Once a year, my weekly movie column yields to an annual salute of the best in local theater. This is that week. Movie fans shouldn't mind too much, since my top-10 movie list can be found on pages 8 and 9.

This year's list of stage hits is eclectic, ranging from farce to heavy drama, cabaret to children's theater, contemporary to classic.

The shows are listed in the order they opened. As usual, when I looked back over the 60-plus shows I was lucky enough to catch in 2011, I was surprised at what time made more memorable, and what faded as calendar pages flipped.

Here are my personal favorites:

"Distant Music," Brigit St. Brigit Theatre. The Brigit knows Irish, and James McLindon's witty script places three Irish descendants in a Cambridge, Mass., bar to talk about personal and moral dilemmas. Terrific acting from Kevin Barratt, Laura Leininger and Scott Kurz, plus standout lighting and scenic design, made this dramedy a keeper.

"The Misfits," Rose Theater. Playwright in residence Brian Guehring penned an exceptional adaptation of James Howe's novel for young people about stereotyping and bullying, as well as first crushes. Director Stephanie Jacobson's cast delivered great ensemble acting, and Christopher DePriest's innovative scenic design helped keep young audiences engrossed.

"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," Omaha Community Playhouse. Director Carl Beck's brilliantly cast show featured one show-stopping turn after another as middle school misfits and a few screwball adults obsessed over winning and losing. The year's best musical was also one of the year's funniest and most entertaining shows.

"The Year of Magical Thinking," Circle Theater. Nothing like a one-woman play to prove what an actress is made of. Barb Ross mixed backbone, brains and vulnerability in a delicately controlled performance as Joan Didion, who tells of losing her husband and only daughter in close succession. Daena Schweiger's careful direction didn't miss an emotional beat or hit a false note.

"Dark Play, or Stories for Boys," University of Nebraska at Omaha. This substantive exploration of Internet subterfuge and modern communication featured innovative lighting design by Steven L. Williams, strong direction from Amy Lane and a crack ensemble cast led by Bill Grennan, Steven Hartman and Olivia Saither. Thought-provoking collegiate drama.

"Three Tall Women," Blue Barn Theatre. The year's best show reteamed Pulitzer-winning playwright Edward Albee and director Susan Clement-Toberer for this riveting look at the arc of a woman's life. Albee's nod to his own mother felt personal in the hands of actresses Ruth Rath, Sonia Keffer and Kirstin Kluver. Costumes, lights, scenic design and sound were also a cut above. The run sold out, including several added shows.

"Tuesdays With Morrie," Playhouse. Bill Hutson and Chris Shonka, a college prof and his former student in real life, brought chemistry and credibility to this true-life story. Hutson's measured performance as a disease gradually robs him of life was matched by Shonka's portrayal of internal change. Carl Beck's staging was just about flawless.

"Smokey Joe's Cafe," Children's Respite Care Center. A cabaret based on the hit songs of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller reteamed director Gordon Cantiello, choreographer Patrick Roddy, music director Mark Kurtz and talented vocalists led by Tiffany White-Welchen and Kathy Tyree. This fundraiser for a worthy cause sizzled.

"Bug," Blue Barn Theatre. Pulitzer winner Tracy Letts' psycho-thriller made audiences squirm with its story of an abused cocktail waitress and a drifter who hook up and spiral down. Harrowing performances from Brian Zealand and Kim Gambino reflected a combination of mental illness, substance abuse and twitchy paranoia. A triumph from director Susan Clement-Toberer.

"Tartuffe," Brigit St. Brigit Theatre. Joslyn Castle's music room was the perfect setting for this classic Molière farce about religious hypocrisy. Director Cathy Kurz cast it perfectly as well. Laura Leininger as a cheeky maid and John Durbin as the title huckster led this crack ensemble, with beautiful period costumes by Lydia Dawson. Encore, please.

Honorable mention: Strong Playhouse musicals "Guys and Dolls" and "Chicago"; a beautifully staged and sung "The Sound of Music" at the Rose; F-Troupe Collaborative's harrowing hostage drama "Someone Who'll Watch Over Me"; an original drama about Omaha race relations, "My Occasion of Sin" at the Shelterbelt; "Girl's Room," a mother-daughter tale at Bellevue Little Theatre; "Flyin' West," homesteader history at the Playhouse; and Playhouse comedies "Becky's New Car" and "Steel Magnolias."