From the Desk of Jim R, Take 2, Column 123, "The Best Plays and Musicals of 2018" (Non Equity)

By James V. Ruocco

Fun.
Uplifting.
Compelling.
Thought-provoking.
Exciting.

All things considered, reviewed and processed, non-Equity theater in Connecticut over the last twelve months was chock full of plays and musicals tailored to suit everyone's tastes, budgets and entertainment choices.

Most of them worked.
A few drowned in overkill and pretension.
Another put an entire audience to sleep.
One prompted a witch hunt by a bunch of theater nobodies and egotists whose slander campaign bit them in the ass and left them with plenty of empty orchestra and balcony seats and nasty calls from creditors.
And then there were those whose kind words and invites were much appreciated.

With that in mind, let's get started.

What stood out the most?
What didn't?

After about 30 minutes of deliberation and scanning through an endless variety of content, things fell neatly into place, one by one, line by line.

That said, my choices are as follows:

The Best Plays and Musicals of 2018:

"All My Sons" (TheatreWorks/New Milford)

"Carrie: The Musical" (Broadway Method Academy)

"All Shook Up" (Sharon Playhouse)

"Hedwig and the Angry Inch" (Fairfield Center Stage)

"Always Nina: A Tennessee Story and Songbook" (The Congregational Church of Glastonbury)

"Proof" (TheatreWorks/New Milford)

"The God Game" (Square One Theatre Company)

"A Christmas Carol Experience" (Fairfield Center Stage)

"The Winter Wonderettes" (Castle Craig Players)

"Glitz! The Best Little Miss Christmas Pageant Musical" (Pantochino Productions)

"Onward and Upward" (Fairfield Center Stage)

"Mama D's Gay Nineties Romp" (Playhouse on Park)

"A Raisin in the Sun" (Downtown Cabaret Theatre)

"Jesus Christ Superstar" (Downtown Cabaret Theatre)

"Legally Blonde" (Downtown Cabaret Theatre)

"Priscilla Queen of the Desert" (Downtown Cabaret Theatre)