I have been to the broadway flea market for the past 2 years... I haven't really found anything that I'm "zoo happy to have." And that brings me to my next question.. What is your most prized Broadway Possession?????
The best stuff, to me, are the marquees, FOH signage, and lobby boards. These are legacy items of Broadway's history.
This year, I'm looking for the REBECCA marquee. Even if they actually make it to Broadway this year, they don't have the Broadhurst, so that marquee is now kaput. It actually went up not once, but TWICE, despite the production never even making it to load-in.
"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
Cast board with names from Spamalot. It means even more to me because I was at the final performance.
"I don't want the pretty lights to come and get me."-Homecoming 2005
"You can't pray away the gay."-Callie Torres on Grey's Anatomy.
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"This year, I'm looking for the REBECCA marquee. Even if they actually make it to Broadway this year, they don't have the Broadhurst, so that marquee is now kaput."
One of the best purchases I've ever made was definitely my signed Women on the Verge windowcard. I don't tend to get many things at the Flea Market, and certainly don't buy anything very expensive for myself, but finding a windowcard signed not only by the entire company but also Bartlett Sher, David Yazbek and Jeffrey Lane for $50 was too good to pass up.
When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain.
-Kad
Personalized signed 8x10 photograph of Colleen Dewhurst, with a beautiful message. Still have it framed in my living room. Loved that woman -- she remains my favorite American actress of all time.
The full sized door signage from the Minskoff Theatre when Sunset Blvrd played, of Alice Ripley as Betty Schaefer.
Next, autographed black and white autographed photographs of Gwen Verdon and the entire original cast of Love, Valor and Compassion, Alice Ripley and lastly, Ann Reinking and Ben Vereen.
A shot glass from Natasha Richardson photographed with her holding it from Carbaret.
Picture a handsome heroicly charismatic
Plain spoken know-nothing
Skirt chasing cocky little son of a-
Lie down with dogs and you wake up with
A raise and a promotion.
So he's a flirt, a complete ego maniac
The fact is he's also the face of the strike
What a face
Face the fact that's a face that could save us all from
sinking in the ocean.
-Katherine (Newsies)
Superboy and the Invisible Girl
Everything a kid oughtta be
He's immortal, forever alive
Then there's me
I wish I could fly
And magically appear and disappear
I wish I could fly
I'd fly far away from here
-Natalie (Next to Normal)
Tommy opening night gift. Its a wooden box with 2 pinball/bells inside with the logo engraved on top and a piece of black/yellow fabric. Got Michael Cerveris to sign it also. cost 90$, totally worth it!
Last year they had brand new Spring Awakening: In The Flesh hardcover books that are out of print for $15.00. I was so excited I asked the man selling them if the books were real and I confused us both.
This year I'm looking for ANYTHING that says Scandalous, especially the mythical opening night coffee mug that Kathie Lee gave to the cast and crew that said 'fresh cup of mercy' on it.
Without bread we'd just be hungry
but without theatre we'd be dead
All from the Hair revival- the box office ticket signage, the marquee-sized board from behind the merch booth, and numbered copies of the costume sketches, signed by the actors who played them.
I've only been able to attend the flea market once, but I was able to get some amazing items:
--The "Helluva Good Show" poster for *Sweeney Todd* . . . for twenty-five cents --Original Squiggs Ink caricature of Sondheim. This was in 2009, before he became as big as he is now (to us, anyway). I couldn't find it on Google, but it has four separate portraits, with staff lines, lyrics, and shadows of trees connecting them. It was $15. --The "How I Did It" book about *The Producers,* which I bought for $1--mainly so I could have something to keep the Sondheim portrait safe on the bus trip home. :-P
My mini CATS "junkyard" over my wetbar from the year CATS closed and they sold everything: Choco Cookie box, plate of spaghetti, fish bones, a few giant lightbulbs, Brim coffee can, Chesterfield King cigarettes, fast food styrofoam burger container, sardine can, etc
I love my Tony voter scripts that I find each year.
2 years ago though, I found an original 1959 script from WEST SIDE STORY that I love. Also, rare artwork commemorating the closing of the original ANYONE CAN WHISTLE that still shocks people when they see how beautiful and sad it is.
A signed theatre door panel from "In The Heights" where Lin-Manuel Miranda has his hand extended toward the sky. It was for a friend who first became aware of the show while watching the 2008 Tonys with her mother (a Puerto Rican raised in New York), who was fighting pancreatic cancer. They made a deal as soon as mom (a former dancer herself) was well enough, they would go to New York. Mom died a few months later, but my friend was able to come with me to closing night and we both felt like her mom was right there with us. She put the sign in a part of her apartment dedicated to memories of her mother, and it truly looks as if he is paying tribute to mom...
The tea tray from THE SEAFARER, signed by all 5 members of the cast, which also came with a mini-box of Cocoa Pops, also signed by all 5
That same year they also had a paint pallette from IS HE DEAD?, which I've always regretted not buying
I've only ever been able to go to one flea market, it hits my Maine vacation every year, but I would love to go again some day. It was a perfectly awesome day
You don't go to the dragon without a present - Mark Rylance