The Body Politic - Flesh and The Ugly One - Play Reviews

Flesh and Other Fragments of Love - Tarragon Theatre MainStage - Toronto, ON - **1/2 (out of 5 stars)
Written by Evelyne de la Chenelière, Translated by Linda Gaboriau, Directed by Richard Rose
Runs until Feb. 16th 2014

The Ugly One - Tarragon Theatre Extra Space - Toronto, ON - **** (out of 5 stars)
Written by Marius von Mayenburg, Translated by Maja Zade, Directed by Ashlie Corcoran
Runs until Feb. 16th 2014

                         

Flesh and Other Fragments of Love has an intriguing concept and a beautiful set up as a play, but while there is a poetic flow to the language, it never quite pieces it altogether. The play follows a married couple on an Irish holiday, trying to rekindle their romance, when they discover a dead woman on the beach. Tons of possibilities, and the plays eventually leads to it, particularly when the dead woman comes alive to recite poetic speeches that recount her tragic death and life. The tone however is an odd match that never quite stirs the plays central heart.

                         

With muted reactions and a blasé attitude, the couple Pierre (Blair Williams) and Simone (Maria del Mar) discover the dead body and immediately go back to quibble about their own relationship problems. Former free-spirits, the melodramatic Simone has become a nagging wife and mother while Pierre thinks he can be beyond the suburban rut they've fallen into. Meanwhile, the dead girl is still laying there wrapped in seaweed and the play begins to pulse when she slowly rolls over and intrudes and interjects the couple, slowly goading them with their own problems while revealing her own story. We discover the dead girl is a local Irish girl Mary and Nicole Underhay breathes wondrous life into her words and her dead body. When Blair Williams steps into the centre of stones Mary has been laying upon, his Pierre turns into Mary's paramour and Williams' chemistry with Underhay shows exactly why Pierre and Simone were never meant to be.



                         

On the other side of Tarragon Theatre in the Extra Space, a remount of The Ugly One has changed the extra space into a board room of sorts, with audience members sitting on both sides of the table. Under a harsh and seductive lighting design (by Jason Hand), the weird and absurd, but highly entertaining and enthralling play by Marius von Mayenburg, bursts into the room and basically sticks their face into the audience with full force.

When Lette (a wonderfully game David Jansen) finally realizes for the first time that he is actually ugly, after his boss (Hardee T. Lineham) disallows him to present his own electronic plug creation at a conference, Lette decides to undergo face surgery and much to his wife's delight (Naomi Wright), he turns out to be unimaginably beautiful post-operation. Life completely changes for Lette, whose professional and sexual life rapidly rises, all while his former assistant Karlmann (Jesse Aaron Dwyre) gets thrown to the side for the newest beauty. Throw in a sex-crazed septuagenarian business woman with a fey son who are both in love with Lette's face, and the original surgeon who manages to capitalize on his latest creation, and things start getting out of control when people begin wanting to look like the new Lette, all while Lette wonders who he really is.

                         

Ashlie Corcoran beautifully directs the very odd and fast-paced play with aplomb, with instantaneous scene changes that are as smooth as Lette's new face, while the impressive cast shifts from the various characters and tonal shifts that adds to the absurd humour to the piece. With nice touches such as apples constantly used as props, as well as sound and folly effects (by John Gzowski and cast), The Ugly One is a beautifully well-put-together production that zips by as the weirdness and nonsense of the play ramps up while the allegories layer upon each other like the bandages that first covered Lette's ugly face.


Photos of Flesh and Fragments of Love by Cylla von Tiedemann
Photos of The Ugly One by Bronwen Sharp
Vance at http://tapeworthy.blogspot.com

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Musical Journeys - London Road & From Here to Eternity - Musical Reviews

London Road - Canadian Stage at Bluma Apel Theatre in the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts - Toronto, ON - ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
By Alecky Blythe and Adam Cork, Directed by Jackie Maxwell
Runs until Feb. 9th 2014

From Here to Eternity: The Musical - Shaftesbury Theatre - West End - London, UK - ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
Music by Stuart Brayson, Lyrics by Tim Rice, Book by Bill Oakes based on the book by James Jones, Directed by Tamara Harvey
Runs until Mar. 29th 2014


Two new musicals out of London, one an innovative new take on the traditional musical, using interview verbatim as its lyrical source, and setting music to punctuate and highlight the spoken source, London Road is often clever and always thought provoking. A new musicalized version of From Here to Eternity harks back to musicals of yesteryears via its source, but with its pop score and traditional staging, it is a big mainstream show that it yearns to be. Both are entertaining in their respective aspects, but flawed in their own ways that may be inherently built into their goals.


                         

London Road is a fascinating experiment in musical theatre first become a hit at the National Theatre in London, and now making its North American premiere at Canadian Stage. Using interviews with the townsfolk of Ipswich verbatim, the musical chronicles a small British town as they deal with the murders of five prostitutes. Think of it as a Laramie Project set to music. The musical score by Adam Cork was composed to Alecky Blythe's interviews with the residents of London Road and the added musicalization is a beautifully artistic way to highlight, and reimagine and examine the community's reaction to a grizzly and horrifying event. It's an interesting combination with innovative possibilities, but the effort does not always work. When it does, it is quite an interesting way to underline key moments, ideas and thoughts about the case and the community's reactions. It brings journalistic theatre to an operatic level, and if only the words of the residents had been a bit more revealing, it might have had a far bigger impact.

