A critic's choice(s)

Jay Handelman’s picks for the most memorable shows and performances from the 2007-2008 theater season:

Musicals:

“A Tale of Two Cities,” Asolo Repertory Theatre

“Jekyll & Hyde,” Players theatre

“Grand Hotel,” Players theatre

“Chicago,” Golden Apple Dinner Theatre

“Urinetown,” Venice Theatre

“Candide,” Players Theatre

“Working,” Asolo Repertory Theatre

“Always... Patsy Cline,” Florida Studio Theatre

“The Musical of Musical, the Musicals,” Golden Apple Dinner theatre

Plays:

“Murder by Poe,” FSU/Asolo Conservatory

“Doubt,” Asolo repertory Theatre

“In the Belly of the Beast,” Florida Studio Theatre Stage III

“Underneath the Lintel,” Florida Studio Theatre Stage III

“Equus,” Asolo Repertory Theatre

“The Pillowman,” Venice Theatre Stage II

“By the Bog of Cats,” Venice Theatre Stage II

“True West,” Banyan Theater Company

“The Clean House,” Banyan Theater Company

Memorable Performances

Among many others, I will long recall:

James Barbour as Sydney Carton, “A Tale of Two Cities”

Natalie Toro as Madame Defarge, “A Tale of Two Cities”

Sharon Scruggs in “The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead,” Asolo Repertory Theatre

Juan Javier Cardenas as Alan Strang in “Equus,” Asolo Repertory Theatre.

Joey Panek as Ché in “Evita,” Golden Apple Dinner theatre

David Sitler as Jack Henry Abbott, “In the Belly of the Beast,” Florida Studio theatre Stage III

Chip Fisher as Otto and Steve Dawson as the Baron in “Grand Hotel” at the Players Theatre

R. Ward Duffy and Eric Hissom as brothers in “True West” at the Banyan Theater Company

Ken Basque as Tata in “Ragtime” at the Manatee Players

Randy Danson as Sister Aloysius and Paul Molnar as Father Flynn in “Doubt” at the Asolo Repertory Theatre

Jeremy Heideman as Katurian in “The Pillowman” at Venice Theatre Stage II,.

Catherine Randazzo as Fanny Brice in “Funny Girl” at the Golden Apple Dinner Theatre