I figure I would add my own. I don't feel qualified to deem anything "best" or "worst," so I'll stick with:
MY FAVORITES of 2014 (in no particular order): Between Riverside and Crazy Hedwig and the Angry Inch Dinner With Friends The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill Our Lady of Kibeho Satchmo at the Waldorf Father Comes Home From the Wars The Lion (MTC, at City Center) The Cripple of Inishmaan Mothers and Sons On the Town Red Eye to Havre de Grace (about Poe, at NYTW) Bootycandy The Invisible Hand
Honorable mentions: Heathers (great score), Love and Information (it made me think), The Belle of Amherst (a very moving performance)
WHAT I DISLIKED/HATED Rocky If/Then Tales of Red Vienna Fly by Night (Playwrights) Your Mother's Copy of the Kama Sutra (Playwrights)
Best: If/Then Hedwig and the Angry Inch Mothers and Sons Cabaret The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time On the Town Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Heathers
Best (in no particular order) Act One Of Mice and Men Dinner With Friends Sticks and Bones Violet The Oldest Boy Love Letters (Farrow/Dennehy) The Cripple of Inishmaan The Most Happy Fella Indian Ink
Worst (also in no particular order) Bullets Over Broadway While I Yet Live Lost Lake When We Were Young and Unafraid Sex With Strangers The Threepenny Opera (Atlantic Theatre Company production) Casa Valentina The Country House The Real Thing Lips Together Teeth Apart
"The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world." - F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
Best: Gentleman's Guide to Love and Muder (saw it in 2014) Cabaret Old Hats (ACT-SF)
Worst: Hard to decide between Once and Motown. At least at Once the theater (the Curran) was comfortable and beautiful, so I had something to distract myself from the wailing on stage. The set was nice for Once too. For Motown, I was stuck in that awful place known as the Golden Gate, and it had a seriously tacky production, but at least the music was decent. I would say they were tied.
I loved, in something like this order: An Octoroon (my personal favorite of the year) Machinal You Can't Take It With You Casa Valentina Appropriate Curious Incident The Open House On the Town Hedwig Bootycandy Indian Ink This Is Our Youth And a trifecta of shows people here hate: The Last Ship, The Realistic Joneses, and Rocky
I loathed (in no particular order): The Country House The Real Thing Bullets Over Broadway If/Then Red Eye to Havre de Grace It's Only a Play Honeymoon in Vegas The Maids Angels in America at BAM Found
Although my theatre-going is not yet over for the year, I won’t be seeing anymore NY shows for the rest of the month. From the 15 shows I saw in NY this year, here are my picks:
BEST: The Bridges of Madison County tick, tick…Boom! (Off-Center Encores! performance) Violet Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill
I forgot that Machinal technically opened this year, since I saw it last December. Anyway. A magnificent production that should have gotten more recognition. Certainly deserves to be on any "best" list.
I'm also out of New York so I'm fairly careful of what I'll be seeing. My two favorites for '14 were The Realistic Joneses and You Can't take It With You. I'm guessing (from reading the original script) It's Only A Play would have been my worst had I attended.
In my opinion, as these were what I enjoyed the most this year.
BEST (in no particular order) -Hand to God (my first viewing of it was at that the Lortel this year) -Hedwig -YCTIWY -Curious Incident -Lady Day -Ghost Quartet
WORST (in no particular order) -The Motown tour (Berry Gordy should be ashamed of himself. I'll leave it at that.) -This is our Youth (Something really soured on that production between Steppenwolf and Broadway) -Queen of the Night -It's Only a Play -Rocky -Anthem
I consider it a good year when I see much more good theater then bad. This past year, the things I saw that I disliked the most weren't truly awful ('cept Motown tour and Anthem. Poor, poor Anthem. I had a friend in the cast so I wanted to support them. I should have sent a nice card.)), but hugely disappointing. It's Only a Play had so many great actors in it, but it didn't come together and work. The performances in This is our Youth seemed so forced band wooden compared to the more laid back show in Chicago.
Frustration more then feeling like I just wasted money and time I won't get back.
-ON THE TOWN -Sideshow -Tick Tick Boom! -The Bridges of Madison Co. -Aladdin -Cinderella(with Carly Rae Jepsen/Fran Drescher)
Worst:
-Violet -Bullets Over Broadway -Sleep No More
Just "OK":
-If/Then
"People have their opinions and that doesn't mean that their opinions are wrong or right. I just take it with a grain of salt because opinions are like as*holes, everyone has one".
-Felicia Finley-
"I haven't seen Gentlemen's guide but I thought supposedly everyone loved it. What's wrong with it?"
Absolutely nothing. It is deeply hilarious, unbelievably creative, and the talent is outstanding. It won Best Musical for a reason.
Best: After Midnight Bridges of Madison County Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3) Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill Tick, Tick...Boom!