Using musics repetitive nature, lyrics were often repeated, and while the effect can be illuminating, or used in a humorous way, like emphasizing the "umms" and "yeahs" punctuates speech, at times, became ineffective in its overuse. There's a lot of fascinating moments during the residents' awkward attempts at normalizing after the discovery of the murders, and their suspicions and fears as the police try to capture the killer, but it is not until the second act when some prostitutes get their (musical) moment when things become truly chilling and the verbatim structure has its most impact. There's another small moment when another resident reveals her true feelings about the victims but it is surprisingly not mined for its dark nature that the show could have gone deeper with. For a show about murders, it felt relatively safe, calm and uplifting for much of it (though partly because of beautiful uplifting flower song that returns but then overstays a its welcome a tad too long).

                         

Despite the fascinating flaws with the piece itself, the Canadian all-star theatre cast was one to behold. From Fiona Reid to Ben Carlson to Sean Arbuckle and Shawn Wright to Julain Molnar and George Masswohl and Michelle Fisk to Steve Ross. It's a whose who and the talented cast play the numerous characters with heart and humanity and while the piece at times is built to poke fun of these regular folks, the cast never lets them become caricatures. And from the impressive cast, Damien Atkins continues his impressive streak here while Deborah Hay illuminates the stage and demonstrates why she's the toast of the Shaw Festival.

Jackie Maxwell directs the cast through the various vignettes with maximum efficiency, and although while there are a few moments I found slightly static, there are other brilliant moments (like the use of police tape cutting thru the stage) that require minimal movement for maximum resonating effect. I loved the idea of the set, with literal strips of yellow highlight along the shades of black set pieces, sliding and rotating amongst an image of London Road, though the designer in me would have tweaked the set in slight ways to give more intimacy to the used stage.

There is so much to admire about London Road and its innovative musical concept and hearing the rhythms of regular British folk speaking. While the overall emotional resonance doesn't quite hit its potential high, partly because we still learn very little about the actual victims or the caught killer, the show is a intriguing experiment that is never boring, and with a superb Canadian cast at their very best.




                         

From Here to Eternity: The Musical is based on the novel (which got turned into the movie with the famous beach scene) that I actually haven't read, and so I didn't know if the musical changed all that much from the novel or the film, but I was surprised at how much darker and complex the story was. I was expecting (and secretly hoping for) a big cheesy romantic sweeping old-style musical, and it was a big mainstream old style musical in many ways, but the musical book kept the main characters flawed and 3-dimensional with some morally questionable actions, but it definitely added some depth into what felt like a lowbrow version of South Pacific (and to be honest, may be more my cup of tea).

                         

With a musical score with a pop feel to it, it's catchy to make it a big mainstream musical and that keeps it from being taken too seriously, but I rather enjoyed the songs. With an impressive ensemble, the songs sounded great, and the dark tone of the story kept the musical in balance of romantic cheese and serious melodrama. Robert Lonsdale and Siubhan Harrison (above) turn in star-making performances, with the handsome Lonsdale giving a complex and unwaveringly moralistically dubious turn as Private Prewitt, a new addition to the regiment who refuses to use his talents for the sake of furthering his career.

Darius Campbell sounds terrific in his baritone voice as the Warden, and has a commanding and old school presence perfect with the time period and his partner Rebecca Thornhill is lovely as Karen.

Marc Antolin, understudying the role of Private Angelo, was particularly impressive and gives a deep and emotionally complex performance as the happy-go-lucky Angelo whose life takes a turn after innuendos and mistakes are made.

Tamara Harvey makes efficient use of the beautiful set by Soutra Gilmour and the choreography by Javier du Sutros works wonderfully in setting up the tone. While From Here To Eternity doesn't change musical theatre in any innovative way, it still manages to deepen the depth of the story within a mainstream feeling musical without losing any of the entertainment value.



Photos of London Road by David Hou
Photos of From Here to Eternity: The Musical by John Persson
Vance at http://tapeworthy.blogspot.com

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Oh God, The Theatah - Theatre Reviews

Manon, Sandra and the Virgin Mary - Pleiades Theatre In Association with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre - Toronto, ON - ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
Written by Michel Tremblay, Translated and Directed by John Van Burek
Runs until Feb. 2nd 2014

Rifles - Next Stage Festival at Factory Theatre - Toronto, ON - **** (out of 5 stars)
Written by Nicolas Billon, Directed by Michael Wheeler
Runs until Jan. 19th 2014

On the Other Side of the World - Next Stage Festival at Factory Theatre - Toronto, ON - *** (out of 5 stars)
Written and Directed by Brenley Charkow
Runs until Jan. 19th 2014

A Misfortune - Next Stage Festival at Factory Theatre Studio - Toronto, ON - **** (out of 5 stars)
Music by Scott Christian, Lyrics by Wade Bogert-O'Brien and Kevin Shea, Book by Kevin Shea, Directed by Evan Tsitsias
Runs until Jan. 19th 2014


Can I think a production is great and/or well done if I'm not sure I fully understood the show? Does ambiguity or an understandable narrative sway our opinions about the show as a whole or the play itself, even if we recognize when a theatre piece is well put together? There are so many pieces to create the puzzle that is theatre that I'm still in awe when things come together and almost frustrated when things almost seem to come together. Or maybe when I just don't understand?

