Joanna Lumley's Spectacular LA BETE Entrance

[Noel&Cole]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 6:32pm

I was just thinking about Joanna Lumley's incredible entrance in LA BETE. It was a really exciting star entrance and was a real thrill in the play. A great way to present that character.

It just got me thinking about what other shows or characters (current or past) have exciting stage entrances. Post your thoughts.

I know the original direction for HELLO DOLLY has a great entrance/reveal for Dolly that presented Carol Channing to the audience to great effect. What are others you can think of?

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 6:35pm

I always liked Violet's first entrance in August: OC.

How does Lumley enter in La Bete?

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 6:54pm

Desireé's entrance in The Glamorous Life: Especially Bernie's. Legit, 3 minutes of standing ovation.

[lvpblues]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 7:02pm

Jane Krakowski in Nine comes readily to mind...

and then there's this...

Eartha Kitt Makes an Entrance Updated On: 9/29/10 at 07:02 PM

[Demitri2]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 7:10pm

Angela Lansbury - "It's Today" from MAME. Appeared at the top of a stairs with a bugle. Blew it and after saying her first line then slid down the banister.

Alexis Smith - In "Platinum" made her entrance dancing and singing atop a piano. White piano white dress white furs

And the classic best....any Rose coming up the aisle for her GYPSY entrance.

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 7:11pm

^ True. I loved Patti's all the way up from that St. James balcony.

[chewy5000]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 8:05pm

Velma's entrance in the Chicago revival.

Lots of fun can be had with Sweeney Todd too.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 10:28pm

Mama Rose in GYPSY

[Noel&Cole]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 12:16am

Yes to Mama Rose in Gypsy, Velma is Chicago, and Mame!

[willep]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 9:33am

I always loved David Hyde Pierce's entrance in Curtains!

Glinda- For Lumley's entrance (I was sitting in the box on house left, the side she entered on, so if there was more to it than I saw, hopefully someone will fill it in) there is a door in the wall of bookcases (all doors are "secret" doors that blend in with the bookcase), and it opens and a golden light shines through. Then tons of shiny confetti get blasted in the door so it is glimmering in the golden light, and she walks in. It's pretty cool.

[MariusPontmercy]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 10:05am

Recently, Simon Russell Beale in London Assurance. He actually got entrance applause, which is pretty rare for anyone in London and almost unheard of at places like the National. It was very simple, a pair of doors swung open and he slowly walked on accompanied by stately music, but it was brilliant. I think it was the costume/wig that did it:



Another one that got a good round of applause recently was Roger Allam (as Falstaff) in Henry IV Part 2 at the Globe. No applause for Mark Rylance in Jerusalem, but his entrance was very funny and set up the character perfectly (even better was Tom Brooke's in the same play, but you could hardly call him a star, as great an actor as he is). Updated On: 9/30/10 at 10:05 AM

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 10:12am

For me, the entrance of all time will be Rosalind Russell tearing down those stairs in the original production of Auntie Mame. 53 years after the fact, I still get chills thinking of it.

[Q]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 10:48am

lvpblues - Eartha cracked me up in TIMBUKTU!

"Stirring connnnnnnnnnnstantly, with a loooooonnnnnnnngggggg wooden spoonnnnnnnnnnn"

[Mamie]

Posted: 9/30/10 at 10:49am

willep's description of Lumley's entrance made me think of the the girl in the yellow dress in "Contact"