Closing Nights.- Page 2

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 12/8/03 at 1:43pm

When I lived in NYC I made it a point of going to closing performances. My first was the closing of the original production of 42nd Street. My last one was Ragtime. The energy level of the performers and audience was amazing.

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 12/8/03 at 6:25pm

I've been to the closings of Parade, Titanic, The Music Man, and the Into the Woods revival, and I will be at the closing of Nine this Sunday as well. In all honesty, I would not trade my experiences at those shows for anything else in the world. Yes, the actors (and the orchestra, I might add!) take liberties, and there are often ovations from the diehards in the audience that stop the show for quite a long time, but most of the time the audience doesn't care--in fact, they enjoy it. They know that something is obviously going on from the electricity provided by the relatives and friends of the cast and crew and the fans, and they feed off of it and add to it. Ultimately, the closing becomes a very memorable performance, full of laughter and tears over the realization that it's the last time you're going to see that specific scene or hear that specific song live on-stage in that show for a very long time. The standing ovations at the end are of rock concert quality (at Titanic we had a flower toss). I can only imagine what it's going to be like at Nine...

[Hank]

Posted: 12/8/03 at 7:38pm

The only final performance I have been to is the recent "Flower Drum Song" (revival) with Lea Salonga. Yes it was very emotional and the audience seemed to be packed with "insiders" and it was my first time seeing that show. It was not a long run, and by the time I got around to getting tickets for it, it was already anounced to close, so I chose this performance just to see what a finale was like.
However,I am really a fan of "Thoroughly Modern Millie". and of Sutton Foster as well. I keep buying tickets everytime it might be her final performance. Whether it will be or not, I don't care, because I want to see her as many times as I can as long as she's here. But if it really is her final performance, I wouln't miss it for the world.

[DonnaMurphyRocks]

Posted: 12/8/03 at 7:47pm

I was at Douglas Sills' final performance ever of The Scarlet Pimpernel, in LA. The audience went wild over every song and almost every line he said, and afterwards, there were about 300 people waiting to meet him at the stage door! Douglas is truly an amazing guy, because he gave EVERYONE an autograph and then a picture with him!! Oh my God, I'm getting emotional just thinking about it!

Posted: 12/8/03 at 8:04pm

I went to the last night of witches of eastwick in London and it was one of the most fantastic nights ever. I was a big fan of the show and went to see it the day my boyfriend got together and I took him to see it and he fell in love with it. As soon as we found out it was closing he bought us tickets. i really hope you get the show one day over the pond as it is stunning.

Rob

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/9/03 at 2:54pm

I attended the closing of the 1776 revival. Nothing that spectacular took place. The actors looked more or less relieved.

Also attended the closing performance of The Beautiful Game in London. Our Kind of Love received a huge ovation (rightly deserved) and Andrew Lloyd Webber was sitting a couple of rows behind me. The energy was high and both the audience and cast were very emotional. I really enjoyed it. Much more so than Whistle Down the Wind.

[fyffe]

Posted: 12/10/03 at 2:40am

i saw Jekyll & Hyde on its closing performance. the audience was awesome. and the whole cast...aside from the dreadful david hasselhoff... was very fantastic. THere were some very teary moments by the cast and long ovations.. i will remember it well.

kev

[Bonnie]

Posted: 12/10/03 at 8:21am

I was also at the closing night of The Beautiful Game in London. Didn't see ALW in the audience where I sat and was suprised there was nothing obvious that indicated it was a closing night...no announcemnets, speaches etc.....Being unfamilar with the show I could tell there was a certain "buzz" in the audience though.

Bonnie in Oz

Posted: 12/10/03 at 8:52am

I remember a long time a go when I was a wee lad, sitting in the audience during Jennifer Hollidays final performance. Now that was the most amazing thing! The fact that when she finished "And I am Telling You...." there was such applause and hooting and cheering, you could not hear the rest of the act.

[Lorelai]

Posted: 12/11/03 at 12:35am

do off broadway shows count?

i saw the final two shows of the show and after it seemed like a party in thelonny, Daisy Price was there and JRB and sherie and norbet of course.

[QueenS]

Posted: 12/11/03 at 10:17am

I saw the final performances of "Triumph of Love," "A Change in the Heir," "Rocky Horror," and just recently "The Long Christmas Ride Home."

Rocky was definitely the most fun. Everyone had a blast.