40. "Eugene Onegin" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

I was lucky (and smart enough) to buy tickets for "Onegin" a few months ago when only a handful were still remaining, and I was glad that I did. Arguably, this opera is Tchiakovsky's finest. The tunes swirl around you like waltzers at a ball, and Tatijana's theme grabs at your heart in the same way that Mozart's clarinet concerto will always make you think of "Out of Africa." But in "Onegin," there are plenty of gorgeous arias. In this minimalist staging by Robert Carsen, the focus is on the music and the acting. Tatiana's letter scene isn't just a long aria for a soprano, it's a dramatic soliloquy by a young girl who has awakened to the joys of teenage love and submits to it without care or consequence. It is a joy to watch the 40-something Renee Fleming run in passionate circles onstage, throwing fallen leaves into the air with youthful abandon. And Gergiev's conducting, while unpredictable, is nothing short of perfect.

For those readers who aren't in New York, the Met will be broadcasting "Onegin" into movie theaters Feb. 24 and on PBS in April.

39. "Follies" by Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman

Was this a perfect "Follies"? No. Was it an entertaining one? Yes. The highlights for me were of course Victoria Clark and Donna Murphy, both who brought new insights to their characters. It was the first time I'd seen Sally as a bit of a selfish doozy and the first Phyllis for whom I had any compassion. Victor Garber was cold and steely as Benjamin. But the low points for me were Christine Baranski, who massacred "I'm Still Here" and the Solange of Yvonne Constant, who just talked her way through "Ah, Paris!" without any flirtatious charm. Oh, and one more thing: I want to see Joanne Worley as Auntie Mame.

38. "Howard Katz" by Patrick Marber

While I disagree with Aaron and Patrick's assessments of "Howard Katz," I do acknowledge the points they make about this play's faults. But despite them, I was blown away by this tale about a man who, after his father's death, makes a string of bad decisions that eventually lead to his downfall. Alfred Molina is superb and he's supported by a cast of pros, including the perfectly cast Alvin Epstein and the graceful Elizabeth Franz.

37. "Journey's End" by R. C. Sherriff

While it doesn't hit all the marks that the Shaw Festival production did in 2005, this is still an excellent revival of Sherriff's World War I drama that first premiered in 1928. Director David Grindley manages to convey an intimacy that I was doubtful could exist in the cavernous Belasco, mostly by extracting great performances from Jefferson Mays, Boyd Gaines, and Hugh Dancy.

36. "Every Day Above Ground" by SaBooge Theatre

Though this young theater company (which defines itself as a "devised-theater collective") based this performance on Michael Ondaatje's "Collected Works of Billy the Kid," somewhere along the way it lost a sense of focus. The overplayed performances made the characters seem like carnival freak show attractions. Was there a story in there somewhere? I don't know... the onstage antics made it all undecipherable. One plus, though: The stage imagery was haunting, thanks to the lighting tricks and set design by Simon Harding, who evoked the Wild West with a gritty loneliness.

35. "25 Questions for a Jewish Mother" by Kate Moira Ryan and Judy Gold

What I love most about Judy Gold is that she's loud. And in one bit, she likens herself to Anne Frank. This intimate exploration of Jewish mothers is rip-roaringly funny, but despite that, a number of people got up and left during the performance. I noticed that these quiet departures seemed to coincide with the moments when Judy talks about the Holocaust and its survivors. Hmmm... sometimes you have to take the good with the bad.

34. "The Jew of Malta" by Christopher Marlowe

How do you make a 400-year old play about a wealthy conniving murderer who happens to be Jewish seem not so offensive? Play it up, of course! And that's just what director David Herskovits did in his companion production to the Theater for a New Audience's "Merchant of Venice" so (heavily) handled by Darko Tresnjak (love that name!). Yes, this "Jew of Malta" is in some ways quite the opposite of "Merchant" … it's a period production, and it never once aims for the high road. The cast (same actors as "Merchant") crank the comedy knob way past Farce and aim for something in the danger zone. I laughed my ass off, but unfortunately I was easily heard over the (mostly) silent audience.

33. "Death in Venice" by The Hamburg Ballet

I'm usually against artists who appropriate the work of others. Case in point, an entire ballet score that's an amalgam of pieces written by three different composers who never intended their work for that purpose. But in John Neumeier's spectacular staging of "Death in Venice," based on the novel by Thomas Mann, it actually works. Had he decided to set his finale pas de deux to the original orchestration of the Liebstod from "Tristan und Isolde," it would've been borderline ridiculous… but the Liszt orchestration for piano made it all the more effective. And the decision to set a death dance to Jethro Tull's "Bourrée," a re-working of a piece by Bach, was nothing short of genius. And of course, there are the corps of boys cavorting in swimsuits. Ah, aesthetics…

32. "The Merchant of Venice" by William Shakespeare

A modern dress production of "The Merchant of Venice" just might be what it takes to point out that the times really haven't changed and that the Jews still are money hungry revenge seekers… oops, I mean…that racism still is rampant in the world, especially in the realm of business. Oy. People hate other people. Race just makes it easier. While the ensemble turns in a satisfactory performance, F. Murray Abraham rises above the status quo and delivers a heartfelt Shylock. And it's fun to watch him fumble with a cell phone.

