Your Favorite Piece of Stage Magic- Page 2

[shrekster224]

Posted: 7/10/10 at 11:51am

The puppetry in the Addams Family. Especially Fester during The Moon and Me.

Mary Poppins flying into the audience.
Also the tour set. It's like a giant doll house. I think it's really cool.

Defying Gravity in Wicked.

[notabb]

Posted: 7/10/10 at 11:53am

The amazing transformation from the ruined theater to Loveland in the original FOLLIES

[Q]

Posted: 7/10/10 at 12:03pm

I had to laugh when, after all the buildup of the fantastic effects in PHANTOM, the biggest audience response was to Raul jumping 'into' the fog covered lake. One of the oldest and easiest 'tricks', and it's what the audience ate up the most.

Boy, did I detest that show.

[lotiloti]

Posted: 7/10/10 at 4:21pm

I agree, the Follies transformation was truly breathtaking.

[Taryn]

Posted: 7/10/10 at 5:11pm

I love when theatre is truly theatrical. As in, it takes advantage of the unique offerings of the medium. Coram Boy comes to mind immediately: the use of the revolve as the main character grew up, the way the handled the babies, the breathtaking underwater scene. War Horse is another one: the horses go without saying, but watching that tank roll onto the stage absolutely took my breath away.

[once a month]

Posted: 7/10/10 at 5:17pm

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, from beginning to end, all 9 hours of it. Highlights include:

-The Crummles theatrical troupe
-transition between the starving of London via a simple turn of the bodies, to the rich revelors
-several characterizations by Suzanne Bertish
-making of the stagecoach
-the ending, the full cast singing God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, when Nicholas notices the hungry waif, and picks him up

[once a month]

Posted: 7/10/10 at 5:27pm

Lion King opening number

Stampede from Lion King

Finale from A Chorus Line

the opening audition, A Chorus Line

Encores Anyone Can Whistle concert

dancing feet from 42nd Street

the day-glo dance not using legs in Dancin!

the sets/snow in La Boheme

finale from Stepping Out

Little Shop-original when the ceiling opened and styrophome vines fell over each seat (off b'way)

overtures from Ballroom, Seesaw, Woman of the Year

South Pacifics orchestra (Lincoln Ctr)

Kevin Kline in Pirates of Penzance

Charles Busch post funeral entrance in Die Mommy Die with the bovine patterned coat

DOUGLAS HODGE


Updated On: 7/10/10 at 05:27 PM

[chellie]

Posted: 7/10/10 at 5:49pm

I find it interesting that so many people are saying when Mary Poppins flies, because my favorite "magical" moment from that show (though not by a long shot my favorite magical moment ever, I'd have to think about that more) was Bert dancing on the ceiling.

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 7/10/10 at 6:01pm

The mirrors in A Chorus Line
The boat scene in Phantom of the Opera
Mary Poppin's flying
Calara's hat in Light In The Piazza

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 7/10/10 at 6:45pm

Agree with a lot said already, but just throw in;

9-5, in potion lotion, when all 3 girls appear from under the sheet.

Shrek, when baby shrek transforms to big shrek and the castle scene with the 3 fiona's

Billy Elliot, Swan Lake

Love Never Dies, The Horse and Cart

[twinbelters]

Posted: 7/10/10 at 6:56pm

I have always been fascinated by staged overtures such as the ones for Donnybrook! and Drat! The Cat! The former has members of the Irish village setting up for the day churning butter and the like and slowly evolves into a Jack Cole jig-ballet. The latter shows the "The Cat" burglarizing several upscale environments (opera, jewelry store, etc..) in a humorous fashion. This sequences would seemingly thrust one straight into the momentum of the piece I would imagine. Pippin and Grand Hotel both started out similarly with a rush of striking staging coupled with music. So thrilling.

Carrie is my favorite piece of stage magic, though. Still can't believe what they tried to get away with. Trough of fire? Leather and pigs blood? That bizarre staircase? Betty Buckley? Sheer theatrical magic.

