What is your 10 Best & 10 Worst Theatrical Experience (Season '06-'07 only — Page 2

10 Best, in no particular order--

1. The assorted good bits of COAST OF UTOPIA -- Billy Crudup's performance, Ethan Hawke's performance, Martha Plympton and Josh Hamilton and most of the rest of the acting and set design and direction, to say nothing of the writing, in VOYAGE and the first half of SHIPWRECK. Very exciting theatre experiences, which made the sudden awful collapse (see my Worst, below) even more disturbing.

2. The entirety of SPRING AWAKENING. I loved everything about it. Everything.

3. Julie White's performance in LITTLE DOG LAUGHED. The performance of the year, a grand Dickensian Giant. Julie White tore into that part like a shark with a swimmer.

4. A lot of the dancing in TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGING. I saw it twice, and was moved both times by the skill of the dancers and the excellence of the choreography.

5. Nixon's late night phone call to Frost in FROST/NIXON, a fascinating moment, beautifully and simply staged and performed.

6. Kevin Kline's performance in MOTHER COURAGE in Central Park, especially his astonishing rendition of the Solomon Song. Kline showed me a desperate man at the end of his tether trying to cover up a great deal of rage while singing a rather loaded song. Unforgettable.

7. A screening of Guy Maddin's film BRAND UPON THE BRAIN! with narration read/performed by Edward Hibbert, and a live band and foley artists supplying sound effects. Bloody amazing experience, I'm sorry I only got to see it once.

8. Laughing my way through PIRATE QUEEN, and finding that lots of people in the theatre at intermission were comparing notes and sharing favorite outrageous moments, everybody having the same delighted recognition of a new camp classic.

9. JOURNEY'S END, a powerful production of a nearly forgotten and much imitated play, which managed to transcend what could have been just a mass of unfortunate cliches. Beautifully performed, just about perfect in every way.

10. Enjoying Christine Ebersole's imitation of Little Edie Beale in GREY GARDENS during Revolutionary Costume.

And the worst, in terms of sheer theatrical horror, in order (#1 being the absolute worst, the rest getting increasingly tolerable):

1. Brian F. O'Byrne's appalling performance in COAST OF UTOPIA, in particular his unwatchable work in the second half of the aptly named SHIPWRECK. I've never come so close to standing up and screaming at an actor to please shut the f**k up as I did while at that performance. Pure, unrelieved TORTURE. Speech after speech after speech after speech after speech after speech after speech after speech, on and on and on and on and on, and O'Byrne never for a moment made me believe he had the vaguest idea of what the hell he was talking about. I'll never willingly sit through another O'Byrne performance again. Even CORAM BOY pales in comparison.

2. That atrocious song "Entering Grey Gardens" in GREY GARDENS, in which the Ghosts of the Past (God in heaven) appear in what looks like a community theatre production of Disney's Haunted Mansion.

3. The ill-named SALVAGE, the third part of COAST OF UTOPIA. Even the occasional sign of life provided by Josh Hamilton and Martha Plimpton couldn't SALVAGE (get it?) this one.

4. CORAM BOY. A bloated over-produced horror that sought to make up in sheer blatant theatrical trickery what it could not provide in simple theatrical talent, and then sought to borrow the genius of Handel's MESSIAH in the most ghastly piece of artistic opportunism I've ever seen. There was more power in the scene of Nixon's phone call to Frost (see #5 in my best list above) than in the entire interminable running time of this mercifully closed aberration.

5. Nathan Lane's honorably intended but ill-conceived performance of BUTLEY. Lane worked very very hard to make Butley Very Very Sad, and managed to miss all the vicious fun that Butley is supposed to be having at the expense of everyone around him. See Alan Bates' performance in the film to see how it ought to have been done.

6. The whole unfortunate Circus concept of TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGING, which just wasn't really very interesting at all, and served to obscure a lot of very interesting things in that show.

7. Getting rather tired of Christine Ebersole's imitation of Little Edie Beale in GREY GARDENS, and starting to wish I was just at home watching the movie.

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BEST
1. Finally seeing FOLLIES live and experiencing one of the most engaging musicals in person for once!
2. The tour de force performance Christine Ebersole gives in Grey Gardens
3. Seeing glorious Michael Bennett choreography live at A Chorus Line
4. Sitting front row and not physically being able to move watching the final moments of Company
5. Being onstage to get caught up in the excitement of Spring Awakening
6. The horrifying moments of Journey's End
7. Being able to see at least most of these twice!
8. Revisiting Les Miserables, my first Broadway show, in it's new incarnation
9. Watching Bebe do her thing in Chicago
10. Seeing Kristen Chenoweth in the second act of The Apple Tree

Worst
1. Sitting through the rest of The Apple Tree
2. "I'm Still Here" in Follies at City Center
Hopefully there will be nothing left to add to my 'worst' list by the end of the season!

