The Best of 2014: The Best Musicals I Saw Onstage

I unabashedly love musicals and, even in a year in which I didn't see any in New York or London, I caught 25 musical theater productions live on stage.

That many ranged from first-rate to fantastic isn't surprising, given that Chicago routinely gets high-profile pre-Broadway runs--e.g. The Last Ship--and pretty much any fresh-from-Broadway national tours, such as with Newsies.

But beyond outstanding touring musicals--and a phenomenal updated rendition of The Phantom of the Opera helped me like that show more than I ever have, while trekking to Milwaukee for The Lion King reiterated my love for that brilliant work--the Chicago area is rich in regional producing theaters that specialize in musicals.

I have long been a fan of Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire, where I saw the rarely staged On the Town this year, and Drury Lane Oakbrook, which continues to do impressive work including a Broadway-caliber-except-for-the-size Les Misérables. I also enjoy Theatre at the Center in Munster, IN, Aurora's Paramount Theatre and Evanston's Light Opera Works (productions held in Evanston's Cahn Auditorium) even though I didn't get to anything by the latter two over the past 12 month. 

Chicago's Mercury Theater has also gotten into the self-producing game in recent years, and I loved their self-made take on the great Avenue Q in 2014.

The Lion King

Chicago Shakespeare Theater has long run a side business as the Chicago Sondheim Theater, and I've seen and loved all of director Gary Griffin's scintillating showcases of the sublime composer/lyricist.

This year, CST and Griffin gave us two such pieces: a remarkable Gypsy (Sondheim only wrote lyrics on this classic, whose music is by Jule Styne) and an intriguing Road Show, an oft-revised work that I had seen at the Goodman Theatre in 2003--when it was titled Bounce.

The Goodman will occasionally stage one musical per season--the theater was actually the first home of The Million Dollar Quartet--and this summer produced a revised version of Lerner & Loewe's Brigadoon, which was largely quite lovely.

And the Lyric Opera of Chicago is in the midst of a glorious string of once-yearly Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals. After loving their superb rendition of Oklahoma in 2013, I liked The Sound of Music there just as much if not more. 

This year, I finally experienced the acclaimed small size, big production feel of Theo Ubique in Rodgers Park with their terrific version of Sondheim's Passion, and I even saw a remarkable college production of Cabaret at Northwestern.

So not only was 2014 another great year for musicals in the environs of Chicago, but I'm glad to have seen and liked so many across a variety of venues.

The late Bernie Yvon, with Kelly Anne Clark, in
The Beverly Hillbillies Musical at Theatre at the Center

Unfortunately, it was also a year of tragedy on the local theater scene. On September 6, two veteran actors, Bernie Yvon and Molly Glynn, died in separate accidents. I had only seen Glynn in a few shows, including The Odd Couple (not a musical) at Northlight in late 2013, but Yvon had long been one of my favorite local musical theater performers.

If my personal database is accurate, I caught Yvon in 8 shows at various theaters since 2002, including in the world premiere of The Beverly Hillbillies Musical at Theatre at the Center just this summer.

Tragically, Yvon died in a car accident in Munster on his way to rehearsals for another TATC musical, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

I would see that piece a couple weeks after Yvon's death, and though I didn't love the show, I tried to pay warm tribute to him and everyone involved in my review.

Though they don't have much direct connection to me or, to my knowledge, musicals, I'll also note here the passing of longtime Chicago director and theater professor Sheldon Patinkin, as well as the multifaceted Mike Nichols, who was part of the origins of Second City in Chicago in the 1950s.

While not lessening the tragedies, I got a real sense of what is meant by "The show must go on"--especially in the case of Yvon thanks to a small memorial I attended at Theater at the Center after the opening of the show he was to have been in.

And so, in 2014, my admiration for those who sing & dance (and direct & choreograph, design sets, sew costumes, etc.) for a living--and the entire close-knit Chicago theater community--was only furthered.

For few things in life can make me feel as ebullient, and emotionally enriched, as a truly sensational stage musical.

