Favorite Broadway EXPERIENCE

I've met Adam Pascal and Idina Menzel, my two favorite stars of all time, but that will never top the second time I saw Miss Saigon. I went with my mom and grandma for my grandma's 80th birthday. At the end of the show, my grandma couldn't get up from her chair because she was crying so hard and because she loved the show so much. Afterwards, we got autographs and then went home, listening to the soundtrack the whole way home. It was my favorite Broasdway moment because I, having already seen the show and fallen in love with it, got to share my favorite thing with my favorite woman and when I saw how moved she was, I felt so special because it was something I loved too and now we could share it. A few months later, it became even more special, because my Grandma passed away and that was out last really good memory together.

What was yours?

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God, I have so many over the years.... Seeing a good friend up onstage is always thrilling... but two of my favorites have to be the opening night of Hollywood Arms and then seeing two of my best friends play Roxie and Velma opposite each other.

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I have daughter who like most young girls is enthralled with BPeters. When she was 8, she met her after AGYG and then on the walk to hotel, said, "When I am in a Broadway show, I won't have to worry about learning to drive, because I'll have a driver with big black car like Ms. Peters!" On next NY trip, she asked who would she get to raise her children when she was in a show.
I share that because I just love the dreams Broadway fosters in young hearts. (And no, I do not want her to read that book that speaks of how difficult life can be when trying to get into the business! It is a dream not to shatter.)

Okay, if I had to pick one, this is what I'd pick:

Seeing Adam Pascal and Daphne Rubin-Vega on stage together at the Kean concert in October, but more specifically seeing Adam sing Glory. Since the first time I saw RENT, I've grown a lot, learned a lot, and come to appreciate much more what the show is and means. So, getting to see two of the orignals together was huge for me - it wasn't something I ever, ever thought I'd get to see, and I did. Adam's Glory was the first song from Rent that they did, and it came so suddenly. That morning I remember thinking "nah, he's not gonna do it. He NEVER does Glory." The intro was sort of in disguise, but as soon as the words "One song..." left his mouth, I started to cry. It's strange, because I never really considered myself to be a RentHead or anything, but the show does mean a lot to me, and Adam is my, well, he's Adam. If I never, ever thought I'd see something close to an OBC reunion, the chances of thinking I'd ever get to see Adam sing Glory were even smaller, and I just couldn't believe what I was experiencing. That's something I don't think I'm ever going to forget. It still gives me chills just to think about it... that's one of those moments that stays with you.

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Kangaroo.... how can you talk about your fav. Aida cast and not mention Amneris!? I'm dissapointed...

sorry... sorry...
Actually, she was really sweet. I was sorta squished as we were waiting outside, and I took a picture with her, and she asked everyone to move aside a little so we could take the picture. She was really sweet.

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I would have to say that the most fulfilling experience for me was seeing THE NORMAL HEART at the Public Theatre this past season. I chose that because the play has a very special meaning to me because of the subject matter. I can't even describe how I felt about the show and the effect it had on me.

If I had to pick a Broadway moment, though, it would have to be...seeing Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune in October of 2002. When I saw this show for my 16th birthday, there was one moment at the end of the first act and I thought to myself, "I wanna do that!". Definitely one of my fave experiences.

The highlight of my life:
Interviewing Michael Musto
Interviewing Gerard Alessandrini and the cast of Forbidden Broadway live.
Interviewing The Cast of Avenue Q, in front of a live audience.
All three tie and all were very meaningful to me.
I do need to thank Michael Musto for being my first and favorite interview.
I also need to thank Jeff Marx, John Tartaglia, Gerard Alessandrini, John Freedson, Ellen and Stephanie D'Abruzzo for making it happen.

Updated On: 11/20/04 at 10:52 PM

Normally, I'm forced to leave and not go to the stage door (I think my mother is oblivious to the fact that we could meet the actors after the show), so I don't have a who I met story (yet).

HOWEVER. Getting the chance to Rent after a year of listening to the OBCR was absolutely thrilling. My heart actually started to pound during the introduction to La Vie Boheme.

The other plus side is that I defended Rent in the local paper after some guy said the show was comparable to "a good junior high school production." Absolutely the greatest moment of my life so far- seeing my name in print next to a picture of Jaime Lee.

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Additions:

Getting to go backstage for TITANIC when I was younger with my family.

Being at Antonio Banderas' last performance of NINE. The best.

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Having my beloved Karen Ziemba wink at me at the end of Act 1 of CRAZY FOR YOU. It's the end of "I Got Rhythm" and the cast strikes a final pose, which they hold as the curtain slowly falls, smiling and looking straight ahead as the audience applauds and cheers. I was sitting in the second row on the aisle, stage left side. As the curtain reached the point about ten feet from the floor, Karen turned her head to the left, looked straight at me, and winked. Now, I had seen her before the show, and told her where I was going to be sitting, and I was wearing a bright green sweater, so I was easy to spot. After the show she confirmed that yes, she was winking at me.

My whole Hairspray experience.. relationships I have built, things I have learned about shows and how they change, grow, reinvent them selves just but the change of a person or to. It's amazing how one character can be played so many different ways even if they are only slightly different they are different none the less. I have spent a LOT of my own money on this show and other shows (and now other shows to see former Hairspray folk in new things) and I don't regret any of it. It made me happy to watch he show and I can clearly recall all the times I have seen it. I know I'm just a teenager going throw a faze like the rest of the teenagers in this would but I feel I will look back on this faze and still be happy I went throw it... This is the stuff dreams are made from!

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There are too many in-show experiences to count... BUT! I have to say that my favorite experience in a Broadway house was dancing in the aisles with one of my good friends at the end of Taboo. Good times... :)

PS. this is not to say the show wasn't great as well...