Favorite Broadway Memories?

Curious about your favorite and most memorable broadway related moments

Sitting down in Studio 54 and having the lights go down as the overture started for my favorite musical, SHE LOVES ME!!

It was my first Broadway show and I will never forget how good that feeling was.

Seeing Cabaret on Broadway with Alan Cumming at Studio 54 (original production) Or I guess more specifically when he takes his jacket off at the end. I haven't been gut punched like that in theater before or since.

I've noted this before here and on the "other board," but it's VICTOR/VICTORIA, or more generally that whole Sunday. It was my first time in NYC so seeing Times Square was amazing. My buddy, who grew up in Brooklyn, was my guide. We arrived late morning, threw our luggage in the hotel room, and walked around, seeing all the marquees for the shows running then. Then we went to the Marriott Marquis for the matinee to see V/V, my first. Broadway show. It's true, you never forget your first time. Loved the show, though I know many have mixed or negative feelings about it. What a joy to see Julie Andrews, and over the years since I've had the good fortune to meet Rachel York twice and remind her what a special experience it was for me.

Revival of Equus with Richard Griffiths and Daniel Radcliffe

London 25th anniversary performance of Phantom of the Opera at Royal Albert Hall with Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess

New York 25th anniversary performance of Phantom of the Opera at The Majestic with Hugh Panaro and Sierra Boggess

Final performance by the original London cast of Love Never Dies with Ramin Karimloo, Sierra Boggess, and Joseph Millson

I made a list of these on my blog back in September...!

Link

I'm actually so glad you asked!

This past Friday night, I got in line to rush for Dear Evan Hansen for the Saturday evening show. I met such amazing people that night, and I was so thankful for the entire experience. I'm a medical student, and the medical community/world is so much more harsh, judgmental, competitive, etc. than the theatre one, and I was so taken aback by the unbelievable amounts of kindness I experienced that night.

I used to be a caterer, so before I headed to NY, I thought I'd bake something for the other people who were going to be in line with me. So I made and brought one loaf each of banana bread and pumpkin bread. Between 6:00 and 7:00 AM, I brought them out and began to walk down the line with the slices. I was honestly very prepared for people to be angry or not accept them because I'm a complete stranger, but to my complete surprise, the people were so accepting of the baked goods. They were so incredibly kind and thankful, and a lot of them were so happy for the surprise. I walked down the DEH, Great Comet, and CFA lines, and I couldn't believe that soon after I began, both loaves were completely gone.

It's been a few days since then, but I still can't stop thinking of that morning when the kindness, trust, and acceptance of my fellow theatregoers almost brought me to tears. The world of medical trainees can be a really rough one, and after so much time being immersed in such a world, I almost forgot that people like that could exist.

If you're reading this and you were in those lines and you remember me, I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for that recharging, rejuvenating, and healing experience. After all that's been happening in my life and in the world recently, I needed it more than I can ever say. It was an absolute honor to meet, talk to, and be in the company of such wonderful people.

My first Broadway show was Book of Mormon. I didn't know the music - was sketchy on storyline - knew it was supposed to be inappropriate and funny. Within 30 seconds of "Hello!" I realized I was HOOKED on Broadway and there would be no going back!

Another one was the second time I saw Hamilton with the OBC. The first time was right when it opened and while I knew a lot about it I hadn't listened to the music extensively. It was well received but not hyperbolic. Six months later I saw it for the second time and the second time was the BOMB. I knew what I was in for - I knew all the songs by heart and so did a lot of other audience members and it just felt like one big love fest.