So I not only rank but give heartfelt thanks for...

The Best Musicals I Saw On Stage in 2014:

Gypsy - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

(Note: My rankings are based on my enjoyment of the particular productions, but blend in the quality of the source material as well. New shows are denoted with an *)

1. Gypsy - Chicago Shakespeare Theater (my review)

2. The Phantom of the Opera - Bank of America Theater (Broadway in Chicago) (my review) 

3. The Sound of Music - Lyric Opera of Chicago (my review)

4. Les Misérables - Drury Lane Oakbrook (my review)

5. The Last Ship* - Bank of America Theater (Broadway in Chicago) (my review)

6. The Lion King - The Milwaukee Theatre (National Tour) (my review)

Les Miserables - Drury Lane Oakbrook

7. The Wizard of Oz - Cadillac Palace (Broadway in Chicago) (my review)

8. Avenue Q - Mercury Theatre (my review)

9. Annie - Cadillac Palace (Broadway in Chicago) (my review)

10. Newsies - Oriental Theatre (Broadway in Chicago) (my review)

Honorable Mention (in order of preference)

Passion - Theo Ubique (my review)

Brigadoon - Goodman Theatre (my review)

Road Show - Chicago Shakespeare Theater (my review)

The Beverly Hillbillies Musical* - Theatre at the Center, Munster (my review)

The Last Ship - Broadway in Chicago

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella - Cadillac Palace (my review)

On the Town - Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire (my review)

Motown - Oriental Theatre (Broadway in Chicago) (my review)

Special Mention

Cabaret - Ethel M. Barber Theatre, Northwestern University
A college production that was truly first-rate.

Rocky: the Musical - Winter Garden Theatre, New York (Not seen by me)
I was only in New York for about 4 hours in March amid flights into and out of two city airports. If not for luggage, I likely would have tried to see Rocky, but couldn't. But later, three friends were heading to the Big Apple and asked for my theater recommendations; in an overlong piece of advice, the stage adaptation of Rocky was one of my top suggestions--and the one they heeded. Though it would close just days after they saw it in August, all three friends reported really liking it.

The Best of 2014: The Best Plays I Saw

2014 was another really rewarding year in terms of plays I saw--and this doesn't even include musicals or other types of shows, such as Lookingglass Alice--and made me all the more grateful to be living in the Chicago area.

Once again, I was absolutely astounded by the amount of dramatic acting talent that exists in the city, not only at large, prestigious theaters, but at many storefront and similarly small venues where the performers earn a pittance at best.

While I saw nine plays, and almost all of them first-rate ones, presented by and at the Steppenwolf and Goodman theaters, plus two that I really loved at Northlight in Skokie, some of the ones I liked best in 2014 were staged by considerably smaller companies in some rather disparate places.

As I conveyed as part of my review of Exit Strategy, which was staged by Jackalope Theatre in the far reaches of Chicago's huge Broadway Armory, the Chicago Tribune's Chris Jones is by far the theater critic I most read & trust, and I greatly appreciate him prompting me to see stellar works such as that one and the currently running (at American Theater Co.) The Humans. Yet not only will my year-end ranking of the latter play not approximate Jones' naming it his #1 piece of theater seen in 2014, but his top show of 2013, Smokefall--which he liked even more in a 2014 re-staging by Goodman--was one I didn't much care for.

Exit Strategy - Jackalope

Greatly gratifying beyond the several plays I saw in subscription series (to Goodman & Broadway in Chicago) and at Chris Jones' recommendation were some wonderful evenings of theater that came about due to other stimuli.

Although I've utilized the discount ticket service Goldstar rather vociferously over the years, it seems like their "Comp Train" promotion of free tickets (+ service fees) to certain shows came and went over a weekend. But I was able to get a complimentary ticket for Wit, staged by AstonRep Theater Co. at the Raven Theater in early June--and as you'll see below, I thought it was absolutely phenomenal.

My motivation--and seemingly that of most audience members--for seeing Pride Films & Plays' production of Lillian Hellman's 1934 classic, The Children's Hour, was because I had a friend in the cast.

