It helps that the production assembled a vibrant cast including Lincoln Clauss, Krystina Alabado, Kenneth Clark, and Perry Sherman - their voices rose above the heavy beats and the rumble of the crowd to let the intensely catchy score shine through. Perhaps that’s what made Burn All Night so resonant in a year where many of us struggled with the quandary of how to have fun when it feels like everything is falling apart. There was a sense of dread that underscored the proceedings, with vague doom lurking on the horizon, but the show was firmly committed to a good time. Audience members largely stood on the dance floor, moving around the characters as they performed synth-pop bangers and pondered an uncertain future. The score, with lyrics by Andy Mientus and music by Van Hughes, Nicholas LaGrasta, and Brett Moses, fits that vibe. And Burn All Night is a party - American Repertory Theater’s production of the new musical was staged like a club. The pleasant surprise of Burn All Night is how fun it makes the apocalypse seem: If everything’s going to end, now is the time to party with abandon.

It was hard not to think about the end of the world in 2017.

There are moments of humor and pathos throughout, with standout performances led by breakthrough star Katrina Lenk, culminating in a breathtaking final number, “Answer Me,” that catches you off-guard by wringing tears you didn’t even realize were building. David Yazbek’s gorgeous score underlines the largely unspoken emotional core of the musical - this is a story about longing, and the constant search for connection. Itamar Moses’ book, based on the 2007 film, is admirably restrained as it delves into the lives of two groups of people whose paths would never cross if not for one serendipitous mistake that brings them together. The show documents the unexpected collision between the residents of a small Israeli town and the members of an Egyptian band who find themselves stranded there overnight. My love for this stunning, deceptively profound piece of theater has only grown since I first saw it. The Band’s Visit isn’t just one of my top shows this year - it’s perhaps my favorite musical of the last decade. The off-Broadway production of The Band’s Visit made my list of the best theater of 2016 last December, and while I try to avoid repetition, I couldn’t imagine a list of the best theater of 2017 that didn’t include it.

Theater movies from 2017