Favorite Broadway EXPERIENCE — Page 2

my last Wednesday on my last trip....


matinee of hairspray... chatting with Brooke Tansley and Tracy Jai Edwrds on their way in and bumping into Serge Kushnier as he arrived and wishing him a good show.. only to have him come back outside a few moments later and being able to have a great chat with him before he had to head in.... and then after the show, having Brooke Tansely and Jeff approach me to talk on the sidewalk and brooke making me share an umbrella while she waited for carly and Serge finding me to say hello.... then heading over to catch the evening performance of bare... with Jenna Leigh Green, John Hill, and Adam Fleming saying hi to me befre the show and remembering me... and thenc hatting after teh show and having the opportunity to walk with Adam and having them all wish me a safe trip home.. when I had mentioned it in passing days befoire.

Such great performers and quality people. I really iwsh them all the best personally and professionally.

Watching Idina do the end of DG.

I would have to say mine would be the "last" show of Mamma Mia..well not the last show literally of course, but the show when most of the original cast members left the show. It was such an emotionally charged performance, with tons of crying on stage. The audience was so supportive..I actually felt like I was at a concert instead of a Broadway show. And that night Louise Pitre gave one of the most amazing peformances I have ever seen....anywhere!!

the most incredible experience i have had at a show was seeing Tick Tick Boom. I saw this show the friday after sept 11 and was one of about 6th people in the theater. The cast really poured everything into their performance and it was truly breath-taking. I had decided to sit on the second floor as it is my favorite spot and i was the only one up there as the other people were able to sit front row center. During a particularly poingnent "louder then words," raul noticed me sitting up by my lonesome and gave me a big smile...it really made me feel like everything was gonna be alright and was really an incredible connection.

witnessing Hugh Jackman, Nathan Lane, and Matthew Broderick in performances that will define their carrers

AndyHardy, that was very moving. :)

I have had many wonderful experiences but I think the one that tops them all (including chatting with Louise Pitre in her dressing room and getting a kiss on the cheek from Donna Murphy) was seeing the great Julie Harris on stage. I get chills just thinking about it- even before the play started (It was "The Gin Game") I was shaking, almost in tears, and throughout the entire performance I had to pinch myself to make sure I was actually sitting there, watching her, witnessing this amazing performer in action. It was an experience I shall never forget - she was magnificent.

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The first time I saw LES MISERABLES - it was about a year or so after our country had undergone a political upheaval and some scenes from the stage musical ( the barricades) reminded me of similar personal experiences. The whole show was an emotionally charged experience for me - something that was repeated in all the times I had seen the musical on Broadway, at the West End, in Paris and even here in a local production in Manila.

More recently and also very emotional in a very different way - was the closing show of THE BOY FROM OZ. John Heilpern of the NY Observer wrote about that last matinee and he aptly described how it had become such a joyous and poignant experience. It was a show that many pundits expected to close early, after the harsh critic condemnation that followed Opening Night. Yet on its closing night - it was full to the rafters and ticket prices were at an all-time record high. Many industry bigwigs and theatre lovers were there to say Farewell to the show and to Hugh Jackman, in a party that many said Broadway had never seen the likes of. It was joyful, exhilarating, emotional, overwhelming, and celebratory. When Hugh started singing ONCE BEFORE I GO, the audience reaction was unbelievably emotional and poignant. But it all ended on a high - as we all said goodbye to the show, THE BOY FROM OZ, and to its much-loved star, Hugh Jackman!

When the confetti rained down on those of us very close to the stage - we all realized that the show itself is a joyful celebration of life! And all those times at the Imperial gave us an incredible and joyous Broadway experience each time!

hm....gosh there are so many! Ok. If I have to choose, it would probably be the first time I saw AIDA.

So anyway, I get into the theatre and I immediately see the fantastic eye of the horus. So the lights went down and i was literally trembling in my seat because i was so excited. The show started and then a voice was heard. It was Idina's. She was so beautiful and she did a wonderful job with 'Every Story...'. Then the music REALLY kicked in and it really pulled me into the story. Then, an even greater voice belted out into the audience. It was........*dramatic pause* ..ADAM!! The sets and the costumes astounded me! Each and every person on that stage was sooo talented. Maya, Adam, Idina, Damian, John,...just everyone! As the show came to its final scene, I was histerical. I don't think I have ever cried so hard in my entire life. My mom brought a tissue box with her and by the end of the show 3/4 of it was gone.
After the show, I was still sobbing. Then, I had my first stage door experience. There were about 10 people waiting there. So, my sister and I decided to wait as well. The first person we saw was Damian. He was sooo incredibly kind. Then, who walks out.....but....ADAM! I noticed that face immediately and my heart started to beat 1000 times/second. He got to me and was like 'aww! don't cry! it's just a show! see! we're still alive and kicking!' Then, my favorite part of all, was when Adam gave me a hug. *squeals* He signed my playbill and told not to worry and to be happy. Then the rest of the actors came out to sign stuff. They were all so amazing. Then, Idina came out. She was very nice to everyone and was happy to take pictures and sign autographs. She talked with my family for a couple of minutes as well.
I don't think that I have ever been as moved by a show before. Aida really inspired me to continue pursuing my dream. I will never forget this experience.

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One of my favorite Broadway moments was going to the Opening of Long Day's Journey into night. Hell, even waiting in line from 7am to 4 in the afternoon on a particularly chilly May day, wearing a less than warm jacket (it was just before the spring semester ended, and I'd already shipped my heavy winter coats and sweaters back home). It was all totally worth it to get one of those free tickets (thanks to David Richenthal or whoever was responsible for that!) It was my first Opening Night and it was wonderful.

My favorite off-Broadway memory involved NAT's production of The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui a couple years ago. I was lucky enough to intern on it, and just had a blast! The first day I interned, I was asked to help out with costumes and I actually got to watch their dress rehearsal from the wings. It was amazing! I got to stand an arm's lenght away from Al Pacino as he got ready to go on stage (and he even asked me for a bottle of Evian water! How crazy is that? I know it's not much, but how many people get to have even a super-mini convo with Pacino?!?!) It was really cool though! Very exciting stuff!

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The couple of times that I have met Donna Murphy have been my favorite. She is soooo nice and gracious. Greg Edelman was great too!!

I know someone will most likely have a problem with this, but... a few weeks ago, after a particularly stressful day at work, I stopped by the Wicked box office to pick up a T-shirt my mother asked me to get for my niece. I wanted my trip to coincide with a chance at the lottery, but never seemed to have the time to get there, etc. I seriously thought I had missed the drawing but I needed the T-shirt for my niece's birthday si I went anyway. I got there 10 minutes before drawing, put my name in, and you probably know where this is going my name was the fourth one called. Less than two hours later, we were sitting dead center front row. It was a fantastic show, Idina and Jennifer were great and the best part was it was all so unexpected and last minute. When I sat down before the show started, I was like I can't believe I am doing this. It was fabulous. Before that, though I remember going to the last matinee of A Chorus Line. It was amazing to see all the devoted fans waiting outside, the former cast members, etc. It proved the impact shows can have.