A popular recap technique is the top ten "Best of" list — and becoming more common is the complementary "Worst of" lists. Most New York dailies are offering theatregoers a look back at the year on the stage, both good and bad. Some stagings — such as Taboo — are being considered on both ends of the spectrum.
The starry cast of talent in Long Day's Journey Into Night, star turns in Wonderful Town, Henry IV and Wicked as well as the lovable puppets of Avenue Q are top among most of the lists. I Am My Own Wife, The Beard of Avon, Nine and Hugh Jackman's performance in The Boy From Oz are also garnering honorable mentions.
Tony Kushner's Caroline, or Change is among the top theatre shows named — as is his screen adaptation of Angels in America, in the television category. The ill-fated Six Dance Lesson in Six Weeks seems to be the popular persona non grata as the show is a repeated entry on "Worst of" tallies.
Here's a running list of some of the year's top theatrical contenders:
New York Times critic Ben Brantley's "The Plays and Players of the Year" 1. Vanessa Redgrave in Long Day's Journey Into Night
2. Donna Murphy in Wonderful Town
3. Kevin Kline in Henry IV
4. Bernadette Peters in Gypsy
5. Tonya Pinkins in Caroline, or Change
6. Eddie Izzard in A Day in the Death of Joe Egg
7. Ned Beatty in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
8. Kristin Chenoweth in Wicked
9. Hugh Jackman in The Boy From Oz
10. Denis O'Hare in Take Me Out
11. Aidan Gillen in The Caretaker
12. Melanie Griffith in Chicago
New York Times critic Bruce Weber's "The Plays and Players of the Year"
1. The Classical Theater Of Harlem
2. Jefferson Mays (star of I Am My Own Wife)
3. The Beard Of Avon
4. The Moonlight Room
5. Flow
6. The Daughter-In-Law
7. Humble Boy
8. Julie White (star of Barbra's Wedding and Bad Dates)
9. Resident Theaters ("A collective nod to the nonprofit theaters around the country that make quality theater virtually impossible to escape." Mentioned: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? - Houston's Alley Theater; Julius Caesar - San Diego's Old Globe; Continental Divide - Berkeley Rep and Oregon Shakespeare Festival; and South Pacific - Washington D.C's Arena Stage)
TimeOut New York theatre editor David Cote's "The Best and Worst in Theatre 2003"
Best:
1. Long Day's Journey Into Night
2. Avenue Q
3. Gone Missing
4. Henry IV
5. Wicked
6. Hank Williams: Lost Highway
7. Aunt Dan and Lemon
8. I Am My Own Wife
9. Dublin Carol
10. Apparition
Worst:
1. Laughing Room Only
2. The Look of Love
3. Dream A Little Dream
TimeOut New York theatre writer Adam Feldman's "The Best and Worst in Theatre 2003"
Best:
1. Caroline, or Change
2. Avenue Q
3. Henry IV
4. Living Out
5. Omnium Gatherum
6. Long Day's Journey Into Night
7. I Am My Own Wife
8. Gone Missing
9. Fifth of July
10. Kiki & Herb: Coup de Théatre
Worst:
1. Henry IV, Part I (BAM)
2. Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks
3. Fame on 42nd Street
Daily News critic Howard Kissel
Best:
Avenue Q
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Gypsy
Henry IV
I Am My Own Wife
Little Shop Of Horrors
Long Day's Journey Into Night
Nine
The Boy From Oz
Wonderful Town
New York Post critic Donald Lyons' "On-Target Theater Off-Bway" (not in list form)
I Am My Own Wife
The Beard of Avon
Beckett/Albee
Avenue Q
The Long Christmas Ride Home
Moonlight Room
Living Out
Nothing but the Truth
Iron
Nobody Don't Like Yogi
Newsday's critic Linda Winer
. Long Day's Journey Into Night
2. Henry IV
3. I Am My Own Wife
4. Wonderful Town
5. Beckett/Albee
6. Two by Richard Greenberg: Take Me Out and Violet Hour
7. Ghosts (Royal Dramatic Theatre of Sweden at Brooklyn Academy of Music)
8. Nine
9. Avenue Q
10. Uncle Vanya and Twelfth Night (Sam Mendes' Donmar Warehouse productions at BAM)
The Star Ledger critic Michael Sommers (in alphabetical order)
A Bad Friend
Avenue Q
Henry IV
I Am My Own Wife
Kimberly Akimbo
Long Day's Journey Into Night
Nine
She Stoops to Comedy
Wicked
Wonderful Town
USA Today's "On Broadway: Bright Lights, Dim Flops"
Best:
1. Henry IV
2. Long Day's Journey Into Night
3. Wicked
4. Avenue Q
5. The Violet Hour
Worst:
1. Urban Cowboy
2. Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks
3. Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All
4. Enchanted April
5. Salome
Time's "Best and Worst" of Theatre 2003
. Continental Divide (Oregon Shakespeare Festival/ Berkeley Repertory Theatre)
2. Wicked
3. Fuckin' A
4. Wonderful Town
5. Matt and Ben
6. The Man From Nebraska (Steppenwolf Theatre Company)
7. Taboo
8. Caroline, or Change
9. Anna in the Tropics
10. The Beard of Avon
The Worst: Six Dance Lesson in Six Weeks
Entertainment Weekly's "Best and Worst" of Theatre 2003
The Best:
1. Avenue Q
2. Long Day's Journey Into Night
3. Hugh Jackman in 'The Boy From Oz
4. Henry IV
5. Eddie Izzard (A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, Sexie)
6. Gem of the Ocean (Goodman Theater)
7. Donna Murphy in Wonderful Town
8. Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel in Wicked
8 1/2. Antonio Banderas and Mary Stuart Masterson in Nine
9. Comedians (The New Group)
10. Caroline, or Change
The Worst:
1. Urban Cowboy
2. Laughing Room Only
3. Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks
4. Taboo
5. The Look of Love
Also, visit Playbill On-Line's year-end roundups:
Playbill On-Line Selects the Top Theatre Stories of 2003
Playbill On-Line Looks Back at Theatre 2003: A Year in Images
In Memoriam 2003: Playbill On-Line Recalls Theatre Folk Who Passed On