As we count down the last days of 2014, New York City's top theatre critics have been taking stock of the theatre season- deciding on their choices for their favorite productions of the year. With so many stellar plays, musicals, revivals and new works, both on Broadway and off, a slew of shows have gained recognition from the critics.
Below, check out our roundup of 'Best of' lists for theatre this year. Be sure to check back later for new additions as they're released!
very few playwrights have the acute sense of American place you find in D'Amour's beautiful writing. Especially toward the end, 'Airline Highway' is a worthy follow-up to the similarly adroit 'Detroit,' a Pulitzer Prize finalist about another great city ridden and then mostly abandoned by the country at large. These are both moralistic plays (with similar codas) suggesting we pay more attention to the beautiful urban gardens between sea and shining sea, very much dimmed by human tears.
The North American tour of Disney's NEWSIES opened earlier this year in Philadelphia. The Tony Award-winning smash hit musical will play 25 cities over 43 weeks, with more to be announced. The musical just landed in Chicago, and BWW's rounded up the reviews so far...
Chicagoans can light up frosty nights with a dazzling 10,000 watts this winter. There will be drummers drumming overtime at the Briar Street Theatre December 16 - January 4, as Blue Man Group has expanded its schedule to give audiences more opportunities to experience its unique and thrilling performance at Chicago's Briar Street Theatre (3133 N. Halsted Street) throughout the holidays.
Producers Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris and Berry Gordy have announced that MOTOWN THE MUSICAL original Broadway cast member Julius Thomas III will join the First National Tour for a limited engagement in the leading role of Berry Gordy on Friday, December 12.
Edward Albee's A Delicate Balance stars Glenn Close (returning to Broadway for the first time in twenty years), John Lithgow, Lindsay Duncan, Bob Balaban, Clare Higgins, and Martha Plimpton. The limited engagement of A Delicate Balance, directed by Pam MacKinnon, officially opens tonight, November 20, and runs through Sunday, February 22, 2015 at the Golden Theatre (252 West 45th Street). Let's see what the critics had to say...
What do you get when you throw six quirky kids bubbling with adolescence, three frazzled school administrators trying to relive their glory days, a live band, and four new audience members each night into a spelling bee? Magic. Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) will present The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee onstage at the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre tomorrow, November 20th, through December 7th. Winner of Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Theatre World and Tony Awards in 2005, Spelling Bee will delight audiences. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!
The 26th Annual Awards for Excellence in the Arts, held on Monday, November 3rd, at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, raised money for scholarships and celebrated talented artists and visionaries who came together in support of Theatre School students.
The completely reimagined revival of Side Show officially opens tonight, November 17, at the St. James Theatre (246 West 44th Street). Let's see what the critics had to say...
The votes are in and the tracklist and release date of Armin van Buuren's latest album, 'Armin Anthems: Ultimate Singles Collected,' are now confirmed. Armin's first fan-selected album will go on sale today, November 7th, 2014.
Roundabout Theatre Company presents Tom Stoppard's Tony Award-winning play, The Real Thing, starring Ewan McGregor as 'Henry' and Maggie Gyllenhaal as 'Annie' in their Broadway debuts; Cynthia Nixon as 'Charlotte' and Josh Hamilton as 'Max.' Sam Gold directs the cast of seven, which also includes Alex Breaux as 'Brodie,' Ronan Raftery as 'Billy' and Madeline Weinstein as 'Debbie.' The Real Thing officially opens tonight, October 30, 2014 at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway. Let's see what the critics had to say...
Broadway In Chicago opened the the world premiere of AMAZING GRACE last night, the new musical with music and lyrics by Christopher Smith and a book by Christopher Smith and Arthur Giron, directed by Gabriel Barre (Andrew Lippas' The Wild Party) and choreographed by Tony Award winner Christopher Gattelli (Newsies).
The votes are in and the tracklist and release date of Armin van Buuren's latest album, 'Armin Anthems: Ultimate Singles Collected,' are now confirmed. Armin's first fan-selected album will go on sale November 7th, 2014.
The star-studded Broadway production of the backstage comedy IT'S ONLY A PLAY, by four-time Tony Award winner Terrence McNally, opens tonight, October 9, 2014, at Broadway's Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (236 West 45th Street). Let's see what the critics had to say...
A Noise Within (ANW), the acclaimed classical repertory theatre company, continues its 2014-2015 REVOLUTIONary season with The Dance of Death by August Strindberg in a new adaptation by Irish playwright Conor McPherson, which opens on Saturday, October 18and runs through Sunday, November 23, 2014. Directed by Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, this is the West Coast premiere of the new McPherson adaptation, which had its U.S. premiere earlier this year in Chicago. In 2007, Ben Brantley of the New York Times called McPherson "quite possibly the finest playwright of his generation." The cast features Geoff Elliott* as Edgar, Susan Angelo* as Alice, and Eric Curtis Johnson* as Kurt.* Denotes member of Actors' Equity
Blue Man Group and Autism Speaks announce a dynamic partnership that will provide individuals with autism a slightly modified performance of the critically hailed Blue Man Group. On Sunday, October 26 at 4 p.m., at the Briar Street Theatre (3133 N. Halsted Street) minor changes will be made to the performance including, the reduction of sound levels at select moments during the performance. Headphones also will be available upon request. In addition, Blue Man Group will also be creating a calming environment in the lobby with bean bags, dim lights and quiet corners for anyone seeking a sensory break from the high-energy fun of the show.
Goodman Theatre begins its landmark 90th season with an All-New Fall, two months of new American plays, each of which was developed in the theater's new play programs. Tonight, Smokefall -- playwright Noah Haidle's box office record-breaker that debuted last year in the Goodman's smaller Owen Theatre to enormous critical and popular acclaim -- opens on the Albert Theatre mainstage, directed by Anne Kauffman with original company intact, and runs through October 26.
A Noise Within (ANW), the acclaimed classical repertory theatre company, continues its 2014-2015 REVOLUTIONary season with The Dance of Death by August Strindberg in a new adaptation by Irish playwright Conor McPherson, which opens on Saturday, October 18 and runs through Sunday, November 23, 2014.
Exactly one year after its world premiere in the Owen Theatre, Noah Haidle's Smokefall, directed by Anne Kauffman, makes its Albert Theatre debut-becoming the third production in Goodman Theatre's 90-year history to transfer from the theater's smaller stage to the mainstage in order for more audiences to experience an acclaimed new play. An exploration of the power and fragility of love through three generations of family life, Smokefall in its debut set the record of highest number of individual tickets sold in Owen Theatre history, and the production topped the 'Best of 2013' lists among major Chicago media. Scroll down for a first look at the cast in action!
Steppenwolf Theatre Company's new production of Kenneth Lonergan's critically acclaimed This is Our Youth opens on Broadway tonight, September 11. Let's see what the critics had to say...
