For me it would have to be Patti LuPone in Gypsy for musicals. Her "Rose's Turn" alone was one of the strongest moments of theater I have ever experienced. The two times I saw her I was shocked not only by how much she gave, but also by the way it seemed to come from a completely guttural place. Almost like theatrical vomit, just completely falling apart and throwing everything out there on the stage. It was not pretty, it was not nice, and it was not what you would expect from either this character who tried so hard to be close to that spotlight, to seem invincible, or from the 'Diva' Miss LuPone.
Anyway, for plays it's hands down Estelle Parsons. In terms of comedy, I was pleased enough to be front row at the first preview for Blithe Spirit and can say Angela's pitch-perfect performance takes the cake. However, I have never seen acting like what I saw in August: Osage County. Sure the play itself is fantastic. I think it's pretty difficult to screw up the role of Violet, since it's just SUCH a plum(p?) role. That being said, it is nowhere near an easy one. And Parsons' take on it was fragile, horrifying, acidic, decaying, conniving, bitter, playful, and all around wonderful. Above I referenced LuPone falling apart during "Rose's Turn", the last song in 'Gypsy'. Estelle Parsons shows us what it would be like if an entire play were her Rose's Turn (perhaps, VIOLET'S TURN). Although there is the inevitable breakdown, it is the slow descent into pill-popping, racial-slurring, family-destroying madness that truly makes her performance the best I have seen.
Oh, and I turn 23 in September. Updated On: 6/17/09 at 03:57 AM
Is this thread titled the greatest performance in the last couple of seasons or are we just really lucky that the greatest performances all took place in the last 18 months???
My choices- invoking the power of memory like 2 or 3 others here-
MUSICAL: Michael Crawford in Barnum, tied with Jennifer Holliday as Effie White in Dreamgirls
PLAY: Maggie Smith in Three Tall Women tied with Daniel Day Lewis as Hamlet
^ Hence the reason for putting an age in the post. But even then, please to remember that not everyone on the Board grew up or even now lives in the NYC area and has had unlimited access to the theatre. Prior to three years ago, I did NOT live here and had limited access to see shows. Those I did see when I was in high school do NOT rank among the best performances I EVER saw. Ergo my choices are more recent.
Experience live theater. Experience paintings. Experience books. Live, look and listen like artists! ~ imaginethis
LIVE THAT LESSON!!!!!!
Musical: John Selya in Movin' Out (Well, it's not technically a musical, but it was nominated for Best Musical, so it counts!) He's onstage a lot, and he dances his face off, and towards the end of the show, which is pretty long, when you can infer that he is tired, he dances even harder, and better. He conveys emotion like no other, his technique is beautiful and he has so much energy throughout. He is just fantastic.
Play: Kevin Kline in Cyrano. Just amazing. That's all I can say!
"'Cats' is the second worst thing that ever happened to New York City"-Jersey Girl
Musical (Female): Angela Lansbury in "Sweeney Todd" Tonya Pinkins in "Caroline, or Change" Donna Murphy in "Follies" (at Encores!) Jennifer Holliday in "Dreamgirls"
Male(Musical): Len Cariou in "Sweeney Todd" Raul Julia in "Nine" Raul Esparza in "Cabaret" Brian Stokes Mitchell in "Ragtime"
Drama (Female): Phylicia Rashad in "Gem of the Ocean" Vanessa Redgrave in "Long Day's Journey Into Night" Phyllis Frielich in "Children of a Lesser God" Stockard Channing in "Six Degrees of Separation"
Drama (Male): Derek Jacoby in "Cyrano de Bergerac" John Rubinstein in "Children of a Lesser God" Jefferson Mays in "I Am My Own Wife" Jeffrey Wright in "Topdog/Underdog"
Updated On: 6/17/09 at 09:52 AM
Male in a play - Ian McKellan in Bent (Original London cast) Female in a play - Irene Worth in Sweet Bird of Youth Male in a musical - Tie: Jim Dale in OBC cast of Barnum(especially compared to Michael Crawfords usual bloated, hammy performance in the original London cast) and John Cullum in Shenendoah Female in a musical : Angela Lansbury in Sweeney Todd
Musical (Male)- Brian Stokes Mitchell in Man of La Mancha Musical (Female)- Colleen Sexton in Jekyll and Hyde (Sorry, but she was awesome!) or Alice Ripley in Next to Normal
Play (Male)- Frank Langelle in Frost Nixon too... hes incredible Play (Female)- I hope I can pick a movie and say Amy Adams in Doubt... INCREDIBLE!
