Thats easy - the original Broadway cast of "Noises Off". I have never laughed so much and so hard in one evening (and I've seen all the other shows that have been mentioned).
Dorothy Loudon and Company were amazing.
Laughed: THE PRODUCERS with Nathan & Matthew
DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS
Cried: LES MISERABLES
Laugh :
The Producers with the Original London Cast when Carmen leaves the room showing only his arm disappear for a minute or so. Made me wet my pants.
Cry :
The end of the first act of The Beautiful Game in London. I think I still haven't recovered.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/19/03
Before this past April, I would have said it was the original cast of "Noises Off."
The April 29th performance of "Xanadu" changed that. Not only was the entire performance even funnier than usual, but Jackie's business with my friend Pocketsquared Fanadu's pocket sqaure made me lose it big time. I can't remember the last time I laughed that hard and that long...and it's preserved for posterity even though us average Joes will never be able to see it.
"title of show" killed me too, but Jackie and "Xanadu" that night are in a class by themselves.
LAUGHED: The revival of Noises Off. When Peter Gallagher sat on the cactus, I was literally screaming! The next time I laughed that hard was at the recent production of Bette and Boo--that funeral scene killed me. Is He Dead would probably be a third, for that Act II transformation scene alone.
CRIED: The Light in the Piazza. Usually, I couldn't stand once the lights came up because I'd still be crying from Fable.
The Noises Off revival, bar none. The only thing to come close is Boeing Boeing.
Swing Joined: 3/26/08
Laughed:
The first time I saw Urinetown, when Spencer Kayden smacked into the wall on roller skates I died!
Urinetown in general. Gaffaws througout.
Boeing Boeing I was hoarse from laughing so hard.
Cried:
1st Time I saw Rent Mimi's Death/In your Eyes
Passion- Absoutly heart breaking
Laughed: Xanadu, The Drowsy Chaperone, [title of show]
Cried: Sunday in the Park With George (the recent revival), The Light in the Piazza, and the end of [title of show]
Laughed
Dog Sees God; Confessions Of A Teenage Blockhead (Marcy and Trica especially)
Bad Girls The Musical
Legally Blonde The Musical
November
Little Dog Laughed
Cried
Rent
The first, second and third times I saw Noises Off in San Francisco. The fourth time I saw Noises Off in London (2002).
Geoff Hoyle in The Convict's Return (Berkeley Rep).
When Godzilla shows up in Yankee Dawg You Die (Berkeley Rep).
Laughter on the 23d Floor (Broadway): I laughed the whole show, but darn if I could tell you what the jokes were a half hour later.
The Light In the Piazza bit in Forbidden Brodway: SVU in Chicago.
"Spell Cat" in Spelling Bee, Chicago.
Charlamagne saying before "War is A Science" when asked about the plan said "Let me tell you. No. I have a better idea. Let me sing it for you." I laughed so hard (3d row Center) that the actor (Eric Christmas?) stopped, winked at me and waited for me to stop. This was the Pippin tour in SF circa 1978.
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/9/04
Three words: Kendra Kassebaum's "Popular".
Me? Dead.
Laughed
AVE Q
Cried
SITPWG Revival
Avenue Q, Spelling Bee, [Title of Show] and Boeing-Boeing have made me laugh the hardest.
Swing Joined: 8/29/08
1) Altar Boyz- I had no clue what the show was about going into it and I just laughed the entire show.
2) Spamalot- I think I had tears throughout the show. Christopher Sieber was hilarious as well as the rest of the cast. My mom has never seen me laugh so hard.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
Laughed:
The Carpe Noctem number in DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES, one of the funniest things I've ever seen on a stage, and it was completely unintentional. Glorious.
THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE -- hands down, the funniest play I've ever seen in my life.
Pretty much anything involving Bill Irwin. The man is a GOD.
Cried: I was very moved by the revival of THE NORMAL HEART, and the final scene of SPRING AWAKENING gets me every time.
I didn't think I was going to make it all the way through "The Mystery of Irma Vep," starring the late, legendary Charles Ludlam. I was laughing so hard, I felt out of control, and I almost wanted it to stop.
"Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" Norbet Leo Butz was hilarious!
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/12/06
Laughed: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (went in with no idea what I was seeing, hadn't seen the movie), and also The Little Dog Laughed. Julie White. 'Nuff said.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/17/04
First Place: The original cast of "Noises Off"
Second Place: "The Producers"
Laughed: Have to agree with others who mentioned the original production of Noises Off with the incomparable Dorothy Loudon. Truly hysterical.
As for unexpected laughter, a long time ago at the now-defunct Circle in the Square Downtown (anyone here old enough to remember that?), there was a campy production of Valley of the Dolls. Something (that was funny unto itself and generated laughter) struck one audience member as extremely funny, and he had this high-pitched infectious laugh that got not only the whole audience howling, but the cast as well. The show literally came to a halt due to everyone laughing so hard. Every time the laughter started to die down, it would pick right back up again.
Cried: the final performance of the original run of ACL, during What I Did For Love and continued thru the finale.
For me, it has to be the first time I saw Hedwig, in Lexington, KY. It was a tour that was passing through.
When he says..."We were becoming so popular The Sizzler called..what? Who asked what is The Sizzler? Turn Up the house lights!!" And he runs into the audience and starts reading this lady, with a string of profanities and hilarious insults. I was crying with laughter.
It was The Producers - until I saw Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. I thought the first time I saw the whole show* was the funniest thing I'd ever seen. Then I saw it right after Jonathan Pryce came in. He was unable to look at Norbert without completely losing control - especially during Ruprecht. I didn't think it was possible to laugh that hard!
*the first time I saw Scoundrels I was only able to make it through the first act. I had a broken leg and it started throbbing right at the start and by intermission it was unbearable. I thank the gods of the theatre who made me go back and try it again!
Featured Actor Joined: 6/12/07
Laughed: Spamalot and Avenue Q, although DRS was pretty hilarious
Cried: Les Mis, Miss Saigon and the recent JCS tour (yeah, I knew what was going to happen at the end, I just wasn't prepared for the full emotional impact of Ted Neeley's performance--it blew me away!)
Stand-by Joined: 10/26/06
During "Epic Proportions," when Ruth Williamson's character told Louise (Kristin Chenoweth), "Oh honey...you can't act."
Unintentionally, the first time I saw Elton John's Aida, during "I Know the Truth." Sherie Rene Scott was giving it her all, belting to the rafters...then down came the Giant Condom of Matrimony, and I completely lost it. My laughter was probably heard for blocks.
Updated On: 9/16/08 at 02:03 PM
[title of show]. laughed and cried.
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