What/who is on everyone's TOP 10 list for theater in 2008? — Page 2

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1-South Pacific
2-Gypsy
3-In The Heights
4-Sunday in the Park with George
5-Prayer for My Enemy
6-Speed-the-Plow
7-Farragut North
8-All My Sons
9-Next to Normal
10-Port Authority

Honorable Mention: [title of show]

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In no particular order (and I am including DC productions)....

The Visit (DC)
Kiss of the Spider Woman (DC)
Ace (DC)
Billy Elliot
Adding Machine
Boeing Boeing
Passing Strange
Sunday in the Park With George
A Catered Affair
[title of show]

I am not including local productions in Richmond, VA, but if I did, I would have to include Stage One's production of TICK TICK BOOM.

Updated On: 12/10/08 at 06:00 PM

BEST OF BROADWAY
(in no particular order)
The 39 Steps
A Catered Affair
Billy Elliot: the Musical
Boeing-Boeing
Gypsy
South Pacific
Sunday in the Park with George
[title of show]


BEST OF OFF-BROADWAY
Adding Machine
Dead Man's Cell Phone
Fault Lines
The Four of Us
From Up Here
Hair
The Marriage of Bette and Boo
Next to Normal
On The Town
Streamers

Bump again..

...I was bumping the thread to the top of the board. I wasn't commenting on your post.

I didn't see A TALE OF TWO CITIES so I can't say...from what I heard she was good but nowhere near as good as some of the other masterful performances that have been given this year. But I didn't see the show so I can't say.

I guess I can play this game, too. I did not see everything as I come from Toronto 2-3 times a year and see 7-9 shows each visit. (Alphabetically)

All My Sons
Billy Elliot
Equus
Farragut North
Gypsy
The Little Mermaid (no apologies for this choice)
Next To Normal
Speed-The-Plough
South Pacific
Sunday In The Park

Special Mention - "13" - It succeeded in doing exactly what it set out to do. And that cast? There's the future of Broadway!

Being from Toronto - Honourable mention - The Sound of Music in Toronto and Caesar And Cleopatra at the Stratford Festival.

Top performances: (again alphabetically)
Laura Benanti - Gypsy
Raul Esparza - Speed The Plough
John Gallagher Jr - Port Authority/Farragut North
Patti Lupone - Gypsy
Kiril Kulish - Billy Elliot
Carey Milligan - The Seagull
Martha Plimpton - Pal Joey
Daniel Radcliffe - Equus
Alice Ripley - Next To Normal
Mark Rylance - Boeing-Boeing
Ensemble - "13"
Mr. Versatile - Brian d'Arcy James - Next To Normal, Port Authority, Shrek
Beyond the call of duty: All 3 Billys - David, Kiril, Trent - I salute you!

As of now (I may re-order the list and I may see another new production or two before the year ends) this is my list:

10.) FAULT LINES
9.) NEXT TO NORMAL
8.) IN THE HEIGHTS
7.) SOUTH PACIFIC
6.) A CATERED AFFAIR
5.) HAIR
4.) GYPSY
3.) BILLY ELLIOT: THE MUSICAL
2.) AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (I know it opened in 2007 but I saw it in 2008...)
1.) LIZA'S AT THE PALACE...!

And I'm having a lot of trouble putting together a list for the best performances which include Anika Noni Rose in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, the cast of AUGUST, Lin Manuel Miranda in IN THE HEIGHTS, Eisa Davis in PASSING STRANGE, Daniel Evans & Jenna Russell in SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, Noah Emmerick in FAULT LINES, Kelli O'Hara & Paolo Szot in SOUTH PACIFIC, Faith Prince & Tom Wopat in A CATERED AFFAIR, Sean Hayes in DAMN YANKEES, Mary McCormack in BOEING-BOEING, Kristin Scott Thomas & Carey Milligin in THE SEAGULL, the three boys of BILLY ELLIOT, Liza in LIZA'S AT THE PALACE...!, Boyd Gaines, Patti LuPone, and Laura Benanti in GYPSY, and the best performance on stage of 2008 was (in my mind) Alice Ripley in NEXT TO NORMAL.