The Pleiades/Buddies production of Manon, Sandra and the Virgin Mary has a beautiful set by Teresa Przybylski, which is beautifully lit by Itai Erdal, and two powerful performances by Irene Poole and Richard McMillan. While their two opposing stories, one of Manon (Poole), an extreme Catholic whose view of the world is seen through her devotion and a giant rosary, and Sandra (McMillan), a transexual who is pretty liberal in his sexual talk and offbeat tangents, are both fascinating glimpses into the lives of two very radical extreme people, the purposely confusing narrative and ambiguity kept me just enough at bay to fully delve emotionally into the emotional stripping happening on stage.

This Michel Tremblay revival has a beautiful elusive and elegiac quality to its beautiful set up, with Manon and Sandra speaking in chorus, then telling opposing stories that slowly reveal itself in its collision, but while the structure is clever, I'm still left confused and emotionally wanting, a bit like Manon actually (although it may not have helped that I have only seen 1 of the plays in Tremblay's Belles Soeurs cycle and Manon, Sandra is one of the last ones).

Rifles, a new play from Nicolas Billon (who wrote one of my recent faves Iceland) based on Brecht's Señora Carrar's Rifles, slowly builds with clues and hints at the Spanish Civil War. With a tense atmospheric (including sound effects and score from Beau Andrew Dixon sitting centre stage) and claustrophobic setting in Señora Carrar's home, we see the debates about joining the war or sitting as safe as possible on the sidelines as Franco's army comes closer. With various characters coming in and out of Carrar's home, her protection of her two sons from joining the war comes to a feverish pitch when Carrar's brother shows up, looking to borrow her rifles she has hidden away. Billon might have outlined every argument a little too precisely into the numerous characters, but it makes for an intense drama, helped by Kate Hennig's restrained turn as Carrar and Cyrus Lane as brother Pedro.

On the Other Side of the World is an ambitious production telling the fascinating and moving tale of the Jews who escaped Europe during the rise of the Nazis only to find themselves stuck in Shanghai, China on their attempt to eventually reach the US. While the story offers up the fish-out-of-water story, as well as the story of survival in a hideous war, the play is structurally clunky with some very poignant and moving scenes happening between 4th wall-breaking narratives that are somewhat effective if a bit over-reliant. Charkow who wrote the play, manages to smooth things over with some clever direction in the transitional scenes.

The large and game cast, and Charkow's clever use of Scott Penner's sets and Siobhan Sleath's lighting gives us a wonderful glimpse into the world surrounding a young Jewish girl as her family finds safety, if not solitude, in 1940's Shanghai. While the play still needs some editing and streamlining, the essence of the story and the insights from the characters still manage to illicit a moving historical (if perhaps a bit too textbook-like) tale.

(Disclosure: A close friend is in the cast)

A Misfortune, a new little chamber musical based on a Chekhov play, is a new gem thanks to the music by Scott Christian and lyrics and an amusing book by Kevin Shea with Wade Bogert-O'Brien as co-lyricist. With efficient direction by Evan Tsitsias on a small but versatile and evocative set by Joanna Yu, the musical, with a romantically gorgeous score, is surprisingly funny despite being about the troubled love lives of five Russians. The yearning, the infidelity, the threat of infidelity, and the complete ignorance of it all, allows for some comedy of errors set in the moody emotionally restraint Chekhovian tale.

Trish Lindstrom is devastating as Sofya, the woman at the centre of a the love triangle. Stuck between the young yearning of Ivan (Jordan Till), and a strong, stoic, if completely oblivious husband Andrey (a hilarious Réjean Cournoyer). A magnificent Kaylee Harwood and an amusing Adam Brazier fill out the love tale as married friends who offer up the flip side of marriage, where passion and hatred are only separated by a very thin line.

As a big fan of Scott Christian's previous work (Hero and Leander, Through the Gates), A Misfortune offers up more of Christian's beautiful musical composition, this time matched with a witty book that feels pretty complete, and ready for the next level.


Photo of Irene Poole and Richard McMillan in Manon, Sandra and the Virgin Mary by Cylla von Tiedemann
Photo of Kate Hennig and Cyrus Lane in Rifles by Max B. Telzerow
Photo of Ashleigh Henley, Phoebe Hu, Susan Lock, Eunjung Nam in On the Other Side of the World by Dahlia Katz
Photo of Trish Lindström, Réjean Cournoyer, Kaylee Harwood, Jordan Till, Adam Brazier in A Misfortune by Dan Epstein
Vance at http://tapeworthy.blogspot.com

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Stageworthy: The Best of Stage 2013

So I managed to hit 111 shows in 2013. Not quite as much as 2012, or 2011, but still had a grand time. Saw some great stuff, some good stuff, and of course a few clunkers, but all in the hopes of seeing a show that inspires, that electrifies the mind and the heart, and this year I've chosen 15 shows that did just that.

