Cleanup in Aisle '06

Tied for third were the hilarious Karamu production of The Colored Museum and Great Lakes' A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Same Show, Different Show

Sometimes an old clodhopper can be reimagined as something that looks like the latest Manolo. The Play House did that with a thrilling My Fair Lady, directed by Amanda Dehnert and highlighted by a spare stage, grandstand seating instead of period furniture, and two pianos front and center. Top-flight portrayals of the professor and Eliza made it a captivating evening. And the Porthouse Theatre accomplished a similar transformation of Our Town, as director Matthew Earnest stripped it bare to reveal the script's throbbing humanity.

Same Show, Same Show
It isn't always necessary to rejigger a show to make it memorable. Beck's straight-ahead production of The Diary of Anne Frank was immensely powerful, thanks to the sensitive direction of Sarah May and some dazzling performances. There are still some lingering goose bumps from the last scene, as the Gestapo invade their sanctuary.

Clean Up That Mess Now!
Animals are usually lovable, but the creatures in Dr. Dolittle at Playhouse Square were creepy, ungainly, and downright unfunny. As the doc, Tommy Tune was still lithe at 67, but the show was arthritic and drooling on itself.

Memorable Shows We Forgot to Remember
Mrs. Warren's Profession and Beauty and the Beast at Beck, Wicked at Playhouse Square Center, Intimate Apparel, Custody of the Eyes and Well at the Play House, Sorrows and Rejoicings at Ensemble, Dream on Monkey Mountain at Karamu, Pack of Lies at Cesear's Forum, Night Bloomers at Dobama, Much Ado About Nothing by the Ohio Shakespeare Festival at Stan Hywet Hall, and Dames at Sea at Porthouse.