2007 Wrap-Up: Top Performances

1. Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon
This Tony Award-winning performance captured the essence of disgraced President Richard Nixon without resorting to parody—a hugely difficult task, but Langella, who doesn't resemble Nixon in real life, made it look easy. Paired with a strong acting partner in Michael Sheen as interviewer David Frost and a crackerjack script by Peter Morgan, Langella established Nixon as a surprisingly sympathetic presence. In quick shifts from awkward small talk including a priceless exchange in which Nixon admires Frost's loafers to high-stakes "on-camera" re-creations of the pair's televised interviews, Langella proved riveting at every turn.

2. Audra McDonald in 110 in the Shade
The luminous Ms. McDonald found a perfect match for her immense talent in the role of Lizzie Curry, a no-nonsense heroine who blooms before the audience's eyes after falling in love with con man "rainmaker" Bill Starbuck. 110's score gave McDonald the opportunity to express a huge range of feelings in song, from teasing "Raunchy" to a defiance "Old Maid" to heartbreak "Simple Little Things". The star's gorgeous soprano and innate honesty brought depth to this revival of a show that rises or falls on the strength of the leading lady. As always, she proved thrilling to watch.

3. Fantasia in The Color Purple
That old cliché "born to play the role" found new truth when the American Idol champion assumed the role of Celie in the Broadway musical version of Alice Walker's novel. But Fantasia exceeded all expectations by pouring her heart and pipes into the show's long-suffering—but ultimately triumphant—leading character. Critics and audiences raved about Fantasia's willingness to give her all emotionally, which viewers of the Tony Awards telecast glimpsed when she performed Celie's show-stopping anthem "I'm Here" at Radio City. All in all, it was a Broadway debut performance to cherish.

4. Kevin Kline in Cyrano de Bergerac
In a welcome return to Broadway, classical actor extraordinaire Kline delivered a beautifully realized performance as the swashbuckling romantic hero with the giant nose, a fitting expansion of his memorable star turn 27 years ago in The Pirates of Penzance. It's not for nothing that Jennifer Garner's Roxane swooned at Cyrano's words of love, spoken by Kline in the guise of handsome-but-tongue-tied Christian. Who on earth wouldn't?! The starry couple's last scene, when Kline reveals his character's love during a final visit with Roxane, reminded audiences why Cyrano de Bergerac exerts such a powerful pull when the right actor dons the nose.

5. Liev Schreiber in Talk Radio
Schreiber's silky voice and riveting stage presence infused his portrayal of radio host Barry Champlain in Eric Bogosian's demanding play. Glued to a studio chair for most of the action, Schreiber nevertheless commanded the stage as a man in danger of blowing a gasket at any moment. His testy exchanges with callers who didn't meet Barry's standards for quickness and smarts—and the progression of Schreiber's performance, in essence a nervous breakdown brought to life—reminded audiences why he is considered one of the finest stage actors of his generation.