I also saw some repeats from previous years that have evolved and improved and landed on the list. I also saw some pretty universally critically acclaimed shows that I just didn't get. I saw some great newcomers (see Breakthrough Performances) and I got to see folks like Judi Dench, Tom Hanks, Helen Mirren, James McAvoy, Daniel Radcliffe, Ben Whishaw, Imelda Staunton, Toby Jones, Scarlett Johansen, William Petersen, Robert Sean Leonard and Bette Midler take the stage. Some to great effect (see Great Performances) and some that I sadly forgot about until I started compiling my list of all the shows I saw in 2013 (at the end of this post).


Here's the Best of Stage 2013:

1. Come From Away (Musical) - Studio Theatre at Sheridan College Theatre - Oakville, ON
Music, Lyrics and Book by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, Driected by Brian Hill

                          

A musical about a Canadian community that comes together to help unexpected visitors during a time of tragedy sounds slightly hokey. A musical about the tragedy of 9/11 sounds simply horrific and misguided. And yet, Irene Sankoff and David Hein have written a truly harrowing, cathartic, and celebratory musical about tragedy and the prevailing human spirit. A musical about loss and love, about trust and new friendships, about unimaginable horrors and our deepest fears, Hein and Snakoff manages to send shivers and tears while finding moments of joy and humour in the true story of the time the world descended upon Gander, Newfoundland when dozens of airplanes got diverted on the morning of September 11th, 2001. With gorgeous music and songs in this low key staging with the promising students of Sheridan College Theatre, and directed with an effecting simplicity by Brian Hill, Come From Away is an emotionally stunning new piece of musical theatre.



2. The Flick (Play) - Playwrights Horizons - Off-Broadway - New York City, NY
Written by Annie Baker, Directed by Sam Gold

                          

Three employees of an old, practically defunct cinema spend their days cleaning up after each screening, chatting away, picking up popcorn, discussing their favourite flicks, or anything else that might come to mind, and sometimes, they just work in silence. In Annie Baker's play The Flick, this goes on for three hours, and it is FASCINATING. With a set (by David Zinn) of cinema seats that almost reflect the seats at Playwrights Horizons, and a naturalistic tone set by Sam Gold and from great performances from Louisa Krause, Matthew Maher and Aaron Clifton Moten, The Flick gives a full dimensional slice-of-life moment as cinema moves to a digital realm and as people learn to readjust to a new format.



3. Pippin (Musical Revival) - A.R.T. at Loeb Drama Center - Boston, MA
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, Book by Roger O. Hirson, Directed by Diane Paulus, Circus Creation by Gypsy Snider, Choreography by Chet Walker

                          

Pippin has always been a problematic musical and I still don't think it works in all aspects, but boy does Diane Paulus and Gypsy Snider sure razzle dazzle us and divert our attention away from the flaws inherent in the piece and give us a spectacular tale of a young man trying to find his way while being razzle dazzled by a superb leading player in Patina Miller. With a jaw dropping performance by Andrea Martin, and great help from Terrence Mann, Charlotte d'Amboise, Rachel Bay Jones, and an amazing ensemble of circus performers and dancers, this latest revival surrounds a genial Matthew James Thomas to give his Pippin the resonance and showmanship that makes this the new definitive version.



4. This is War (Play) - Tarragon Theatre - Toronto, ON
Written by Hannah Moscovitch, Directed by Richard Rose

                          

Hannah Moscovitch's searing new play about the lives that collide and unravel during war is both universal but ultimately feels intimate in Richard Rose's effective claustrophobic staging (in a effectively stifling theatre space/set by Camelia Koo. It may be war but this is what war does to the personal state of four individual soldiers and it may be more politically reverberating than any of the politics and politicians that caused it all in the first place.



5. Passion (Musical Revival) - Classic Stage Company - Off-Broadway - New York City, NY
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by James Lapine, Directed by John Doyle

                          

Who knew a musical about a tragic romance could bring so much happiness? John Doyle brought a tight, dark and extremely moving piece to the intimate Classic Stage space with Judy Kuhn and Ryan Silverman sparking a passionate chemistry in two-thirds of this love triangle story. Amy Justman, the understudy who had to take over the role of Clara, was beautifully gripping in the third point in Passion.



6. Buyer & Cellar (Play) - Rattlestick Playwrights Theater - Off-Broadway - New York City, NY
Written by Jonathan Tolins, Directed by Stephen Brackett

                          

This may technically be a solo show but it definitely feels like Barbra Streisand is there with Michael Urie as he recounts this amazing (untrue) tale of working as the only sales clerk in Barbra Streisand's own personal mall, hidden beneath her home (true. Apparently). Urie has us in his hands as he secretly tells us about Alex's adventures in Streisandland and it's hilariously nutty and surprisingly moving, and Urie gives a energetic and loveable performance, voicing all the other characters in this tall-tale of celebrity homes.



7. Watershed and Being and Nothingness (Part 1) in Innovation (Ballet) - National Ballet of Canada at the Four Seasons for the Performing Arts - Toronto, ON - Original Review
Watershed - Choreographed by José Navas, Music by Benjamin Britten
Being and Nothingness (Part 1) - Choreographed by Guillaume Côté, Music by Philip Glass

                          

Innovation celebrated new works by Canadian choreographers over one night, and Watershed, by José Navas, and Being and Nothingness (Part 1), by Guillaume Côté, both took my breathe away in their beautiful simplicity and raw emotional movements that felt fresh and evocative.



