2005: The Year in Plays/Musicals

I didn't see very many plays and musicals this year and I've talked about some of them previously here, so I'll just mention a couple highlights. Purlie at the Pasadena Playhouse was fun to watch. Also, I saw some stuff (in both big and small venues) in Atlanta during the past few years that were memorable. I am already forgetting which stuff I saw during which years, so the stuff I'm about to mention may technically be from 2004. Anyway, the production of Into the Woods by Georgia Tech's theatre troupe was extremely enjoyable (and actually had a couple of my research students in it), and I would like to see a professional version of this musical at some point. (This is a truly awesome musical that very much appeals to my wicked sense of humor.) At the Fox Theatre, I saw Little Shop of Horrors, which was first a movie, then a musical, then another movie (with Steve Martin as the dentist!), and now once again a musical. The thing is that I've seen the 1986 film a couple times and the current musical is basically exactly the same thing, except with worse actors. I enjoyed it and it reminded me that some of the songs in it are really good, but I had seen it all before. The final number was really cheesy, but I guess they wouldn't have forgiven themselves if the people Audrey II ate didn't get a chance to sing in the finale. The "musical" (a ballet, really) based on Billy Joel's music was disappointing (and the guy singing all the songs butchered "We Didn't Start the Fire"!), so I'd recommend you see Mamma Mia! instead. (Mamma Mia!, based on the music of the Swedish supergroup ABBA, is awesome, with really great reinterpretations of most of their best songs. It's been around for a while. I think I saw it in 2002.) Another cool show was a the play version of The Graduate, and I really ought to see the movie at some point. Still, as far as the best of this year is concerned, Into The Woods is the clear winner because of its tude (even though I might have seen it in 2004).