Memorable Moments on Stage in 2024?

[NewYorkTheater]

Posted: 12/28/24 at 8:41pm

Where were your most memorable stage moments in 2024?

Here are 15 of mine.

[theatergoer3]

Posted: 12/28/24 at 8:57pm

Masquerade and the full Bright in Stereophonic

Predatory Wasp in Illinoise

Easy in Water for Elephants

Dr. Jazz in Jelly’s Last Jam

Gayle Rankin’s Cabaret

Audra’s Rose’s Turn

Gimme Shelter and the panic attack in Hills of California

The montage in The Effect

Updated On: 12/28/24 at 08:57 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/28/24 at 9:12pm

“The Seers Tower” from ILLINOISE just destroyed me. it’s seared into my brain.

[Glittergrrl]

Posted: 12/28/24 at 9:54pm

My favorite moment is the climax of Oh, Mary. 

[EmceeHammer]

Posted: 12/28/24 at 10:10pm

Robbie Fairchild performs “The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts” in Illinoise in Illinois

Audra’s turn at “Rose’s Turn” in Gypsy

Nicole Scherzinger gives me goosebumps in “With One Look” in Sunset Blvd

Watching Tom Francis perform “Sunset Boulevard” on 44th St outside of Sunset Blvd

Adam Lambert kills the vibe with “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” in Cabaret

Megan Hilty gives me what I paid for with “For the Gaze” in Death Becomes her

The stagecraft of Maybe Happy Ending

Worst:

Nicole Scherzinger making me snicker with her super serious growl at the climax of Sunset Blvd

Nicole Scherzinger making me cringe with her super serious and self important curtain call at Sunset Blvd

Remembering what I paid to see All In: Comedy About Love

Updated On: 12/28/24 at 10:10 PM

[Yessica Haircut]

Posted: 12/28/24 at 10:51pm

6 personal ones for me:

• All of the musical moments in Stereophonic. In addition to just being a good play, everything about that show was what I go to the theater for; it took a setting that (to my knowledge) hasn't been depicted onstage before and the result was the perfect definition of a play with music - it all blended together so well, with neither overpowering the other
• Scenes IV and V of An Enemy of the People
• Much of the staging of MacNeal, especially the computer-generated version of Robert Downey Jr. and that coup de theater moment in the last few minutes (I liked the play well enough, but thought the meta theatrics were the standout)
• The video conference scene in Eureka Day
• As I mentioned in another thread, I thought Swept Away was a genuinely well-done show and there is so much about it that has stuck with me (the shipwreck, in particular, was a cool staging effect) as has the music. However, I saw the show in late November at a performance that was mentioned twice in the thread for the show itself, when a medical emergency occurred in the audience during the last 20 or so minutes of the show and forced the performance to come to a pause; I've been going to the theatre regularly for almost 20 years and, while this definitely isn't the first time such a event has happened in the audience, it's the first time (for me) it's ever stopped the show. Due to the nature of the set, it made it more or less impossible for the stranded sailors to leave the stage, leaving them to experience that moment with us; even when the show was paused, we were all in the same boat
• Gavin Creel closing out Miscast 2024 with a Mamma Mia medley. Admittedly I didn't think this year's ceremony was the best, but that joyous display will always be one of those "If I only knew at the time" moments; for as long as I live, that beautiful person living it up with his colleagues in those blissful few minutes will hold a very special place in my memory

Updated On: 12/28/24 at 10:51 PM

[IronMan]

Posted: 12/28/24 at 11:01pm

Robbie Fairchild in Illinoise (at the Armory).  It was my first time seeing him dance and from the start I couldn't take my eyes off of him. I saw the show twice more (with different people as "Clark" each time) and no one moved me as much as Robbie.

The fall down the stairs in Death Becomes Her. 

Every moment of Oh, Mary! 

The last minute of "Rose's Turn" and the choices made at "Someone tell me when is it my turn..." but I'm going to try to forget the rest of the show's direction.

The last minutes of Appropriate. 

Seeing Sweeney Todd in the time before Sutton took over and Delaney Westfall's Lovett was spectacular.  

Eddie Izzard's one-person Hamlet 

 

[halfhourcheckwithmerman]

Posted: 12/28/24 at 11:06pm

I really loved this year of theater. Some of my top moments:

• The simple and strikingly effective iceberg in TITANIC at Encores (as well as Rob Berman's astonishing music direction). 
• Also at Encores --- RAGTIME isn't my favorite show, but Joshua Henry gave maybe the most stunning male vocal performance I've ever heard. His gentle vocalise when he first meets his baby will be etched into my brain forever. 
• Kelli O'Hara and Adam Guettel breaking my heart in DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES, as well as JRB's "Western Wall" in THE CONNECTOR.  Two musicals I found frustrating in many ways --- but both still beyond thrilling. 
• Everything about MAYBE HAPPY ENDING, but especially those fireflies :)
• And the final twist in OH, MARY --- I'm not sure I've ever laughed as hard or as long in my life.

