I'm not going to name the "Best show of 2011."
For several reasons:
1) I hate applying the "Best of" label to community theatre shows - every single show was created after a lot of hard work by a lot of people, and while some are better or more accomplished or had a bigger budget than others, they were all a labor of love.
2) It's apples and oranges. Unless you're comparing different productions of the same show, there's no way to compare different shows made with different casts, different budgets, different conditions, etc.
3) I didn't see all the shows that hit the stage in the Tri-State area in 2011. I saw lots of shows, but I missed many, many more (this was a year in which life got in the way of shows). I have friends who see lots of shows, more than I see - but I don't think there's anyone who sees every show.
4) I can't be impartial, because I'm the President of First Stage Theatre Company - obviously, I love every show they stage.
What I will do is talk about some of the shows I saw and enjoyed, and invite you, gentle readers, to make comments about shows you liked, too. Send your comments to the link at the bottom of this post, or email them to me at TheMinskers@aol.com and I'll share them.
Brag on shows you worked on, rave about shows you saw, but no negative put-downs, please. (I don't believe in "Worst of the Year" lists, either.)
So, here's my quick recap of shows I saw:
I'll start with First Stage, since it was an excellent year for the children's theatre, with three shows - each one very successful and lots of fun to watch, including: Rugrats: A Live Adventure, with local actors doing an amazing job of imitating the voices and characteristics of the Nickelodeon cartoon kids; Schoolhouse Rock Live, one of my all-time favorites, with a terrific cast bringing the classic educational cartoons to life; and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, a co-production with Marshall's Theatre Alliance that was a sweet, funny and touching holiday tale - it's quickly becoming a holiday staple, and I thought this cast was fantastic!
ARTS presented a couple of outstanding shows this year, including the fast and funny hit The Fantasticks, and the dark musical Jekyll and Hyde, which provided a star vehicle for Ryan Hardiman and an outstanding cast.
Ryan was busy this year, rocking out on stage in HOT's July show, The Wedding Singer with a talented cast that brought the '80s to life!
Fifth Avenue Theatre tackled a couple of big shows - the popular Titanic: the Musical, based on the tragic voyage, and (at the other end of the drama scale), the hilarious Noises Off, which was without a doubt the funniest show I saw this year, thanks to an outstanding cast and an amazing set!
Marshall's Theatre Alliance had several excellent productions this year, including: the terrific musical Working, which was loaded with amazing performers; the fantastic New Works Project; and an awesome production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, which was a showcase for a talented cast, an incredible set and an ingenious adaptation of the original script - it was one of the most impressive shows I can remember seeing in years.
I'm not going to name a best show, of course - but the one that probably managed the best mix of music and comedy, and would certainly be in contention if I were to name the top show, would have to be the Charleston Light Opera Guild's production of Hairspray, which was a pure delight from beginning to end.
Outstanding work by one and all!
So, another great year of theatre - and hopefully another great one on the way!
Happy New Year, theatre fans, and thanks for joining us here at the Tri-State Theatre blog!
So let's hear it - what were your favorite moments?
1 comment:
I always like to put a little different spin on "the best of" list you offer up every year. This time I'd like to mention some people I've had a chance to work with and be a fan of over the last couple of years and how they had some crowning moments in 2011. Call it a list of people I hope we don't forget when we are all making our lists list.
Shayne Gue has been someone I've seen on stage since before I even thought about getting involved. I've always appreciated his work, but this summer Shayne was at his best in HOT's Wedding Singer. His timing and commitment were superb. Best I've ever seen him.
Dylan Clark has been a good friend of mine for a long time and a counterpart in shows on many occasions. This summer during MU's New Works, Dylan presented his original play Burgle. It was hilarious. We all know he is a great performer, but he has got quite a writing talent as well. I can't wait to see what he does in the future.
Jonathan Lamp is another guy I've admired on stage for a long time and also had a chance to work with. I can easily say that the most surprising and delightful performance of the year goes to John as Link in CLOG's Hairspray. We all knew he could sing, but he danced like nobody's business. He was perfect as the charming young star to be.
Patrick Taylor is somebody I just met this year. He was fantastic in Burgle as the idiot criminal and wonderful as the mute in the Fantasticks. However, I was super impressed with his work in the Last Night of Ballyhoo. He was simply charming. As the new guy in town, I'm excited what he does next.
Karen Pruitt in Barefoot in the Park was a riot. If you missed her, you missed a wonderful, wonderful thing. She's quite a lovely lady in person also.
Lastly, I'd like to mention two people I don't know at all but got to see twice this year and thought their work was great, both from Charleston. Laurie Pennington as the Chaperone in the Drowsy Chaperone and Velma in Hairspray. She is a true joy to watch. Brynna Hornswell as Penny in Hairspray and JoAnne Galloway in A Few Good Men. Total commitment, totally different roles, completely wonderful.
I could go on but I wanted to catch some of the people that other's might miss. This of course is not a complete list because I could brag on a lot of others, and I do.
It was a very good year.
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