Culture We Loved in 2024

The Made team takes in a lot of art, pop culture, and live performances throughout the year - that's why we love working with our clients to bring these experiences to audiences around the world.

We asked everyone to choose their favorites for 2024, and they delivered.

Cats: The Jellicle Ball at PACNYC

Having been occasionally described as an art elitist, Cats has been, to me, always the butt of a joke. A nonsensical mainstream musical, or an even more nonsensical mainstream film. Reimagining (while staying totally faithful to) this show through the lens of Ballroom Culture not only made the show perfectly sensible (or as sensible as jellicle can be), it made it one of the best pieces of performed art I've ever experienced.

Chris Tusciuk, Product Owner (Tessitura Integration)

The Years at the Almeida Theatre

Over the summer, I saw The Years at the Almeida Theatre, and it was a standout piece of theatre. It’s based on Annie Ernaux’s book and follows one woman’s life from the 1940s to the 2000s, telling her personal story against the big social changes of the twentieth century. The way that five actresses played the same character at different stages of her life made the show raw, funny, and incredibly powerful — it was one of those productions that stays with you for a long time.

If you get the chance, catch the West End transfer in January. 

James Baggaley, CEO

The Onion buying Infowars*

Do I even have to explain? It sounds like an Onion article.

* Note from Made Elf: sadly, The Onion's purchase of Infowars was stalled after Hiren sent in this submission - keep an eye on the news to see if they're able to complete the purchase.

Hiren Patel, Principal Developer

My Brilliant Career at Melbourne Theatre Company

My Brilliant Career is a captivating musical at Melbourne Theatre Company that combines wit, humour, and an outstanding soundtrack. I was thoroughly impressed by the talented ensemble of actor-musicians, whose performances were nothing short of brilliant. The adaptation of the story is particularly noteworthy, as it skillfully modernises the narrative, making it resonate deeply with today’s audiences.

 Karan Mahay, Director of Client Operations & Production

Smashing Pumpkins concert

I was introduced to Smashing Pumpkins by my cousin when I was a teenager. After much deliberation I decided to go see them when they came to Birmingham this year. I was pleasantly surprised by their performance and how good they were live. I was completely blown away by their lighting setup. The best I've seen so far in a live gig.

Mahendra Rai, Lead Developer

Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club (The Playhouse Theatre, London)

From the immersive pre-show environment, to the cast and musicians, to the staging and costume, everything about this show was spectacular!

Rachel Arundel, Studio Manager

Janet Planet

Annie Baker is one of my favorite playwrights, and her first movie Janet Planet is a beautifully intimate coming of age story that has stuck with me for months. This movie reminds you how it feels to be 11, when you want to start exploring the world on your own but still crave the attention of your family; the girl at the center of the story slowly learns that her luminous mother isn't perfect, but she is wonderful. 

It made me want to move to western Mass for the summer and build giant puppets - maybe I'll see you there.

 Krystle Kline, Marketing & Engagement Lead 

Birmingham Opera Company’s staging of Tippett’s New Year

Whilst English National Opera makes a fuss about relocating to Manchester, it’s worth remembering that Birmingham Opera Company has always done things differently - one massive, community-involved production per year, staged in unexpected venues across the city.

As a Brummie who’d heard the legends of BOC’s previous productions but never managed to make it to one (shame on me), watching my city take this rarely-performed piece and turn it into a community celebration was something special. BOC’s staging of Michael Tippett’s New Year was a sci-fi fever dream that looked like Blake’s 7 had crashed into a building site.

The genius of this absolutely bonkers production lay in how it embraced both its ’80s origins and its futuristic vision. Tippett threw everything into this opera: dystopian futures, gritty social commentary, street slang, and an electric guitar in the orchestra pit. Under Keith Warner’s direction, the Dream Tent at Smithfield became a retro-futuristic playground.

The immersive staging meant you never quite knew where to look - one minute you’re watching a scene that could’ve been lifted straight from a 1980s community center, the next you’re surrounded by something that wouldn’t look out of place on a vintage episode of Doctor Who. The production took Tippett’s strange fusion of sci-fi elements and kitchen-sink realism and cranked it up to eleven.

What made this even more remarkable was how they managed to make this complicated, frankly bizarre piece of experimental opera feel like a proper people’s show. The production wasn’t afraid to lean into either the high-art aspects or the more outlandish elements - this was serious art that didn’t take itself too seriously.

Jake Grimley, Chair/Co-Founder

"The Sign" episode of Bluey

I cried about cartoon dogs. My children loved it. Truly one of Australia's great contributions to culture.

Andrew Shuttleworth Fowler, Director of Growth & Marketing

Linkin Park's comeback

I love the band and [new lead singer] Emily rocks! 

