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12/20/2017 11:01 PMWith so many Connecticut theaters spoiling us with holiday shows, and Broadway with no openings scheduled until January, it is a good time to look back at theater in 2017.
As always, I have some shows that I thought were terrific, and some (which will be nameless) that did not succeed. What always astounds me is how good most the productions in Connecticut are. Even if the play doesn’t totally succeed in doing what it wants to do, the production values, direction, and acting are usually very good.
My Top 10 Connecticut Shows in 2017
The top musical and one of the best shows this year produced in Connecticut this year was Next to Normal at TheaterWorks. I had not been a fan of the show until I saw this intimate production.
Rob Ruggiero not only directed Next to Normal, but was also responsible for directing my second-favorite musical, Rags, which just completed its run at Goodspeed. This total revision still needs work, but it was a moving show.
Considering plays, I like to consider new plays separate from revivals. Two revivals stood out for me: A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Darko Tresnjak at Hartford Stage and Diary of Ann Frank at Playhouse on Park. Lower in my top 10 would be A Comedy of Errors, also directed by Tresjnak at Hartford Stage.
In the new play category, I’d put in the top 10 Fireflies at Long Wharf primarily for its acting and its sweet, gentle story; Seder at Hartford Stage for the challenging questions it posed; and Wolves at TheaterWork. For the sheer fun, I’d add The Games Afoot at Ivoryton. Rounding out the top 10 is the one-man show The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Plekey at Hartford Stage.
In the runner-up column for musicals (I’m not counting the touring productions at the Bushnell and other venues), I’d put He Wrote Beautiful Songs at Seven Angels (almost a top 10), then there’d be Trav’lin’ at Seven Angels, The Bridges of Madison County at Music Theatre of Connecticut, The Great Tchaikovsky at Hartford Stage, West Side Story at Ivoryton, and Million Dollar Quartet at Ivoryton. I didn’t see the other production of this at Seven Angels, but I heard it too was excellent.
In the runner-up play category would be Biloxi Blues at Ivoryton, Noises Off at the Connecticut Repertory Theatre, Heartbreak House at Hartford Stage, Endgame at Long Wharf, Native Son at Yale Rep, and Romeo & Juliet at Westport.
My Favorite NYC Shows
Turning to New York City, I don’t see every show either on or off-Broadway, so this list is my favorites from the shows that I did see. Musicals: the revival of Hello, Dolly! and the new musicals Come from Away, The Band’s Visit, and Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. I enjoyed the score for War Paint as well, so it would be a runner-up.
My top play picks are Oslo, Indecent, Sweat, Jitney, Shadowlands (off-Broadway), and the revivals of Present Laughter and The Little Foxes. In the runner-up category, I’d include The Price, The Home Place, and The Man from Nebraska.
Karen Isaacs is an East Haven resident. To check out her reviews for New York and Connecticut shows, visit 2ontheaisle.wordpress.com. She’s a member of both the Connecticut Critics Circle and New York’s Outer Critics Circle.