Top 5 Dramas of 2015
“Moby Dick,” Lookingglass Theatre Company
“Marjorie Prime,” Writers Theatre
“Brilliant Adventures,” Steep Theatre Company
“How The World Began,” Rivendell Theatre Ensemble
“Love and Human Remains,” Cor Theatre
—Kevin Greene
Top 5 Comedies of 2015
“The Upstairs Concierge,” Goodman Theatre
“Lunacy!,” Jackalope Theatre
“Samsara,” Victory Gardens
“With Love and a Major Organ,” Strawdog Theatre Company
“The Walk Across America For Mother Earth,” Red Tape Theatre
—Kevin Greene
Top 5 Operas of 2015
“Thérèse Raquin,” Chicago Opera Theater
“A Coffin in Egypt,” Chicago Opera Theater
“The Property,” Lyric Unlimited, Lyric Opera of Chicago
“Trouble in Tahiti,” Chicago Fringe Opera
“Sumeida’s Song,” Third Eye Theatre Ensemble
—Aaron Hunt
Top 5 Musicals of 2015
“City of Angels,” Marriott Theatre
“Sense and Sensibility,” Chicago Shakespeare Theater
“Blood Brothers,” Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” Broadway in Chicago
“The Secret Garden,” Court Theatre
—Aaron Hunt
Top 5 Short-Run Comedy Shows of 2015
“Cook County Social Club,” The Mission Theater at iO
“Sand,” The Annoyance Theatre
“Splatter Theater,” The Annoyance Theatre
“The Thanksgiving Circumcision,” MCL Chicago
“Tribulation: The Musical,” The Mission Theater at iO
—Zach Freeman
Top 5 Stand-Up Shows of 2015
Amy Schumer at Laugh Factory Chicago
Aziz Ansari at Zanies Chicago
Hannibal Buress at Zanies Chicago
Kevin Hart at United Center
Louis CK at Chicago Theatre
—Zach Freeman
Top 5 Game-Changing Dance Makers in 2015
Ben Wardell
Jonathan Meyer
Hema Rajagopalan
Honey Pot Performance
Erica Mott
—Sharon Hoyer
Top 5 Queer/Trans Dance Performances of 2015
“Poonie’s Cabaret: Post-Q Part II” at Links Hall
Darling Squire at the SWOP Chicago Benefit
Sofia Moreno, “Tropical Winter” at David Weinberg
Joe Varisco, “Queer, Ill & Okay,” Storefront Theater
Lyra Hill, “Moon Moods” at MCA Stage
—Michael Workman
Top 5 Emerging Dancer Performances of 2015
Victoria Bradford, “Neighborhood Dances”
Rose Hernandez and Efron Arcoiris, “Burning Orchid”
Mitsu Salmon, “Tsuchi”
Hope Goldman, “Pussy Willow”
Adam Rose, Antibody Corporation, “Against Being”
—Michael Workman
Top 5 Operas of 2015
“The Passenger,” Lyric Opera of Chicago
“Wozzeck,” Lyric Opera of Chicago
“Amadigi di Gaula,” Haymarket Opera Company
“Thérèse Raquin,” Chicago Opera Theater
“Tannhäuser,” Lyric Opera of Chicago
—Dennis Polkow
Top 5 Musicals of 2015
“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” Broadway in Chicago
“The Merry Widow,” Lyric Opera of Chicago
“The Fantasticks,” Light Opera Works
“On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan,” Broadway in Chicago
“Carousel,” Lyric Opera of Chicago
—Dennis Polkow
Top 5 Shows You Might Have Missed in 2015
“On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan,” Broadway In Chicago
“Feast,” Albany Park Theater Project
“Between You, Me and the Lampshade,” Teatro Vista
“August Wilson Celebration,” Goodman Theatre
“This Is Modern Art,” Steppenwolf Theatre Company
—Mary Kroeck
Top 5 Reasons to Go Off-Loop in 2015
Steep Theatre Company
Jackalope Theatre
The Hypocrites
Profiles Theatre
Sideshow Theatre Company
—Kevin Greene
Top 5 on the Rise in 2015
The Inconvenience
Cor Theatre
Red Theater of Chicago
The Ruckus
Definition Theatre Company
—Kevin Greene
Top 5 Most Anticipated Shows of 2016
“Hamilton,” Broadway in Chicago
“The Flick,” Steppenwolf Theatre Company
“2666,” Goodman Theatre
“Richard III,” The Gift Theatre
“Tug of War,” Chicago Shakespeare Theater
—Kevin Greene
Related Stories
Newcity’s Top 5 of Everything 2017: Stage The best in Theater, Opera and Comedy.- Write For Newcity Stage Newcity Stage is currently accepting applications for Contributing Writers Mission Statement: Newcity Stage believes that it’s the critic’s responsibility to advocate for high quality, inclusive theater for all Chicagoans. Job Description: A Newcity Stage Contributing Writer is responsible for regularly contributing to the critical output of the publication. A Contributing Writer (CW) will be expected to review at least one…
- Stage Top 5: May 2018 Past, present and future collide with reality and its alternatives in a wild month of premieres.
- Stage Top 5: October 2018 This month features a slate of local, regional and national premieres as well as a feminist opera celebrating its twentieth anniversary.
- Stage Top 5: November 2018 The latest from Ike Holter, a pop-inspired musical about the cultural constraints placed on women and a universe-crossing Afrofuturist fable are just a few of the consciousness-expanding shows opening this month.
- Stage Top 5: December 2018 Hot, bothered and blue collared, these world premieres and classic mishaps will keep the dawning reality of yet another Midwest winter at bay, at least temporarily.
[…] movements with music and text. Awarded best collaborative multimedia dance performance and Top 5 best emerging dancer performances from Newcity 2015. About the Artists: MITSU SALMON creates original performance and visual works, […]