Jonathan Ross, Junior DevOps Engineer

Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre

Earlier this year, I caught Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre, and it was an absolute riot. I walked home thinking the show was created by AI specifically for me: it retold a (now) famous piece of intelligence history from WW2 and turned it into a hilarious and brilliantly executed piece of musical theatre. The music is catchy, the script is spot-on, and the cast’s quick character changes are impressive. I wasn't at all surprised when the show won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical. With its transfer to Broadway in February, I highly recommend catching it if you’re in New York. 

James Baggaley, CEO

Timeless, Kaytranada's 3rd studio album  

Makes gym sessions seem 2x shorter and always brightens my mood, although it brings out some questionable dance moves.

Darren Stait, DevOps Engineer

Mark Strong and Lesley Manville eating up the stage in Oedipus

I've been living in London for a few years now, and for some reason this was the year I really leaned into taking in as much West End theater as possible. As a result, I've seen some really awful things and some really mid things -- and a few outstanding things, but everything pales in comparison to the 90 mesmerizing minutes I spent at Wyndham's Theatre seeing Robert Icke's thoroughly modern take on Sophocles' timeless Oedipus on a wet Monday evening with 800 other theatergoers. No one rustled their crisp packets, no one coughed or even moved a muscle: It was electric and stunning and the kind of theatrical experience you dream of experiencing and rarely ever do.

One moment in particular lives rent-free in my brain: Mark Strong and Lesley Manville as the impossibly doomed Oedipus and Jocasta have incredible chemistry, and their physicality just sizzles throughout. But when they collapse to the floor in a terrifying embrace after the play's big reveal and slither away from each other across the floor like the most incredibly graceful and sorrowful primordial creatures, he clings to her leg, then ankle, then foot in a moment that can kind of only be described as the best moment of choreography in any context that I've seen this year.

Michaela Drapes, Director of Strategy & Consulting

Helen Pickett's "Petal" at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre

While I had the pleasure of attending many Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre performances this year, "Petal" is the one that keeps coming back to me. Described as “a barely contained riot of wildflowers,” this piece was a burst of energy and color that had me utterly mesmerized--from the music, to the choreography, to the collective experience it created.

Choreographer Helen Pickett said of this piece, “I feel it is my responsibility as a choreographer to cultivate an atmosphere that not only nurtures connection, but also incites contribution and collaboration. Within this space, who we are, rather than who we should be emerges, and we bloom.”

"Petal" embodies everything I love about the performing arts: it was an invitation to step into the vibrant, dynamic, and personal.

Phoebe Orr, Digital Producer

Die Frau Ohne Schatten at the Met Opera

My fave is also my most recent: seeing Die Frau Ohne Schatten at the Met Opera. There was so much to enjoy about this one--it hasn't been seen at the Met in quite a while, and it's one of Strauss's collaborations with Hugo von Hoffmansthal, arguably his most successful creative partnership. It was seen by both composer and librettist as the heir to one of my other favorite operas, Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, and it also feels a bit like Sondheim's Into the Woods in a weird way--Hoffmansthal stole liberally from other sources like 1,001 Arabian Nights and Grimm's Fairy Tales. The Met's current production is also a visual riot--the spiritual realm is a stage completely surrounded by mirrors, while the human world rises from the pit to reveal a gritty dyer's workshop. All of these things, coupled with Strauss's sumptuous late-German Romantic score made the over 4 hours run time absolutely fly by. It's just the kind of escapist art that I need right now.

Grayson Price-Dairanieh, Head of Digital Producing

Kraftwerk at the Walt Disney Concert Hall

In May, I had the surreal experience of seeing Kraftwerk live at the Walt Disney Concert Hall — thanks to our friends at the LA Phil. It’s not every day you get to see the pioneers of electronic music perform in one of the most acoustically perfect venues in the world.

The whole night felt like stepping into the future while celebrating the past. The visuals were mind-bending, perfectly synced to their iconic, pulsating beats. It wasn’t just a gig; it was an experience. We walked away buzzing with gratitude for this incredible, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

James Baggaley, CEO

Oh, Mary! on Broadway

If you've ever asked yourself, "Self, what if Mary Todd Lincoln were an alcoholic aspiring cabaret singer and Abe were gay?," Oh, Mary! is for you. Every detail is calibrated for maximum silliness, from Cole Escola's slapstick lead performance to the bouncy, swinging curls on their wig. I couldn't stop laughing at all the blissfully stupid running gags that were packed into the show, and I hope this opens the door for more dumb queer comedy on Broadway in the future.

Krystle Kline, Marketing & Engagement Lead

The Onion's return to print

Three of my favorite things are newspapers, jokes, and insightful social commentary. I've loved The Onion since I was a kid. I think it's only gotten better and more relevant over the years, and it truly brings me joy that it's returned to print.

Andrew Shuttleworth Fowler, Director of Growth & Marketing