8. Merrily We Roll Along (Musical) - Harold Pinter Theatre - West End - London, UK
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by George Firth, Directed by Maria Friedman

                          

Jenna Russell and Mark Umbers truly bring the tragedy, and the eventually the youthful joy, in Sondheim and Firth's backwards tale of the downfalls of fame and fortune, or in this case, the upwards trajectory of youthful hope and naivety, all bookended by an emotional reminder that the memory of that hope never fully disappears.



9. The Gay Heritage Project (Play) - Buddies in Bad Times Theatre - Toronto, ON
Created by Damien Atkins, Paul Dunn and Andrew Kushnir, Directed by Ashlie Corcoran

                          

Atkins, Dunn and Kushnir explored their own notions of what gay heritage means and created and performed this very entertaining and emotionally resonating history lesson that explores gay culture and our ties to its historic movement from the three actors points of views. And while admitting to their limitations (especially as gay, white, males in the gay community), their overview brings both questions, and hope to the future of gay culture.



10. After Miss Julie (Play) - Red One Theatre Collective at The Storefront Theatre - Toronto, ON
Written by Patrick Marber, Directed by David Ferry

                          

In the low ceiling space in the low rent space of The Storefront Theatre, a steamy seduction took place as the battle between lust and responsibility shapes the lives of three people as they manipulate their ways in search for a better life. All while trying to define what "better" means.



11. Pygmalion (Play Revival) - The Old Globe - San Diego, CA
Written by George Bernard Shaw, Directed by Nicholas Martin

                          

A delightful and layered Charlotte Parry takes on the fair lady's role in this faithful and haunting revival that has a staunch and sturdy Robert Sean Leonard as Henry Higgins.



12. Jabber (Play) - Young People's Theatre - Toronto, ON - Original Review
Written by Marcus Youssef, Directed by Amanda Kellock

                          

A seemingly simple moral tale of two teens from different cultures manages to twist and turn into a far more complex story as the characters reveal their secrets and souls that move beyond first impression stereotypes.



13. Kinky Boots (Musical) - Al Hirschfeld Theatre - Broadway - New York City, NY
Music and Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, Book by Harvey Fierstein, Directed and Choreography by Jerry Mitchell

                          

Imperfect and flawed, but shiny and sturdy, this underdog story became the underdog musical that turned into a big fun mainstream hit. In the move from its Chicago-tryout to Broadway (where I deemed it a musical to watch for on last year's list) some changes needed were made, some were not, but when the Cyndi Lauper songs own up to being written by Cyndi Lauper, the shows true heart shines through.



14. Here Lies Love (Musical) - LuEsther Hall at The Public Theater - Off-Broadway - New York City, NY
Music by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, Lyrics and Concept by David Byrne,  Additional Music by Tom Gandey and J Pardo, Directed by Alex Timbers, Choreography by Annie-B Parson

                          

A disco musical about Imelda Marcos? Not sure if the rise of Imelda from simple girl to power-hungry notoriety is a chilling tale that should be told in such an entertaining way, but damn, Alex Timbers and Annie-B Parson have inspired the most energetic cast to dance and sing their way around the dance floor. Ruthie Ann Miles builds both sympathy and sends shivers as she transforms from dancing queen to banned queen in a show where presentation and the participatory staging enhance the actual music and story.


15. The Valley (Play) - Tarragon Theatre - Toronto, ON - Original Review
Written by Joan MacLeod, Directed by Richard Rose

                          

A powerful examination of our society and individual responsibilities in protecting ourselves and each other. With ambitious questions, MacLeod is not always entirely successful but colliding issues around mental illness and police actions with the stories of four people in two different families hitting low points in their lives, makes for an intense and fascinating play, with a wonderfully utilized in-the-round staging by Rose.



Breakthrough Performances (in alphabetical order):

The cast of After Miss Julie: Claire Armstrong, Amy Keating, Christopher Morris

The cast of The Flick: Alex Hanna, Louisa Krouse, Matthew Maher, Aaron Clifton Moten

The cast of Here Lies Love: Renée Albulario, Melody Butiu, Natalie Cortez, Debralee Daco, Joshua Dela Cruz, Jose Llana, Kelvin Moon Loh, Jeigh Madjus, Ruthie Ann Miles, Maria-Christina Oliveras, Conrad Ricamora, Trevor Salter, Janelle Velasquez

The cast of Jabber: Ian Geldart, Mariana Tayler, David Sklar

Usman Ally in The Jungle Book
Charl Brown in Motown the Musical
Travis Cardona in This Heaven
Kevin Carolan in The Jungle Book
Brian Cross in The Snow Geese
Gabriel Ebert in Matilda
K. Todd Freeman in Fetch Clay, Make Man
Alexis Gordon in The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble
Jeff Ho in Murderers Confess at Christmastime
Ramin Karimloo in Les Misérables
Cyrus Lane in Passion Play
Sydney Lucas in Fun Home
Kevin MacDonald in Macbeth and The Taming of the Shrew
Colin Mercer in The Valley
Jonny Orsini in The Nance
Peyson Rock in The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble
Keala Settle in Hands on a Hardbody
Frankie Serach in The Landing
Ryan Silverman in Passion
Yvonne Strahovski in Golden Boy


