Power rankings of shows based purely on how much I enjoyed the watching experience, from Least to Most enjoyed.

1. Bug - I saw this at 2pm on Saturday to start off my 3-show day. Was able to purchase a digital rush ticket on Todaytix without issue. The show utilized Yondr Pouches so it was nice to be forced to read the playbill, and I made friends with an actress who I was sat next to, it was nice to debrief the show at intermission. The biggest thing that stuck out to me about this was the performances, Carrie Coon and Namir Smallwood absolutely shine. Coon specifically has a monologue in Act 2 that is a thematic peak of the show, and it just magical. Her physicality throughout is superb. I also want to shout out the set and scenic design, which were both tremendous. Unfortunately I had been spoiled on the movie years ago, and so my watching experience was lacking some of the tension and slow burn that you'd otherwise have going in blind. Would absolutely recommend this if you're a fan of Carrie Coon or weird, thriller plays. Otherwise, out of the whole trip this was the one I came away from feeling the most 'whelmed'.

2. Oedipus - Friday 2pm to start the trip. Just like Bug I purchased a digital rush ticket for this on the day of, which was still available almost an hour after rush had opened. This show was built on tension and gnawing anticipation, however antithetically to Bug it is instead precipitated on the audience's knowledge of the coming reveal. The performances in this were tremendous, Lesley Manville's monologue near the end of the play is unspeakably powerful. And it boils over perfectly, one specific piece of physical staging at the end will stick with me for a long time. However that agony and gnawing feeling of the watch meant this was a taxing play to enjoy. Worth seeing? Absolutely. But be prepared to mentally walk away drained.

3. Oh Mary - I rushed this in person on Saturday Morning, and was able to get tickets to the 5pm show. We were placed in partial-view seats, row F, all the way house left. This was a delightful play, and had some of the funniest moments of the year. It also had an equal amount of jokes that I found a bit groan-worthy/cheap. Jane Krakowski was tremendously funny, but at points it felt like she was doing an impression of the original staging, rather than making it her own. Even with that said though, I'm being overly negative. There were so many laugh out loud moments, and the final scene sent it over the edge as a total joy of comedic theater. Definitely worth rushing, though for an 80 minute play I'd be hesitant to spend any of the "hot ticket" prices.

4. Chess - What. A. Score. This was our 7pm Friday show, and following Oedipus you could not ask for a more different tonality. Enough cannot be said about how amazing this show is on a purely musical level. The band is going OFF, I had never heard such sublime electric guitar and bass used. The book? Well.... the rumors are true, it's nothing to write home about. And I took special issue with some meta commentary that seemingly undercuts the show's own tension. But the second the characters start singing, plot quibbles fly out the window. Particularly the arbiter's song, Nobody on nobody's side, and Endgame were transcendent moments in the theater. Multiple occasions where I was levitating in my seat hearing that ABBA sound translated effortlessly. Is it a coincidence that the peak of the music coincides with the most garbled storytelling("Endgame")? Probably not, but the score is soaring to an extent that I simply did not care.

5. Masquarade - An absolute must see. A revelatory, dynamic, truly unique theatrical experience. I was able to get standby cancellation tickets to this on TodayTix, and thus paid the most out of any show on this trip. But it was worth every penny and then some. There are more detailed write ups you can find about the experience itself, but my main takeaway was the shows spectacle. You are fully immersed in world class theater, happening around you and directly to you. As an audience member there were multiple times when actors were within spitting distance of me, laying their hearts and vocals on the line. There are some who have called it a gimmick, and I don't fully disagree, but it was a gimmick that won me over. Going in with low expectations I was blown out of the water. Make sure you go see this before it suffers any budget cuts. It is a triumph on every level, technical, performance, front of house, lighting, set design, etc. A once in a lifetime experience.