My very first West End show was 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'. I've seen it with Jason Donovan, Philip Schofield, and Stephen Gately. I don't think of it as being responsible for my current theatre obsession, but I've certainly been a fan of musicals for a very long time and it didn't exactly discourage me.
No, what I blame for my theatre fan-ness in general is 'Rent'. I used to hang out on an AOL message board, and all the "cool kids" were into 'Rent', so when the tour came through my hometown, I went to see it. I loved it, bought the OBCR, then just... started spreading out. I moved onto 'Aida', 'Wicked', 'Avenue Q', 'The Last Five Years', in all directions really, as long as it was contemporary Broadway. 'Rent' was the very first show I actually saw on Broadway and even though I don't consider myself a massive fan anymore, that still pleases me. :3
Then somewhere along the line I went wrong, and went to see 'Sunday in the Park with George' at the Wyndham's. Upon realising that London theatre-going was fun, I booked myself onto my friends' sofa for a week and went to see 'The Woman in Black', 'The Last Five Years', 'Les Miserables', 'Evita', 'Billy Elliot', the first 'Wicked' preview, 'Guys & Dolls', the third 'Wicked' preview, and 'Avenue Q'. And I just never looked back!
So I suppose you could say there's a timeline of the important shows that have had most impact on me and led me up to where I am today; it needs punctuating with many many trips to 'Blood Brothers', and it'll get more detailed as we get more recent.
1991 - 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'
Between these points, I was in an array of musicals, at school, the local theatre, and local am-dram.
2001 - 'Rent'
I started buying cast recordings at a fairly steady rate shortly after this.
2004 - 'Rent' (again; this time on Broadway!
)
2006 (July) - 'Sunday in the Park with George'
2006 (September) - 'Wicked', 'Les Miserables', 'The Woman in Black' (my first real play experience; shocking!)
I went to New York for a week in March 2007. It was fantastic.
2007 (May) - 'Office Suite' (this was the first time I got a standby for a fiver at the Theatre Royal, Bath, and lordy it was FAR from the last time!)
2007 (July) - 'Angels in America' (it gave me a taste for marathon theatre days)
2007 (October) - 'Henry V' (turned me onto Shakespeare finally; since 'Henry V', I've seen 17 different Shakespeare plays)
I'm sorry, what was the question? I appear to have skewed myself. It happens. XP
Ah, obsession today! Well, actually, I have serial obsessions. The obsession I have today is Shakespeare and 'War Horse', so while my first West End show certainly prodded me in the right direction, it's pretty far removed from my current fixations. So no, not responsible. Just... helpful. I totally blame a combination of 'Rent' and 'Wicked'. But look at me now! I've blossomed! It *is* possible!
Updated On: 8/29/08 at 04:57 PM
lol
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