Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

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Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:12pm

We'll do one for Musical, and one for Play. Can't wait to hear your responses!

You should probably post your age too, cause obviously some people are going to be 16-18 years old and have only been seing shows a limited amount of time, while others are going to be 40-50 years old and have been seeing shows their old life.

I'm 19.

Musical: Norbert Leo Butz, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Play: Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon

"I'm afraid this offer comes off the table... at midnight tonight." "...maybe the worst bluff I've ever seen." "Even the members of GOBIAS could agree on that one."

Updated On: 6/16/09 at 09:12 PM

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:22pm

For a play, it would be Tovah Feldshuh in Irena's Vow. For a musical, I'd have to go with Donna McKechnie in A Chorus Line. Oh, and my age? I happen to be a mere...48 years old.

"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg." -- Thomas Jefferson

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:23pm

Their old life? Wow, I can hear the war drums now...

But mine would be

Musical: Daniel Evans/Jenna Russell, Sunday in the Park with George (Neither performance would have been the same if not for the other)
Play: Kevin Kline, Cyrano De Bergerac

I'm 15.

"He found something that he wanted, had always wanted and always would want— not to be admired, as he had feared; not to be loved, as he had made himself believe; but to be necessary to people, to be indispensable." -F. Scott Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise

Updated On: 6/20/09 at 09:23 PM

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:28pm

I'm 19

MUSICAL: Victoria Clark in PIAZZA
PLAY: Either Amy Morton in A:OC or Kathleen Turner in ...VIRGINIA WOOLF?

Updated On: 6/16/09 at 09:28 PM

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:30pm

LuPone in Gypsy or Ebersole in Grey Gardens. I'd be hard-pressed to choose one of them. Ripley in next to normal is also right there.

Play is easy: Dennehy in Salesman.

I'm 25.

Updated On: 6/16/09 at 09:30 PM

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:30pm

Musical: Patti LuPone, Gypsy
Play: Cherry Jones, Doubt

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:33pm

Musical: Alice Ripley in Next to Normal
Play: Sarah Steele in Speech and Debate

I'm 16.

I know you. I know you. I know you.

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:33pm

Musical (easy): Raul Esparza, Company
Play (tie): Jefferson Mays, I Am My Own Wife
Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:35pm

I have a hard time deciding for musical, but probably LuPone in Gypsy, Ebersole in Grey Gardens, or Victoria Clark in Follies.

Play is easier. Geoffrey Rush in Exit the King.

and I'm 23.

When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain. -Kad

#10

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:38pm

OK, so I feel sooooooooo old. Even more than usual.

"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg." -- Thomas Jefferson

#11

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:38pm

O'm 61 year old (and damned proud of it).

At last count, I had over 3,000 Playbills, so that means I've seen at least that many plays and musicals.

Okay, Musical: Tie between LuPone in GYPSY and Channing in HELLO, DOLLY!

Play: Elizabeth Ashley in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF.

"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)

#12

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:44pm

Musical: Yul Brynner in the 1980 revival of THE KING AND I

Play: Dame Judi Dench in HAY FEVER (in London)

I'm 50.

#13

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:44pm

I'm 18.

Musical: EHHH, this is hard. Best PERFORMANCE was Patti LuPone in GYPSY for me, but I'm still blown away by the power Chita Rivera has on stage (I saw her in DANCER'S LIFE.)

Play: Estelle Parsons, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

Some people paint, some people sew, I meddle.

#14

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:48pm

I'm older than the OP and younger than Dollypop is all I'm sayin'.

Musical: the entire cast of Pasadena Playhouse's 110 in the Shade; Colm Wilkinson in the pre-Shanghai cast of Les Miz; Tyrone Giordano as Huck Finn

Play: T. Scott Cunningham in the national tour of Take Me Out; Rene Augusen in ACT's The Rainmaker

"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt

#15

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:49pm

Play: Janet McTeer in A Doll's House (though Patti LuPone in Master Class is a close second)

Musical: Betty Buckley in Sunset Boulevard

"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian

#16

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:49pm

Geoffrey Rush individually, but the cast of Journey's End was so brilliant from top to bottom. That was, hand's down, the most amazing evening of theatre I've ever experienced.

Musical - I enjoyed Hugh Jackman in Boy from Oz. Not world changing, but a fun night. The only standing O I've seen not at curtain call.

I'm 49.

#17

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:55pm

I'm 37.

Musical ~ Alice Ripley in next to normal
Play ~ Elizabeth Marvel and Norbert Leo Butz (because they totally fed off each other and worked so well together) in (We're allowed to pick from off-Broadway too, right?)

Experience live theater. Experience paintings. Experience books. Live, look and listen like artists! ~ imaginethis
LIVE THAT LESSON!!!!!!

#18

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:55pm

I'm 18.

I feel stupid not putting Patti LuPone for Gypsy, but I must say, Debra Monk in Curtains was fantastic!

As for play, hmmm... I was really blown away by Estelle Parsons and Johanna Day in August: Osage County

#19

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:58pm

I'm 30.

Musical: Bebe in Chicago (as Velma) and Harvey in Hairspray

Plays: I haven't seen enough to really make a great judgment, but Kathleen Turner and Bill Irwin in Virginia Wolf are going to be pretty hard to top.

"Y'all have a GRAND day now"

#20

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 10:06pm

i'm 18 and i actually just got into the theater scene at the begining of this past season so this is pretty much just judging that.

musical-either Patti in Gypsy or Alice in N2N. i might have to go with Patti.

play-if we can do off broadway i'm going to second what jordangirl said about NLB and Marvel in Fifty Words. that was quite a powerful show.

BROADWAY IMPACT!
TAKE ACTION! EQUALITY!
http://www.broadwayimpact.com/

#21

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 10:08pm

haha, BroadwayBound, did you see Seth Rudetsky's deconstruction of Debra Monk in Curtains? he compared her to The Penguin. it was amazing. (as was she in Curtains)

#22

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 10:12pm

Musical: Faith Prince in Falsettoland

Play: Judi Dench in Amy's View or Debra Monk in Picnic.

If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

#23

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 10:18pm

It feels stupid because it was a small role in a less than perfect show, but for a musical, my very fondest memories are of Lillias White in The Life.

I'm tempted to echo Mister Matt on Janet McTeer in A Doll's House but think I'll go more recent and toss a nod to Deanna Dunagan in A:OC, even as I'm unsure I spelled her name correctly.

#24

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 10:19pm

PLAY (MALE): Geoffrey Rush in Exit the King
PLAY (FEMALE): Amy Morton in August:Osage County

MUSICAL (MALE): Norbert Leo Butz in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
MUSICAL (FEMALE): Patti Lupone in Gypsy

I am kind of tentative saying Norbert Leo Butz for Dirty Rotten Scoundrel but I thought he really embodied the character. He does not have the most spectacular voice, but his comic timing, commitment, and acting chops were incredible. If I was going to choose a male performance in a musical simply on their voice I would have to say Paulo Szot in South Pacific or Gavin Creel in anything.

Oh, and I am 22. I am so excited for the upcoming season! Sounds like there are going to be some really great shows/performances.

#25

re: Okay, whats the greatest performance you've ever seen on stage?

Posted: 6/16/09 at 10:19pm

Musical - Natasha Richardson in "Cabaret" tied with Elaine Paige in "Sunset Blvd"
Michael Crawford in "The Phantom of the Opera" tied with Hugh Jackman in "The Boy From Oz"

Play - Faye Dunaway in "Master Class"

It's so hard to pin point an actual favorite. There are so many favorites, for so many reasons.

Updated On: 6/16/09 at 10:19 PM

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