Most Precious Broadway Pocession — Page 3

I have one of the San Francisco Music Box replicas of the monkey playing the cymbals in Phantom. It pretty fan-freaking-tastic, although I was shocked to see how small it was when I got it. It looked much bigger from the pictures.

- My OBC Chicago playbill signed by Chita Rivera
- My Over Here! playbill signed by The Andrews Sisters

I mainly have Phantom related items. My most treasured item would be the friendly relationship I've been lucky enough to form with a former cast member. But talking strictly material things, I have:

-one of the pillows used in the boat (which have insanely detailed embroidered designs all over)
-the "Music of the Night" posterboard that was in the windowbox of the Majestic promoting Hugh Panaro as the Phantom
-(and this I really love) Hugh's Side Show cast jacket, which means so much to me, especially because Side Show is my second favorite Broadway show & people always ask me about it when they see the name on the jacket. I love to educate them about what a wonderful show it was and the amazingly talented cast.

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My Piazza window card signed by the OBC, Ted Sperling, Bartlett Sher, and a personal message from Mr. Guettel.

Mine are definitely the autographed program from Long Day's Journey into Night and the personal note I received from Vanessa Redgrave, the greatest living actress in the world right now.

I'd have to also include the autographed program from the Minneapolis performance of Elaine Stritch at Liberty and the three framed postcards of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne having tea which I got at Ten Chimneys in Wisconsin.

Oh, and the original cast album of the 1956 Candide, signed, albeit years later, by Barbara Cook! She also signed my Music Man album.

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Updated On: 1/28/07 at 09:59 AM

My framed A Chorus Line revival poster, signed by the entire line, Michael Berresse, Tyler Hanes, and most of the understudies. Plus the playbill in my avatar.

Also, my framed original off-Broadway windowcard for Little Shop of Horrors.

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- The envelope with my name in Sweeney blood, as well as its contents given to me on Sweeney's closing night.

- An original Broadway window card of A Chorus Line, with metallic writing, bought for me by my mom this year.

- A bunch of playbills I've been able to find from shows that I was either too young to see or not alive yet. They are of plays by my favorite playwrights, like Albee for example.

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One thing I'd like to add to this thread,

Would some of you guys mind mentioning how you acquired some of these things,
Because it's really blowing my mind.
!!

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A don't quit your night job t-shirt, or show posters taken from the street.

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StarStruck, I'm sure a lot of these items were obtained by simply waiting at the stage door for various cast members to come out. Another wonderful way of obtaining Broadway memo. is during the Broadway Cares Flea Market and Celebrity Auction of which most Broadway shows set up tables in Shubert Alley and sell off various costume pieces, set pieces, and memorabilia to raise money for the organization. But, I'm sure many people who posted on here have obtained their priced things through many different ways...

I have several items that I consider my most prized pieces of Broadway memorabilia.

First -- a few years ago I was able to acquire a playbill autographed by Al Jolson from his last Broadway show Hold on to your Hats.

Second -- back in 2000, I wanted badly to make it to NYC to see LaChiusa's The Wild Party, but unfortunately it closed before I could make it up to see it. I wrote Michael John LaChiusa and asked for a playbill so I could at least have something from the show. As it turned out, a good friend of mine went to the show one night, and along with LaChiusa got the entire original cast to autograph a playbill for me. All of the signatures (including one from MJ himself) were personlized. When my friend presented me with the playbill I was totally shocked.

A few other items include my autographed Parade sheet music by Jason Robert Brown, the playbills from the two Tony Awards ceremonies I attended, and my autographed playbills from the original casts of the Nine revival, The Producers, and the Liam Neesom The Crucible revival.

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I have a limited edition (67/100) signed engraving of the Al Hirschfeld drawing of Ethel Merman, Jack Klugman, Sandra Church, and the three strippers in GYPSY which would have been in the NY Times Sunday Theatre Section the Sunday before the opening, as used to be true for all shows. It is beautifully matted and framed and is quite valuable. There are several "Nina's" in the drawing. I purchased it at the Margo Feiden gallery for $600 many years ago and it is now worth 3 times that amount.

I also have: a large blowup of my playbill cover for GYPSY with Ethel Merman, framed; a poster(lobby card) of Merman in GYPSY, framed; a souvineer program for GYPSY when it played the Imperial; the program for the Carnegie Hall concert which was Ethel Merman's final public appearance, autographed by Merman.

I saved all of my playbills from the 1950's and 1960's with the ticket stub stapled to the title pages.I still save all of my playbills.

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I would have to say that mine are precious memories over the years --

*The time that I had seen MAN OF LA MANCHA in its original production ( Theatre in the Round or something), with Richard Kiley in the role. It was the most touching show that I had ever seen at that time.

*The same reaction was repeated when I first saw LES MISERABLES for the first time in 1988 - and I chased it to different places to see it again ( London, Paris and even here in Manila)

*Seeing Ingrid Bergman onstage - I was seated on the front row to the side and I could almost touch her skirt. I can't even remember which drama it was, but I recall that Arthur Hill was in it.

*Being invited to meet Michael Ball in his dressing room in ASPECTS OF LOVE

*Rediscovering OKLAHOMA! - I saw the Royal National Theatre revival in London and fell in love with it after I had seen it again on DVD

*The time of THE BOY FROM OZ - the most precious memory of course is when my friend and I were asked by Hugh to be his BICOASTAL partners - and there we were trying to follow what he was doing on stage ( the bump and grind ), literally under the spotlight ( he had the crew shine it directly on us), and in front of 1400 people at the Imperial...also competing is the closing show ( it was almost surreal).

Were there any physical memorabilia from those shows --

*Man of La Mancha - sadly, I only have the CD of the show
*Les Miserables - my collection of many versions of cast and special recordings, including the very first one ( the OCR from London, which led me to discovering Michael Ball's talent)
*Aspects of Love - photo of my sister and I with Michael - signed by Michael later on ...and I do have a special enamel box with the beautiful London logo of this musical.
*Oklahoma! - signed program and DVD flyer by Hugh
*The Boy from Oz - a photo with Hugh onstage the Imperial and a full cast-signed poster ( part of the BC/EFA campaign), cap signed by Hugh and Stephanie J. Block, and my 2nd-row/center ticket for the closing show...signed maracas, but oops, this was for the arena production in Australia

Updated On: 1/27/07 at 08:35 PM