What I will brag about in future, or already do:
* Angela Lansbury in Driving Miss Daisy
* Follies revival
* Bernadette and CZJ in Night Music
* Bridges of Madison County
* Alice and Marin in Next to Normal
* The Scottsboro Boys
So many come to mind; like seeing one of the very few performances of Jelly's Last Jam when Hines and Vereen were in it together! I will never forget the "Tommy" reunion concert but I think the "Phantom" 25th has to be my favorite memory.
- I saw the first preview of Bullets Over Broadway.
- I saw the last preview of Rocky.
- I saw the pre Broadway tour of the most recent Jekyll & Hyde revival its opening weekend in San Diego.
- I saw The Bridges of Madison County.
- I saw NPH in Hedwig during his final week with the show.
- Angela Lansbury in Blithe Spirit in the West End
- Patina Miller on the original production of Sister Act on the West End
- First Broadway show was If/Then starting the amazing Idina Menzel
- The wonderful production of Lady Day starting six time tony winner Audra McDonald
Speaking of Lady Day, I got to see it twice and the first time I sat in the table where I was able to light her cigarette and the second time I sat in the seat where I was able to help her down from the stage each time. Those are my favorite memories.
Broadway Star Joined: 11/10/14
Saw Barbra in Funny Girl, Liza in Flora The Red Menace, Angela in Mame, Carol in Dolly- a revival, the last one she did on Bway-Andrews in Victor Victoria- one of my all time fave productions, Liza and Rivera in Chicago when they were subbing- Elliott Gould in Drat The Cat- a flop I loved as a kid, Jackman in Oz, Bette every show she did on Bway, original of Sunday In The Park With George, Into The Woods, Passion, and on and on...... have been theater going since I was 12 years old, am 62 now.
Updated On: 12/1/14 at 08:42 AM
Earlier this week I was sitting on a stoop of a building downtown, well outside the theatre district. Two women came out, and I noticed that one of them looked like Erin Davie. A second later I saw that it in fact WAS Erin Davie, and the woman with her was Emily Padgett! I figured that would never happen again so I flagged them down and started yammering about how much I love Side Show.
After they thanked me and walked away I realized it probably looked like I had tracked them down and was waiting for them...
As for actual staged things, I will feel lucky for the rest of my life for having had the chance to see The Great Comet twice. I wish I had discovered it earlier than the week of the closing, but the second time I saw it was a spur of the moment decision. That was one of the best days of my life.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/29/12
Saw Viva Forever before the big changes, kept the souvenir cups from the bar.
Saw a preview of Rocky with Philly Pie.
Saw the closing performance of Scandalous and sat in front of Kathie Lee, she said "May God bless you". She cried a lot during Act II.
Saw Alice Ripley at a preview of Tommy at the St James and was smitten. Saw Side Show when I heard she was in it. Skipped Sunset Boulevard art first due to the drama with Patti but relented later on for Betty and Alice.
Saw Deborah Gibson as Eponine and Lacey Chabert as Young Cosette back in the early 90s.
Saw a preview of Blood Brothers on Broadway.
Updated On: 12/1/14 at 10:48 AM
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/16/11
I've seen:
- Matthew James Thomas and Patina Miller's last performance of Pippin
- Stark Sands' last performance of Kinky Boots
- Final performance of Catch Me If You Can and Bullets Over Broadway
- Many other final performances/closing nights, but i can't recall now.
Featured Actor Joined: 6/12/07
Saw Addams Family version 1.0 (second preview performance on their pre-Broadway tryout in Chicago), saw Pippin's last preview on Broadway before opening night (ran into Diane Paulus on the way out of the theatre and got to thank her and tell her how great the show was), saw the divine Lea Salonga as Kim when she came back into the Broadway company of Miss Saigon.
