'Top Girls' Marks the End of 2007-08 Broadway Season

 With the opening last night of the Manhattan Theatre Club's Top Girls, the 2007- 2008 Broadway Season officially comes to an end.
 
One of the busiest, most vital and eclectic Broadway seasons in years included many moments that will make it truly memorable.  Starting in June with Roundabout Theatre Company's production of Old Acquaintance with Margaret Colin and Harriet Harris through last night's revival of Caryl Churchill's play Top Girls, 35 new productions have opened on Broadway, including 8 new musicals, 10 new plays, 4 musical revivals, and 13 play revivals.
 
The Fall kicked off with Manhattan Theatre Club's production of Theresa Rebeck's Mauritius directed by Doug Hughes with acclaimed performances from F. Murray Abraham, Dylan Baker, Bobby Cannavale, Katie Finneran, and Alison Pill in a tale surrounding a rare stamp collection. 
 
Roundabout Theatre Company continued its season with the 1970s bath house farce The Ritz at Studio 54, directed by Joe Mantello and starring Kevin Chamberlin and Rosie Perez, while Roundabout's production of Pygmalion marked film star Claire Danes Broadway debut as Eliza Doolittle opposite Jefferson May's Henry Higgins.  Chazz Palminteri also made his Broadway debut in his autobiographical one man show A Bronx Tale which he wrote and first performed in 1989 in Los Angeles. Tom Stoppard's newest play Rock 'n' Roll brought together revolutions in politics and rock music with critically praised performances from Brian Cox, Sinead Cusack, and Rufus Sewell under Trevor Nunn's direction.  Aaron Sorkin's play The Farnsworth Invention brought to life another revolution of the twentieth century with its dramatization of the invention of television directed by Des McAnuff starring Hank Azaria and Jimmi Simpson. Acclaimed playwright Conor McPherson made his Broadway directorial debut with his play The Seafarer which brought together Conleth Hill, Ciarán Hinds, Sean Mahon, David Morse, and Jim Norton in a high stakes game of cards.  The end of 2007 brought a new comedy from American novelist and satirist Mark Twain with the Broadway premiere of the recently discovered comedy Is He Dead? adapted by David Ives and starring Norbert Leo Butz under the direction by Michael Blakemore.
 
In January, Disney brought their iconic The Little Mermaid to life on stage.  The show, based on the animated classic Disney film and the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, has gone on to become the number one new musical of the season. Roundabout Theatre Company also had a film to stage success with Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps, a loving send-up of the famous 1935 film, that features four actors portraying over 150 roles.  Due to the overwhelming success the limited run at Roundabout has since transferred to the Cort Theatre.   The first month of the year also brought Manhattan Theatre Club's production of William Inge's classic play Come Back, Little Sheba starring S. Epatha Merkerson in the show's first revival since it's initial Broadway debut in 1950.
 
In February, Roundabout Theatre Company revived Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's masterpiece Sunday in the Park with George starring Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell in a new production directed by Sam Buntrock that brought the art of George Seurat vividly to life.   
 
The beginning of spring brought Morgan Freeman, Frances McDormand, and Peter Gallagher together with legendary director Mike Nichols in the classic Clifford Odets play The Country Girl. 
 
The first of May brought film star Laura Linney to the Roundabout stage in her third appearance with them opposite British stage vet Ben Daniels making his Broadway debut in a revival of Christopher Hampton's tale of intrigue Les Liaisons Dangereuses.  Glory Days, a new musical by Nick Blaemire and James Gardiner about four young men reuniting one year after graduating high school, transferred to Broadway from the Signature Theater in Arlington, Virginia.
 
The end of the season brings us back to MTC's critically acclaimed revival of Top Girls which opened as the last entry into the 2007-2008 Broadway season with Mary Catherine Garrison, Mary Beth Hurt, Jennifer Ikeda, Elizabeth Marvel, Martha Plimpton, and Marisa Tomei.
 
But this wasn't just a banner year for new shows. Many long-running hits also celebrated milestones and new productions:
 
Curtains celebrated its first anniversary on Broadway this past March and stars David Hyde Pierce and Debra Monk have extended their run through the show's final performance on June 29th.
 
Jersey Boys continues to wow audiences on Broadway and on the National Tour.  This year they also opened smash hit productions in London and at The Palazzo Las Vegas.
 
Disney continued its worldwide success as The Lion King celebrated 10 years on Broadway with a South African production at Johannesburg's new Montecasino Theatre.
 
MAMMA MIA! has become the latest Broadway hit to go Hollywood. Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan head the cast of the big screen adaptation that opens July 18 nationwide. 
 
Mary Poppins continues to fly high over the Great White Way and has announced a national tour that will take off next Arch in Chicago.
 
Monty Python's Spamalot marked its third anniversary on Broadway with a special 3-D performance.  They welcomed American Idol alum Clay Aiken as well as London's Lady of the Lake, Hannah Waddingham for a limited engagement with the show.