Great Performances (in alphabetical order):

The cast of The Gay Heritage Project: Damien Atkins, Paul Dunn, Andrew Kushnir

Damien Atkins in Someone Else
Carly Bawden in Tristan & Yseult
Dale Boyer in Night of the Living Dead Live
Gavin Creel in The Book of Mormon
André De Shields in The Jungle Book
Sergio Di Zio in This is War
Bruce Dow in Pig
Jennifer Dzialoszynski in The Taming of the Shrew
Santino Fontana in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella
Greg Gale in Macbeth and The Taming of the Shrew
Adam Garcia in Kiss Me Kate
Greta Hodgkinson in Being and Nothingness (Part 1)
Lisa Horner in Les Misérables
Toby Jones in Circle, Mirror, Transformation
Judy Kuhn in Fun Home and Passion
Ian Lake in This is War and The Valley
Nathan Lane in The Nance
Robert Sean Leonard in Pygmalion
Cassie Levy in Murder Ballad
Deirdre Lovejoy in Lucky Guy
Andrea Martin in Pippin
James McAvoy in Macbeth
Richard McCabe in The Audience
McGee Maddox in Swan Lake
Bette Midler in I'll Eat You Last
Patina Miller in Pippin
Helen Mirren in The Audience
Debra Monk in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Charlotte Parry in Pygmalion
Ben Platt in The Book of Mormon
Daniel Radcliffe in The Cripple of Inishmaan
Jenna Russell in Merrily We Roll Along
Cliff Saunders in Les Misérables
Alexandra Socha in Fun Home
Carly Street in Venus in Fur
Hugh Thompson in Macbeth
Mark Umbers in Merrily We Roll Along
Michael Urie in Buyer & Cellar
Courtney B. Vance in Lucky Guy
Hannah Waddington in Kiss Me Kate
Rachel York in Anything Goes
Xiao Nan Yu in Swan Lake


Here is every Stage Show I saw in 2013 in alphabetical order. All reviews are based on a 5 stars system (Workshop Labs, Readings, Concerts and Cabarets are not graded):

After Miss Julie (Play Revival) - Red One Theatre Collective at The Storefront Theatre - Toronto, ON - ****1/2

Aladdin (Musical) - Ed Mirvish Theatre - Toronto, ON - **1/2

The Alexis Lambright Tell-A-Thon: Combating Adult Virginity (Play) - FringeNYC at 440 Studios - Off-Broadway - New York City, NY - ***

All Tchaikovsky - Toronto Symphony at Roy Thompson Hall - Toronto, ON

Annie (Musical Revival) - Palace Theatre - Broadway - New York City, NY - Review ***1/2

Annie TYA (Musical Revival) - Young People's Theatre - Toronto, ON - Review ****

Anything Goes (Musical Revival) - Princess of Wales Theatre - Toronto, ON - ***1/2

The Assembled Parties (Play) - Manhattan Theater Club at the Friedman Theatre - Broadway - New York City, NY - ***

The Audience (Play) - Gielgud Theatre - West End - London, UK - ****

Beautiful Thing (Play Revival) - Arts Theatre - West End - London, UK - ****

The Best Brothers (Play Revival) - Tarragon Theatre - Toronto, ON - Review ****

Big Fish (Musical) - Neil Simon Theatre - Broadway - New York City, NY - **1/2

The Bodyguard (Musical) - Adelphi Theatre - West End - London, UK - **

The Book of Mormon x3 (Musical) - Prince of Wales Theatre - West End - London, UK; National Tour at Princess of Wales Theatre - Toronto, ON; Bank of America Theatre - Chicago, IL - ****1/2

Bull (Play) - 59E59's Theater B - Off-Broadway - New York City, NY - ***

Buyer & Cellar (Play) - Rattlestick Playwrights Theater - Off-Broadway - New York City, NY - ****1/2

The Call (Play) - Playwrights Horizons' Peter Jay Sharp Theatre - Off-Broadway - New York City, NY - Review **1/2

Carmen (Ballet) - National Ballet of Canada at the Four Seasons for the Performing Arts - Toronto, ON - **1/2

Carmina Burana - Toronto Symphony at Roy Thompson Hall - Toronto, ON

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Play Revival) - Richard Rodgers Theatre - Broadway - New York City, NY - ****

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (Musical Revival) - Broadway Theatre - Broadway - New York City, NY - ***1/2

Circle, Mirror, Transformation (Play) - Royal Court Theatre at Rose Lipman Building - London, UK - ***1/2

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Musical) - Theatre Royal Drury Lane - West End - London, UK - **

The Comedy of Errors (Play Revival) - The Public Theater at the Delacorte Theatre - New York City, NY - ***

Come From Away (Musical) x2 - Studio Theatre at Sheridan College Theatre - Oakville, ON & Panasonic Theatre (Reading) - Toronto, ON  - *****

