2023 Year in Review

As another year draws to a close, I love taking a moment to reflect on all that I’ve seen this year and share some of my personal favorites from the year.

This year was a lot busier in other areas of life for me, celebrating friends and marriages, spending time with family, and digging deeper into career pursuits. I was booking trips to the theatre where I could in between! I didn’t get to as many productions as I would have liked to this year, but I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to attend as many as I did and that I was able to catch some very special moments on stage.

Of course, this is by no means representative of the industry or a whole snapshot of theatre-going in 2023. This is what I was able to attend, based on my timing, affordability, and personal interest.

Top 5 from 2023

This list is in no particular order. I found myself gravitating towards fun, silly, and upbeat productions this year and followed the intuition of wanting to have a fun night at the theater. As I described it earlier this year, I really wanted to see shows that were fun and ended with a blast of confetti. This year has been a bit emotionally turbulent for me and I feel my main goal in booking tickets was to have a good time at the theatre. There is a time and place for think pieces and a time and place for shows that are just fun.

Without further ado, my top 5 from 2023:

1. & Juliet
2. Moulin Rouge! (with Derek Klena & Joanna “JoJo” Levesque)
3. Shucked
4. Titanique
5. Frozen

An Unexpected Favorite

On a whim, I snagged a rush ticket to Alex Edelman’s Just For Us, and absolutely loved it. I have no idea what I was walking into, but was blown away by Edelman’s writing and comedic delivery. Grabbing a rush ticket to a show I don’t know much about really is one of my favorite ways to experience theatre, because the surprise of a really good show is absolutely delightful.

A Regional Favorite

This year, I caught a few regional productions in the Boston area. I am so grateful to be a short distance away from the American Repertory Theatre and several other well-renowned regional theaters.

I was pleasantly surprised by Real Women Have Curves at A.R.T. Though the musical is likely Broadway bound, it was heartwarming and a wonderful production to see on the regional level. I was blown away by Lucy Godínez’s performance and hope she has a chance to bring this character to life on a larger stage and that her star continues to rise.

That’s a Wrap!

As 2023 draws to a close, I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to experience as much live theatre as I have. Every year, some of my most special memories of the year come from seeing shows and traveling to see theatre across the country.

As this year draws to a close, I can’t wait to see all that is in store in 2024!

Cheers! ✨