Updated On: 12/12/08 at 06:56 PM

This is in not particular order.

Best Shows:
In The Heights
Sunday In The Park With George
[Title of Show]
Gypsy
BIlly Elliot
August Osage County (I have not seen it but I can't think of anymore great shows I have seen)
Boeing Boeing (Ditto^^)
13 (I know I may get in trouble for this but I thought it was pretty good)
Xanadu
Shrek

As I look back I saw a bunch of not so great shows, sorry about my list. It's pretty bad, just look at the first 5 because I saw those and they deserve to be on the list.

Performances:
Patti Lupone- Gypsy
Laura Benanti- Gypsy
Karen Olivo- In The Heights
Lin Manuel Miranda- In The Heights
Robin De Jesus- In The Heights
Eden Espinosa- Rent
Renee Goldsberry- Rent
Daniel Evans- Sunday in the Park With George
Jenna Russle- Sunday in the Park With George
Heidi Blickenstaff- [title of show]
Susan Blackwell- [title of show]
Hunter Bell- [title of show]
Jeff Bowel- [title of show]
Trent Kowalik- Billy Elliot
Kiril Kulish- Billy Eliot
David Alverez- Billy Elliot
Allie Trimm- 13
Ariana Grande (Mostly basing this on the bootleg video of her singing Lamest Place in the World)- 13

TOP TEN SHOWS
1. Gypsy
2. No, No Nanette (Encores!)
3. Sunday in the Park with George
4. On The Town (Encores!)
5. [title of show]
6. In The Heights
7. Cat On A Hot Tin Roof
8. Irving Berlin’s White Christmas
9. The Marriage of Bette and Boo
10. Boeing-Boeing

TOP TEN PERFORMANCES
1. Patti LuPone- Gypsy
2. Jenna Russell- Sunday in the Park with George
3. Tony Yazbeck- On The Town
4. Laura Benanti- Gypsy
5. Beth Leavel- No, No Nanette
6. Boyd Gaines- Gypsy
7. Susan Blackwell- [title of show]
8. Daniel Evans- Sunday in the Park with George
9. Anika Noni Rose- Cat On A Hot Tin Roof
10. Sierra Boggess- The Little Mermaid

Updated On: 12/13/08 at 02:19 PM

Here are mine, in no order beyond alphabetical:

FAVORITE SHOWS THAT OPENED IN 2008:
Billy Elliot
Boeing-Boeing
Equus
Gypsy
Hair (Central Park)
Macbeth
Next to Normal
South Pacific

FAVORITE SHOWS TO RETURN TO:
August: Osage County
Legally Blonde
Spring Awakening
Wicked

TEN BEST PERFORMANCES- MALE (includes replacements)
Blake Bashoff, Spring Awakening (replacement)
Jon Groff, Hair
Kiril Kulish, Billy Elliot
Daniel Radcliffe, Equus
Mark Rylance, Boeing-Boeing
Hunter Parrish, Spring Awakening (replacement)
Christopher Seiber, Shrek
Patrick Stewart, Macbeth
Paulo Szot, South Pacific
Aaron Tveit, Next to Normal

TEN BEST PERFORMANCES- FEMALE (includes replacements)
Laura Benanti, Gypsy
Sandy Duncan, No, No, Nanette (Encores)
Kate Fleetwood, Macbeth
Haydn Gwynne, Billy Elliot
Bailey Hanks, Legally Blonde (replacement)
Patti LuPone, Gypsy
Mary McCormack, Boeing-Boeing
Missy Pyle, Boeing-Boeing (replacement)
Julie Reiber, Wicked (standby)
Alice Ripley, Next to Normal

Updated On: 12/13/08 at 02:50 PM

Add Bailey Hanks in LEGALLY BLONDE to my list as well.

There were a LOT of wonderful performances this year...