I wish every aspiring performer could see the way Betty Buckley makes the role her own, and the way she gets so completely inside the character that we can really share in the character’s feelings. I caught her at the Kennedy Center in Washington. (Buckley has been touring the nation for a year.

For me, this was the most fulfilling theatrical performance I saw all year. Real greatness, in any art form is rare And Betty Buckley is one of the great musical-theater artists of our time She proved it anew in “Hello, Dolly!,” giving a performance I’ll never forget. But now, let me tell you in more detail about some of the stars and shows that really had an impact on me. Revivals I saw this year that especially impressed me? “The Music Man” at Goodspeed and “My Fair Lady” at Lincoln Center.Īnd I’ll mention some other memorable productions a bit later.

The new shows I caught in regional tryouts that I’d most like to see eventually come into New York City? One is “Because of Winn Dixie” (which strikes me as being near-perfect “as is”) and the other is “Benny and Joon” (which could use a bit more work but already offers significant rewards). The funniest new musical I’ve seen in years (with a breakout Broadway starring performance, to boot)? That’s “Tootsie,” starring Santino Fontana. The most memorable single performance I witnessed anywhere this year? That’s the ever-amazing Betty Buckley, starring in the national touring production of “Hello, Dolly!” I’ll just briefly mention a few standouts first, and then discuss them (and others) at greater length. For my column this week, I want to tell you about some theatrical productions and performances I witnessed this year that–for whatever reason–really lodged themselves I my memory.

Hello dolly boston opera house