Thursday, December 11, 2008

Time Picks Billy Elliot As Year's Best

Time Picks Billy Elliot As Year's Best

Calling 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).

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Saturday, December 15, 2007

August: Best Time Of The Year

August: Best Time Of The Year

The 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 Exchanges

Of these shows, only the Broadway shows, Fuerzabruta and The Overwhelming remain open (Pygmalion's limited run closes tomorrow).

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

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