Top 10 for 2011: The Shows

1.) The Normal Heart (Broadway, Golden Theatre)
An electrifying and emotional production with an outstandingly dedicated cast and brilliantly raw direction. Plays like this one remind me why I love theatre.
Best Moment: Too many to list; one that stands out now is Joe Mantello's grocery throwing scene and argument with John Benjamin Hickey's Felix.

2.) The Book of Mormon (Broadway, Eugene O’Neill Theatre)
I was determined to not get swept up in the seemingly endless Book of Mormon lovefest, but failed miserably. This new musical has it all: originality, humor, and a surprising amount of heart.
Best Moment: The hilarious exchange between Tony nominees Andrew Rannells as Elder Price and Josh Gad as Elder Cunningham in "You and Me (But Mostly Me)".

3.) War Horse (Broadway, Vivian Beaumont Theatre)
In addition to being a miracle in stagecraft and a touching story of friendship, War Horse's puppeteers are delivering some of the best performances of the year for transforming some simple puppets into living, breathing animals on the Vivian Beaumont stage.
Best Moment: Joey's transformation from young foal into adult horse.

4.) Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Vassar College, Powerhouse Theatre)
One of the most outstanding evenings of student theatre I have ever witnessed, proving that talented and truly great performances are not limited to the New York metro area or even professional productions.
Best Moment: The play's quiet final moments between George and a heartbroken Martha, made all the more powerful by the audience's proximity to the action.

5.) The Submission (Off-Broadway, Lucille Lortel Theatre)
Though it wasn't the greatest piece of writing around, it's rare that a play sticks with me as much as The Submission has. Supported by an outstanding ensemble (including tour-de-force performances by Jonathan Groff and Rutina Wesley), this play has had me asking more questions and reexamining my daily life more than any other performance this year.
Best Moment: The final, climatic argument between Danny (Groff) and Emilie (Wesley), exposing the audience to the raw prejudice that this play was challenging.

6.) Company (New York Philharmonic, Avery Fisher Hall)
Not only did 2011 bring me the opportunity to finally see one of my favorite Sondheim musicals live, it came with an all-star cast and the New York Philharmonic to boot! Neil Patrick Harris was as a good a Robert as I'll ever see, Patti LuPone's "The Ladies Who Lunch" was exhilarating, Stephen Colbert and Martha Plimpton were a riot, and I've never been happier than I was walking out of Avery Fisher Hall that April afternoon.
Best Moment: The opening number, "Company".

7.) Other Desert Cities (Broadway, Booth Theatre)
After missing it Off-Broadway, I finally got the chance to see Other Desert Cities, an exciting and original new play. At times funny and at times humorous, this family drama boasted five outstanding performances and slick direction by The Normal Heart's Joe Mantello.
Best Moment: Thomas Sadoski's impassioned monologue as the Wyeth family comes to blows over the subject of daughter Brooke's newest book.

8.) Follies (Broadway, Marquis Theatre)
This transfer of the Kennedy Center revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman's musical about a Follie girl reunion is one of the saddest musicals I have ever seen on stage, chronicling the abandoned dreams, lost hopes, and fragile marriages of former showgirls Sally Durant Plummer and Phyllis Rogers Stone. But thanks to the outstanding performances of Bernadette Peters, Jan Maxwell and Danny Burstein, it has also been one of the most satisfying.
Best Moment: The collision between past desires and present realities, as the ghosts of the former couples coalesce with their current selves before the show's climax at "Loveland".

9.) Next to Normal (National Tour, Academy of Music)
After numerous visits to the Booth Theatre during Next to Normal's Broadway run, I seized the opportunity to catch this production two more times when the national tour hit Philadelphia this summer. Led by original star (and Tony Winner) Alice Ripley, I was as blown away by the show as I had been the very first time I saw it.
Best Moment: Henry (Preston Sadlier) and Natalie (Emma Hunton) singing "Hey #3/Perfect for You (Reprise)," which these two young talents managed by make both hopeful and heartbreaking.

10.) Anything Goes (Broadway, Stephen Sondheim Theatre)
With dance numbers galore and a knockout performance by my favorite Sutton Foster, this revival of Anything Goes was one of the most enjoyable afternoons I had all year.
Best Moment: The first-act finale "Anything Goes," featuring an eight-minute long tap break that the cast performed so wonderfully they made it look easy.