Best Musicals: A Chorus Line, Dreamgirls, Next to Normal
Best Solo Show: Twilight Los Angeles (Anna Deveare Smith)
Best Play: The Ferryman (in London) is the first that comes to mind
Best Revival (play): The Glass Menagerie (Cherry Jones) and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf ((Letts/Morton)
Best Revival Musical: South Pacific at LCT, every revival of Gypsy (other than the production with Bernadette), Hello Dolly with Bette (but not Murphy) and Pippin
And the following shows from the 1970s which I loved as a young child and because they developed my love for theater going (and I realize the first few these aren’t particularly good): Shenandoah, Peter Pan, The Magic Show, The King and I
The Phantom of the Opera, which I saw on Broadway 90 times between 1998 and 2023. The original New York Times review, which features my favorite quote about the show and perfectly summarizes the magic of the show: "the show's most persuasive love story is Mr. Prince's and Ms. Bjornson's unabashed crush on the theater itself, from footlights to dressing rooms, from flies to trap doors." Yes, Phantom is the theatrical show I have ever seen, and I never got tired of seeing those curtains going up and coming down, and the way Prince used dark corners of the stage to signify danger. I do love the music too, as uncool as that may be in the world of theater nerds.
When I left the Hudson after seeing Merrily a few months ago, I could not stop thinking about how much I love it and how, as someone else on these boards mentioned, the current cast and production is like lightning in a bottle. Brilliant work all around, from direction to the lead trio.
Phantom4ever said: "The Phantom of the Opera, which I saw on Broadway 90 times between 1998 and 2023. The original New York Times review, which features my favorite quote about the show and perfectly summarizes the magic of the show: "the show's most persuasive love story is Mr. Prince's and Ms. Bjornson's unabashed crush on the theater itself, from footlights to dressing rooms, from flies to trap doors." Yes, Phantom is the theatrical show I have ever seen, and I never got tired of seeing those curtains going up and coming down, and the way Prince used dark corners of the stage to signify danger. I do love the music too, as uncool as that may be in the world of theater nerds."
It was perfection.
==> this board is a nest of vipers <==
"Michael Riedel...The Perez Hilton of the New York Theatre scene" - Craig Hepworth, What's On Stage
Since I'm not counting videos of original productions (if so, it would be Sweeney), I'd have to say the best musical I've seen live would have to be either Les Miserables (original) or Tommy (original).
The best play isn't even close: THE GOAT is, for me, aptly titled.
For plays, quite a few of them were directed by Gerald Guitierez. I remember his high style with a razor's edge to it and his work with some remarkable actors. He seemed to thrive on those big Broadway and LIncoln Center stages. He tended towards grand theatrical visions of the plays but he also had the directorial precision both in the design and his direction of actors to pull it all off.
Twelfth Night (2013). Shakespeare’s Globe production, all male cast, with Mark Rylance in the part of Olivia. Hands down the greatest production I’ve ever seen on any stage. I had seats on stage at the Belasco. Unforgettable.