Most memorable of the 2011-12 Broadway season

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Most memorable of the 2011-12 Broadway season

Posted: 5/9/12 at 10:33pm

Go from your memory. Of the latest Broadway season's shows, what was the most memorable to you? What made a lasting impression? 5 years from now, what's going to stick out from this season? Exclude anything that may have been abnormal (technical difficulties, house issues, unscripted moments, etc.).

For me:

- Tyne Daly's portrayal in MASTER CLASS
- The set rotating in CHINGLISH
- The flying from SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK
- Jan Maxwell's "Leave You" from FOLLIES
- The "mirror number" from FOLLIES
- Philip Boykin's threatening performance in THE GERSHWINS' PORGY & BESS
- The tone of Cynthia Nixon's voice from WIT
- Christian Borle's entrance in PETER AND THE STARCATCHER
- Christian Borle's mermaid costume from PETER AND THE STARCATCHER
- Christian Borle losing a hand in PETER AND THE STARCATCHER
- A man walking through a door in GHOST
- Tom Edden's waiter scene in ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS
- Tracie Bennett's performance in END OF THE RAINBOW
- Those chorus boys leaping around in NEWSIES

"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle

Most memorable of the 2011-12 Broadway season

Posted: 5/9/12 at 10:42pm

Can it be Off-Broadway too? Oh screw it, I'm just gonna include Off too!

Tyne Daly WAS Callas (MASTER CLASS)
Danny Burstein's "Right Girl" (FOLLIES)
Stacy Keach's final speech and his "This world..." (OTHER DESERT CITIES)
Mandy Patinkin's "Oh, What a Circus" (AN EVENING WITH PATTI AND MANDY)
LuPone and Patinkin rolling around in office chairs (AN EVENING WITH PATTI AND MANDY)
Jane Alexander as Elizabeth (LADY FROM DUBUQUE)
"Who are you?" (LADY FROM DUBUQUE)
Bob Stillman rowing a boat onto the playing space and singing "Hero and Leander" (MYTHS & HYMNS) - Plus a million other stage pictures!
The set coming towards the audience as the Newsies all sang "Carrying the Banner" with such palpable joy and excitement (NEWSIES)

Most memorable of the 2011-12 Broadway season

Posted: 5/9/12 at 11:56pm

The ferocious intensity with which Jeremy Jordan sings the lyric "I ain't gettin' any younger" in "Santa Fe" from NEWSIES - breaks my heart. (And his astounding singing and wonderful acting performance in NEWSIES more generally.)

Ryan Steele's zillion pirouettes in "Seize the Day" and the tap dance battle between Jess and Evan in "King of New York" in NEWSIES (and all of "King of New York", really)

Richard walking through the door in GHOST

Jayne Houdyshell's "Broadway Baby" in FOLLIES

The folding-down classroom set with pre-populated desks and the view looking down the Chrysler Building in SPIDERMAN (ingenious set design)

The final scene in ONCE - heartbreaking

The long tap dance in ANYTHING GOES

The pink vest scene in the tap dance to "Turn it Off" in BOOK of MORMON

The progression of the nun costumes in SISTER ACT and the rap lyric sung by the old lady nun character: "I may be a fossil but my skills are colossal and I rock the mike just like an apostle".

(okay, the last three opened in the previous season but were still open this season and i saw them for the first time in this season so I am listing them here anyway).

Still haven't seen everything this season but still planning to see a few more this summer.

ETA: Aaron Tveit's final "Goodbye" in CMIYC (thanks Broadwayfever for the reminder!)

Updated On: 5/10/12 at 11:56 PM

Most memorable of the 2011-12 Broadway season

Posted: 5/10/12 at 12:11am

The crisp, clear sound design of FOLLIES. No show has ever sounded so good in the Marquis Theatre.

Jennifer Lim in CHINGLISH.

Alan Rickman saying "****" in SEMINAR.

Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin rolling around on the office chairs.

Jessie Mueller's stopping the show with "Every Night at Seven" in ON A CLEAR DAY.

Norm Lewis and Audra McDoanld singing "I Loves You, Porgy" in PORGY AND BESS.