[quizking101]

Posted: 12/29/24 at 12:33am

- Literally EVERYTHING in CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL.

- “Satan Pulls The Strings” from SWEPT AWAY
- Watching Denise Gough’s total breakdown in rehab (sitting on stage) during PEOPLE, PLACES & THINGS - West End

- “Predatory Wasp” from ILLINOISE

- “Listening To You” (Finale) from THE WHO’S TOMMY

 

[Skip23]

Posted: 12/29/24 at 1:37am

- choreography of Sunset Boulevard.  And that’s it
- Lesli Margharita in Gypsy

- Autumn Hurlbert In Tammy Faye

- All of Heart of Rock ‘n’ Roll

- That hunky guitarist in Swept Away

- A side view of Kelly O’Hara, singing her heart out in Days of Wine and Roses

- Gayle Rankin’s Maybe This Time and Cabaret

- Daniel Breaker in Mattress

- Job

- 

[SingingEachtoEach]

Posted: 12/29/24 at 1:46am

The fireflies in Maybe Happy Ending.

The whole deranged humor in Death Becomes Her and the chemistry of the leads.  Tell Me Ernest is a good example.

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 12/29/24 at 2:21am

Ooooo, I like this one! More specific than just favorite shows!

A few that come to mind (in no particular order):

• Nicholas Christopher Epiphany
• The coup de theatre at the end of Appropriate
• Bright (both V1 and Take 22) in Stereophonic
• Masquerade in Stereophonic 
• Outsiders Rumble
• The big reveal in Job
• The entr'acte and title number of Sunset Blvd. 
• The firefly scene in maybe Happy Ending
• Joshua Henry Make Them Hear You
• The Eureka Day Town Hall Scene 👍
• Rose's Turn
• Others mentioned the climax of Oh Mary, I'd also add two other moments:
  • Louise revealing her dark secret immediately followed by "LOUISE WANTS TO PUT ICE CREAM IN HER PUSSY" as soon as Mary's Husband walks in.
  • The moment where Mary and her Teacher both reach for the book of sonnets and the music swells and the lights dim like it's a meet cute moment only for Mary to be like "please don't drop my things." Too good. 

[Yessica Haircut]

Posted: 12/29/24 at 4:44pm

Just chiming in with my additional 7th choice.

Admittedly, I'm not surprised it slipped my mind since I found every moment of Three Houses enchanting, helped greatly by Dave Malloy's addictive music. But looking back on it, Sadie's New Mexico story sticks with me the most. Two particular moments stand out for me:

1. 'Put the quarter in/Push, push, push/Nothing comes out' (might paraphrasing the lyrics slightly, but that sequence was one of the most hypnotic and thrilling moments in any musical theater song)
2. Bringing the world of life-simulation video games to stage (it's about time); seeing those green overhead Sims icons brought me more joy than it should have

[InTheBathroom1]

Posted: 12/31/24 at 8:11pm

Love this question. Some personal faves:

• The paper drop at the end of The Connector
• The last 10 minutes of JOB
• The fireflies in Maybe Happy Ending
• The rumble in The Outsiders
• The first strut down the runway in Cats
• The town hall in Eureka Day 
• The reveal of Jeremy Strong covered in ice in An Enemy of the People

[JudyDenmark]

Posted: 12/31/24 at 9:54pm

YES that brilliantly creative iceberg in Titanic at City Center, thank you for the reminder! 

Echoing everyone re: the fireflies in Maybe Happy Ending, but really all of the tech of that show. I was oohing and aahing the whole time. 

The whole end of Oh Mary. The end, and then the end-end. Brilliant. 

The kid coming down the stairs in Appropriate. You know which part. And the stage design of the epilogue.

Seeing Suffs the last night of the DNC while Kamala was accepting her nomination, and the indescribable feeling as a woman during “Keep Marching.” (And hearing everyone else crying around me too.) A simpler time. 🫤

Impossible to pick a moment from the Jellicle Ball, but I’ll go with either Skimbleshanks (the MTA costume, hilarious genius), or the palpable energy of the audience in the opening number when the cast finally convenes on the stage and the velvet rope is pulled aside for that iconic unison dance down the runway. And god, Mr. Mistoffeles. Couldn’t take my eyes off of them. 

