Most Americans will remember 2016 as the year of Donald Trump, but theater lovers will remember it as the year “Hamilton” took home 11 Tony Awards, including best musical.

While the historic production about one of America’s Founding Fathers dominated the headlines, it opened on Broadway in August 2015, so it is not eligible for top 10 consideration this year (although it was No. 1 on my 2015 list).

But a lot of great shows opened on and off-Broadway in 2016: exciting new work, fun revivals — and some that seem all too relevant to today’s times.

Let’s take a look at my top 10:

1. “Oslo” — How did the 1993 Middle East peace talks come to be held secretly in a castle in the middle of a forest outside Oslo, Norway? That is the tale told in this impressive new work by J.T. Rogers. Directed by Bartlett Sher, it’s a fascinating story — full of politics, humor, anger and frustration. Seeing the Palestinians and Israelis staring each other down before their initial talks is dramatic enough, but then the real tension kicks in as both sides try to work out the details. There is also a lot of discussion outside the talks, where the two sides try to get to know each other. The cast, including Tony winners Jefferson Mays and Jennifer Ehle, is incredible. The show played off-Broadway this summer at Lincoln Center, and it’s transferring to the Great White Way in April. Don’t miss it.

2. “Sweat” — Lynn Nottage gives us a sense of the anger working-class Americans felt for years prior to the presidential election with “Sweat.” The powerful show, which takes place in 2000 and 2008 in Reading, Pennsylvania, is the story of Tracey (Johanna Day), Jessie (Miriam Shor) and Cynthia (Michelle Wilson), a group of friends who have spent their lives sharing drinks, secrets and laughs while working together on the line of a factory floor. It’s also about Tracey’s son Jason (Will Pullen) and Cynthia’s son Chris (Khris Davis), who also work on the floor. “Sweat” played this fall at The Public Theater (it’s closing today) and is scheduled to open on Broadway in March.

3. “The Front Page” — Remember newspapers? Anyone? This classic by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur was last on Broadway 30 years ago. The three-act comedy about Chicago tabloid reporter Hildy Johnson (John Slattery), who is about to leave the business until a convicted cop killer escapes, is hilarious. The cast is full of stars: Nathan Lane as Hildy’s tyrannical editor Walter Burns; John Goodman as Sheriff Hartmann; Jefferson Mays (again!) as a hypochrondriac (he has a great scene with an umbrella); and Sherie Rene Scott as Mollie Malloy, a friend of the convict. This show is a tough ticket and you don’t have much time left to see as it is scheduled to close Jan. 29.

4. “Dear Evan Hansen” — I loved this show when I saw it last spring off-Broadway at Second Stage Theater. The emo-pop musical about a lonely teenager was receiving a lot of buzz then, and it has become one of the hottest tickets in town since its recent Broadway opening. Featuring a book by Steven Levenson, and songs by “La La Land” lyricists Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, “Hansen” features laughter and plenty of tears, soaring melodies, a brilliant scenic design and a message that teens and parents both will understand. It’s directed by Michael Greif, who also directed “Rent” and “Next to Normal.”

5. “Holiday Inn, The New Irving Berlin Musical” — “White Christmas,” “Blue Skies,” “Easter Parade,” “Cheek to Cheek” and more classics are featured in this fun Roundabout Theatre revival starring Bryce Pinkham, Corbin Bleu, Lora Lee Gayer, Megan Lawrence, Megan Sikora and lots of dancing boys and girls. The show takes about 15 or 20 minutes to get going, but then it’s nothing but bliss. “Heaven, I’m in heaven ... ”

6. “Sweet Charity” — The New Group’s revival of this classic musical (with a book by Neil Simon, music by Cy Coleman and lyrics by Dorothy Fields) is now playing at The Pershing Square Signature Center. It’s simply fabulous, featuring the dynamo that is two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster and Shuler Hensley as Oscar, a nice guy who Charity falls in love with. The rest of the cast is solid, and everyone makes good use of this small space. There is plenty of dancing and, um, “fun, laughs, good times.” As a result the show has been extended through Jan. 8.

7. “Indecent” — Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel’s newest work surprised me when I saw it off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre this summer. This deeply stirring play is inspired by the true events surrounding the controversial 1923 Broadway debut of Sholem Asch’s “God of Vengeance,” seen by some as a seminal work of Jewish culture and by others as an act of traitorous libel. “Indecent” creatively charts the history of the drama, and the path of the artists who risked their careers and lives to perform it. The show is scheduled to open April 18 on Broadway.

8. “The Humans” — Stephen Karam took home the Best Play for “The Humans” at this year’s Tony Awards, and deservedly so. The show takes place on Thanksgiving, and features realistic dialogue and strong acting from a solid ensemble (Reed Birney won Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play, and Jayne Houdyshell took home Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play). The ending is questionable, but it’s well-constructed and says a lot about family. It’s funny, touching, familiar, and a bit strange. The show closes Jan. 15.

9. “She Loves Me” — Roundabout Theatre’s charming revival of Joe Masteroff’s “She Loves Me” (based on a play by Miklos Laszlo), featuring music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, sent everyone home with a smile during its nearly four-month run earlier this year at Studio 54. Taking place in Budapest in 1934, the show follows Georg (Zachary Levi) and Amalia (the incredible Laura Benanti), two parfumerie clerks who seem to despise each other. Constantly bumping heads while on the job, the sparring coworkers cannot seem to find common ground. But little do they know, the anonymous romantic pen pals they have both been falling for happen to be each other. Nominated for eight Tonys, “She Loves Me” won best scenic design.

10. “Master Harold … and the Boys” — This off-Broadway revival at Pershing Square Signature Center recently closed, but it certainly made an impact. The show by Athol Fugard is set in 1950 at a small tea shop in South Africa. On a rainy day, 17-year-old Hally (Noah Robbins), whose parents own the place, is visiting Sam (Leon Addison Brown) and Willie (Sahr Ngaujah), two of his family’s black servants. For most of his life, Sam has been the boy’s mentor, friend and pseudo father figure. Hally’s dad is an alcoholic and, during the play’s action, he’s in a hospital recovering. Eventually, Hally takes the anger he feels toward his father out on Sam and Willie — and it just might permanently damage their relationship. It’s not easy to watch, but a powerful production.

Two shows that opened in December 2015 I did not see until early 2016. Since they did not make my top-10 list last year, I am mentioning them here. The revival of “The Color Purple,” which is closing Jan. 8. is glorious. As Celie, Cynthia Erivo is a dynamo, a superstar, and a blessing to Broadway. Her performance, the best of the 2015-16 season, fills the audience with joy and moves them to tears.

The revival of “Fiddler on the Roof,” which is closing Saturday, Dec. 31, is also excellent. Led by Danny Burstein as Tevye, the show features amazing choreography by Hofesh Shechter, inspired by the Tony Award-winning original work by Jerome Robbins.

Bill Canacci: 732-643-4218; bcanacci@gannettnj.com