Best Theatre of 2022
If my calculations are correct, I had the privilege of seeing 73 shows in 2022. I’m horrible at choosing favorites and ranking items, but I’ve done my best to curate categories that celebrate highlights across a variety of New York stages.
These are my picks for the best theatre of 2022:
Top 5 Musicals:
5. Titanique (Asylum NYC)
I don’t think anyone expected this campy, low-budget Titanic parody to take over the Off-Broadway scene by storm (or iceberg?) Set to Celine Dion’s greatest hits, this adaptation of the 1997 film overflows with queer humor and hilariously good talent. Sold-out performances and buzzing word-of-mouth publicity allowed Titanique to upgrade into a larger venue at the Daryl Roth Theatre.
4. Parade (New York City Center)
New York City Center’s Annual Gala Presentation of Parade was the talk of the town for the entirety of its six-day run this fall. Jason Robert Brown’s gorgeous musical adapts the real-life trial of Leo Frank in 1913 Georgia. The marvelous performances have without a doubt left me, and the rest of its audience, craving a Broadway transfer.
3. Paradise Square (Barrymore Theatre)
Putting aside what seems to be never-ending controversy, I very much enjoyed how Paradise Square returned a large historical epic with a classic musical theatre sound back to the Broadway stage. Perhaps a few tweaks in both production team and narrative could have secured it a more substantial run, but the talent displayed on that stage cannot be denied.
2. & Juliet (Stephen Sondheim Theatre)
If Shakespeare’s Juliet Capulet chose not to kill herself, this is what would ensue. I’ve called it “the Mamma Mia! of this generation”. & Juliet is an energetic, glitter-filled, and feminist jukebox musical featuring the music of Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, and many many more. It’s a guaranteed smash that lets a giggling audience enjoy a fun night at the theatre.
1. Into the Woods (New York City Center)
I first saw the Encores! production at New York City Center before its highly acclaimed Broadway transfer (and soon-to-be national tour). Director Lear deBessonet’s revival of Into the Woods has all the absurdity and zaniness that Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine wrote into this brilliant classic. Its all-star cast, performing in front of a bare-bones stage and orchestra, found a genius balance between heart and quirk.
Joan Marcus
Top 5 Plays:
5. Ain’t No Mo (Belasco Theatre)
Jordan E. Cooper, debuting as Broadway’s youngest playwright, used sketch comedy to portray situations of the Black experience in twenty-first century America. Ain’t No Mo was a force to be reckoned with. Equal parts hilarious, shocking, and insightful, it’s a shame that such an extraordinary work faced a premature closing.
4. I’m Revolting (Atlantic Theatre Company)
Gracie Gardner’s one-act play depicts the patients and their family members in the waiting room of a New York City skin cancer clinic, awaiting their diagnosis or procedure. In just a single day, the characters (acted by a strong ensemble who seldom leave the stage) are forced to cope with the revelation of how much of themselves will be lost.
3. Epiphany (Lincoln Center Theatre)
While it might be difficult to pinpoint exactly what we learned from Brian Watkins’ eerie dialogue play, it was chilling to watch such a meticulous examination of religion, isolation, grief, and existentialism throughout the course of a snowy evening at a dinner party.
2. The Minutes (Studio 54 Theatre)
First premiering in Chicago in 2017 and earning him a Pulitzer Prize for Drama nomination, Tracy Letts’ dramedy The Minutes begins as a simple town hall meeting. The hilarious, yet mysterious discussion that unravels slowly explains why those in positions of authority will twist fact and fiction to preserve their own power.
1. Downstate (Playwrights Horizons)
Bruce Norris’ complex drama presents a day-in-the-life of sex offenders living in a suburban home together. Downstate offered some of the finest acting and nuanced writing I’ve witnessed in New York. The play dares to asks its audience and characters alike if those committed of wrongdoing can be granted not just forgiveness, but humanity.
Joan Marcus
Best Choreography: MJ the Musical
Director and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon served up impressively sharp and synchronized choreography in this Michael Jackson bio-musical, reincarnating some of the most iconic dance moves. It’s no surprise Wheeldon walked away with the 2022 Tony Award for Best Choreography.
Sara Krulwich
Top 5 Moments:
5. The Pirates of Penzance concert
I went into Roundabout Theatre Company’s Benefit Gala knowing nothing about Gilbert and Sullivan’s 1879 The Pirates of Penzance, being presented as a one-night only concert. With modern adaptations by Rupert Holmes and direction by Scott Ellis, what I found was a heartwarming and stupidly wonderful production that excelled in both wit and whimsy.
4. Nikki Renée Daniels covers Bobbie in Company
Due to Covid-19 and other illness in early April, the 2021 Broadway revival of Company stumbled onto thin ice as a Sunday matinee required ten understudies/swings to take over for their full-time cast members. As soon as word broke, I rushed to the theatre to secure a ticket. A phenomenal Nikki Renée Daniels led the joint effort, making her the first Black woman to play Bobbie in Company on Broadway!
3. Lea Michele joins Funny Girl
Life really does mimic art as Glee’s Lea Michele (who played Rachel Berry) made an awaited return to Broadway, stepping into the role of Fanny Brice in the first revival of Funny Girl. And the rumors are true: her incredible voice and comedic acting chops saved a sinking ship.
2. “Let It Burn” from Paradise Square performed by Joaquina Kalukango
Is there anything better than a fabulous actor belting a good ol’ park-and-bark eleven o’clock number? Joaquina Kalukango won the 2022 Tony Away for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, where she performed “Let It Burn” with vigorous emotion and tear-soaked eyes. Her dedication to this number will forever be engraved in my mind.
1. The Skin of Our Teeth’s design
Lileana Blain-Cruz revived Thornton Wilder’s three-act epic drama in a larger-than-life production at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theatre. There was a gigantic dinosaur, multiple types of severe weather, and even a functional carnival slide. The elaborate scenic design by Adam Rigg and exquisite costumes by Montana Levi Blanco (not to mention electric acting performances) made The Skin of Our Teeth an absolute joy to witness.
Yi Zhao