The Best Shows of 2016: Part II

I've already revealed the first half of my Best of 2016 list, and now it's time to reveal my picks for the Top 5 Shows of 2016. As always, the criteria for making this list is as follows: the show must have officially opened in 2016, and it must have been seen by yours truly. Think of it as more of a list of personal favorites than a definitive "best of" list (since I did not manage to see several highly acclaimed productions).

Here are my Top 5 Shows of 2016:

5) Bright Star

Carmen Cusack and Paul Alexander Nolan in Bright Star.

Like American Psycho before it, Bright Star is another show from the spring of 2016 that just didn't have the kind of run it truly deserved. Unlike American Psycho, Bright Star actually had a fair number of critical champions, and word of mouth from those who actually saw it was quite strong. Steve Martin and Edie Brickell's bluegrass score was a true stunner, especially on repeated listening, and while the story was perhaps predictable it was never anything less than involving. In fact, it is a testament to the show's strength that audiences remained emotionally invested despite the big reveal being fairly obvious from the outset. And the cherry on top of this already wonderful cake was the star making performance of Carmen Cusack in the lead role of Alice Murphy, playing the spunky literary editor as both an exuberant youth and a stern adult. Cusack astounded with her big voice and even bigger emotions, and will hopefully become a much more regular fixture on the New York stage in the years to come.

4) Waitress

Jessie Mueller and the cast of Waitress.

There was never any doubt that Hamilton would dominate the 2016 Tony Awards, leaving Sara Bareilles' positively delightful Waitress a perpetual runner up. In my opinion, this feel good musical confection (the first Broadway tuner to boast an entirely female creative team) was the second best new show of the 2015-2016 season, exceeding expectations thanks to an absolutely charming book, score, and cast. Bareilles, director Diane Paulus, and librettist Jessie Nelson have crafted a romantic drama with a ton of heart, one which hews close enough to tradition to remain comforting while packing just enough twists to hold your interest. And anchoring everything is Jessie Mueller's towering, Tony-nominated performance as Jenna, the small town waitress with big city aspirations. Mueller possesses a depth of feeling few actors have, and powerhouse vocals that make a mighty feast of Bareilles' soaring melodies. By the time Mueller finishes her 11 o'clock stunner "She Used to Be Mine" (one of the most gorgeous showtunes of the past several seasons), she has left absolutely everything on the stage, and the audience is all the better for it.

3) Noises Off

The company of Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of Noises Off.

Few plays have managed the sustained levels of hilarity found in Noises Off, the gold standard of farce written by playwright Michael Frayn in 1983. This season saw an absolutely sensational revival mounted by Roundabout Theatre Company (which had one of its best seasons in ages) which produced over two hours of near continuous laughter. Every member of the ensemble had multiple moments of gut busting hilarity, be it Megan Hilty looking for her missing contact, Andrea Martin struggling to remember where exactly to place the sardines, or Kate Jennings Grant literally rolling across the stage trying to remove an errant prop. There was such a dizzying array of comic genius on display that it was impossible to fully appreciate everything in a single viewing, and the nearly wordless second act was the most bravura example of comedic excellence I have perhaps ever witnessed. A true masterwork in every sense of the word.

2) Dear Evan Hansen

Ben Platt (center) and the Broadway cast of Dear Evan Hansen.

I have yet to see the show's much lauded Broadway transfer, but given the stellar shape Dear Evan Hansen was in when I saw it at Second Stage Theatre in the spring I have not qualms about naming it one of the best of the year. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul have written a searing contemporary score, bursting at the seams with emotion and drive and delivering on all the promise they showed in the Tony-nominated A Christmas Story several years back. The wholly original narrative about an awkward teen's misguided attempt to capitalize on his unexpected internet fame speaks directly to our modern social media obsessed culture, while also touching upon universal concerns about belonging and our place in the world. Director Michael Mayer has crafted an energy-infused staging that owes no small debt to his brilliant work on the Pulitzer Prize-winning Next to Normal, and in an ensemble of fine actors special mention must go to Ben Platt's jaw-dropping work as the title character. The young star's performance must be seen to be believed, and already has the town buzzing in a manner similar to the talk surrounding eventual Tony-winner Cynthia Erivo's work in The Color Purple. Tickets are not easy to come by, but definitely worth the investment, especially for those who enjoy supporting entirely original musicals.

1) She Loves Me

Laura Benanti and Zachary Levi in She Loves Me.

Perfection. It is not a term I use lightly, but it is wholly appropriate when describing Roundabout Theatre Company's transcendent revival of Bock and Harnick's classic musical romance She Loves Me. Every facet of the production, from the gorgeous set and costumes to the pitch perfect performances and direction, exuded such love for both the piece and the theatre in general that it was positively infectious. Laura Benanti and Zachary Levi were superbly cast as the feuding perfumerie clerks secretly made for one another, sharing an electric chemistry and a masterful understanding of how to act a song. The supporting cast was also excellent, including a deliciously smarmy and gloriously sung turn by Gavin Creel as the womanizing Kodaly. And words seem hardly adequate to describe the comedic perfection that was Jane Krakowski as the lovelorn Ilona, whether she was doing the splits or sharing the details of her life changing "Trip to the Library." Broadway musicals simply don't get any better than this.


And there you have it! Those are my Best Shows of 2016. For next year, I will have to make a resolution to be better about reviewing all the shows I see (it's a shame I didn't write down my thoughts about American Psycho, Bright Star, or Waitress while they were fresh). Be sure to keep checking this blog space for reviews of all the big spring shows, and don't be shy about sharing your favorites of the year in the comments.

