Bill's Best of 2104: Playlist for awards...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…the time for my annual year-end recognition of the best plays I saw in 2014.  My first post to theatercolorado.com was in March, 2012, and the first awards were announced in December, 2012.

I saw and reviewed 60 plays this year.  They are listed below (in no particular order), along with the producing company.  I will post a list of nominations for “Bill’s Best” in the next few days.

I’ll be breaking the nominees into two groups this year:  Large Companies, and Small Companies.  It’s a fairly arbitrary division.  I don’t know any theater’s budget, but some clearly have many more resources than others.  To be fair, I thought competition should be between those with similar resources.  

Please keep in mind that I did NOT see every show in Colorado this year (and I doubt anyone else did either).  I can only pick winners from the shows I saw.  I have no doubt missed many outstanding productions/performances.  Your personal list of winners may vary greatly from mine.

Since this is a hobby, the “Bill’s Best” awards have been web only awards.  I have not figured out how to print, frame, and deliver hard copy awards to all the different theaters and actors who deserve a trophy to display.  

This year, for the first time, I will print and frame a certificate for any award winners who contact me and request the framed version.  Details will follow when the awards are announced.

So here are all the shows I reviewed this year, also know as the candidates for “Bill’s Best, 2014.”

DRAMA:

Large Companies:

1.  Ludlow, 1914, Theatreworks.

2.  The Weir, Theatreworks.

3.  Venus in Fur, Theatreworks.

4.  The Last Romance, Arvada Center.

5.  Shadowlands, Denver Center Theatre Company.

6.  The Whipping Man, Curious Theatre Company.

Small Companies:

  

7.  The Lion in Winter, Thunder River Theatre Company.

8.  All My Sons, Thunder River Theatre Company.

9.  Grounded, Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company.

10.  Ambition Facing West, Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company.

11.  And the Sun Stood Still, Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company.

12.  Annapurna, Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company.

13.  A Steady Rain, The Edge Theatre Company.

14.  Orphans, The Edge Theatre Company.

15.  Buried Child, The Edge Theatre Company.

16.  The Beauty Queen of Leenane, The Edge Theatre Company.

17.  Frozen, Equinox Theatre Company.

18.  Bug, Equinox Theatre Company.

19.  Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Lafayette Theatre Company.

20.  The Well of Happiness, Lafayette Theatre Company.

21.  Sherlock Holmes and the Masters of Crime, Lafayette Theatre Company.

22.  Rattlesnakes, Springs Ensemble Theatre Company.

23.  The Goat or Who is Sylvia?, Springs Ensemble Theatre Company.

24.  Desdemona:  A Play About a Handkerchief, Springs Ensemble Theatre Company.

25.  Awaiting the Apocalypse, Denver’s Dangerous Theatre.

26.  The Outgoing Tide, Firehouse Theatre Company.

27.  Master Class, Goddess Here Productions.

28.  Gruesome Playground Injuries, Triptych Theatre Company.

29.  A Few Good Men, Spotlight Theatre Company

30.  The Women of Lockerbie, Coal Creek Theatre of Louisville.

31.  The Glass Menagerie, PHAMALY.

32.  The 10th, Breckenridge Backstage Theatre Company

33.  Miracle on 34th Street, Spark Theatre Company.

34.  Gideon’s Knot, Square Product Theatre Company and Goddess Here Productions.

COMEDY:

Large Companies:

1.  Girls Only:  The Secret Comedy of Women, Denver Center Attractions.

2.  The Lying Kind, Theatreworks.

3.  The Servant of Two Masters, Theatreworks.

4.  Psycho Beach Party, Theatreworks.

Small Companies:

5.  The Butler Did It, Black Box Theatre Company.

6.  Sylvia, Ashton & Abster Productions.

7.  5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche, Square Product Theatre Company.

8.  William Shakespeare’s Land of the Dead, Lafayette Theatre Company.

9. The WYNOT Radio Theatre Show, Mutual Consent Radio Theatre Company.

10.  Art, Springs Ensemble Theatre Company.

MUSICALS:

Large Companies:

1.  Mary Poppins, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.

2.  Dracula, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.

3.  Floyd and Clea Under the Western Sky, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.

4.  Forever Plaid, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.

5.  Tarzan, the Stage Musical, Arvada Center.

6.  Memphis, Arvada Center.

7.  She Loves Me, Arvada Center.

8.  Sisters of Swing, BDT Stage.

9.  Church Basement Ladies:  A Second Helping, BDT Stage.

10.  1940s Radio Hour, Lake Dillon Theatre Company.

11.  Ring of Fire, Lake Dillon Theatre Company.

Small Companies:

12.  Thoroughly Modern Millie, First Company.

13.  The Full Monty, Aspen Theatre Company.

14.  Company, Equinox Theatre Company.

15.  35MM:  A Musical Exhibition, Ignite Theatre Company.

16.  Love, Marriage, and Other Natural Disasters, produced by Gastineau/Friedland).


Nominations from this list to follow soon...