I'll stop seeing HELLO, DOLLY! when I stop getting a rush when I hear the opening bars of "Call On Dolly" and get chocked up when the trolley trots on stage to introduce Dolly.
I have stopped considering HELLO, DOLLY! just a show. It's a beloved friend--a friend who never changes. I was a high school student when I first saw the show in 1964. I'm a retiree now and the show is . back and better than ever. It has gotten me through the deaths of loved ones and stood by me while I recovered from certain illnesses.
I love HELLO, DOLLY! and will never stop seeing it Thank you very much!
The most I have seen a show is 6x (Current DOLLY revival. 5x with Bette, 1x with Donna. Front row, mezzanine, standing room). I regret nothing. I will go back to see Bernadette. In the year we have had as Americans, Dolly has been the remedy.
My Music Classroom Giving Page: https://www.donorschoose.org/MrHMusicRoom
I guess when you are an usher, it doesn't count, right? LOL
That said, since we are used to seeing shows over and over, seeing something once or twice does not seem like enough for me anymore. I think in my actual (not working) life the most I have ever seen a show multiple times is about 40..and that happened twice. If money were no object(it is) and I wasn't working (I am), I could probably up a few numbers. There is always something new to see in any repeat visit to any show.
I’ve seen Aladdin 3 times in NYC. That’s my only multiple show I’ve seen. But I’m seeing Dear Evan Hansen and Anastasia again next May so they’ll be added to the list.
The most I've seen a show is Come From Away 10 times followed by The King and I 6 times. I've seen a bunch of shows 2 times and there are many I wish I had been able to see multiple times. My theory is, if it makes you happy then who cares?!
I believe there's a girl who has seen Come From Away over 100 times which, if I did my math correctly, is about 12 times a month since the first preview, which is about 2-3x a week!
Since March 17, 2011, I have seen "Chicago" 16 times (8 on Broadway and 8 on tour). With my upcoming NYC trip, that will make it a total of 19 times I've seen my favorite musical.
"Noel [Coward] and I were in Paris once. Adjoining rooms, of course. One night, I felt mischievous, so I knocked on Noel's door, and he asked, 'Who is it?' I lowered my voice and said 'Hotel detective. Have you got a gentleman in your room?' He answered, 'Just a minute, I'll ask him.'" (Beatrice Lillie)
I just saw a documentary all about this at DOC NYC on Wednesday. It was fascinating, scary, moving and insightful. I was worried it was going to rip the fans to shreds, but it was really sensitively handled.
My take on this is that the more time you spend with a show, the more things will become evident to you, even the problems you didn't notice in the first few viewings. Personally, Dear Evan Hansen is a victim of this. I've seen it 12 times, and I totally loved it seeing it for the first few times at 2nd Stage. For some reason, however, it didn't click with me until my 2nd visit to the show at Music Box. During my last few visits, the clunky parts in its writing were so jarring that the raw emotions couldn't make up for them. I think there is definitely a curve here as long as you do not just passively watch.
Nevertheless, some shows, especially those with depth, do benefit from multiple viewings. Fun Home is one that comes to my mind. I was most moved by it during my third visit. I decided to just leave those identity tags aside and see Alison as someone who's trying to connect and who's holding on to the last bit of that connection. That's when I finally started to understand and connect to her on a personal level, and it was one of my most fruitful theatergoing experiences.
I definitely agree that (most) shows deserve a second chance, or at least a change of state of mind. But if you still want more of a show after seeing it 100 times, who am I to judge?
I personally don't understand why anyone would do that but it is their money and their time so to each their own. There is only a handful of shows I have seen twice and that is only because a friend or family member had not seen it yet and I went with them.
Does anyone know who holds the record for the most amount of times they have seen a show? As of now it looks like it could be Joel Torrance who as of 2014 saw RENT 1169 times according to an old interview he gave.