Entertainment Weekly Best/Worst 2007

[Luvinbroadway]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:40pm

Top 10 Best:

1. August: Osage County
2. Dividing the Estate
3. The Seafarer
4. The Homecoming
5. King Hedley II
6. Frost/Nixon
7. Gypsy
8. Speech & Debate
9. Mauritius
10. 100 Saints You Should Know

The Worst:

1. The Pirate Queen
2. Cyrano
3. Old Acquaintance
4. Deuce
5. Xanadu

PS: No Grease?
PPS: Can't wait to see August: Osage County

[jaystarr]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:43pm

Cyrano & Xanadu- they both got good reviews!!

[Allshowsrock]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 5:01pm

wow, Xanadu does NOT belong on that worst list..sure its not perfect but I think some of those shows on the best list belong on that worst list.

[obsessedjb]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 5:03pm

Cyrano?!?! really?

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 5:24pm

If OLD ACQUAINTANCE is considered one of the *worst* of 2007, then we had a pretty gosh darn good year, because I had a blast at that show -- and while I'm aware that not everyone loved it, those stunning sets were worth the price of admission alone.

How could XANADU be considered the worst? This reviewer must have very little sense of humor.

However, s/he did select SPEECH & DEBATE for the Best list, so s/he must have some sense of humor.

[bythesword84]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 7:30pm

I actually subscribe to EW and when I got this issue in the mail and saw their theater choices I actually considered writing to ask what on earth their criteria was for these choices. Xanadu on the worst list? Really? Now granted I have not seen EVERY one of their best list but I can tell you I would have put Xanadu on there definitely ahead of both The Seafarer and Mauritius (both of which I liked)...then again I would have put Cyrano above them as well. I just don't understand these choices. They don't make sense.

[Rotel1026]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 10:35pm

This is like the Time list, that list lost all credibility for me when I saw Grease on it. This list lost all credibility when I saw Xanadu on the worst list. Personally, I loved Xanadu and while I know it's not a perfect show and respect that it might not be everyone's cup of tea. I could easily understand leaving it off the top 10 list if you just didn't like it, but to say it was so bad as to deserve being in the 5 worst shows of the year, I just don't understand.

And Dividing The Estate, for those that have seen it, was it that great of a show? If so, definitely hope the Broadway transfer happens for it.

[mateo]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 10:38pm

Fanadus - if you feel strongly about this listing - send your letters/emails to EW. They will most likely print it.

Updated On: 12/21/07 at 10:38 PM

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 10:50pm

I thought they put Xanadu on the list as it's supposed to be bad.

[bythesword84]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 11:34pm

Well, like it was already said, it is one thing to leave it off, but to label it as one of the worst just makes both lists lose credibility. It isn't about someone being a Fanadu, because there are a lot of people far more Xanadu centric than I am, but my thought would be that if it was on there because it is supposed to be bad, then it could be on the best list for succeeding. Putting it on the worst list just implies it is one of the worst (or, to the average person "not worth your time")

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 11:54pm

These mainstream magazines, like Time and Entertainment Weekly, don't have a clue.

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 12/22/07 at 12:22am

Hmph...

Well, LimelightMike's Top 10 Best (going by what I've seen on and off-Broadway, in no particular order!) would look something like this:

BEST of 2007:
01. Cyrano de Bergerac
02. XANADU
03. FRANKENSTEIN (Off-Broadway)
04. Curtains
05. Frost/Nixon
06. Gutenberg!
07. Inherit the Wind
08. LoveMusik
09. Radio Golf
10. Young Frankenstein

[bythesword84]

Posted: 12/22/07 at 12:24am

Oh, I agree, they don't have a clue. The problem is that is where people see what is good/bad.

[Craww]

Posted: 12/22/07 at 1:14am

They gave Xanadu a pretty bad review, so it's not some sly ode to the intentional badness of the show.

[OolaandRusty]

Posted: 12/22/07 at 1:50am

Have you guys gone completely mad? I liked Xanadu allright. But better than Mauritius? The Seafarer? Seriously? If I send you my email, will you share some of the crack you've been smoking?

No one is going to say it, but we all know Frankendoodie was the real worst thing of the year anyway...

And if EW went by what's mainstream they would have kissed Brooks' butt (and Xanadu's) but they didn't...so good on them...

I'm just glad King Hedley made the list (again, not mainstream, but on best list...you seeing a pattern? cause I am). It was the greatest August Wilson I've seen in years.

[bythesword84]

Posted: 12/22/07 at 2:15am

Well, if you want to talk about Frankenstein themed shows...this same issue of EW shows the results of a poll which declares Young Frankenstein the best show of the year.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 12/22/07 at 9:01am

People come on

we know Xanadu has some fans but its not a great show, and judging by its box office a lot of people seem to agree

Could it be on that list because (brace yourself) he didn't like it???

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 12/22/07 at 9:13am

XANADU is mainstream?

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 12/22/07 at 10:16am

Ok, folks, there is a reason why Xanadu and Cyrano are on the Worst List. I haven't seen either so I can't judge but this guy did:

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20162341,00.htmlhttp://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20162341,00.html

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20162341,00.htmlhttp://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20162341,00.html