Great Broadway Character Entrances

#1

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/16/14 at 10:22pm

So I was watching an old video of Eartha Kitt's entrance in Timbuktu! and I thought it was really spectacular. Can you think of any other entrances of characters in Broadway plays or musicals that stood out to you as particularly spectacular or poignant? If you could describe it or have a video, that would be even better! The only one I can think of is Celia Keenan-Bolger's entrance in the Glass Menagerie where she entered through the couch.

Updated On: 12/17/14 at 10:22 PM

#2

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/16/14 at 10:26pm

Che's entrance in the recent revival of Evita.

#3

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/16/14 at 10:26pm

velma in chicago

#4

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/16/14 at 10:27pm

I am cheating but the entrance in Gray Gardens 2nd act

#5

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/16/14 at 10:35pm

I loved how they had Finch enter for the first time in the recent H2S revival!

#6

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/16/14 at 10:37pm

The Genie in Aladdin.

#7

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/16/14 at 10:39pm

Mark Rylance doing a headstand into a trough of water 8 shows a week in Jerusalem.

---

Dolittle

#8

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/16/14 at 10:40pm

The "Overture" of FOLLIES has wonderful character entrances for all the women who were once showgirls. In the original 1971 production it was a wonder to behold but "Beautiful Girls" to me is the "Great Entrance" in the musical proper in a way.

#9

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/16/14 at 10:44pm

I've always thought that the Emcee's entrance in the revival of Cabaret is pretty dramatic.
Seymour 's entrance in Little Shop where he stumbles in and accidentally smashes his flower pots is a pretty funny entrance.

#10

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/16/14 at 10:54pm

The entrance of The Princess in the recent revival of La Bete was pretty spectacular. From what I remember, the character was announced, and the door stage right flung open with a giant burst of light and this mass of gold confetti blowing in, after which the character entered. The show as itself wasn't anything spectacular, but it was still one hell of an entrance.

Lady Day also comes to mind to me. Not that anything was brilliant in the staging, but it was just so thrilling seeing Audra enter after the anticipation of listening to the band and not hearing a sound out of her mouth until she reached the microphone.

---

I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.

#11

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/16/14 at 10:56pm

I think my namesake has a pretty spectacular entrance. Also, you can a lot about an actress' take on Sally from their entrance. The best is and always will be Dorothy Collins.

---

"Sticks and stones, sister. Here, have a Valium." - Patti LuPone, a Memoir

#12

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/16/14 at 10:56pm

Celia Keenan-Bolger's entrance via the couch in Glass Menagerie
Genie in Aladdin
Glinda via "bubble" in Wicked
Hedwig descending in Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Emcee in Cabaret
Safari parade in the aisles of the Lion King

#13

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/17/14 at 12:21am

Cherry Jones did NOT enter from the couch.

---

If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it? These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.

#14

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/17/14 at 12:24am

Oh crap, my memory is slipping and I'm not even old yet! Yes, I realize now that I meant to write Celia Keenan-Bolger.

#15

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/17/14 at 1:46am

The Phantom's face in the mirror as the first glimpse that the audience gets of him in POTO is rather impressive. I also like Henry Higgins' entrance in "My Fair Lady," where he emerges from behind the pillar.

---

Audrey, the Phantom Phanatic, who nonetheless would rather be Jean Valjean, who knew how to make lemonade out of lemons.

#16

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/17/14 at 1:56am

Ditto on the Phantom's mirror entrance. And how has nobody mentioned the guy in my avatar? When directing a production of Sweeney Todd, it is the director's solemn duty to give him a kickass entrance rising from the grave, coming back from hell, or whatever spin you want to put on it.

#17

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/17/14 at 1:59am

Crazy For You: Follies coming out of the car

#18

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/17/14 at 2:04am

Velma Kelly in the revival....coming up that lil elevator.

#19

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/17/14 at 2:05am

I've been going to the theater in New York for over 40 years and nothing I have ever seen comes close Eartha Kitt's entrance in Timbuktu!, born overhead on the palm of the hand of a huge black bodybuilder. The audience went *crazy* both times. The poor youtube video only hints at what it was like in the theater.

"I'm heeeeeeeeere.............."

Updated On: 2/5/15 at 02:05 AM

#20

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/17/14 at 6:24am

Two come to mind -

John Cullum as Oscar Jaffe in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. While his two sidekicks sit inside the speeding train, wondering if Oscar made it in time, we notice him outside the windows, crawling towards them while hanging on for dear life. Finally the "wind" blows his hat off.

Rachel York in CITY OF ANGELS. After film noir detective Stone searches the city for the missing bad girl, he returns to his apartment, where "Surprise!," she pops up in his bed, wearing only a bed sheet and sings "Lost and Found"

---

Huge musical fan ever since seeing SHENANDOAH at age 8 on B'way, followed by the '76 the revival of FIDDLER with Zero Mostel. Working on my own Musical Comedy.

#21

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/17/14 at 2:11pm

"Sing out Louise!"

#22

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/17/14 at 4:35pm

I loved Lola's entrance in the 94 revival of Damn Yankees. Applegate's phone call to hell, that jazzy do-wah arrangement, and then just her one leg popping out of the furnace, followed by the rest of her. Sexy and funny all in one.

#23

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/17/14 at 4:52pm

"Sing out, Louise!" indeed! I'm surprised it wasn't mentioned earlier.

We're all used to it now, but Robert Preston's "entrance" during "But He Doesn't Know the Territory" from behind a newspaper to reveal the "Professor Harold Hill" on his traveling case was very creative in its day. And STILL works now, even though we know it's coming.

#24

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/17/14 at 7:52pm

Call...on...
MIS-SUS DOL-LY LE-VI!

No matter who the Dolly is.

---

Well-well-well-what-do-you-think-of-that-I-have-nothing-here-to-pay-my-train-fare-with-only-large-bills-fives-and-sevens....

#25

Great Broadway Character Entrances

Posted: 12/17/14 at 8:04pm

SING OUT LOUISE!!!!

Absolutely the best!

Updated On: 12/17/14 at 08:04 PM