Lots of great performances in plays: Geilgud, Richardson, Tandy, Washbourn in Home Robards and Dewhurst in A Moon For The Misbegotten Langella and Weist in After The Fall Zoe Caldwell in Master Class Lily Tomlin in The Search For Signs...etc.
Fewer in musicals: Kert, Stritch, Kimbrough, Browning, Barrie, Myers, Howland in Company Glynis Johns in Night Music The original cast of A Chorus Line
I'm fifty-nine.
"If my life weren't funny, it would just be true. And that would be unacceptable."
--Carrie Fisher
Play - Geoffrey Rush in "Exit the King" or Lily Tomlin in "The Search For Signs of Intelligent Life In the Universe"
Musical - Patti LuPone in "Gypsy"
This is very hard to say though because the material makes a difference in how wonderful the performance will be remembered as being. Frank Langella and Angela Lansbury are my favorite actor and actress respectively, and I have seen them each in 2 productions, and yet I find listing neither here. It's the parts as well as the actors.
That said, nothing has overwhelmed me quite like Rush in "Exit the King." It's the only performance I've ever felt at a loss for words to describe. Granted, I was 13 when I saw the grandeur that is Lily Tomlin "The Search..."
Edit: Since, we're all putting in age, 22. (just turned it last Friday
2010
Feb. 28 - Looped, Feb. 28 - Next to Normal, March 4 - Hair, March 11 - A Little Night Music, March 24 - Time Stands Still, April 6 - La Cage Aux Folles, April 10 - Anyone Can Whistle (City Center), April 10 - Looped, May 9 - Enron, May 15 - A Little Night Music, May 15 - A Behanding In Spokane, May 30 - A Behanding In Spokane, May 30 - A Little Night Music, June 20 - A Little Night Music, June 23 - Red, June 23 - Sondheim on Sondheim, July 13 - A Little Night Music, July 18 - The Grand Manner (Lincoln Center)
Angela Lansbury in Sweeney Todd. My first Broadway show when I was 15. I thought ALL Broadway was going to be as good! LOL. Frank Langella in Frost Nixon
Musical wise, Daniel and Jenna in Sunday were absolutely electrifying.
"If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it." -Stephen Colbert
Play: Cynthia Nixon in "Rabbit Hole". She effortlessly went from depressed, to exasperated, to sobbing, to angry and vicious. It was intense and beautiful.
Musical: Alice Ripley in "Next to Normal". I lost my mind and sobbed. The most visceral reaction I've ever had.
"The sexual energy between the mother and son really concerns me!"-random woman behind me at Next to Normal
"I want to meet him after and bang him!"-random woman who exposed her breasts at Rock of Ages, referring to James Carpinello
Patti and Christine are tied because when I saw GYPSY Patti flubbed a line or two, and when I saw GREY GARDENS, we were right behind speakers in the front mezz and the sound was muffled.
Play would be a graduate program's production of ANGELS IN AMERICA. The whole cast was brilliant.
I think the only play I've seen is Metamorphosis, so I don't have much to go on there. But as for musicals:
Gavin Creel in Hair... the first time I've ever heard of him (I was away from the B-way scene for a while) and wow, was I blown away. Heather Headley in Aida.... that girl's voice is beyond amazing. I wish she would come back and do another show.
And any time I get to see Adam Pascal do "One Song Glory" live. Chills.
Edited to add: And I'm 28.
"And I'm a grown up....I don't go on vacations....I go to Broadway." - dramamama611
"Even I think that's hot, and I'm a straight guy. If I ever become gay he is the reason." - Drunk Chita Rivera on Gavin Creel
"Leia947 is my theatre mamma, and I love her for it." - AndAllThatJazz22