Best Live Performances You've Ever Seen — Page 3

Heather Headley in Aida-first show i ever saw multiple times, and I went back for more times to watch her do what she did on stage, stunning and never matched for me in terms of combo of performance and singing....

Audra McDonald-live on stage many times, and Lady Day at Emerson's; the woman is from another planet and a gift to us humans.....

Fun Home-entire cast, stunned and honored

Idina Menzel-Wicked London, she was epic..wierd to have rest of cast with british accents in Oz

Billy Porter in Kinky Boots pre tony awards...mezmerizing

Jude Law - Hamlet

Zachary Quinto - Angels in America

Andrew Scott - Emperor and Galilean

Ben Whishaw/Judi Dench - Peter and Alice

John Heffernan - Edward II

Matt Smith - American Psycho

Tan Mutu/Hadley Fraser - City of Angels

Jamie Parker/Aaron Tveit - Assassins

There are MANY runners up, but:

Actor (play): Alan Bates, FORTUNE'S FOOL

Actress (play): Amanda Plummer, AGNES OF GOD

Actor (musical): Nathan Lane, THE PRODUCERS

Actress (musical): Dorothy Collins, FOLLIES

Best Ensemble, anywhere, ever: The original RSC production of THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF NICHOLAS NICKELBY. Love and healing thoughts to the wonderful Roger Rees.

Updated On: 6/3/15 at 01:46 PM

Natasha Richardson in Cabaret. No other Sally that I've seen has come anywhere near touching that performance. Truly sad to think of all of the other performances of hers we'll never get to see. I can only imagine how thrilling she would have been in a full production of A Little Night Music based on the concert production she did at Roundabout just a few months before her death.

Lonette McKee in the Hal Prince revival of Show Boat. Simply heartbreaking as Julie, and her rendition of "Bill" is still seared into my brain.

Toni Collette (and the entire cast for that matter) in The Wild Party. I know she had a lot of personal issues working with Mandy, but she threw herself into that role with a reckless abandon that actually made me wonder at the time how she would compare to Ms. Richardson as Sally Bowles.

The first roadway performance to truly blow me away was Liza in Flora The Red Menace in 1965- I was truly amazed a a young kid- she was beyond amazing- loved her instantly. Later that year saw Barbra in FG- near the end of her run- and she was not in top form- good- but not awesome as she was earlier in the run. She has talked about how she got bored near the end of the run. From the old days, Angela Lansbury in Mame was great- Alan King in The Impossible Years was fab- lived the entire cast of The Apple Tree- Alda, Barbara Harris and a few others- also loved Julie Harris in a little known musical called Skyscraper- which was one of my faves as a kid. More recently, Alice Ripley, the entire cast of Golden Boy, Kelli O'Hara in South Pacific- Billy Porter- and Jessie Mueller- who I hope comes back to Bway soon in Waitress.

Kelli O'Hara in "Bridges and The King and I"

Gwen Verdon & Chita Rivera in "Chicago"

John Lithgow & Norbert Leo Butz in "Scoundrels"

Rob McClure in "Chaplin"

A ten pm "crate show" of Hedwig and the Angry Inch with John Cameron Mitchell and Lena Hall. I still haven't been able to fully articulate that performance and what it meant to me.

Great question.

My immediate responses are;

Judi Dench in A Little Night Music at The National Theatre

Jack Lemmon in A Long Day's Journey Into Night at The Haymarket Theatre, London

Anthony Sher in Torch Song Trilogy

Imelda Staunton in Sweeney Todd

Ian McKellen and Tom Bell in Bent at The Royal Court

Martin Sheen and the entire company of The Normal Heart at The Royal Court, London.

Maggie Smith - The Lady In The Van.

Derek Jacobi - Hamlet at The Old Vic

Paul Schofield - Volpone at The National Theatre.

Ralph Richardson - The Double Dealer at The National Theatre.

Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud in Home

Alec Guinness - A Walk In The Woods at The Comedy Theatre.

I feel somewhat honoured and privileged to have seen these performers on stage.

I know there are many, many more and as I recall them from the recesses of my mind, I'll no doubt add to this list!

Maureen Moore.

From Norma Desmond, Mama Rose, Grey Gardens, Cabaret

"I did see Barbra in Funny Girl- I was 14 years old and already a huge Streisand fan. However, I saw her in November, 1966- she left one month later to do FG in London- and she had said, later in interviews, that she was basically sleepwalking through the part until she could leave Bway. Although I loved seeing her- this was not a sensational performance- she was good- but it lacked a certain enthusiasm and energy that disappointed me- Streisand is beyond amazing when she is feeling it- but it was a bit of a let down- and even at 14, I could tell that the feeling was gone. But, saw her many times live- and the best performance I have ever seen her give was in Brooklyn- she was on fire and I was in row 3 to witness it all. And yes, Alice Ripley was a force of nature in Next To Normal- forgot to mention her- from a long time ago- Liza Minnelli in Flora The Red Menace blew me away as a kid- my first exposure to Liza- and I was super impressed with her talent and passion."

I guess we are the same age. I totally agree with your assessment. I thought she came across as bored and I was Just about to turn 15. For a 14 year old to see that, it had to be pretty obvious to everyone else.

My favorites:

Male play -- James Earl Jones (The Great White Hope and Fences) & Ian McKellan (Amadeus)

Female play -- Colleen Dewhurst (Moon For the Misbegotten) & Cate Blanchette (Streetcar)

Male musical -- Nathan Lane (The Producers) & Christopher Plummer (Cyrano)

Female musical -- Angela Lansbury (Gypsy and Mame) & Barbara Harris (The Apple Tree)

"- also loved Julie Harris in a little known musical called Skyscraper- which was one of my faves as a kid."

OMG , I've played the cast recording hundreds of times. Was going to start a thread if anyone here had seen it live. I so envy you!

Yul Brynner- The King and I

Angela Landsbury, Len Cariou- Sweeney Todd

Patti Lupone, Mandy Patinkin- Evita

Colm Wilkinson- Les Miserables

Jim Dale, Glenn Close- Barnum

Raul Esparza in Taboo, especially singing Petrified.