Theater Mirror’s Favorite Productions of 2018

By Michele Markarian and Mike Hoban

Looking back, 2018 was a pretty eclectic year for Boston-area theater, with something for everybody – whether it be “serious” theatergoers or newcomers checking out the latest jukebox musical. So Theater Mirror Co-Editors Michele Markarian and Mike Hoban reflected on some of the more noteworthy theatrical events of 2018 and created their year-end lists. There are four overlaps – which says a lot about the strength of the productions in a year full of quality offerings – but there were also a lot of shows that could have made the lists that we just didn’t have room for.

Michele’s Top 10

So many good shows!  When Mike and I first talked about doing this, my shortlist included 22 productions.  Twenty-two!  Narrowing this list to ten was not easy, but here are my favorites for 2018, simply in alphabetical order:

Moonbox Productions’ – “Cabaret”.  Given the times we live in, this one was right on the money.  Rachel Bertone’s direction and an excellent cast that included Aimee Doherty and Phil Tayler made this so much more than a musical.  And the curtain call?  I have chills just thinking about it.

Underground Railway Theater’s ‘Guards at the Taj”.  Everyone deserves a hand for this one, including the stage manager and crew.  Especially the stage manager and crew.  Jacob Athyal and Harsh Gagoomal gave brave and convincing performances.

ArtsEmerson’s “Hamnet”.  Sometimes it’s the people who aren’t with us that take up the most space.  The rapport between Ollie West and Bush Moukarzel was palpable and the subject matter provocative.

American Repertory Theater’s “Hear Word! Najia Woman Talk True”.  The emotional impact of witnessing this piece about gender inequality is hard to describe.  One of the more uniformly powerful performances of the year.  I would have seen it again – that’s how magnificent these women were – but the rest of the run was sold out.

Lyric Stage’s “Kiss of the Spider Woman”.  A beautiful, sad, haunting piece that stays with you long after it’s over.  Rachel Bertone does it again, eliciting strong performances from this excellent cast, who give credence to the book as well as the score. 

Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s “MacBeth”.  Atmospheric and layered, this production, adeptly directed by Dawn M. Simmons, humanized MacBeth and his Lady in a way that gave the play much more emotional depth than I’d previously experienced when watching.

Emerson Colonial Theatre’s “Moulin Rouge”. What a spectacular show!  And what a cast!  If you didn’t catch it here, don’t worry – it’s headed to New York this summer, where I may have to see it again.

Huntington Theatre Company’s “The Niceties”.  This was one of the more surprising pieces of the year.  Just when I thought I’d figured out where it was going, something else would happen to change its course, and my assumptions, without being implausible. 

Boston Center for American Performance and New Repertory Theatre’s “Ripe Frenzy”.  An emotional wallop, timely and impactful, made more so by the amazing performance of Veronica Duerr. Playwright Jennifer Barclay gave us a stunning, impactful, thoughtful piece.

Company One’s “Wig Out!”  This felt like an immersive experience, imbued with drama, song, and drag.  I learned a lot about Houses and Balls, and the ad libs coming out of performer Nick Dussault were well worth the price of admission.

Michele Markarian

Mike’s Favorites

I’m the guy who wants to change his order at the restaurant when I see someone else’s meal going past my table, so when it came down to narrowing it down to a Top Ten, I ordered a little extra. So here are the five large theater choices, as well as the 10 small/fringe theater productions I enjoyed the most in 2018, in no particular order (I did not consider touring productions):

Small Theater/Fringe

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s ‘Death and the Maiden’ – As intense and disturbing a piece as you’re likely to see anywhere, anytime, made all the more terrifying by Steven Maler and his superb creative team in the intimate space of Babson College Sorenson Center for the Arts Black Box.

Brown Box Theatre’s The Hotel Nepenthe – John Kuntz’ surreal coal-black comedy had an all-too brief run in an unconventional space on Atlantic Wharf (further hampered by the bizarre March snowstorm), but Alex Lonati flawlessly steered her brilliant cast (Margaret Clark, Michael Underhill, Rebecca Schneebaum, and Cam Torres) through the mayhem to deliver a weird and absorbing gem.

