Breakthrough Performances

[saveusmike]

Posted: 8/1/09 at 4:51pm

Im curious if anyone has ever seen any Breakthrough Performances that ever made you just say WOW, or even made the show for you.
For Example...

A female friend of mine desperatly wanted to see The Little Mermaid and I had no interest in ever seeing it (One time I even talked my friend out of seeing it on her birthday just so we can all see Chicago instead). So as a birthday gift I got her and myself Orchestra tickets to Mermaid. I was so not looking foward to the show, until Ursula (Heidi Blickenstaff) sung I want the good times back. Blickenstaffs take on Ursula completly made the show for me and I even saw the show again just for Blickenstaff.
I thought she was amazing and got one of the loudest ovations I had seen in quiete some time.

Anyone else?

Updated On: 8/1/09 at 04:51 PM

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 8/1/09 at 5:25pm

Andrea Burns (and her Daniela) in IN THE HEIGHTS.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/1/09 at 5:35pm

I've been seeing theater pretty regularly, and I can't say I've really seen someone that I just thought was fantastic. I really think the cast of the Norman Conquests were brilliant, but I don't think it they were giving "breakthrough" performances. I'm not so sure. I mean, I guess I could agree about Heidi B., but not Ursula, but in [Title of Show] I thought she was great. But again, that was a great ensemble, so I'm not sure.

[Mark_E]

Posted: 8/1/09 at 5:39pm

Patina Miller in Sister Act. True breakthrough performance. She could quite easily win the Tony for Deloris next season.

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 8/1/09 at 7:59pm

Sutton Foster, Thoroughly Modern Millie

[Sondheim_Geek]

Posted: 8/1/09 at 8:10pm

Carolee Carmello - Mamma Mia!
Courtney Balan - I Love You Because
Lisa Howard - Spelling Bee

[Stage Door Sally]

Posted: 8/1/09 at 8:39pm

Donna McKechnie in A Chorus Line. It was so unexpected to see someone sing, dance and act so amazingly well. It was a real wow moment for me.

[mybigsplash]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 12:11am

I thought the best Breakthrough performance I'd ever seen was Alli Mauzey in Crybaby, and I think she even won a breakthrough performace award last year too. I wanna say that the Billy Elliot boys also deserve some recognition.

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 12:29am

I'm not sure I've yet been taken off-guard and seen a breathtaking that I would consider a breakthrough performance.

However, Aaron Tveit in N2N and Leigh Ann Larkin in Gypsy definitely made me take major notice(s), and I will be shocked if they're not eventually huge Broadway stars. I guess Tveit kind of already is.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 12:47am

does Loretta Ables Sayre count? she's definitely my favorite part of South Pacific.

and I'd have to agree with Leigh Ann Larkin, although I don't have very many experiences with breakthrough performances.

[Harpz2006]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 2:18pm

Aaron Tveit in next to normal was definitely one of those for me.

[sayokay]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 3:12pm

Laura Bell Bundy for sure.

[lesmis]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 6:29pm

Carey Anderson in Avenue Q

[wafflehouse2005]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 6:50pm

Although I thought it was a lame attempt at increasing ticket sales at the time, I was very impressed with Tamyra Gray in RENT. By far the best Mimi I had ever seen. Her voice was beautiful, obviously, but I thought her acting was more genuine that anyone else that I had seen in the role.

She should have closed the show, IMO.

[BroadwayBound062]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 8:27pm

Karen Olivo- In the Heights.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 9:35pm

Next to Normal is Alice Ripley's.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 9:43pm

Caissie Levy in Hair- I knew nothing about her before seeing the show and was so impressed.

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 9:46pm

Alan Cumming, Cabaret

[Soliantu]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 9:31am

certainly Stephanie J. Block in the Boy From Oz she blew me away, and that's difficult to do in a show Hugh Jackman's starring in. I mean, he still stole the show, but it made the performance even better, that she blew you away as well.

Megan Hilty also blew me away when I first saw her as standby for Glinda in Wicked when Jennifer Laura Thomson was out. I feel like there's more but I can't think of them.

[madbrian]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 9:40am

Victoria Clark in The Light In The Piazza.

[boyfromoz2]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 12:44pm

Patina Miller, Sister Act

[americanboy99]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 12:53pm

Jennifer Damiano, Next to Normals

Most definitely Andrea Burns, In the Heights

Kristen Chenoweth, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown