The Best and Worst of 2023 Theater, or Things I Saw That Were Great (And Some That Were Horrible)
Just dying to read another year-end list? Here are the highs and lows, and a few stand-out moments of 2023 theater.
This year I was lucky to see a lot of theater, and most of it was really incredible! Some of it was not. In case you have room for one more “best of” end-of-year lists, here’s not just the best, but also the worst, and some of the highlights of theater I saw in 2023.
Best Musical(s)
Hadestown: I saw this show three times this year and I’m trying to figure out when I should go again. “Hadestown,” a folkish retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, is my all-time favorite musical. It’s wonderfully written, emotional, and well-directed, and every time I go I feel like there’s something new to watch. It helps that the show keeps recasting the main characters, too. One day, I hope I’ll catch Jordan Fisher, the new Orpheus, who has some attendance problems...(and I hope you do, too! “Hadestown” newsletter coming sometime in Jan).
Parade: While “Hadestown” will make my list as long as it’s still running, this was the best new (to me) show I saw this year. “Parade” is a revival that tells the true story of Leo Frank, a Jewish man who was wrongfully convicted and killed for the murder of his 13-year-old employee. I didn’t know much about what I was going into, except that Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond were in it, and I’d seen viral videos of them performing. It left me utterly crushed and truly thinking about everything I’d just watched, which, to me, are two signs of a great show.
Worst Musical(s)
New York, New York: I didn’t have high hopes for this show, and I left deflated and confused. Loosely based on the Martin Scorsese film, this show made a mess of any kind of plot and tried to tack on lots of shiny happy endings. Anna Uzele, the leading actress, did sing “New York, New York” beautifully, but otherwise, this felt more like a bad attempt at a tourist trap.
Spamalot: Another review to come soon, but I was definitely not the audience for this one. My dad and I had to confer during intermission that we both weren’t crazy for not thinking it was funny as everyone around us, because many people were literally shaking seats with laughter. This is a revival of a 2005 production, and I felt like I’d been transported back to that time with no regard for what humor or theater should be like in 2023.
Best Play(s)
Appropriate: This show was chilling, well-acted, and poignant. If you want a close look at some of the worst people you know, but feel some weird, chilling sympathy for them, “Appropriate” is the way to go. Ushering was 100% worth it, especially because we got to see Elle Fanning and Sarah Paulson do some pre-show vocal warmups.
All the Devils Are Here: This is so much more than a one-man show about Shakespeare villains. Patrick Page guides you through Shakespeare’s writing and history, putting everything into context like a masterclass. It’s now extended to the end of February!
Worst Play
While there were a few plays I didn’t love, I don’t think I have any disdain for them like I do the musicals. I will, however, share again that the length of “Stereophonic” made me very upset.
Highlights
There was so much more theater than the bests and worsts! Here are some highlights of moments and elements that made me re-fall in love with theater:
The tap sequence in “Some Like It Hot.” It was maybe ten minutes long with tons of moving parts and just so, so impressive.
I went to see “Sweeney Todd” mostly because I’d read the show and never seen it, but Annaleigh Ashford as Mrs. Lovett was so hilarious that she quickly became the highlight. There’s a part in the song “By the Sea” where Ashford imitates a seagull that might be one of my favorite seconds of a recorded Broadway album. (1:26 on the song recording, if you’re interested.)
“We do expect a little latte later / But we haven’t got a lotta latte now,” aka impeccable Stephen Sondheim lyricism in his last show “Here We Are,” which was definitely a confusing and enigmatic show, but a real treat.
“Shucked” was one of the funniest shows I saw this year, and I’m really sad it’s closing! Seeing Alex Newell perform the song “Independently Owned” was mesmerizing. My friends and I listened and were like, “okay, there’s the Tony award.” And Alex Newell did indeed win it!
I had reservations about another movie turned musical, “Back to the Future,” but luckily had a friend who won the lottery — because the set, specifically the car, is worth a ticket.
Seeing Aaron Tveit in “Moulin Rouge.” I really love that man and while I enjoyed the show, I think seeing him in essentially anything would have made me happy.
The fight scene in “Thanksgiving Play,” where chaos explodes after a group of half well-meaning, all misguided white people try to stage a play about Thanksgiving.
“Kimberly Akimbo” tells the story of 16-year-old Kimberly who has a disease that makes her look five times her age. Victoria Clark, the older actress who plays Kimberly, does such a convincing job as this 16-year-old (and her costumes, too!), that when she comes out in a scene dressed more like her age, it is so heartbreaking the whole audience gasps.
Speaking of gasps, the ending of “Hadestown” will always elicit some sort of big response from myself and the audience, and I never know what it will be. In September, there was a lot of gasping; other times, you can hear people crying.
Like “Sweeney Todd,” I feel like a lot of people will see “Purlie Victorious” for its leading man: Leslie Odom Jr. And while he definitely thrives, Kara Young, the leading actress, shines. Her physicality is so, so funny.
Kara Young, again, and everyone involved in The Classical Theatre of Harlem’s production of “Twelfth Night.” This is my favorite Shakespeare play, and they made it so accessible and fresh.
Another ode to sets: Here Lies Love had one of the most creative and exhilarating uses of a theater space this year. A dance party! Moving sets! I wish it didn’t close and they had a New Year’s party there.
To another year of theater!
Love,
Zoe