Top 5 Dramas of 2016
“Sunset Baby,” TimeLine Theatre Company
“The Flick,” Steppenwolf Theatre Company
“Dry Land,” Rivendell Theatre Ensemble
“good friday,” Oracle Productions
“Bobbie Clearly,” Steep Theatre Company
—Kevin Greene
Top 5 Comedies of 2016
“Le Switch,” About Face Theatre
“Carlyle,” Goodman Theatre
“Thaddeus and Slocum,” Lookingglass Theatre Company
“Hand to God,” Victory Gardens Theater
“King Charles III,” Chicago Shakespeare Theater
—Kevin Greene
“Bat Boy,” Griffin Theatre Company
“Fun Home,” Broadway In Chicago
“End of the Rainbow,” Porchlight Music Theatre
“Tonya and Nancy,” Underscore Theatre Company
—Kevin Greene
Top 5 Genre-Defying Productions of 2016
“The Hairy Ape,” Oracle Theatre
“Pop Waits,” The Neo-Futurists
“Learning Curve,” Albany Park Theater Project and Third Rails Project
“How We Got On” – Haven Theatre Company
“Octagon,” Jackalope Theatre Company
—Kevin Greene
Top 5 Operas of 2016
“Der Rosenkavalier,” Lyric Opera of Chicago
“Das Rheingold,” Lyric Opera of Chicago
“Dark Sisters,” Third Eye Theatre Ensemble
“Don Quichotte,” Lyric Opera of Chicago
“Les Troyens,” Lyric Opera of Chicago
—Aaron Hunt
Top 5 Chicago Choreographers of 2016
The Era Crew
Khecari (Jonathan Meyer and Julia Antonick)
Alejandro Cerrudo
Ayako Kato
Michelle Kranicke
Top 5 Stand-Up Sets in Chicago in 2016
Louis CK at Chicago Theatre (both times)
Maria Bamford at Athenaeum Theatre
Aparna Nancherla at The Hideout
Jerrod Carmichael at UP Comedy Club
T.J. Miller at The Vic Theatre, The Revival and Laugh Factory
—Zach Freeman