Time Picks Billy Elliot As Year's Best
Time Picks Billy Elliot As Year's BestCalling it a "show that that really earns its cheers and tears," even though "the cast and production don't quite measure up to the brilliant London original," Time magazine's theatre writer Richard Zoglin names Billy Elliot - The Musical as the year's number one musical or play. (Meanwhile, the Associated Press' Michael Kuchwara also included Billy Elliot on his top ten list.)
Below are Zoglin's other picks and my running commentary:
2. Hair -- I missed the Central Park version, but hope to catch it come February at Broadway's Al Hirschfeld.
3. All My Sons -- I'll have to respectfully disagree, although I found both John Lithgow and Patrick Wilson to be superb.
4. The Visit -- Hurrah! I loved this production last Memorial Day while at the DC area's Signature Theatre. When will it finally receive a well-deserved New York City run?
5. Black Watch -- This ranks as my biggest disappointment of the year, not because I didn't like it, but because I was unable to see it. Shame on me.
6. reasons to be pretty -- I'll look forward to catching once it opens at Broadway's Lyceum Theatre in March 2009.
7. The Little Mermaid -- Was 2008 really that bad?! I admit to kind of liking it in 2007.
8. Blasted -- Blasted! I missed this one, too! But it's still playing at the SoHo Rep.
9. South Pacific -- I agree that this was one enchanted evening.
10. Farragut North -- Hey, I tried to get tickets, but the show sold out on me!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: All My Sons, Best Of Lists, Billy Elliot The Musical, Black Watch, Blasted, Farragut North, Hair, Reasons To Be Pretty, South Pacific, The Little Mermaid, The Visit, Time
posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Thursday, December 11, 2008
4 Comments:
You kinda liked The Little Mermaid? I haven't seen it but heard from everyone warning me about it so I skipped it and almost choked when I saw it on the Time list.
I thought Patrick Wilson was the best part of AMS but I wouldn't put it on my Top 10 either.
OOOH. hopefully you'll get a chance to see Black Watch somehow. It's going to top my list this year (with Hair being 2nd). The Visit will probably land somewhere in the Top 10 as well.
(I didn't love South Pac as much as everyone else though)
(and I'm not counting Billy Elliot though because I saw it in London in a previous year already)
Vance, As I said in my review, "in The Little Mermaid, Disney has allowed its good name to go adrift." But I also noted that the "formidably fun Sherie René Scott as the wicked Ursula is what provides the production its true iridescence. Thankfully, there's plenty of heart here." I have it 2 1/2 stars.
It certainly didn't rise to top ten level with me.
Black Watch was indeed a fantastic show. I saw it in LA and was wowed.
As for South Pacific, I still wish they would have cast Lillias White as Bloody Mary but that's a minor quibble.
Missing "Hair" in Central Park was my biggest disappointment. I love the score, I would have loved watching it outdoors under the stars. What was I thinking?! (Or not!) I wish I'd seen "Farragut North" and "All My Sons," too. Even seeing 12 shows during my week in New York I couldn't fit in everything. And I'd really love to see "The Visit." I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a Broadway run.
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