Favorite Moments/Highlights of the 2015-2016 Season — Page 2

In purely visceral terms my favorite moments include:

The Garret Room floating above the river in THERESE RAQUIN, maybe the most gorgeous visual of the season.

A close second was the sequence in AMERICAN PSYCHO when the happy clouds of the semicircular Hamptons set are transformed door slam by door slam into the blood-splashed tomb of Patrick's rampage.

THE COLOR PURPLE was so full of visceral moments of glorious song, maybe the most glorious that was not in a song was Danielle Brooks' Sophia coming back to life at the Thanksgiving dinner. Electric.

The Act I Finale of SHUFFLE ALONG. Adrenaline, movement, performance, design and music to produce ecstasy. Pure and simple.

And a sentimental favorite: returning to AN AMERICAN IN PARIS just to watch those magical transformations of Paris from wartime to peacetime told in choreography, scenery, costumes, lighting and projections in one seamless whole.

*Savion Glover's glorious choreography in Shuffle Along

*Laura Benanti singing "Will He Like Me?" and Creel/Krakowski's "Ilona"

*Hamilton, after his son has died; the shared moment with his wife

*American Psycho….it started when I walked into the Schoenfeld and was surrounded by the eeriness of the music…..and the amazing experience didn't end until the bows.

*Carmen Cusack, and the wonderful sounds of bluegrass which brought the story to life.

So much to love! Here are some of the standouts:

* Leslie Odom Jr.'s standout performance in Hamilton which is even more incredible considering how great everyone in that show is

* Mara Davi and Danny Gardner's train number in Dames at Sea

* The addition of ASL to Spring Awakening

* Ben Walker and the entire production of American Psycho

* The goofy antics of Robber Bridegroom

* Gavin Creel and Jane Krakowski's "Ilona"

* Seeing Stevie Nicks perform with the School of Rock kids

* The heartbreaking Gideon Glick in Significant Other

* It opened last season, but I didn't see it until this season - Judy Kuhn's heartbreaking "Days and Days"

Everything about...

Hamilton

Allegiance

American Psycho

My top 3 shows of the season!

Updated On: 6/2/16 at 09:35 PM

-Cynthia Erivo singing I'm Here

-All of She Loves Me

-The staging of Helpless/Satisfied

-Phillipa Soo during Stay alive (reprise) and the finale. Brilliant acting and direction.

I hate to point out four moments in one single show, but the Spring Awakening revival was so brilliantly directed that I will always remember these three moments:

-Moritz's suicide. The way Daniel N. Durant tried to call back Ilse, how Alex Boniello gave Daniel the gun, started saying his lines and then left the stage. Haunting.

-Sandra Mae Frank saying 'Why didn't you tell me everything?'. I had goosebumps.

-'The dark I know so well'. The words 'There's a part I CAN'T tell' had a new meaning and it was even more heartbreaking.

Updated On: 6/2/16 at 10:11 PM

Wasn't abe to see Hamilton, but....

- Every second of American Psycho. I had chills from the second the lights went down all the way until "This Is Not an Exit". Particularly "Selling Out", "In The Air Tonight", and "Hip To Be Square". Benjamin Walker, Helene Yorke, and Morgan Weed were standouts, but the whole cast was working their (very fit) asses off. I saw it twice and would see it again everyday if I could. I haven't been this devastated about a show closing so soon.

- "Bad Idea" from Waitress. Basically any scenes with Mueller and Gehling.

- Alex Brightman and the kids in School of Rock who are giving every single ounce of energy they have on the stage every night (at least both times I saw it). I left the show on absolute cloud nine and was smiling the whole night through. THOSE KIDS!!!! "You're in the Band" and "Stick It to the Man" are so great.

- The whole cast of She Loves Me and the whole night overall.

-The ballet from Tuck

-Marin's opening night in The King & I

-Jane Krakowski's crash split

-Carmen Cusack's "At Last"

-Donna McKechnie at Studio 54

-The entirety of Allegiance

-The reprise of "Clean" in American Psycho

-Annaleigh Ashford's closing night performance in Sylvia

Finally saw The Color Purple last night, and have to add Cynthia Erivo's entire performance, especially I'm Here. When she sings that high note on "Gonna SING out" it's breathtaking. What a stellar, stellar performance.