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I saw it ( I couldn't sleep last weekend and I watched pretty much all Tony performances from the past 6 - 7 years). It was great! I put the CR on my list.

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Hunter Foster is always good...even when he's in something bad (like the NYMF show I saw him in last year.) But we're threadjacking here, aren't we. (Sorry!)

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Don't apologize! I was just kidding. We can talk about Hunter Foster all you want. "Threadjacking" is the new "Stream of Consciousness"!

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Note: Not limited to New York theatre. I'm including Philly theatre in this, too (though not too much)

1. "The Fantasticks" at the Mum Puppettheatre in Philadelphia - easily the best production I saw anywhere all year. Astoundingly well directed, with sumptuously and cleverly designed sets and puppets, SUPERBLY acted and sung, and most of all, a sense of magic and wonder unmatched by anything I've ever seen - best production of "The Fantasticks" i've ever seen - one of the best productions i've ever seen.
2. Cherry Jones' performance in the national tour of "Doubt".(I missed it on Broadway, so glad she toured.)
3. Audra McDonald's performance in "110 in the Shade".
4. The whole of "Spring Awakening". Really new, fresh, unique, and powerful. Loved it.
5. The second act of "Grey Gardens", with Ebersole ripping my heart out with "Another Winter..."
6. Raul Esparza in "Company", most notably "Marry Me a Little" and "Being Alive".
7. Kate Shindle's A-flat at the end of the "Legally Blonde Remix". I kid you not. B**ch blew me out of my seat.
8. The Philadelphia debut of "Austentatious" with the 11th Hour Theatre Company (it's coming to NYMF - DO NOT MISS IT.)
9. Babara Walsh's stunning performance as Joanne in "Company". Hilarious, shocking, and heartbreaking.
10. Laura Bell Bundy and company performing "What You Want" in "Legally Blonde".

Honorable mentions:
The Arden Theatre's production of "Caroline or Change" in Philadelphia, featuring a violently voiced, heart-wrenching performance from Joilet Harris as Caroline.

11th Hour's side-splitting, intimate production of "The Bombitty of Errors" in Philadelphia.

Worst (don't have ten):
1. "Every Day Above Ground", a work in the Philadelphia Fringe festival that told the story of Billy the Kidd. It was weird, unfocused, strangely designed, directed - the biggest mess I've seen on a stage in a long time.
2. John McMartin's performance in "Grey Gardens". he just didn't do anything for me - I felt he was very disconnected.
3. Chris Butler's performance in "110 in the Shade" - Noah may be a pretty thankless role, but I felt Butler played the antagonistic side of Noah too over-the-top and lost a lot of chances at comedy.
4. The Walnut Street theatre's production of "Carousel" in Philadelphia. Huge budget, lavish sets, great voices, but vapid acting and hyper-rushed directing made this a MAJOR disappointment for me.
5. Marin Mazzie in "Spamalot". The charater's moments don't work without a legitimate diva performance, and Mazzie was far too much of a team player - plus she lacked the belt range for "Find Your Grail", and "Diva's Lament" was lowered about two whole steps at least for her to belt. She did have a great sight gag in "Diva's Lament" though.
6. Stagedoor experience with "Grey Gardens", in which the cast seemed to be HIGHLY at odds with one another, and let us know it. I understand stagedoors can be trying, but it was genuinely bizarre as to how upset they seemed with each other.

Best

1. Aaron Lazar and Lea Salonga in Les Mis
2. Raul in Company
3. The whole revival of Company...
4. Christine Ebersole
5. Talk Radio! and Inherit the Wind
6. In The Heights
7. Barret Foa in Spelling Bee
8. Audra McDonald
9. Kristin Chenoweth in Apple Tree
10. Jenny Powers in Of Thee I Sing!

Worst

1. LEGALLY BLONDE
2. Spring Awakening
3. LEGALLY BLONDE
4. Daphne Rubin-Vega in Les Mis
5. Alexander in Les Mis
6. LEGALLY BLONDE
7. LoveMusik
8. Curtains
9. Legally Blonde
10.

Oh God..Did I mention Legally Blonde? SH*T, I forgot to

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BEST (In no particular order):

1. Being able to see Nathan Lane in two shows. The Odd Couple and Butley.
2. THE BIG VOICE: GOD OR MERMAN? and also having the privilage of becoming friends with Jimmy and Steve.
3. Seeing a long time friend make his Broadway debut in Tarzan.
4. Butley.
5. The amazing music of Spring Awakening.
6. Jay Johnson: The Two and Only!
7. Raul Esparza in Company
8. Donny Osmond in Beauty and the Beast.
9. Meeting Joyce DeWitt.
10. Meeting Julie Andrews.

