HAIRSPRAY (4/20) - Darlene Love's last performance

[zamedy]

Posted: 4/21/08 at 2:05am

I was fortunate enough to see Darlene Love's final performance in HAIRSPRAY Sunday... and all I can say is.. WOW. It was a truly amazing experience that was worth every penny I spent and every mile I traveled. The theatre was sold out (even the boxes were filled) and the audience was electric. They applauded and some (including me) cheered when she made her first entrance.

"Big, Blonde and Beautiful" was brilliant. But anyone who has seen Ms. Love in this show before knows that her signature song is "I Know Where I've Been." I couldn't WAIT to hear her sing it one more time. And Lord, she did NOT disappoint. I am getting chills writing this as I remember hearing those beautiful lyrics come out of her mouth. She poured everything she had into it...almost choking up at one point... tearing up by the end. Those five minutes in that theatre were.. AMAZING. Actually, the word "amazing" does not do her or the experience justice. Let's just say this... the majority of the audience (that I could tell) was STANDING before the song was over (Not too often THAT happens in the middle of a show!). It was like being at a rock concert! The sound of the cheers from the audience was deafening. And what was really neat... Mark Shaiman stood in the conductor's spot in the pit (next to the conductor) as she sang this show stopper one final time.

After the curtain, Marc and Scott came on stage to thank her one more time. Tevin Campbell also gave a very touching speech, thanking her and telling her how much he loved and looked up to her. Finally, she took the mic and thanked everyone for three amazing years with Hairspray... then told the audience she is blessed to be where she is at the age of 67. 67! You could hear the gasps, before more thunderous applause.

An amazing woman. An amazing performance. An amazing day at the theatre. I wish Ms. Love all the best. She is truly one of the most talented and powerful (and perhaps underappreciated) singers to grace the Broadway stage. God Bless her!

Updated On: 4/21/08 at 02:05 AM

[Parks]

Posted: 4/21/08 at 2:21am

She is easily the best sounding 67 year old I've heard! :-P

Congrats to her on an amazing run in Hairspray. She was absolutely incredible when I saw her in March 2006!

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 4/21/08 at 2:37am

She is seriously a living legend.
Thank you, Darlene for three amazing years of being BIG, BLONDE AND BEAUTIFUL.
You will be missed.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/21/08 at 6:39am

67!?!?!?! Wow. I think I love her even more now.

Congrats to her for a great run in Hairspray!

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 4/21/08 at 7:00am

She was amazing each and every time I saw her. She was absolutely incredible at Shannon's last performance last week.

[musikman]

Posted: 4/21/08 at 9:41am

When I saw it a few years ago foir the second time, the theater was half empty. She still managed to tear the roof off the place with her performance as if there were 50,000 people in the audience.

Incredible performer!

[Angelus16]

Posted: 4/21/08 at 4:23pm

"She was amazing each and every time I saw her. She was absolutely incredible at Shannon's last performance last week."

I agree with everything said here. Words can't begin to describe how amazing she was at Shannon's last show; she really sang the crap out of I Know Where I've Been, and you could just tell she did it for Shannon(even hitting the high note at the end of the song, which over the past few months she hasn't been doing). I've seen Darlene perform countless times, and never have I been disappointed. She'll truly be missed.