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.
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.
8.
Blasted -- Blasted! I missed this one, too! But it's still playing at the SoHo Rep.
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
August: Best Time Of The YearThe more appropriate title for this story really would be
August: Osage County is
Time's "Best of the Year," but no matter.
The point is that the theatre critic for the venerable news magazine has selected my personal favorite show of the past year as
his top choice for theatre. I couldn't agree more.
But the list itself is a bit suspect to be honest. I know everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, including Richard Zoglin, but c'mon.
I'll give Zoglin a pass on
The Farnsworth Invention and I may even agree with him on
Pygmalion, but how could the Broadway revival of
Grease possibly make any discerning critic's list? Zoglin says, "Even with reality-TV stars, a stylish, happy, underappreciated revival."
Still, it's in his top
ten?
Do
Grease and
best go together like rama lama lama ke ding a de dinga a dong?
Zoglin's full top ten list for 2007 includes:
#1 -
August: Osage County#2 -
Journey's End#3 -
Fuerzabruta
#4 -
The Overwhelming#5 -
Wooster Group's Hamlet
#6 -
Pygmalion
#7 -
Grease#8 -
The Farnsworth Invention#9 -
Eurydice#10 -
Intimate ExchangesOf these shows, only the Broadway shows,
Fuerzabruta and
The Overwhelming remain open
(Pygmalion's limited run closes tomorrow).
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: August Osage County, Best Of Lists, Broadway, Grease, Pygmalion, The Farnsworth Invention, Time