WORST (in no particular order):

1. Nathan Lane not coming out the stage doors at either Butley or The Odd Couple.
2. Matthew Broderick's performance in The Odd Couple.
3. Tarzan.
4. Seeing The Producers close.
5. Seeing The Big Voice: God or Merman? close.
6. Tony Danza in The Producers.
7. Steve Blanchard (sp?) in Beauty and the Beast.
8. Not getting to see Grey Gardens, Spring Awakening, John Tartaglia in Beauty and the Beast, Curtains, Frost/Nixon, Deuce, and many other shows.
9. Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me always being sold out by the time I got to the box office.
10. Jay Johnson: The Two and Only! closing after such a short run on Broadway.

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This is fun, so I'm going to do it.

Thinking of overall EXPERIENCES, and not the actual shows themselves, my lists are as follows:

The Best (in random order, and not limited to NYC theatre)

1. Sweeney Todd's closing performance - It was a legendary night. There was so much love in that theater. It was an amazing experience,
2. Most of The Coast of Utopia.
3. King Lear at the Public - it was my birthday, and I saw it with a good friend. Doesn't get much better than that.
4. Company, especially Raul Esparza's performance.
5. Hearing Raul Esparza misspell dystopia on "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"
6. Coram Boy - I don't care what anyone else thinks, I adored this play.
7. Seeing Patti Lupone and Audra MacDonald play off each other in "The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny". Divalicious experience.
8. Kevin Spacey yelling "Tell them we're busy!" after a cell phone went off during "A Moon For the Misbegotten". The play itself was very cathartic for me (and Eve Best and Colm Meaney give brilliant performances) but that moment was simply priceless.
9. Gutenberg! The Musical - I can't remember the last time I laughed so much as an audience member.
10. Christine Ebersole's performance in Grey Gardens

Honorable mentions:

David Hyde Pierce's performance in Curtains
Getting to see Mano play Georges (and George) in Sunday in the Park with George
Donna Lynne Champlin's performance in Dark at the Top of the Stairs
the reading of Eddie Goshen is Dead - one of the few readings I've been to where I left wanting to see a full staging of the play.
The Merchant of Venice, with F. Murray Abraham

The Worst

1. The way Jason Alexander massacred some scenes in "Sunday in the Park with George" REALLY angered me. ESPECIALLY "Sunday". It could have been a great show with a better director. Also, the costumes were awful.
2. LoveMusik - The performances are fantastic. But the show itself left me cold (and bored out of my mind)
3. 110 in the Shade - Again, WONDERFUL performances (especially Audra), and it was a beautifully directed show. But I was cringing in my seat the whole time. I hated the story, the score, the characters... Not a pleasant experience (which is why it makes the list- I wouldn't out it in a "worst shows of the year" list, because it honestly wasn't)
4. Ernest in Love - the cast was, for the most part, fantastic. But being a Wilde enthusiast, I simply HATED the show itself. Some plays should never be turned into musicals, in my very humble opinion. Also, they didn't learn their lines, which, quite frankly, angered me, since it wasn't a free reading...
5. Charlotte D'Ambroise in A Chorus Line. Sorry, but I simply did not care for her.
6. Deuce - Oh dear LORD what a MESS of a play. And I was BORED OUT OF MY MIND.
7. The "The Lady or the Tiger" scene in "The Apple Tree". haaated it.
8. Ethan Hawke in Coast of Utopia. I just DON'T.GET.IT. He seemed to be doing a bad Harvey Fierstein impression.
9. Martin Short: Fames Become Me - all but the Jiminy Glick scene (which I enjoyed). I saw it with my parents, and it was just unbearable for me.
10. Queen Victoria serving the ladies tea during the NYCO Pirates of Penzance. It was a huge WTF moment for me.

Updated On: 5/29/07 at 05:38 AM

Stream-of-consciousness style (so possibly as much in order of 'memorability' as merit/de-merit):

Best Experiences:

1. Being at my first-ever Broadway opening night (Curtains).
2. Shaking hands with Nathan Lane at Curtains opening night.
3. Meeting/talking to Tyne Daly/Victor Garber/Edward Hibbert/David Hyde Pierce/Debra Monk/Karen Ziemba at Curtains opening night.
4. Meeting John Mahoney/Alan Tudyk/David Lee (co-creator of Frasier) after seeing Prelude To A Kiss.
5. Finally seeing Bebe Neuwirth strutting her stuff in Chicago.
6. Winning the lottery and seeing Barrett Foa in Spelling Bee.
7. Winning the lottery to see Avenue Q.
8. Winning the lottery to see Drowsy Chaperone.
9. Going to Joe Allen's after Curtains opening night (granted, not strictly a 'theatrical experience', but it rounded off a fantastic night perfectly for me!)

Worst:

1. Taking a friend who is a HUGE fan of Tim Curry to see Spamalot in London and discovering he was out that night only as we made our way to our seats. GUTTED for her!!! (She still had a fantastic time and loved the show, but it could (and should) have been so much better :-/).

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