Year in Review: Top 10 Shows of 2023 in Dayton
From Detroit and the Deep South to the streets of Paris and a kingdom under the sea, here are my choices for the 10 best theatrical productions of 2023 in Dayton.
1. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (Dayton Live)
Aaron Sorkin’s smartly conceived, courtroom drama-centered adaptation of Harper Lee’s enduring coming-of-age tale about race, family, community and identity incorporated refreshing contemporary viewpoints to remind audiences that the societal and political discord of 1930s Alabama is alive and well in 2023. Director Bartlett Sher’s outstanding tour, exceptionally led with conviction and tenderness by Richard Thomas as steadfast lawyer Atticus Finch and featuring Academy Award nominee Mary Badham (who portrayed Scout in the 1962 film) as cranky bigot Mrs. Henry Dubose, captivated with humorous, heartbreaking and topical finesse.
2. CABARET (Wright State University)
It’s easy to be magnetized by the edgy, sexual allure of John Kander and Fred Ebb’s classic musical chronicling the rise of Nazism in 1930s Berlin. But fundamentally at its core is an eerie cautionary tale highlighting the dangers of apathy, carelessness and ignorance, which heightened the relevancy of this production in light of hate at home and abroad. In addition to an exemplary uneasy tone set by director Greg Hellems which concluded with breathtaking potency, this perfectly marvelous production featured Ashley Pabst’s superb choreography (“Mein Herr” was a Broadway-caliber Bob Fosse homage) and Kendra Lodewyk’s astounding portrayal of Sally Bowles. Lodewyk’s thrilling, rip-roaring and defiant rendition of the title tune was my favorite musical moment of the year.
3. AIN’T TOO PROUD – THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE TEMPTATIONS (Dayton Live)
Directed by Des McAnuff, this sleek, smooth and emotional story spotlighted the joys and pitfalls surrounding the iconic men responsible for singing some of the best songs in the Motown catalog. Accented by Sergio Trujillo’s crisp Tony Award-winning choreography, this electrifying tour featured Elijah Ahmad Lewis’ fierce and fiery portrayal of troublesome yet incomparable showman David Ruffin.
4. A SOLDIER’S PLAY (Human Race Theatre Company and Dayton Live)
Dayton was the only Ohio engagement for this dynamic national tour of the Tony Award-winning revival of Charles Fuller’s gripping military drama. Under the direction of Kenny Leon, Fuller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning tale concerning murder and self-hatred among Blacks on a Louisiana Army base in the 1940s was excellently led by Broadway veteran Norm Lewis and original cast member Eugene Lee. Stivers School for the Arts graduate Sheldon D. Brown also left an indelible impression as Private C.J. Memphis unable to withstand the authoritative rage surrounding him.
5. URINETOWN (TheatreLab Dayton)
Satire takes skill and director Philip Drennen pulled out the stops to stage a hilariously savvy and delightfully ensemble-driven mounting of this kooky musical comedy about a severe water shortage. The knockout cast included Connor Curran’s perfectly precocious portrayal of the wise-beyond-her-years Little Sally.
6. LES MISÉRABLES (Dayton Live)
Even after all these years the revolution still packed a punch. Co-directors Laurence Connor and James Powell particularly approved a surprisingly unhurried approach to the music, allowing characterizations and songs to soar with newfound emotional resonance. In addition to Haley Dortch’s compelling storytelling that propelled Fantine’s heartache within “I Dreamed a Dream,” Nick Cartell’s ability to convey the gorgeous, prayerful stillness of “Bring Him Home” solidified why he’s one of the best actors to ever portray Jean Valjean.
7. INDIGO (Human Race Theatre Company and Sing Out, Louise! Productions)
The world premiere of Scott Evan Davis and Kait Kerrigan’s endearing, tuneful contemporary musical about an autistic teenager coping with challenges within her family struck a deep, relatable chord, especially the complications of caregiving. Under the direction of Catie Davis, the compatible cast was led by breakout star Madison Kopec, currently making her Broadway debut in “How to Dance in Ohio,” and Broadway veteran Sally Mayes. As Broadway producers embrace new forms of representation, the time has come for “Indigo” to shine.
8. ON THE TOWN (Wright State University)
Director Joe Deer’s cheery take on this feelgood account of sailors on 24-hour shore leave in New York City overflowed with old-fashioned musical comedy charm and a spirited energy befitting Leonard Bernstein’s vibrantly rhythmic music. Josh Walden’s fabulous choreography featured an exquisite pas de deux beautifully danced by Tanner Gleeson as Gabey and Amy Van Dyke as Ivy Smith.
9. DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID (Muse Machine)
Imaginative whimsicality was on joyful display once again from the arts education organization. Under the direction of Joe Deer, the exuberantly entertaining cast, choreographed with colorful flair by Lula Elzy, included Maggie Weckesser’s dreamy, determined Ariel and Isabel Rawlins’ mesmerizingly mature Ursula.
10. RADIO GOLF (Dayton Theatre Guild)
The strong, impactful Dayton premiere of August Wilson’s 10th and final work in his acclaimed 20th Century Cycle spotlighted politics and gentrification colliding in the Black community of Pittsburgh’s Hill District in the 1990s. Spearheading the first Wilson play in Guild history, director Robert-Wayne Waldron assembled a radiant cast – including S. Francis Livisay as ambitious Harmond Wilks and Franklin Johnson as wise sage Elder Joseph Barlow – that elevated the poetic and comedic insightfulness within Wilson’s masterfully authentic language.
Honorable Mentions: “Arcadia,” Wright State University; “Barbecue,” Human Race Theatre Company; “Bright Star,” Beavercreek Community Theatre; “Children of Eden,” Epiphany Lutheran Church; “The Crucible,” Clark State College; “The Hello Girls,” Sinclair Community College; “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” INNOVAtheatre; “The Laramie Project,” Wright State University; “Little Women: The Musical,” La Comedia Dinner Theatre; “Misery,” TheatreLab Dayton; “Once On This Island,” Dayton Playhouse; “The Sound of (Black) Music,” Foundry Theater; “Sunday in the Park with George,” Middletown Lyric Theatre; “This is Tom Jones!,” Human Race Theatre Company