Standout performances, 2013

[AC126748]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 3:02pm

Since we're discussing best and worst as 2013 comes to a close, I figured we could shine a light on our favorite performances of the year. Large role or small doesn't matter. Who stood out and stayed in your memory? A few of mine:

Blair Brown, Nikolai and the Others
Renee Elise Goldsberry, I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road
Jessica Hecht, The Assembled Parties
Taylor Mac, The Good Person of Szechwan
Laurie Metcalf, The Other Place
Jonny Orsini, The Nance
Amanda Plummer, The Two-Character Play
Jeremy Pope, Choir Boy
Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Cradle Will Rock
Alexandra Socha, Fun Home

[ethan231h]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 3:08pm

Patina Miller- Pippin
Andrea Martin- Pippin
Lesli Margarita-Matilda
the Matildas-Matilda
Berti Carvel-Matilda
Billy Porter-Kinky Boots

[quizking101]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 3:52pm

Holland Taylor - ANN
The Whole Cast of HANDS ON A HARDBODY
Kristine Nielsen - VANYA/SONIA/MASHA/SPIKE
Alan Cumming - MACBETH
Billy Porter - KINKY BOOTS
Patina Miller & Andrea Martin - PIPPIN
Patrick Page - A TIME TO KILL
Shuler Hensley - WAITING FOR GODOT

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 3:56pm

I'll edit and add to this later, but for my money, especially now being able to listen to the recording, I maintain that Dale Soules gave the single most egregiously overlooked amazing performance that I’ve seen in recent memory in HANDS ON A HARDBODY.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 3:58pm

Lesli Margherita, Bertie Carvel, Lauren Ward, Gabriel Ebert - Matilda
Patina Miller and Rachel Bay Jones - Pippin
Laura Osnes - Cinderella
Deborah Cox - Jekyll & Hyde
Analeigh Ashford and Stark Sands - Kinky Boots

[dreaming]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 4:05pm

The 3 Alisons in Fun Home (That cast really as a whole is incredible-they have really wonderful chemistry)
Taylor Mac in Good Person-probably the best performance by an actor I've seen in a very long time
Andrea Martin, Patina Miller and Rachel Bay Jones in Pippin
Billy Porter for Kinky Boots
Laurie Metcalfe, Domesticated (I didn't love the show, but she was amazing)
Marin Ireland, Marie Antoinette

[ethan231h]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 4:56pm

Rachel Bay Jones- Pippin

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 5:03pm

The entire cast of "The Glass Menagerie". I had seen the show many times, and have even studied it at school , but this production was a revalation.

[oasisjeff]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 5:24pm

There are other names to consider beyond Mark Rylance, but including them wouldn't indicate how passionate I am about his Olivia.

[Emmaloucbway]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 5:27pm

Patina Miller and Andrea Martin- Pippin
Billy Porter- Kinky Boots
Bertie Carvel- Matilda
Jefferson Mays- Gentleman's Guide

[macnyc]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 6:43pm

Great idea for a thread, AC! I liked Jeremy Pope in Choir Boy too.

Here are my choices for most memorable performances in 2013

Chuck Cooper in The Piano Lesson
Stark Sands in Kinky Boots
Celia Keenan-Bolger in Glass Menagerie
Sydney Lucas in Fun Home (truthfully, the entire cast is flawless, but Lucas, a child actor, is simply astounding)
Maria Dizzia in Belleville (I didn't like the play at all, but I thought her performance was fearless)
Paul Chahidi in Twelfth Night
Sam Barnett in Twelfth Night
Laila Robins in Sweet and Sad (the whole cast is amazing, but she broke my heart in this)
Jinx Monsoon in The Vaudevillians
John Ellison Conlee in Murder Ballad (another show I didn't care for, but he stood out)
Jeremy Shamos in The Assembled Parties



Updated On: 12/6/13 at 06:43 PM

[TheatreFreak05]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 8:00pm

Amy Morton, Tracy Letts, and Carrie Coon- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Rachel Bay Jones- Pippin
Cast of Glass Menagerie

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 8:00pm

Billy, Annaleigh and Stark at Kinky Boots
Jill Paice and Sophia Gennusa at Matilda (I haven't seen all the girls = the other two I did see were excellent but not standout).
Most of the cast of Assembled Parties
Bobby Steggart in Big Fish
Zachary Levi First Date
And leftover from 2012 but still performing in 2013 - Anthony Warlow at Annie in honor of his final performances this weekend. The best Daddy Warbucks I have ever seen.
(wasn't sure if we should be listing shows that opened in 2012 still running in 2013...so I just mentioned Anthony).