[KT1385]

Posted: 7/10/10 at 7:03pm

"The Drowsy Chaperone" always intrigued me with the simplicity, for the most part, of the story coming to life in the apartment. From people exiting though the refrigerator, to something as simple as using a toaster a a vase. of a floor lamp as a spotlight. Just really cute and clever.

[rjm516]

Posted: 7/10/10 at 7:14pm

Chellie I was going to say that! Bert's dancing on the ceiling is amazing! It's what I most remember about the show.

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 7/10/10 at 9:31pm

I love the opening in Pippin where the gloves create the illusion of all of those hands floating around.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 7/10/10 at 10:02pm

I also love in Shrek when the stain glass window shatters to reveal the dragon

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 3:48am

Two things:

No matter where or when, but when Anna and the King polka, and the audience clap like nuts! The music is amazing!

The final moments of the 2007 London revival of Fiddler On The Roof. A black stage with only one spot light crossing diagonally from top right to bottom left, and Tevye looking up as snow starts to fall, and then turning around and walking away into the darkness...

[DMsquared2]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 4:28am

I'll never forget being amazed by how Pride Rock rose from the stage floor during "The Circle of Life" in The Lion King. It was my first Broadway show and I was 10.

I love the simple yet genius choice of the Dynamites stepping out of the poster during "Welcome to the 60s" in Hairspray.

The set in the revival of Sunday in the Park with George.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 12:11pm

Peter Pan flying into the audience. That was the first PROFESSIONAL show both my kids saw...the looks on their faces of absolute joy and wondermnent will NEVER be topped.

Other moments:
- Dot's dress in SITPWG from the original.
- The ending of the original SITPWG as the current park re transforms to the past...and George has found his purpose. I bawled uncontrollably when I first saw that.
- The entire production of the current South Pacific (OC), but the moment they pulled the "cover" away to reveal the orchestra was beautiful!
- The reveal of the set of the Man of La Mancha revival. I cried. My date said (about my tears), 'Are you kidding me?' We didn't see each other after that.
- The rain during An Inspector Calls
- The moment I realized the Beggar Woman was Todd's wife!
- Esparza's handling of the dialogue in Speed the Plow. Wow.
- The last terrfying minutes of Wait Until Dark
- Everything about De la Guarda (a truly cathartic piece of theatre.)
- "Taxi" in Bring in da' Noise, Bring in the Funk (So wonderful!)
- So many moments in August: Osage County. (Eat your f%@king fish!)

I'm sure there are more...but good enough for now.

Updated On: 7/11/10 at 12:11 PM

[phantomcrazy14]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 1:59pm

Defying Gravity in Wicked. The Overture/Prologue and the Boat Scene in The Phantom of the Opera. All that fog and the creepy candles give me chills every time.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 2:33pm

The end of Cromer's OUR TOWN. Now, THAT'S magic.

[shrekster224]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 2:44pm

Oh yea, Swan Lake in Billy Elliot is a great number, but they need to find a less obvious way for his to fly. You see the reflection of the hook and it kind of ruins the moment. Otherwise, the scene is magical.

And Bert dancing on the ceiling!!! Gavin Lee said it's always one of his favorite moments.

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 3:13pm

There's a moment in August: Osage County, right after Barbara tells Bill that she knows her father's dead, and there's a blackout accompanied by this horrible shrieking noise. I remember liking that very much.

[Weez]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 4:08pm

DEFINITELY Joey the foal becoming Joey the full-grown horse, followed by the first gallop, as I believe the CD has it. Tears have sprung to my eyes just as I sit here typing this message. Anyone who has yet to see War Horse has a lot of magic ahead of them. :3

[jamiekennywicked]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 6:38pm

- Defying Gravity in Wicked
- The set transition from the lounge to the dressing room in Sister Act
- Beauty And The Beast's prologue and the beast's transformation

[maggiemar142]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 7:09pm

pretty much all of The Last Five years, but especially "The Next Ten Minutes", how the beginning and end line up so seamlessly, and "Goodbye Until Tomorrow/I Could Never Rescue You". just amazing.