

*Best Lead Actor in a Musical: Paulo Szot-South Pacific
Honarable Mentions:
J. Robert Spencer-Next To Normal
Josh Grizetti-Enter Laughing: The Musical

*Best Featured Actress in a Musical: Laura Benanti-Gypsy
Honarable Mentions:
Heidi Blickenstaff-[title of show]
Jennifer Damiano-Next To Normal
Christina DeCicco-Les Miserables (Walnut Street Theater, Philadelphia)

*Best Featured Actor in a Musical: Boyd Gaines-Gypsy
Honarable Mentions:
Aaron Tveit-Next To Normal
Josh Young-A Little Night Music
Maxwell Caulfield-A Little Night Music

*Best Lead Actress in a Play: Alison Pill-Reasons To Be Pretty
Honarable Mention:
Kate Fleetwood-Macbeth

*Best Lead Actor in a Play: Mark Rylance-Boeing Boeing
Honarable Mention:
John Gallagher Jr.-Farragut North

*Best Featured Actress in a Play: Mary McCormack-Boeing Boeing
Honarable Mentions:
Kathryn Hahn,Gina Gershon,Missi Pyle,Paige Davis and Christine Baranski-Boeing Boeing

*Best Featured Actor in a Play: Bradley Whitford-Boeing Boeing
Honarable Mention:
Chris Noth-Farragut North


*Best Special Theatrical Event:
Leonard Berstein's MASS (Baltimore, NYC, and at The Kennedy Center)
Honarable Mention:
Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner at The Kennedy Center

[EnWashingtonHeights]

Posted: 1/1/09 at 4:21pm

*Best New Musical: In The Heights
HM
Next To Normal (AS)
Ace (Sig)
Passing Strange
Cry Baby
*Best Revival of a Musical: Gypsy
Honarable Mentions: South Pacific


Best Score: Tie between Ace and In The Heights

*Best Lead Actress in a Musical: Patti LuPone-Gypsy
Honarable Mentions:
Sutton Foster in YF
Jill Pace in Ace
Jane K in Damn Yankees

*Best Lead Actor in a Musical: Lin Manuel Miranda- In The Heights
Honarable Mentions:
J. Robert Spencer-Next To Normal
Stew in Passing Strange
James Snyder in Bye Bye Birdie (Kennedy Center) 3 gen.



*Best Featured Actress in a Musical: Karen Olivo- In The Heights
Honarable Mentions:
Karen Olivo- In The Heights
Karen Olivo- In The Heights

*Best Featured Actor in a Musical: Daniel Breaker- Passing Strange
Honarable Mentions:
Aaron Tveit-Next To Normal
Chris F. in YF
Chris Jackson- In The Heights


*Best Special Theatrical Event:
Broadway 3 Generations (Kennedy Center)

Shows I saw in the 2008 season
Young Frankenstein
The Phantom of the Opera
South Pacific
Passing Strange
Cry Baby
In The Heights (Twice)
Ace
Next to Normal
Broadway 3 Generations
Gypsy
Damn Yankees
39 Steps







Updated On: 1/1/09 at 04:21 PM

[Mbmusic]

Posted: 1/1/09 at 9:37pm

Sunday in the Park with George flat out sucked and how dare you put the Little Mermaid anywhere in this thread.

[MrJNLong]

Posted: 1/2/09 at 4:42am

hahaha...no you're right...The Little Mermaid was horrid...which is why I had to make up the Barftastic award just so it could win that...but even though I hated it as much as I did, I had to admit the lighting was pretty cool. Natasha Katz is talented.

As for Sunday, what was it you thought 'flat out sucked?' I thought it was some of the most exquisite musical theatre acting of the year...and Sondheim's music is so beautiful and thought-provoking. And I always love it when a director is bold and presents work in a new frame for us to look at it. To me, Sunday was the antithesis of The Little Mermaid, so i'm surprised to hear you didn't like it...

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 1/2/09 at 7:34am

I wasn't able to see Sunday but I know a lot of people here found it to be one of the most moving theatrical experiences for them. I am curious as to why Mbmusic thought it "flat out sucked" because those are pretty harsh words considering he (or she?) cannot back up the opinion.

[wickedfan11]

Posted: 1/2/09 at 8:22am

I'll just do things that I saw in 2008, because I only saw one new show.
Here's what I've seen:
RENT (Tour
Phantom of the Opera
A Catered Affair
Hairspray
Legally Blonde (Tour)

*BEST MUSICAL: Hairspray
HONORABLE MENTION: A Catered Affair

*BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: Tom Wopat, A Catered Affair
HONORABLE MENTION: John Cudia, Phantom of the Opera

*BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: Becky Gulsvig, Legally Blonde
HONORABLE MENTION: Faith Prince, A Catered Affair

*BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: Harvey Fierstein, A Catered Affair

*BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: Niki Scalera, Hairspray
HONORABLE MENTION: Leslie McDonel (u/s), Hairspray & Natalie Joy Johnson, Legally Blonde

*BEST DIRECTOR: Jerry Mitchell, Legally Blonde
HONORABLE MENTION: John Doyle, A Catered Affair

*BEST CHOREOGRAPHY: Jerry Mitchell, Hairspray
HONORABLE MENTION: Jerry Mitchell, Legally Blonde

*BEST MUSIC: Hairspray
HONORABLE MENTION: Jonathan Larson, RENT

*BEST SCENIC DESIGN: Hairspray
HONORABLE MENTION: Legally Blonde

*BEST COSTUME DESIGN: Hairspray/Legally Blonde/Phantom

*BARFTASTIC AWARD FOR REALLY BAD AUDIENCE: Legally Blonde (except myself and NJJ's friends)