Most important/life changing theater experiences you've had?

Reading the "[TOS] First Preview" thread is the most important/life changing theater experience of my life so far.

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I've kinda always been a theatre fan. I think when I saw the UK tour of 'Rent' back in 2001, it tipped me over the edge. I didn't instantly become obsessed with Broadway, but it was definitely a slippery slidey slope from that moment on.

Also, 'Henry V' last October. I've recounted this tale a bazillion times so I'm sure you'll have come across it at least once before, but it's the first time I've ever had a whale of a time at a Shakespeare play, and it turned me from an "I'm sure he's very good an' all, but I just don't get it" cynic to an "omg I MUST SEE MORE!" raving fangirl. ^_^

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This seems like the right place to make my first post! Two experiences spring to mind:

1) My first Broadway show - the Hal Prince revival of Show Boat in 1996, I believe. I was seven, and I was hooked.

2) The recent "Sunday" revival. I went in not knowing much of the show - bits and pieces here and there, the tableau at the end of Act 1, etc. - but not knowing what to expect. I was on a college visit and was debating whether or not to move to NYC or stay back in the Midwest. I wanted to go to New York and I knew I needed to in order to accomplish my goals, but the thought of leaving home was terrifying. I was enraptured by the show, and then Jenna Russell sang those first few words of her song - "Stop worrying where you're going, move on" - and I knew right then that I was going to move to New York. I just sobbed and sobbed. I'll never forget that one moment (and also after the show, when I had the chance to tell Jenna the story and made her cry as well).

EDIT: I should also mention that the most fun night I ever had in the theatre was seeing "The Drowsy Chaperone" original cast. Pure joy from start to finish, and all just as nice as can be.

Updated On: 7/6/08 at 07:33 PM

(Don't hurt me.)

1. My first show - Mamma Mia when I was 10 in San Francisco
2. Wicked - After I saw the show, I said to my parents, "I want to do that."
3. Rent - from there, my interest broadened, and I started discovering more shows. And that was around the same time I started voice lessons and acting.
4. Discovering BWW through one of the [tos] videos. I've learned so much from this site. I live in a suburb outside of San Francisco, so this site has helped so much. :)

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Seeing Bernadette Peters sing Everything's Coming Up Roses in Gypsy is what changed the way I looked at musical theatre, and made me fall in love with it (musical theatre), more so than I already was. It's when I realized that watching live theatre was my passion.

Updated On: 7/6/08 at 11:23 PM

For me, every moment spent devoted to my craft, this thing called 'theatre' to begin with, is life-changing.

Seeing Les Mis for the first time at Music Circus, and Lupone Gypsy.

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#1 - 1981 National Theater, London UK Peter Hall's Oresteian Trilogy (http://members.aol.com/actorsite2/gh/oresteia.htm)

#2 - 1978 (or 79) Lyric Opera, Chicago IL - Faust

#3 - 1995 New York City Opera , State Theater - Temple of the Golden Pavilion

#4 - 1974 Bolshoi Ballet, Covent Garden, London UK - Giselle

All four of these production's each in their own way, affirmed or reaffirmed my life in theater, especailly the NT production.

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1: Gypsy (Patti LuPone) - Her performance was just electrifying. Enough said.
2: Curtains final performance - The energy of the audience was incredible; Watching a true "musical comedy" was incredible and uplifting.
3: August: Osage County - Okay, so this truly is an amazing play. I truly learned how incredible a straight play could be.

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1. The Phantom Of The Opera - Yeah, yeah... It was the first musical I saw, now 8 years ago, and it just blew my mind. It changed my life because by getting into theater, I started travelling a lot to see shows and met so many new people. It was a "life saver".
2. Pacific Overtures (Donmar Warehouse production) - Up until then, I had only seen impressive large scale productions and this one was so... beautifully humble. It made me realize that there's more to theater than impressive sets, big show stopping numbers etc. Loved it.
3. I'm keeping this slot open for future shows: seeing Gypsy, ITH, Spring Awakening and others in September.

My first Broadway show was definitely the most important experience. I had never been to NYC but I had always wanted to see a show someday. I finally had the opportunity through a school trip. I saw "Rent" because that was the show that I had been wanting to see for many years. I absolutely loved it. Ever since, I have been taking a 4 hour bus to NYC about 4 or 5 times a year just to see more Broadway shows. Without that first experience seeing Rent, I may never have fallen in love with Broadway.

1. Seeing Zoe Caldwell in "Medea" and realizing that great acting wasn't about naturalism.

2. Seeing Patti LuPone in "Evita" (front row of the mezz, my first Broadway show during my first trip to NY) and realizing that great singing could elevate great acting.

3. Seeing Martha Clarke's "Vienna: Lusthaus" and realizing that the theater could do more than act and sing.