The Children's Hour - Pride Films & Plays

The play was outstanding and even in trying to be objective 11 months later, I still feel Britni Tozzi gave one of the best performances I saw all year, alongside terrific work by Whitney Morse and Nora Lise Ulrey, the latter whom I also found excellent in a strong rendition of The Lieutenant of Inishmore by AstonRep.

Among a plethora of outstanding performances in 2014, a few others that stand out include Alexandra Bennett in Wit, Reyna de Courcy and Colin Sphar in Luna Gale, John Mahoney and Penny Slusher in Chapatti, K. Todd Freeman in Airline Highway, Francis Guinan in The Night Alive, Sean Blake in Why Not Me? A Sammy Davis Jr. Story, Mike Nussbaum in Smokefall, Michael Urie in Buyer & Cellar, Jerry MacKinnon in Exit Strategy and Keith Kupferer in both The Qualms and The Humans.

That The Children Hour's director, Derek Bertelsen, wound up helming three of my top 10 plays of the year is also extremely impressive.

And although Evanston's Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre celebrated its 35th anniversary this year, it was only because my sister Allison sourced it out as a troupe we should check out that I saw my first play by them this summer. And then two more.

All three of which were directed by F-J Artistic Director Tim Rhoze, who also wrote one of them, a fine piece about Sammy Davis Jr. Before and after each play, Rhoze greeted Allison, my mom, me and a friend warmly, so it was especially a thrill to see him onstage (currently) in Steppenwolf's  Airline Highway, which I loved.

Airline Highway - Steppenwolf

Thus, not only was 2014 a rewarding year for dramatic theatergoing, but a personally gratifying and somewhat oddly intertwining one as well.

I also found it cool that although several plays I saw were buzzworthy, and often terrific, world premiere and/or pre-, recently on or likely-to-hit Broadway shows--Luna Gale, Exit Strategy, Airline Highway, The Qualms, Wit, This is Our Youth, Peter and The Starcatcher, The Humans, The Night Alive, Tribes, Buyer & Cellar, The White Snake, Venus in Fur, Smokefall--I liked a fairly straightforward production by Northlight of a Neil Simon classic, Lost in Yonkers, even more than most of these.

Anyway, with that lengthy setup, and unscientifically blending together the scripted quality of the 23 plays I attended and their specific productions, here's my ranking of the:

Best Plays I Saw in 2014:

(Note: All were in the Chicago area; new or recent plays are denoted with an *)

Wit - AstonRep

1. Wit - AspenRep Theatre Co. (my review)
written by Margaret Edson; directed by Derek Bertelsen

2. Lost in Yonkers - Northlight Theatre (my review)
written by Neil Simon; directed by Devon de Mayo

3. The Children's Hour - Pride Films & Plays (my review)
written by Lillian Hellman; directed by Derek Bertelsen

4. Luna Gale* - Goodman Theatre (my review)
written by Rebecca Gilman; directed by Robert Falls

Lost in Yonkers - Northlight

5. Airline Highway* - Steppenwolf Theatre (my review)
written by Lisa D'Amour; directed by Joe Mantello

6. Exit Strategy* - Jackalope Theatre Co. (my review)
written by Ike Holter; directed by Gus Menary

7. Chapatti* - Northlight Theatre (my review)
written by Christian O'Reilly ; directed by B.J. Jones

8. The Qualms* - Steppenwolf Theatre (my review)
written by Bruce Norris; directed by Pam MacKinnon

9. The Lieutenant of Inishmore - AstonRep Theatre Co. (my review)
written by Martin McDonagh; directed by Derek Bertelsen

10. Why Not Me? A Sammy Davis Story* -
Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre (my review)
written and directed by Tim Rhoze; a one-man show starring Sean Blake

Luna Gale - Goodman

Honorable Mention (in order of preference) 

Buyer & Cellar* - Broadway Playhouse (touring) (my review)
written by Jonathan Tolins; directed by Stephen Brackett; one-man show starring Michael Urie