Happy New Year!

The Best Shows of 2016: Part I

As we approach the end of a calendar year which has seen plenty of political upheaval and more than a few untimely celebrity deaths, it feels even more necessary to remember all the good that 2016 had to offer. On this blog, that means looking back on the best shows of 2016, those productions which moved, challenged, and entertained us while also showcasing the abundance of talent in New York City.

In order to be eligible for inclusion, a production must have had its official opening night in 2016, and it must have been seen by yours truly. And since I have neither the means nor the time to see everything which premieres in a given year, there will obviously be some worthy omissions from this list, so don't take a show's exclusion as indication that I didn't like it. (Except Falsettos; while I don't think it's a bad production, I honestly don't understand why this clunkily constructed musical is causing such a fuss among critics.)

Here are the first 5 of my Top 10 Shows of 2016; the rest will follow shortly!

10) Eclipsed

Lupita Nyong'o and Zainab Jab in the Broadway production of Eclipsed.

The 2015-2016 Broadway season was heralded for its diversity, both onstage and off, and there were few more compelling examples of that diversity than Eclipsed. Written, performed, and directed by women of color, Danai Gurira's play brought a fresh and authentic perspective to the story of women struggling to survive during the Liberian Civil War. And while the women's circumstances were often harrowing and deadly serious, Gurira's play was also incisively funny and ultimately hopeful, refusing to allow its characters to become victims of their circumstances. Expertly portrayed by stunningly accomplished group of actresses (including Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o in a thrilling Broadway debut), the wives at Eclipsed's center emerged as powerful and intelligent women who each found their own ways of coping with the horrors which surrounded them. It demonstrated just how much giving underrepresented perspectives a voice can invigorate the American theatre, and one can only hope that Broadway will continue to support this kind of probing work.

9) In Transit

Margo Seibert, Moya Angela, and the company of In Transit.

Every year I seem to have a soft spot for at least one show that is dismissed by critics and the audience at large. And while In Transit is by no means the best show I've ever seen ignored by the theatre community at large, it has a lot more to offer than most reviews would lead you to believe. For one, the a cappella score lends the musical a sound unlike any other, a deceptively complex composition with multi-layered harmonies and carefully crafted vocal lines. The performances are all charming, and the characters show us an underexplored facet of the human experience: the transition from the idealistic, impassioned twenties to the more measured but no less intense thirties. The show's New York specific humor and beast of a score will like hold this show back from having much of a life outside of the city, which is unfortunate but perhaps fitting for a show where the setting is as much a character as any of the people in the narrative.

8) The Woodsman

The Off-Broadway company, both human and puppet, of The Woodsman.

At some point, almost everyone who sees enough theatre will start to decry the lack of originality, bemoaning the abundance of "safe" productions with traditional structures and narratives. Shows like The Woodsman prove there is still plenty of invention to be found for those willing to seek it out, offering one of the most thrillingly theatrical experiences of the year. Using very little dialogue, this one-act prequel to the Wizard of Oz was story theatre at its best, utilizing sound, puppetry, and wildly inventive stagecraft to tell the story of how the Tin Man lost his heart. The seamless ensemble, led by the show's writer and director James Ortiz, transported the audience to a dark yet entrancing corner of the merry old land of Oz while tapping into primal emotions which transcend mere words. Thankfully this delightful production was recorded for posterity, and can be streamed right now from BroadwayHD.

7) American Psycho

Benjamin Walker (center) and the cast of American Psycho.

One of the most divisive productions of the year, those who saw American Psycho either really loved it or really didn't. I happen to fall into the former category, being completely smitten by how brazenly the show flaunted the conventions of Broadway to tell the story of ladder climbing serial killer Patrick Bateman. Benjamin Walker was absolutely sensational as the murderous title character, creating a perfectly controlled facade only to let it crumble piece by piece as Bateman became more and more detached from reality. How this actor failed to score a Tony nomination is beyond me, but it is one of the great oversights of the 2016 awards season. Combine Walker's excellence with stunning set and projection design, pitch perfect satire of 80s consumerism (embodied to perfection by Morgan Weed's delightfully shallow Courtney), and a pulsating electronic score by Duncan Sheik and you have one of the most memorable musicals of the year. A show that deliberately pushed so many buttons was always facing an uphill battle towards commercial success, but this wonderfully inventive show has all the makings of a cult hit that will be discovered and loved by theatre aficionados for years to come.

6) Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812

Josh Groban and the Broadway cast of Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.

Honestly, I would have loved to rank this as the best show of the year, as I did the Off-Broadway production in 2013. Unfortunately, the Broadway transfer of Dave Malloy's 19th century Russian fantasia Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 isn't quite as magical in its bigger home, but it remains one of the most jaw-droppingly inventive musicals of the decade. Once again director Rachel Chavkin and set designer Mimi Lien have created an immersive world for this sung-through tale of intrigue and seduction to take place in, utilizing every available inch of the heavily renovated Imperial Theatre to further the illusion of being in a different time and place. The score is a dizzying collection of seemingly disparate elements, effortless interwoven by Malloy to create something wholly original and unlike anything to grace the Broadway stage. The performances are all quite good, including recording superstar Josh Groban in his Broadway debut. Perhaps most exciting of all is the fact that such innovation is being rewarded not just with critical praise but packed houses, which will hopefully encourage even more musical experimentation in the future.

Be sure to check back at the end of the week for my Top 5 Shows of 2016!