2011 in theatre

With 2011 nearly over I started to reflect on what I saw in the last 12 months.

By the end of next week I will have spent around 120 evenings/afternoons (yeah I have no other life) at a theatre in either Germany or the UK (wow, though I did not manage to see one show in Austria or Switzerland this year which is strange) seeing some for me new shows (Curtains, Man Of La Mancha, 110 In The Shades etc.), seen some older ones I hadn't seen for a while (Cats) or just went to the familiar ones I see on a regular basis. But what were my favourite shows/moments (as it is sometimes not really the show but something special in/about it) and what were my, well let's call them, not favourites.

My Favourite Moments (in no particular order but no 1 IS no 1:

01.	Matilda the musical. Best musical of 2011. Period.
02.	Villa Sonnenschein shows in Jan to March especially the second last one but the last. Special show, special cast, special memories close to my heart and Jan Radermacher. ;)
03.	Both Drew McOnie and Dane Quixall as Mr Mistoffelees in Cats, German tour/Hamburg/Berlin - MAGIC! ;) Cats itself has never really been "my" show (it is not that I hate it, I can enjoy it for what it is but that's it) and I certainly went OTT with seeing it (there were extraordinary circumstances anyway during these months) but there were people in the show making this special for me.
04.	"Der Diener Zweier Herren", Jahrmarkttheater. Open air theatre in a tiny village called Wettenbostel near the Lüneburg heath. I hadn't known what to expect. Just wanted to go as some wonderful performers were in play but it turned out to be a most magnificent evening.
05.	Der Räuber Hotzenplotz musical. Never thought that boring uninteresting kids story from 60s could be such a FUN!
06.	Oliver! final night in London. Miss "my" resident choreographer. :'(
07.	TfN's production of "Little Shop Of Horrors". Well, actually any memory of my beloved TfN MusicalCompany. ;)
08.	Jens Krause cabaret in October.
09.	Amigas at the Thalia Theater
10.	Thrill Me - seeing Jye Frasca whose career and development from a "simple" dancer to a versatile performer I have followed for so many years in this moving musical was just wonderful.
11.	Guys & Dolls at the Oper Hannover. Amazing production of a wonderful musical.
12.	Pippin at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Yes, it is like marmite, you will either love or hate it but I LOVED it.

My Not Favourite Moments:

01.	Ghost musical in London. Maybe my expectations were too high or something else but for me after all the hype this show was the biggest disappointment.
02.	Anatevka in Lübeck. Dull, duller, the dullest.
03.	La Cage Aux Folles in Lüneburg. When casting goes wrong.
04.	Volles Programm at the Schmidt Theatre - utter vulgar rubbish.
05.	Rent Ettlingen. Even a mainly fantastic show cannot save this for me. Rent is just not "my" show.
06.	Phantom Of The Opera gala. This is not the musical but a gala style concert combining the various versions of the story plus some bit of "Love Never Dies".
07.	Jekyll & Hyde at the Schleswig-Holstein Landestheater. I am not a fan of that show at all, but this production was just dire.
08.	20th Anniversary gala at the Schmidts Tivoli - it was not bad but it could have been so much better. The variety was poor and so much time was wasted by Corny Littmann on utterly boring chit chat about subjects which do not belong on a stage. Oh, and the jokes about premieres and guests who attended the last one. Maybe they are just inviting zzzzzz celebs to the first nights to make jokes about them?? Oh yeah, if you haven't figured it out yet but I feel STRONGLY about these two Schmidt theatres and it hurts to see what they have turned into since my first visit 19 years ago.