The Humans* - American Theater Company (my review)
written by Stephen Karam; directed by PJ Paparelli

Chapatti - Northlight

Tribes* - Steppenwolf Theatre (my review)
written by Nina Raine; directed by Austin Pendleton

This is Our Youth - Steppenwolf Theatre (my review)
written by Kenneth Lonergan; directed by Anna Shapiro

The Night Alive* - Steppenwolf Theatre (my review)
written by Conor McPherson; directed by Henry Wishcamper

The Qualms - Steppenwolf

The White Snake* - Goodman Theatre (my review)
written and directed by Mary Zimmerman

Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years* - Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre (my review)
written by Emily Mann; directed by Tim Rhoze

The Best of 2014: The Best Rock Concerts I Attended

I have always loved live music, and though there are aspects I rather dislike--shows where standing entirely is the only option, and therefore festivals; the proliferation of rude assholes who frequently seem to be sitting nearby--at the age of 46, I still love going to rock concerts.

And in 2014, I attended more concerts than I ever had in a given year.

Qualitatively, as well as quantitatively, it was about as good--and fulfilling--a concertgoing year as I can remember. 

I saw many living legends including those I'd seen before--Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Robert Plant, Billy Joel, Bob Seger, John Fogerty, Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac and more--and some I never had: Stevie Wonder, Barry Gibb, Jackson Browne, Richard Thompson, Alice Cooper.

I even saw Santana, Devo, Steve Winwood, The J. Geils Band and R.E.M.'s Peter Buck--as opening acts!

Though my calendar was crowded with Rock 'n Roll Hall of Famers, I also caught "current" acts such as Arcade Fire, the Black Keys, Fitz & the Tantrums and Vampire Weekend as well as alternative era superstars such as Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bob Mould, Billy Corgan, Johnny Marr, New Order, Wilco, The Pixies, Flaming Lips, Afghan Whigs and even the Spin Doctors.

I saw longstanding personal favorites like Paul Weller, Alejandro Escovedo, The Bangles and Rik Emmett of Triumph. 

I survived two festivals: Lollapalooza in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Riot Fest (for a day) in Chicago.

I caught a trio of outstanding free shows at Chicago's Millennium Park, as part of the city's Downtown Sound Series at the Pritzker Pavilion: Bob Mould, Richard Thompson (playing electric but also opening with an acoustic set) and The Both, consisting of Aimee Mann and Ted Leo. The latter two shows were especially revelatory for me.

And beyond the big name, high profile concerts, I derived great pleasure from small blues shows (Carl Weathersby at Kingston Mines, plus Buddy Guy at Legends), a Bluesfest performance by Bettye Levette and several first-rate cover/tribute artists including American English, The Cheetles, an unnamed Zombies tribute band, Gerry Grossman (the Human Jukebox), Final Say and Tributosaurus as Stevie Ray Vaughan and as The Doors.

Just this past Sunday, I made a point of seeing a deep-blues guitarist/singer named Donna Herula at the Skokie Public Library, accompanied by her husband Tony Nardiello, because I had enjoyed Herula so much earlier this year at the Glenview Public Library (where she was joined by a harmonica player named Dave Ricks).

So although I had to take a Thunder Road trip to Columbus, Ohio to see my all-time favorite concert performer, Bruce Springsteen--he was again fantastic, even for the 44th time, and played personal favorites like "Backstreets" and "The River"--even without catching the Boss multiple times (as I often have), 2014 was a truly spectacular concert year.

For more that I can readily remember, I had numerous "OMG!" lose-my-shit, "rock is my religion," "art is salvation," "this is fucking incredible!" spastic air-drumming moments of musical bliss--that honestly do make life much more worth living.

And on my @@@@@ rating scale, I gave 30 shows 5 or 4-1/2.

Looking back, I do not feel like I overrated any.

So every show in my Top 10 and Honorable Mention was one I truly loved, and many are not readily distinguishable in terms of quality, especially months later.