Company One’s ‘Hype Man: A Breakbeat Play’ – This new work by Idris Goodwin beautifully combined social justice with a hip hop backbeat to examine the age-old dilemma of how to maintain artistic integrity and personal beliefs while chasing fame and fortune. Outstanding performances by Kadahj Bennett, Rachel Cognata and Michael Knowlton drove the story of one of the most politically charged issues facing America today – the shooting of unarmed people of color by police officers.

Boston Center for American Performance and New Repertory Theatre’s ‘Ripe Frenzy’ – Playwright Jennifer Barclay’s brilliantly devised play combines the horror of mass shootings with a high school production of Our Town while raising questions about the power of celebrity and social media. Veronica Duerr gave a stunningly real performance as Zoe, the mother of the perpetrator, and was well supported by a terrific cast.

Gloucester Stage’s ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ – Superbly acted by an exceptional ensemble led by Lindsay Crouse and brilliantly directed by Benny Sato Ambush, this may have been my single favorite production of a classic in 2018.

Company Theatre’s Ragtime – This production is proof positive that smaller suburban theater companies can deliver in a big way. With a few ringers (Davron Monroe, Peter Adams, Michael Hammond) and some lesser-known talents (Sarah Kelly, Arielle Rogers, and Melissa Carubia) under the direction of Zoe Bradford and Jordie Saucerman, this was a powerful production – rivaling any of the musicals produced on small stages this or any year.

Underground Railway Theatre’s – ‘Guards at the Taj’ – This one-of-a-kind two-hander was alternately hilarious and gut-wrenching. Powered by riveting performances by Jacob Athyal and Harsh J. Gagoomal, the amazing set by Grace Laubacher was also a star.

Hub Theatre Company’s ‘True West’ – Bob Mussett and Victor Shopov were terrific in Sam Shephard’s twisted comic classic, with Mussett giving a master class in playing drunk during the toaster crime spree.

Moonbox Productions’ “Cabaret” – Rachel Bertone and Moonbox created an uber sexy but exceptionally dark and disturbing version of the classic that only served to reinforce the “it couldn’t happen here” dread of the present zeitgeist. Aimee Doherty (who did a killer version of “Maybe This Time”), Jared Troilo and Phil Tayler were standouts, but the production also served as a breakout role for Joy Clark, whose rendition of “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” (in German) was mind-blowing.

Wellesley Repertory Theatre’s ‘The Liar‘ – Dan Prior led a talented ensemble (which incuded Angela Bilkic and Ariela Nazar-Rosen as well as director Marta Rainer) in this hilarious production, which still stands the test of time after 400 years.

Large Theater

Ogunquit Playhouse’s ‘An American in Paris’ – There were a lot of interesting and exciting new musical productions in New England this year, but none that matched the artistic brilliance of this show. This was the first regional theatre production in the U.S. of this new (2015) musical version of the 1951 film of the same name, and with a score by the Gershwins, a terrific cast, stunning choreography, and a gorgeous set, it truly set the bar for musical theater in the region in 2018.

A.R.T.’s Jagged Little Pill and The Black Clown – These two wildly different musical creations reasserted the A.R.T. and Diane Paulus’ standing as meaningful innovators in American musical theater. The Black Clown was an awe-inspiring piece of new work, while Jagged Little Pill – despite a book that will need some sharpening in its next iteration – could potentially transform the stale jukebox musical genre and bring in a new blood to the theater.

Merrimack Repertory Theater’s ‘Native Gardens’ – This production was the rarest of things – a political comedy was not only laugh-out-loud funny and provocative, but managed to alternately support and take shots at both the progressive and conservative viewpoints. It also featured a very pregnant (nearly 8 months at the show’s conclusion) Vivia Font playing a very pregnant lead character – and she stole the show.

Huntington Theatre Company’s ‘Man in the Ring’ – Like 2017’s multiple IRNE winner (including Best Play) The Royale at MRT, this production was about so much more than boxing. John Douglas Thompson shines in the complex portrait of boxer Emile Griffith, the 1960’s multiple weight class champion who was also bisexual.

Emerson Colonial Theatre’s “Moulin Rouge”– This world premiere, based on the 2001 film of the same name, may technically be a “jukebox musical” but its clever mashing-up of songs from Elton John to Bizet’s 1875 opera “Carmen” was a blast for pop music fans. The production featured a deep and talented cast, led by Tony Award winner Karen Olivo, as well as an opulent set that would make Cecil B. DeMille blush. Sure it was theater as spectacle, but it was a lot of fun.

Mike Hoban