Top 5 Shows
“Desire Under the Elms,” Goodman
“Blackbird,” Victory Gardens
“South Pacific,” Lincoln Center Theater
“The Tempest,” Steppenwolf
“Spring Awakening,” Broadway In Chicago
—Brian Hieggelke
Top 5 Shows
“The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity,” Victory Gardens/Teatro Vista
“An Apology For the Course and Outcome of Certain Events Delivered by Doctor John Faustus on This His Final Evening,” Theater Oobleck
“The Pillowman,” Redtwist
“Frat,” The New Colony
“Red Noses,” Strawdog
—Nina Metz
Top 5 Female Performances
Kirsten Fitzgerald in “Pumpgirl,” A Red Orchid
Amanda Hartley in “The Robber Bridegroom,” Griffin Theatre
Mackenzie Kyle in “Hedda Gabler,” Raven Theatre
Brenda Barrie in “The Ruby Sunrise,” Gift Theatre
Shannon O’Neill in “Mop Top Festival,” Factory Theater
—Nina Metz
Top 5 Male Performances
Colm O’Reilly in “An Apology For the Course and Outcome of Certain Events Delivered by Doctor John Faustus on This His Final Evening,” Theater Oobleck
Usman Ally in “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity,” Victory Gardens/Teatro Vista
Desmin Borges in “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity,” Victory Gardens/Teatro Vista
Brad Morris in “Taming of the Flu,” The Second City Mainstage
D’wayne Taylor in “In Arabia We’d All Be Kings,” Steep Theatre
—Nina Metz
Top 5 Theatrical Experiences
The Eugene O’Neill Festival:
Rouw Siert Electra (Mourning Becomes Electra), Toneelgroep Amsterdam
Desire Under the Elms
Homens Ao Mar (The Sea Plays) Companhia Triptal (Brazil)
The Emperor Jones (The Wooster Group)
The Hairy Ape (Hypocrites)
—Fabrizio O. Almeida
Top 5 Productions
“Evita,” Theo Ubique
“The Lieutenant of Inishmore,” Northlight
“The Crowd You’re In With,” Goodman
“Art,” Steppenwolf
“The Caretaker,” Curious Theatre Branch
—Fabrizio O. Almeida
Top 5 Worst Productions
“Yeast Nation,” American Contemporary Theatre
“El Grito del Bronx,” Collaboraction/Teatro Vista
“Xanadu,” Broadway In Chicago
“The Overwhelming,” Next
“The Tempest,” Steppenwolf
—Fabrizio O. Almeida
Top 5 Performances by Chicago-based Dance Companies
The Seldoms, “Thrift”
Joffrey Ballet, “Le Sacre du Printemps”
Luna Negra Dance Theater and Luciana Souza, Grant Park Music Festival
Lucky Plush, “Punk Yankees”
Synapse Arts Collective, “Stridulate”
—Sharon Hoyer
Top 5 Play Revivals
“The History Boys,” TimeLine
“The Piano Lesson,” Court Theatre
“Our Town,” Lookingglass
“Of Mice and Men,” Steppenwolf
“Death of a Salesman,” Raven
—Dennis Polkow
Top 5 Shakespeare
“Twelfth Night,” Chicago Shakespeare
“Macbeth,” Chicago Shakespeare
“The Tempest,” BoHo
“Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead,” Writers’ Theatre (Hamlet within)
“Taming of the Shrew,” Theo Ubique
—Dennis Polkow
Top 5 Touring Shows
“Spring Awakening,” Broadway In Chicago
“Mary Poppins,” Broadway In Chicago
“South Pacific,” Rosemont Theatre
“In the Heights,” Broadway In Chicago
“Rent” with Adam Pascal & Anthony Rapp, Broadway In Chicago
—Dennis Polkow
Top 5 Musical Revivals
“Animal Crackers,” Goodman
“Evita,” Theo Ubique
“A Little Night Music,” Light Opera Works
“Hairspray,” Marriott
“La Cage aux Folles,” BoHo
—Dennis Polkow
Top 5 Worst Musicals
“The Addams Family,” Broadway In Chicago
“Young Frankenstein,” Broadway In Chicago
“Camelot” (cut nearly in half), Ravinia
“Pacific Overtures,” Porchlight
“Grease!” with “American Idol” cast, Broadway In Chicago
—Dennis Polkow
Top 5 Operas
“Tristan und Isolde,” Lyric Opera
“Rigoletto,” Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Ravinia
“Faust,” Lyric Opera (first cast)
Owen Wingrave, Chicago Opera Theater
Katya Kabanova, Lyric Opera
—Dennis Polkow
