By James V. Ruocco
There's nothing quite like the thrill of musical theatre.
Fresh takes.
Major revivals.
Seasoned classics.
Soaring melodies.
Grand and glorious national tours.
Sell-out performances.
Tour de force experiences.
Looking back, 2022 was a great year for Equity-based musical theatre.
LIVE or streamed, musicals of every size, shape and color were showcased day by day, week by week or month by month with only a smattering of delays or postponements due to COVID-related outbreaks or the unexpected illness of certain cast members.
Nonetheless, the show went on.
Opening night was a hit.
Great orchestra seats were plentiful.
The reviews came out.
And yes, there was lots to cheer from productions at The Bushnell and Goodspeed Musicals to works at Barrington Stage, Playhouse on Park and Music Theatre of Connecticut.
What worked?
What stood out?
What deserved a standing ovation or two?
After months of deliberation and revisiting an endless variety of content, from reviews and playbills to columns and specially marked reminder notes, choices for The Best Equity Musicals of the Year fell neatly into place, one by one, line by line.
Difficult?
Absolutely not.
Pros and Cons?
Not really.
An open mind?
But of course.
Time consuming?
A little.
Fun?
Hell, yes.
Personal favorites?
It comes with the territory.
But first, a few simple rules.
Only "press invited shows" (i.e., invites from Equity Theaters or marketing departments within the actual venue are eligible for "Best Musical" consideration.
Please note: Normally, there's a tie for first place between two productions.
This year: There are three.
"Hamilton," "A Little Night Music" and "42nd Street" have received first honors in this year's round up of eligible musical productions.
The Best Musicals of 2022 (Equity)
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