The Cripple of Inishmaan (Play Revival) - Michael Grandage Company at Noël Coward Theatre - West End - London, UK - ***1/2

The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable (Play) - Punchdrunk and The National Theatre at Temple Studios - London, UK - Review ****

Eating Pomegranates Naked (Play) - SummerWorks at Lower Ossington Theatre - Toronto, ON - ***

Evil Dead The Musical (Musical Revival) - Randolph Theatre - Toronto, ON - ***

Falsettos (Musical Revival) - Acting Upstage at Daniels Spectrum, Slaight Hall - Toronto, ON - ***

Far From Heaven (Musical) - Playwrights Horizons - Off-Broadway - New York City, NY - **1/2

Fetch Clay, Make Man (Play) - NYTW - Off-Broadway - New York City, NY - ***1/2

First Date (Musical) - Longacre Theatre - Broadway - New York City, NY - **1/2

The Flick (Play) - Playwrights Horizons - Off-Broadway - New York City, NY - ****1/2

The Flood Thereafter (Play) - Canadian Stage Company at Berkeley Street Theatre - Toronto, ON - Review ***

Foreign Accent Syndrome (Musical Workshop) - At Ryerson University Theatre School - Toronto, ON

Fortune and Men's Eyes (Play) - Dancemakers and Center for Creation - Toronto, ON - ***

Fun Home (Musical) - Newman Theater at The Public Theater - Off-Broadway - New York City, NY - ****

Garden (Play Revival) - Trinity Repertory Company - Providence, RI - ***

The Gay Heritage Project (Play) - Buddies in Bad Times Theatre - Toronto, ON - ****1/2

Golden Boy (Play Revival) - Lincoln Center Theater at Belasco Theatre - Broadway - New York City, NY - ****

The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble (Play) - Factory Theatre and Obsidian Theatre - Toronto, ON - Review ***1/2

Hands on a Hardbody (Musical) - Brooks Atkinson Theatre - Broadway - New York City, NY - ***

Here Lies Love (Musical) - LuEsther Hall at The Public Theater - Off-Broadway - New York City, NY - ****

House (Play Revival) - Trinity Repertory Company - Providence, RI - ***

I'll Eat You Last (Play) - Booth Theatre - Braodway - New York City, NY - ****

Innovation (Ballet) - National Ballet of Canada at the Four Seasons for the Performing Arts - Toronto, ON - Review ****1/2
Watershed - *****
Being and Nothingness (Part 1) - *****
Unearth - ****
...black night's bright day... - ***1/2

Jabber (Play) - Young People's Theatre - Toronto, ON - Review ****1/2

The Jungle Book (Musical) - The Goodman Theatre - Chicago, IL - ***1/2

Kinky Boots x2 (Musical) - Al Hirschfeld Theatre - Broadway - New York City, NY - ****

Kiss Me Kate (Musical Revival) - The Old Vic Theatre - West End - London, UK - ****

The Landing (Musical) - Vineyard Theatre - Off-Broadway - New York City, NY - **1/2

Les Misérables x2 (Musical Revival) - Princess of Wales Theatre - Toronto, ON - ***1/2

Lucky Guy (Play) - Broadhurst Theatre - Broadway - New York City, NY - **1/2

Macbeth (Play Revival) - Canadian Stage Company's Shakespeare in High Park Amphitheatre - Toronto, ON - Review ****

Macbeth (Play Revival) - Trafalgar Studios - West End - London, UK - ****

Marathon of Hope (Musical Workshop) - MacDonald Heaslip-Hall at Sheridan College Theatre - Oakville, ON

Matilda (Musical) - Shubert Theatre - Broadway - New York City, NY - ***1/2

Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty: A Gothic Romance (Ballet) - A New Adventures Production at New York City Center - New York City, NY - Review **1/2

Merrily We Roll Along (Musical Revival) - Harold Pinter Theatre - West End - London, UK - ****1/2

Motown the Musical (Musical) - Lunt Fontanne Theatre - Broadway - New York City, NY - ***1/2

Murder Ballad (Musical) - Union Square Theatre - Off-Broadway - New York City, NY - ***1/2

Murderers Confess at Christmastime (Play) - SummerWorks at Lower Ossington Theatre - Toronto, ON - ***

Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play (Play) - Playwrights Horizons - Off-Broadway - New York City, NY - Review **

The Nance (Play) - Lincoln Center Theater at the Lyceum Theatre - Broadway - New York City, NY - ***1/2

Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (Musical) - Kazino in Chelsea - Off-Broadway - New York City, NY - ****

Needles and Opium (Play Revival) - Canadian Stage Company at Bluma Apel Theatre in the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts - Toronto, ON - **1/2

Newsies (Musical) - Nederlander Theatre - Broadway - New York City, NY - ***1/2

Night of the Living Dead Live (Play) - Theatre Passe Muraille - Toronto, ON - ***1/2

The Old Friends (Play) - Signature Theatre in the Irene Diamond Theatre - Off-Broadway - New York City, NY - ***

Once (Musical) - Royal Alexandra Theatre - Toronto, ON - ****

On the Rocks (Musical) - Theatre Passe Muraille - Toronto, ON - ***

Passion (Musical Revival) - Classic Stage Company - Off-Broadway - New York City, NY - ****1/2