The "rap-off" in HURT VILLAGE.

Jennifer Regan being so hilarious one moment and so heartbreaking the next in HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE.

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Andrew Garfield's final scene together in DEATH OF A SALESMAN.

Tom Edden falling down the stairs in ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS.

Christian Borle losing a hand in PETER AND THE STARCATCHER.

Most memorable of the 2011-12 Broadway season

Posted: 5/10/12 at 12:23am

1. Seeing Book of Mormon for the first time.
2. Aaron Tveit singing his final Goodbye during CMIYC's final performance.
3. Jeremy Jordan singing his final Raise a Little Hell
4. Laura Osnes singing her final How 'Bout a Dance
5. Anything Goes tap number...watching Sutton Foster from the 4th row.
6. Spiderman's score...Me and my kids listen to that CD every single day and we never get tired of it.
7. Bonnie & Clyde's score being nominated by the Tony's
8. Meeting Bernadette Peters backstage.
9. Meeting and talking to Tyne Daly at stage door
10. War Horse...near death scene.

Most memorable of the 2011-12 Broadway season

Posted: 5/10/12 at 1:06am

Adam Pascal performing "Memphis Lives in Me" and generally bringing amazing new life to Huey (MEMPHIS)

The scene where Claybourne Elder's Buck Barrow is baptized onstage... something about that bit really struck me (BONNIE & CLYDE)

Having Steve Kazee suddenly appear onstage behind us during the pre-show and ask my mom to dance in that glorious "Irish" accent (ONCE)

Carrying the Banner - so much incredible energy... on the stage, and in the crowd(NEWSIES)

Hugh Jackman appearing in one of the boxes in his Boy from Oz persona (HUGH JACKMAN BACK ON BROADWAY)

The rain(LEAP OF FAITH)

The look on Hunter Parrish's face when you glance over to him sitting in the aisles while the rest of the cast does their thing. Such pure affection and glee. Whether this was just a perfect portrayal of an unconditionally loving savior, or legitimate affection for his fellow castmates as his run was coming to a close, his joy was infectious. (GODSPELL)

Walking into the Schoenfeld and immediately feeling transported to a different place/time thanks to the theater decor and the patriotic music / sound effects (THE BEST MAN)

Lin-Manuel Miranda performing "Franklin Shepard Inc" (MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG)

The roar of the crowd when Darren Criss first appeared in his window washer getup (HOW TO SUCCEED)

Most memorable of the 2011-12 Broadway season

Posted: 5/10/12 at 1:43am

These are all awesome moments of theatre. I'll just add one for now.

"Gold" in Once: Perfect blend of song, story, dance, orchestration, design, direction, acting, singing, playing... So thrilling.

Most memorable of the 2011-12 Broadway season

Posted: 5/10/12 at 1:45am

Lindsay Nicole Chambers' poetry in Lysistrata Jones

Most memorable of the 2011-12 Broadway season

Posted: 5/10/12 at 2:25am

#1 is, by far, PHILLIP BOYKIN as Crown in PORGY AND BESS .... Most interesting and deep performance I've seen on Broadway this season.

#2 - close behind BOYKIN is Audra McDonald's heartbreaking powerhouse performance in the same show.

#3 - the orchestration and sound design of ONCE. Beautiful.

#4 - SONS OF THE PROPHET - everything about it

#10

Most memorable of the 2011-12 Broadway season

Posted: 5/10/12 at 2:41am

Hurt Village
Other Desert Cities
End of the Rainbow
Death of a Salesman

#11

Most memorable of the 2011-12 Broadway season

Posted: 5/10/12 at 10:37am

There is a great deal I have yet to see, but I will never forget the thrill of the following:

Nina Arianda's performance in VENUS IN FUR
Stacy Keach's performance in OTHER DESERT CITIES

Two examples of world class actors nailing a struggle with chemical dependency; Audra McDonald at the end of PORGY AND BESS and Judith Light at the first act curtain of OTHER DESERT CITIES

Jayne Houdyshell's sheer presence in FOLLIES
Albee's first and last lines: "Who am I?" - "I am the Lady from Dubuque"
The lunch scene in NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT (brava Judy Kaye!)

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