Equally hard to pick a moment in Illinoise but I’ll go with Shara Nova’s stunning vocals on John Wayne  Gacy. I didn’t know the music going in and I remember my heart being in my throat during that. Shoutout to the sound design too, the acoustics were just gorgeous. (One of my favorite shows I’ve ever seen and I love Justin Peck, so too hard to pick a specific dance element, it was all glorious.)

Shoshana Bean’s “Pawn It All” in Hell’s Kitchen. Hot damn that was impressive. 

The sheer power behind the Listening to You finale of Tommy. Spectacular!

The fight scene in The Outsiders - I saw it before everyone was talking about it, so it was unexpected, and I don’t think I breathed. 

And a more personal moment, but seeing that my mom was full-on crying from “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” when the intermission house lights came up in Gypsy. I was so moved that she was so moved.

(There are so many really fabulous moments when I really stop to think about it, but I’’m writing a novel so I’ll shut up now!)

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 1/1/25 at 9:45am

Here are mine...

• The entirety of Ragtime at Encores!
• The car chase/opening credits of Sunset Boulevard as well as Nicole Scherzinger singing the hell out "With One Look" and "As If We Never Said Goodbye"
• The last 15 minutes of Job
• "Chicago" in Illinoise
• Audra McDonald killing "Everything's Coming Up Roses" and "Rose's Turn" in Gypsy

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 1/1/25 at 10:47am

The end of I Love You So Much I Could Die at NYTW. The set was essentially bare the whole show; there was only a table, a chair, a laptop, a lamp, a guitar, and amp/speaker. The house and stage lights remained on for most of the show. The house lights came down somewhere around the midway point. Then, so subtly you almost didn’t realize, the stage lights began to dim until all that was left on was the desk lamp. A song’s final guitar note, brief silence, then a simple turning off of the lamp to end the show. Simple and shattering.

The palpable energy at an early Broadway preview of Stereophonic after “Bright (Take 22)”. The audience erupting with applause like they were at a stadium concert. The silence after, followed by Peter’s “What do you think?” and Diana’s “It’s great.” And the stunned, disgusted response to Peter’s immediate criticism. A moment that always lands, but never quite hit me or the audience in the same way again the other times I saw it.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 1/1/25 at 12:18pm

*Feeling the palpable energy, hope, and love during Suffs days after Kamala announced her bid. Women supporting women during this terrifying time for us felt very powerful. 

*Watching Sutton trying to break Aaron throughout the first Act of Sweeney Todd and succeeding. Their incredible chemistry and her comedic chops made it the best version I've ever seen. 

*Robbie Fairchild performing “The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts" in Illinoise

*During The Heart of Rock and Roll when Corey Cott handed me his boombox when he declared his love for Cassandra. I handed it back to him I said "Go get em Tiger!" while he and the audience laughed. Such a fun show.

*Brent Comer's heartbreaking "Throwing in the Towel" in The Outsiders

*While not a performance, being lucky enough to attend Gavin Creel's gorgeous memorial at the St James. The love and heartbreak that day was extremely overwhelming but in the very best way. He will be remembered always. 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 1/1/25 at 2:48pm

Because of a broken ankle, I only saw 10 shows on Broadway this year, and I won’t see Gypsy or MHE for months.  
These are my favorites of what I saw:

• All of Act 2 of Sunset BLVD (opening, …Never Said Goodbye, the closing scene were spectacularly successful for me).
• The scenes in the tavern and Ford’s Theatre of Oh!  Mary!
• Any scene that focused on Laura Donnelly in HOC.
• The rumble in The Outsiders.
• The ending scene in The Notebook (I definitely loved the show more than most).

Interestingly, although I enjoyed Stereophonic, there is not a single scene that stood out for me.  I enjoyed the show, but thought it was wildly overrated.

Updated On: 1/1/25 at 02:48 PM

[The Bittersweets]

Posted: 1/1/25 at 6:57pm

Of course, I will echo Joshua Henry in Ragtime, the ending (and stairs scene) of Appropriate, and the calibrated lunacy of Oh, Mary! A few other highlights I’d be remiss not to mention:

• Most of Terce stuck with me, but I will forever wonder how they were able to tune that vacuum cleaner to the song!

• Andrew Durand commanding a room without moving a muscle in act 2 of Dead Outlaw.

• Dave Malloy’s gorgeous score for Three Houses, particularly the second house. 

• Hearing Christine Ebersole sing “In Buddy’s Eyes” at the Follies concert at Carnegie Hall.