Thus, take this ranking with a grain of salt, but know that even if primarily performed by aging legends I conceivably could have been seeing for the last time--not a small factor in choosing to attend so many shows--I still love rock and roll.

Live and in person. 

And so, without anything else on my concert docket for the remainder of 2014, I proudly present...

The Best Rock Concerts I Attended in 2014
Includes Blues performances; does not include cover/tribute acts

(Note: I will cite opening acts in cases where I enjoyed them in their own right, but my rankings are based solely on the performance of the headliner. All venues are in Chicago area except as noted.)

1. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - April 15 - Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH (my review) (full concert audio on YouTube)

2. Pearl Jam - October 20 - BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI (my review)

3. Arcade Fire (w/ Devo) - August 26 - United Center (my review)

4. Robert Plant (w/ The Last Internationale) - October 2 - Riviera Theatre (my review)

5. Stevie Wonder - November 14 - United Center (my review)

6. Neil Young - April 21 - Chicago Theatre (my review)

7. Elvis Costello - June 11 - Copernicus Center (my review)

8. Bob Mould (w/ Split Single) - June 23 - Pritzker Pavilion (my review)

9. Paul McCartney - July 9 - United Center (my review)

10. Santana (w/ Rod Stewart, co-headlining) - August 16 - Allstate Arena, Rosemont (my review)

Honorable Mention (in preference order)

- Buddy Guy - January 19 - Buddy Guy's Legends (my review)
- John Fogerty - July 27 - Chicago Theatre (my review)
- Richard Thompson - June 16 - Pritzker Pavilion (my review)
- Fleetwood Mac - October 3 - United Center (my review)
- Paul Simon and Sting - February 25 - United Center (my review)
- Paul Weller - September 13 - Riot Fest (my review of Riot Fest)
- Fitz & the Tantrums - November 22 - Riviera Theatre (my review)
- Soundgarden - April 2 - Lollapalooza, Buenos Aires
- Afghan Whigs - September 13 - Riot Fest
- New Order - July 3 - BMO Harris Pavilion, Summerfest, Milwaukee (my review)
- Barry Gibb - May 27 - United Center (my review)
- Billy Joel - July 18 - Wrigley Field (my review)
- Billy Corgan - August 30 - Ravinia Festival (my review)
- Arcade Fire - April 1 - Lollapalooza, Buenos Aires
- Johnny Marr - November 25 - The Vic (my review)
- Bob Seger (w/ J. Geils Band) - December 11 - United Center (my review)
- Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band - June 28 - Chicago Theatre (my review)
- Bob Mould (w/ Jason Narducy) - January 17 - Prairie Center for the Arts, Schaumburg (my review)
- Wilco - December 8 - Riviera Theatre (my review)
- Carl Weathersby Blues Band - March 10 - Kingston Mines (my review)

Others Worth Mentioning

- Bob Dylan - November 8 - Chicago Theatre (my review)
- Jackson Browne - October 14 - Chicago Theatre (my review)
- The Both - July 21 - Pritzker Pavilion (my review)
- Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (w/ Steve Winwood) - August 23 - United Center (my review)
- Rik Emmett - January 23 - Arcada Theatre, St. Charles (my review)
- Red Hot Chili Peppers - April 2 - Lollapalooza, Buenos Aires
- Alice Cooper - November 2 - The Venue at Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, IN (my review)
- The Bangles - July 28 - City Winery (my review)
- The Black Keys (w/ Cage the Elephant) - September 27 - United Center (my review)
- Nine Inch Nails - April 1 - Lollapalooza, Buenos Aires 
- Alejandro Escovedo (w/ Peter Buck) - February 22 - Lincoln Hall (my review)
- Steve Nieve - September 30 - City Winery (my review)

Others seen at Festivals (some only in part):

The Pixies, Vampire Weekend, Ellie Goulding, Lorde, Imagine Dragons, Phoenix, Buzzcocks, Television, Flaming Lips, Face to Face, Tokyo Police Club, Face to Face, The Orwells, The Get-Up Kids, Bettye Levette, Spin Doctors