31. "Salvage" by Tom Stoppard

Finally, the trilogy is complete. Jack O'Brien has accomplished the feat of his career with these three productions. Tony's® all around. Thank you, Mr. Stoppard, for your genius and your artistry. There's more to be said, especially in response to Charles Isherwood's ignorant piece in Arts & Leisure this past weekend, but I've run out of patience. It's too bad people are afraid of theater that asks them to watch with a discerning eye and a hungry mind.

UPDATE: Still can't stop thinking about "Coast of Utopia." Now having seen all three parts, I want to go back and see them all in one shot. Does anyone have an extra marathon ticket?

30. "Mr. Fabulous" by Bill Russell

This was a staged reading of a play with music that the York Theater is planning to produce later this season. Following its previous successes "Thrill Me" and "Souvenir," the York is preparing another two character show. "Mr. Fabulous" is a thinly veiled biographical musical play about a flamboyant closeted gay showman who wears flashy garments and plays classical piano at a casino in Vegas. There's even a reference to a piano-shaped pool. Hmmm... who could that possibly be? I'm guessing that Mr. Russell couldn't secure the rights to use Liberace's name in the show, especially since he paints him as a hypocritical freakshow. The actor playing the Liberace character does a good impersonation and can play the piano quite well, and the beefcake love interest will attract the show's target audience, especially if the bit of skin he bares is featured in the marketing campaign. A favorite line: "We all have burdens to bear. Mine just happen to sparkle!"

29. Kit and the Widow

Imagine Tom Lehrer and Noel Coward doing a show together and you'll have a decent understanding of Kit and the Widow. Their appearance at Joe's Pub ("the performance mecca for Londoners"), was met by a smattering of the elderly and homosexuals, some of who fit into both groups. While the comedy is a bit dry — it is British after all — there's nothing like hearing a performer say to an audience member after a sing-along: "You have quite a useful baritone, madam." Highlight: a musical jab at Joan Rivers in "Old Woman Rivers," sung to the tune of the Kern and Hammerstein classic. The coup de théâtre was the finalé, a cue-card performance of "Nessun dorma" sung in Punjabi. Their version of the language, however, was a mish-mash of menu items from an Indian restaurant. Who knew Vindaloo could easily stand-in for "Vincero!" ?

28. "Company" by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth

My second trip to John Doyle's imaginative staging of the 70s era musical comedy of sexual manners was a treat, mostly because it was a special Actor's Fund performance, which means that the audience was highly enthusiastic and appreciatve. Raul Esparza never ceases to amaze me. His renditions of "Marry Me A Little" and "Being Alive" brought rounds of tears and his subdued, complacent Bobby made perfect sense. The ensemble has really tightened since the early preview I saw. Nevermind the Superbowl when there are moments like these.

27. "A Spanish Play" by Yasmina Reza

This is a play about actors performing a play about actors performing ... so let's talk about the acting. When John Turturro directs, I have come to expect a certain sophisticated styling that teases out each actor's innate gifts. Of course, every actor brings to the table his or her strengths as well as weaknesses. And that's exactly what you see in a Turturro production: flaws and all. This is not always a good thing. A good director would help his cast find a unifying tone for each collaboration, help his actors cut away the fat and concentrate on telling a good story in a compelling way. Fortunately for us (and for Mr. Turturro), his cast is made up of some of the finest actors around, specifically Zoe Caldwell and Linda Emond. But unfortunately, Dennis O'Hare is also in the cast and he is permitted to perform his role in that epileptic style that worked well in "Take Me Out," but here just doesn't, and Larry Pine lectures his lines in bulletpoint succession. But, I do want to see the lovely Katherine Borowitz in something else very soon. A better play, perhaps? Note to Reza: Pirandello already wrote it.

26. "Evil Dead: The Musical" by George Reinblatt, Frank Cipolla, Christopher Bond, and Melissa Morris

It was one of those nights that will go down in cult horror history. Or maybe, it'll just go down as an example of what is so thrilling about the erratic possiblity of live theater. On this particular night, the understudy was on for the role of Shelly, the younger sister, who is usually portrayed/overplayed by Renee Klapmeyer (to an annoying degree). About 25 minutes into Act I, the understudy twisted her ankle while being molested by the trees. Finally, after a 30-minute impromptu intermission, it was announced that the male understudy, emboldened with "the show must go on!" fervor, would continue in the role of Shelly. Just when I thought this high camp horror bloodshower couldn't get any campier…

25. "The Vertical Hour" by David Hare

I almost passed this one by after reading the disappointing notices about Julianne Moore. But I'm sure as hell glad I didn't listen to the critics, otherwise I would have missed two great performances. Bill Nighy is sparkling and charming and Julianne shows that she does have a refined skill for live performance, though she is playing a character unlike her usual roles for the mechanical media. And though David Bell has already stated his thoughts on Dan Bittner here, I am adding this photo of him to remind you, dear reader, of how pretty he is. Oh, and the play itself? It's pretty good.