[undercoveractor]

Posted: 12/6/13 at 11:53pm

I agree with many mentioned above.....Dale Soules, YES!..... But I would add:
Andy Karl (DROOD)
Jesse Mueller (DROOD)
Alessandro Novello (THE WINSLOW BOY)
Lisa O'Hare (GENTLEMANS GUIDE)
Lauren Worsham (GENTLEMANS GUDIE)

[philly03]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 11:07am

Patina Miller - Pippin
Deborah Cox (vocally) - Jekyll & Hyde

[vitamins]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 11:12am

Fiona Shaw-The Testament of Mary
Julie White-Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (she was a replacement, but she blew the roof off)
Victoria Clark-The Snow Geese
Jared Grimes-After Midnight

[MillieDillmount]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 2:01pm

Samantha Soule - Killers and Other Family (The fourth show of Lucy Turner's Hill Town Plays. That show, and especially Samantha absolutely blew me away)
Laurie Metcalf - The Other Place
Jill Paice and Milly Shapiro - Matilda

That's all I can think of for now ... I saw a lot of impressive theatre this year.

[jnb9872]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 2:30pm

Danny Burstein, TALLEY'S FOLLY
Jared Grimes, AFTER MIDNIGHT
Celia Keenan-Bolger, THE GLASS MENAGERIE
Zachary Levi, FIRST DATE
Andrea Martin, PIPPIN
Billy Magnussen, VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE
Ian McKellen, WAITING FOR GODOT
Kristine Nielsen, VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE
Keala Settle, HANDS ON A HARDBODY
Brian J. Smith, THE GLASS MENAGERIE
Phillipa Soo, NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812
Tom Sturridge, ORPHANS
Michael Urie, BUYER & CELLAR

[macnyc]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 2:39pm

^^^ Lots of good ones! Soo, Sturridge and Burstein especially.

[Matt1]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 7:48pm

My Top 5 (in no order)
Patina Miller: Pippin
Sophia Gennusa: Matilda
Lilla Crawford: Annie
Leslie Margherita: Matilda
Beatrice Tulchin: Matilda
Runner's up: Milly Shapiro, Bailey Ryon, Oona Laurence, Rachael Bay Jones, and Katie Finneran.

[TioSalamanca]

Posted: 12/7/13 at 10:43pm

Matt1, Glad to know I wasn't the only one who was impressed with Beatrice Tulchin! All of the kids were amazing, but she especially stood out to me every single time she was onstage and I just had to look her name up in the Playbill.

[RevoltingChild23]

Posted: 12/29/13 at 9:44am

I would have to say the entire cast of The Glass Menagerie along with Bailey Ryon and Jill Paice in Matilda.

[adam.peterson44]

Posted: 12/29/13 at 10:39am

Pippin: Patina Miller, Rachel Bay Jones, Andrea Martin
Glass Menagerie: Cherry Jones
First Date: Zachary Levi
Aladdin: Adam Jacobs
If/Then: Idina Menzel, LaChanze, Jason Tam, James Snyder, Jerry Dixon
Les Miserables: Earl Carpenter, Ramin Karimloo, Melissa Neill
Kinky Boots: Annaleigh Ashford

[Jersey Girl2]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 3:37pm

Constantine Maroulis in Jekyll & Hyde
Everyone in Vanya And Sonia And Masha And Spike

[Ftworthguy]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 4:05pm

Billy and Stark, Kinky Boots
Laura Osnes and Victoria Clark, Cinderella
Bette Midler, I'll Eat You Last
Nathan Lane, The Nance