These are the best new plays (1983 – present) according to the folks at Entertainment Weekly:

1. Angels in America (1993-94)

2. Rent (1996)

3. August: Osage County (2007)

4. Doubt (2004)

5. Jersey Boys (2005)

6. Fences (1987)

7. Glengarry Glen Ross (1984)

8. Avenue Q (2003)

9. The Heidi Chronicles (1988)

10. The Producers (2001)

11. The Coast of Utopia (2006-07)

12. The Phantom of the Opera (1987)

13. The Lion King (1997)

14. Frost/Nixon (2007)

15. Les Misérables (1987)

16. Wicked (2003)

17. Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (1987)

18. Elaine Stritch at Liberty (2001)

19. Six Degrees of Separation (1990)

20. Three Days of Rain (1997)

21. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (1998)

22. Into the Woods (1987)

23. M. Butterfly (1988)

24. Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk (1995)

25. Falsettos (1992)

26. Dinner With Friends (1999)

27. La Cage aux Folles (1983)

28. Speed-the-Plow (1988)

29. The Piano Lesson (1990)

30. City of Angels (1989)

31. Three Tall Women (1994)

32. Prelude to a Kiss (1990)

33. Hairspray (2002)

34. Brighton Beach Memoirs (1983)

35. Stomp (1994)

36. The Substance of Fire (1991)

37. This Is Our Youth (1996)

38. Noises Off (1983)

39. Grey Gardens (2006)

40. Fires in the Mirror (1992)

41. Cirque du Soleil: O (1998)

42. subUrbia (1994)

43. Spring Awakening (2006)

44. Wit (1998)

45. Sunday in the Park With George (1984)

46. Rabbit Hole (2006)

47. Burn This (1987)

48. Fool for Love (1983)

49. Topdog/Underdog (2001)

50. Chess (1988)

On the whole, I think it’s a pretty good list.  But I’m going to take issue with a couple of things. 

First of all, I think they tend to give higher ratings to shows which are more current and haven’t stood the test of time (even the short time).  For example, Frost/Nixon and Jersey Boys probably deserve to be on this list, but at numbers 14 and 5, respectively?  No, I don’t think so.  Same perhaps with Coast of Utopia.  (I would agree with the placement of August: Osage County at #3, but I think Spring Awakening (#43) got reemed a bit).

Secondly, while I agree with the top four (and in that order, too!), I think several shows got screwed.  Spring Awakening (as I’ve already mentioned) and Burn This (#47).

Also, there are at least two shows on the list which shouldn’t be there at all: Stomp (#35) and Cirque du Soleil: O (#41).  Sorry, but if there’s no acting, it’s not theater.  It’s dance, it’s circus, it’s an entertainment piece, but it’s not theatre.  Oh, and same with the Elaine Stritch show (#18).  That’s a concert, people.  And Speed The Plow wasn’t a classic, even a new one.

Why isn’t Cats on the list?  It’s a shitty show, but it is undeniably a classic.  Well, that’s because it opened in 1982.  (I also thought Amadeus should be on the list, but it turns out that was 1981, and Little Shop of Horrors was 1982).  No, I don’t think they overlooked anything major (maybe… maybe Spamalot).

Finally, anybody other than me note the conspicuous absence of Disney musicals on the list, save for The Lion King?  You know why that is?  Because they suck (save for The Lion King).  Just my two cents. 

Feel free to weigh in….