Peter and Alice (Play) - Michael Grandage Company at Noël Coward Theatre - West End - London, UK - ***

Picnic (Play Revival) - Roundabout Theater Company at the American Airlines Theater - Broadway - New York City, NY - ***1/2

Pig (Play) - Buddies in Bad Times Theatre - Toronto, ON - Review ***1/2

Pippin (Musical Revival) - A.R.T. at Loeb Drama Center - Boston, MA - ****1/2

The Power of Harriet T! (Play) - Young People's Theatre - Toronto, ON - Review ***

Pur ti Miro, No. 24, The Man in Black & Theme and Variation (Ballet) - National Ballet of Canada at the Four Seasons for the Performing Arts - Toronto, ON - ****

Pygmalion (Play Revival) - The Old Globe - San Diego, CA - ****1/2

Race (Play) - Canadian Stage at Bluma Appel Theatre in the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts - Toronto, ON - Review **1/2

Reasons to be Happy (Play) - MCC at Lucille Lortel Theatre - Off-Broadway - New York City, NY - ***

Repetitive Strain Injury (Play) - Company Kid Logic at Factory Theatre Studio - Toronto, ON - **

Slowgirl (Play) - Steppenwolf Theatre - Chicago, IL - ***

The Snow Geese (Play) - Manhattan Theatre Club at the Friedman Theatre - Broadway - New York City, NY - **1/2

Someone Else (Play) - Canadian Stage Company at Berkeley Street Theatre - Toronto, ON - ****

Swan Lake (Ballet Revival) - National Ballet of Canada at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts - Toronto, ON - Review ****1/2

Talley's Folly (Play Revival) - Roundabout Theater Company at the Laura Pels Theatre in the Harold and Mirium Steinberg Center for Theatre - New York City, NY - **

The Taming of the Shrew (Play Revival) - Canadian Stage Company's Shakespeare in High Park Amphitheatre - Toronto, ON - Review ***

The Theory of Relativity (Musical) - Studio Theatre at Sheridan College Theatre - Oakville, ON - ****

This (Play) - Canadian Stage at the Berkeley Street Theatre - Toronto, ON - Review ***1/2

This Heaven (Play) - Belvoir Theatre - Sydney, NSW, AU - ***1/2

This is War (Play) - Tarragon Theatre - Toronto, ON - ****1/2

3 Kinds of Exile (Play) - The Atlantic Theater Company - Off-Broadway - New York City, NY - **1/2

Tommy (Musical Revival) - Stratford Shakespeare Festival in the Avon Theatre - Stratford, ON - **1/2

Tristan & Yseult (Play) - Kneehigh at Berkeley Repertory Theatre - Berkeley, CA - **1/2

The Valley (Play) - Tarragon Theatre - Toronto, ON - Review ****

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Play) - Lincoln Center Theater at the Golden Theatre - Broadway - New York City, NY - ***

Venice (Musical Lab) - The Public Theater - Off-Broadway - New York City, NY - **1/2

Venus in Fur (Play) - Canadian Stage Company at Bluma Apel Theatre in the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts - Toronto, ON - Review ****1/2

Winners and Losers (Play) - Crow's Theatre and Canadian Stage Company at Berkeley Street Theatre - Toronto, ON - ***

The Wizard of Oz (Musical Revival) - Ed Mirvish Theatre - Toronto, ON - Review **1/2

You're A Good Man Charlie Brown (Musical Revival) - Actor's Fund Benefit at the Baillie Theatre in the Young Centre for the Performing Arts - Toronto, ON

Zumanity (Circus) - Cirque du Soleil at New York New York Hotel and Casino - Las Vegas, NV - ****

_________________________________________
Best of 2013 Lists:
Best of Music
Best of Television 2012
Best of Stage 2012
Best of Movies 2011/12/13


Previous Best-of Lists: 

Best of 2012 Lists:
Best of Music 2012
Best of Stage 2012

Best of 2011 Lists:
Best of Music 2011
Best of Television 2011
Best of Stage 2011


Best of 2010 Lists:
Best of Music 2010
Best of Television 2010
Best of Stage 2010
Best of Movies 2010


Best of 2009 Lists:
Best of Music 2009
Best of Television 2009
Best of Stage 2009
Best of Movies 2009


Decadeworthy - The Best of 2000-2009 Lists:
SYTYCDworthy (w/ Videos) - List Format
Theatre of the Decade
Best Films of the Decade
Favorite Films of the Decade
Television of the Decade
Television of the Decade - 1 Season Wonders


Best of 2008 Lists:
Best of Music 2008
Best of Television 2008
Best of Stage 2008
Best of Movies 2008
Best of Television Fall '07 - Winter '08 List


Best of 2007 Lists:
Best of Music 2007
Best of Television 2007
Best of Movies 2007
Best of Stage 2007
Best of 2007 (The Final Wrap Up)
Best of Television Fall '06 - Winter '07 List


Best of 2006 Lists:
Best of Music 2006
Best of Television 2006
Best of Movies 2006
Best of 2006
Best of Television Fall '05 - Winter '06 List


Best of 2005 Lists:
Best of Television 2005
Best of Movies 2005

Vance at http://tapeworthy.blogspot.com

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