Top Ten of 2003!

[robbiej]

Posted: 12/22/03 at 2:28pm

Well...I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year (as well as a joyous Hanaukkah, festive Kwanzaa and thrilling Solstice). Today is my last day on the board for a while (someone's got vacation days they need to use), so I thought I'd do a roundup of my favorite theatrical moments of 2003.

10. Jane Krakowski's Second Act of NINE:
Sure, she made a spectacular entrance and exit. And yes, her accent was a little Chico Marx-ish ('Seempole'? I mean, really!). But she broke my heart during Act 2 of NINE when she sat in complete silence, tears streaming down her face while she tried to put her ripped divorce papers back together. The very meaning of the phrase 'less is more'.

9. Michael Rupert in Elegies
At the age of 12, I saw my first Broadway show and, for the first time in my life, fell in love. The handsome, charming and wonderfully funny Michael Rupert stole my heart with his Tony-winning performance in SWEET CHARITY. It had been a while since I encountered this performer, and to see him in Elegies is to know that, even with a couple of extra pounds and a few wears and tears to the voice, we truly do get better with age.

8. The Violet Hour
I know...it was beseiged by the crazy and the miscast. But just listening to the beautiful definition of the word 'gay' by Richard Greenberg is to not only be filled with pride as a gay man, but also as a theatre artist.

7. Barbara Cook at Carnegie Hall
It's not news that she can still hit the high B in ICE CREAM. And my best friend did take issue with the fact that she sang CAN'T GET A MAN WITH A GUN on the 40th anniversary of Kennedy's assassination. But when a singer can put down the mic and somehow quietly fill the Hall with her glorious version of ANYONE CAN WHISTLE, you know you are in the presence of one of the world's great artists.

6. Charles Busch in AUNTIE MAMA.
Yes, La Busch has always had a flair for combining elegance with low brow humor. So what a lovely surprise to find that he can add a beautifully-felt layer of humanity that raises what some see as a drag act to the level of true theatre.

5. Henry IV Parts 1 and 2
It's long. It's veeeeeeery looooong. But also one of the clearest and most exciting interpretations of Shakespeare I've come across. The acting across the board was impeccable, but special mention must be made of Audra McDonald. I did not know what to expect, but came out longing for her Portia and her Lady Macbeth.

4. Idina Menzel in WICKED
I concede that Kristen got the reviews. I also concede that she was wonderful. But it was Idina Menzel who wowed the pants off of me with her nuanced and subtle performance. Not easy when you're playing the Wicked Witch of the West and belting high F's. Kristen may provide beautiful adornment to the merry old land of Oz, but it's Idina who gives it it's heart and soul.

3. Big River
Oh how I didn't want to see this show. Sepia tones and twangy music are my idea of the third layer of hell. But I'll be damned if Ty Giordano didn't give me the most life-affirming moment in a theatre this year? And who knew a bunch of deaf people could make a crap musical sing better than it has a right to?

2. Bernadette's ROSE'S TURN
This is my number one choice for a theatrical moment (that actually took place in a theatre...see below). The drama of could she pull it off mixed with her failing health created a HUGE amount of tension the night Mr. Brantley and (more importantly) I were attending GYPSY. To say it was the surprise of the year (if not the decade) is an understatement. What we missed in Bernadette's interpretation (the 'fabulous monster' as Michael Feingold calls Rose) was made up for in spades by a deeply human and, in my opinion, infinitely more disturbing performance that will live with me for the rest of my life.

And finally...

My #1 favorite theatrical moment of 2003 did not even take place in a theatre. It all happened in a recording studio on 37th Street. For the last year and a half, my best friend for a over a decade and I have been involved with a musical written expressly for us. This past year, we were lucky enough to work on two productions of it (one in the NYC Fringe Festival). Was it the best piece of theatre ever written? Did it lead us to high paying acting jobs? The answer, my friends, would be 'no' to both. But, standing next to my best friend in the world, wearing headphones and recording something that we believed in, something that could be around forever, made me realize it's not about landing a national or when will I ever get that agent. It's about creating a piece of work that will hopefully mean something to someone else.

May you all have wonderful holidays with your family and friends.

Much love,
RobbieJ

[TheaterBaby]

Posted: 12/22/03 at 2:42pm

Happy Holidays to you too Robbiej :) and don't forget about a festivus for the rest of us lol

OK, my favorite theatre moments of the past year are:

10. Caroline Rhea and the rest of the cast of "Mondo Drama" bringing the show from a reading in 2002 to an Off-off Broadway production in 2003, and did a wonderful job with it.

9. Avenue Q making the move to Broadway.

8. Wicked finally opening on Broadway after a long, anticipated wait, and to rave reviews. Plus having such a talented cast.

7. Michael Reidel being spoofed in "Berndette and the Butcher of Broadway."

6. The Musicians' Strike being settled.

5. Hugh Jackman in the Boy From Oz.

4. Taboo opnening on Broadway without Rosie O'Donnell stepping into any of the parts other than as Producer.

3. Bernadette's performance in Gypsy, not to mention her knockout performance at the Tony's!

2. Mary Tyler Moore sticking it to Neil Simon by being able to laugh at herself...ie, giant earphones and pretending to forget her speech.

And finaly, the best theatre moment of this past year...........
1. This Website was formed!

Updated On: 12/22/03 at 02:42 PM