Year in review: Best live local theater I saw in 2024

As the Arts & Culture Reporter, I saw a lot of live theater last year. There were some truly spectacular and mind-blowing performances coming out of our community this past year. I selfishly wanted another chance to talk about them. The shows are presented in the order in which I saw them. “Menopause the Musical,” Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre I’ll tell you a secret about this one. There’s a DVD of “Menopause the Musical” Beef & Boards produced 10ish years ago in our bookcase at the Indianapolis Recorder. We don’t have a DVD player, so there’s no way to watch it. It’s just something we’ve talked about. Despite not being anywhere near menopausal age, I was curious about the show, so I went to see it in January when it opened Beef & Boards 51st Anniversary season. As it turns out, “Menopause the Musical” is whimsical, funny and relatable. It’s the kind of show anyone can enjoy. Its quirky humor, innuendo and parody songs about night sweats, wrinkles and forgetfulness are what make the show so special. Glad I solved the mystery of that DVD. “Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer,” Indiana Repertory Theatre To have...