The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
T. Oliver Reid (Drop Me Off in Harlem)
On The Town
The professional and discerning reviewers that make up the backbone of TheaterPizzazz have weighed in with their TOP 5 PICKS in THEATER and CABARET for 2014.
THEATER PICKS:
Sandi Durell
Our Lady of Kibeho
The Curious incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Disgraced
It’s Only a Play
Runners Up: Sticks and Bones – Encores! ‘The Band Wagon’ – Deliverance – A Gentlemen’s Guide. . .
Brian Scott Lipton
Between Riverside and Crazy
Side Show
Sticks and Bones
Violet
You Can’t Take It With You
Samuel L. Leiter
Outside Mullingar
An Octoroon
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
On The Town
Allegro
Joe Clarke
King Lear: Shakespeare in the Park
Here Lies Love
The Killer
Theater for a New Audience – Tamburlaine
Much Ado About Nothing: Shakespeare in the Park
Runners Up: The Seagull (Bedlam), Lypsinka: The Boxed Set
Michall Jeffers
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. Hands down the best drama of 2014; will probably be remembered as the production which launched the career of the phenomenally gifted Alex Sharp.
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder. Best musical, blessed with a book that was clever and vastly entertaining, and a cast that could do no wrong
Aladdin. Finally, the Disney musical we’ve been waiting for; smart, funny, flashy, and thoroughly enjoyable.
Beautiful The Carol King Musical. Jessie Mueller brought all-encompassing heart and glowing talent to a cavalcade of hits and heartaches about modern music’s finest female singer/songwriter.
The Elephant Man. Bradley Cooper’s performance alone was enough to put this show on the list; add the delicacy of Patricia Clarkson and the directing skill of Scott Ellis, and this is an outstanding production to recommend to theater lovers.
Bonus: 2014 saw successful revivals of two musical theater classics, due largely to outstanding performances by Alan Cumming in Cabaret and by Ramin Karimloo in Les Miserables.
Sonia Roberts
Tristan & Yseult – Kneehigh (St. Ann’s Warehouse)
Beertown – dog & pony dc (59E59 Theaters)
Broken City – PopUP Theatrics (the underground zero festival)
My Daughter Keeps Our Hammer (The Flea)
Potion – (Stolen Chair Theatre Company)
Elizabeth Ahlfors
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime
Cripple of Inishmann
Cabaret
On the Town
Disgraced
Eric J. Grimm
The Woodsman, Strangemen & Co., 59e59
The Turn of the Screw, Everyday Inferno, Morris-Jumel Mansion
Uncanny Valley, Contemporary American Theatre Festival, 59e59
The Junket, Culture Project, Lynn Redgrave Theater
Since Africa, The Red Fern Theater Company, 14th St. Y
Mari Lyn Henry
Audra McDonald in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill
All The Way
The Maids – Cate Blanchett
Disgraced
Just Jim Dale
Myra Chanin
The McGowan Trilogy
The Jewish Chronicles
Theater 2020 – Candide
All The Way
Alan Ayckbourn’s Farcicals
Joe Regan Jr.
Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol. Actor Equity benefit of first stage production of cartoon. All star cast and 27 piece orchestra with Jule Styne overture
Side Show – Gorgeously sung, directed and acted. Glad there will be a CD.
On the Town – Great revival with another big orchestra playing the Bernstein music. And lots of sex in this one too!
Fatal Weakness – Revival of George Kelly’s last play was given a superb production by the Mint Theatre
Jon Peterson “And He Wrote Good Songs” – Peterson’s one man bio musical on Newley was a brilliant tour de force.
Runner up – Simon Green and David Shrubsole’s “So This Then Is Life,” extraordinary autobiographical show using poetry and song in stunning way.
Joel Benjamin
Everything That Rises Must Converge – Compagnia de’Colombari
On the Town
You Can’t Take It With You
In Fields Where They Lay – Dreamscape Theatre Company
Rollo’s Wild Oat – Metropolitan Playhouse
Marcina Zaccaria
Nella Tempesta
Mapmaker’s Opera
Generations
The Library
To The Bone
CABARET PICKS:
Sandi Durell
Ann Hampton Callaway – Turning Points (54 Below)
Marilyn Maye/Bucky Pizzarelli (Iridium Jazz Club)
Marilyn Maye –Tribute to Johnny Carson (54 Below)
Christine Ebersole “Big Noise from Winnetka” (54 Below)
Lucy Arnaz – Café Carlyle
Paulanne Simmons
Ute Lemper “Last Tango in Berlin” – sexy and smart
Carole J. Bufford “Shades of Blue” – a new look at an old theme
Barb Jungr “Hard Rain” – Boy Dylan and Leonard Cohen in the meeting of great music
T. Oliver Reid “Drop Me off in Harlem” – a splendid musical trip into the past
Peter Haas
Carol J. Bufford (54 Below) – “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”
T. Oliver Reid – “Drop Me Off in Harlem”
Barbara Brussell (Don’t Tell Mama)
Jane Monheit, Billy Stritch, Jim Caruso – “Hollywoodland” (Birdland)
Lauren Fox & Ritt Henn “Ghosts of Love” (Stage 72)
Marilyn Lester
Drop Me Off in Harlem – T. Oliver Reid
I’ve Still Got My Health – Jack O’Brien (54 Below)
On The Air: Songs for Marian McPartland – Stacy Sullivan
The Act (54 Below)
From Joplin to Jarrett: 115 Years of Piano Jazz – Jon Weber (Metropolitan Room)
Elizabeth Ahlfors
Marilyn Maye New Years Eve (any year) – Metropolitan. Room
Gabrielle Stravelli – Metropolitan Room
Joyce Breach – Moments Like This
KT Sullivan and Jeff Harnar Sing Sondheim
Baby Jane Dexter – Rules of the Road (Metropolitan Room)
Myra Chanin
Jeremy Jordan – 54 Below
Fyvish Finkel – 54 Below
Amanda McBroom and George Ball – 54 Below
My Son the Waiter, A Jewish Tragedy – Stage 72 (The Triad)
Eric Michael Gillett – The Amanda McBroom Project (Beechman Theatre)
Joe Regan, Jr.
Baby Jane Dexter The Rules of the Road Part 3 – Despite a freak accident Dexter gave a funny, dramatic, musical performance.
Richard Holbrook – Comeback of the year with his Astaire and Christmas Show. Never sung better.
Peggy King and All Star Jazz Trio – King proved that she still is in great voice and is a force of nature.
Bob Merrill at 54 Below – All star tribute but especially because of Mimi Hines who fifty years later still goes effortlessly for the high note.
Adam R. Shapiro “Normal” – Great bio musical about Shapiro and his participation on “Normal Heart” film
1st runner up Sin Twisters with divas Gillette and Fuller
Joel Benjamin
Paolo Szot – 54 Below
Anita Gillette – Metropolitan Room
Alex Rybeck Songbook – 54 Below
Natalie Douglas does Dolly Parton – Birdland
Randy Graff – 54 Below
Christopher Sieber – 54 Below
Judy Kaye – 54 Below
(sometimes it’s difficult to pick only 5)
HAPPY HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU AND YOURS AND A PEACEFUL 2015 FOR ALL . . . FROM ALL OF US AT THEATERPIZZAZZ.COM
