In the mix

PETER SCHNEIDER

Former head of Disney Studios and its theatrical production wing; now co-producing and directing the new musical “Sister Act,” scheduled for Pasadena Playhouse next fall

When I go to the theater I want to be surprised and moved. The musical “Billy Elliot” in London did all of that for me. I was very moved by it, and [director] Stephen Daldry did an extraordinary job of creating the visual images.

“Doctor Atomic” in San Francisco was another striking and surprising event. I was very moved by John Adams’ music and also by what [librettist and director] Peter Sellars attempted to do with the story. It has an important message: What is our responsibility when we invent things that have a massive impact on the world?

Nothing I saw in Los Angeles would qualify as the best or the worst, but the best performance I saw in Los Angeles was Pamela Gray as the hooker in “Dead End” at the Ahmanson. That was an extraordinary star turn.

Probably the worst show I saw was the Broadway musical “In My Life.” No one sets out to make a failure, but the fundamental idea here did not lend itself to the making of a musical.

*

CAMRYN MANHEIM

Actress

I loved “The Drowsy Chaperone” at the Ahmanson. I thought it was unique and charming and ironic and cheeky. It can be experienced on two levels. My [4-year-old] son loved the silly musical; I loved the commentary on the silly musical. Given the global climate, sometimes I want to get swept away, and that’s what happened.

I liked “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” on Broadway for much the same reason. It was fascinating and funny; it involved the audience. It was a departure from other musicals.

“Acts of Desire,” at the Fountain Theatre, is so amazing. It’s about women we rarely hear from and the profound issues they deal with. It’s so rare to see a play about women’s issues in the Middle East. I loved it.

*

JOHN GLORE

Associate artistic director, South Coast Repertory; former dramaturge,

Center Theatre Group

Heather Raffo’s “Nine Parts of Desire” easily overcame the pitfalls of the one-person format. The script [about women in Iraq] honors the complexity of the situation. It’s not a knee-jerk response. And her performance lifts it several levels above what’s on the page.

I adored “She Stoops to Comedy” at the Evidence Room. It was both hilariously funny but also quite moving at times. Although I’m not necessarily a fan of postmodernism, [playwright] David Greenspan made stunningly good use of postmodern structural technique. [Actors] John Fleck and Shannon Holt were quite wonderful.

Cornerstone Theater’s “A Long Bridge Over Deep Waters” at the Ford was a highlight of the year. On paper, it sounded like it shouldn’t fly, but it did. It worked as a culmination of Cornerstone’s faith-based cycle of plays and as a culmination of Bill Rauch’s work as Cornerstone’s artistic director. The honesty with which they deal with the issues is quite effective.