I was lucky to be at:
*The Public Sings - a celebration concert that included Meryl Streep singing Sodomy
*My Favorite Broadway: The Love Songs - including Julie Andrews and Michael Crawford singing The Rain in Spain
*Opening night of Cyrano revival - sat across from Ben Affleck
*Usher's first performance of Chicago - set right behind Clive Davis, very starry night
*Last performance of Lansbury/Zeta Jones in Night Music
Whoopi Goldberg as Mother Superior in Sister Act - Brilliant!
I Can't Sing
Soho Cinders concert at the Queens - Had a brilliant cast and was a one off
Ellen Greene in Betwixt
I saw first preview and final performance of Legally Blonde in London. And Sheridan Smiths final performance. The atmosphere for all three was brilliant!
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/29/08
Spider-Man 1.0
*Sat a few rows behind Bill and Hillary Clinton at A Little Night Music.
*Sat in the same row as Marvin Hamlisch when I saw the last revival of Anything Goes.
*Saw Audra in Lady Day the day before she won the Tony.
Broadway Star Joined: 7/12/07
* Final dress of The Book of Mormon (I don't think anyone realized what they would be seeing that night)
* Opening night of Rocky
*Aaron Tveit in Hairspray (Cool seeing him as an unknown)
*Christian Borle's final Black Stache in Peter & The Starcatcher
There was an APLA thing in 1994 with Angela Lansbury, Tom Cruise, Barbara Streisand (though she didn't sing), Betty Bacall, Liza, Liz Taylor and Debbie Reynolds (who commented "It's so nice to once AGAIN be sharing something with Elizabeth!")
Yul Brenner in The King and I (1985 I think?)
Joel Grey in Cabaret
Opening night of the first national tour of Les Miz is Boston is something I will never forget.
I was at the 1992 Sondheim Tribute in Carnegie Hall.
Patti LuPone at the Westwood Playhouse (now the Geffen) in 1992.
Getting to see Matthew James Thomas and Andrea Martin in Pippin was pretty special. I may have also seen Andrea's very last performance in the role ever.
Sandy Duncan in Peter Pan
Alice Ghostly in Annie
Patti and Audra at the Hollywood Bowl
Updated On: 12/1/14 at 01:42 PM
Adding to my list mentioned earlier in the thread:
*Audience appreciation performance of Book of Mormon, which was also Josh Gad's last performance
*Actors Fund performance of Funny Girl, with multiple Fannys including Cheno, Menzel, Lillias White, Sutton, Krakowski, etc.
Angela Lansbury in Gypsy
Lauren Bacall in Applause
Yul Brynner in The King and I (late 70s)
Carol Channing in Hello, Dolly (1st National Tour mid-60s)
Ginger Rogers in Mame
most of OBC in 1776 (tour before filming movie)
Joel Grey in George M
I bragg about=of course only to those who are interested and the topic is timely=seeing Angela Lansbury in Gypsy in London.
Special memories-Follies concert in Melbourne;Reg Livermore in Rocky Horror Show; The Production Company version of The Producers and currently La Cage; me in Alice in Wonderland and Bells are Ringing;walking down a quiet surburban street talking with Ann Reinking; Barbara Cook master class.
My first live theatre experience--Bye Bye Birdie
PS-Would love to be at a dinner party with BWAY Baby2-what fabulous memories.
Updated On: 12/1/14 at 02:01 PM
Adding one more:
*LuPone's opening night in Gypsy at City Center.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/11/04
The Actors Fund as well as the closing performance of THE BOY FROM OZ, both wild and unforgettable.
One of the 16 performances of the original production of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG.
One of the 5 performances of THE STORY OF MY LIFE.
Sitting just a few rows away last year from longtime favorite William Daniels and his wife at a performance of THE GLASS MENAGERIE.
I would also add Charles Durning in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Kathleen Turner was in it too, but she wasn't that good.
You know, even though it wasn't a wonderful evening of theatre, I'll still treasure the fact I saw Kevin Kline and Meryl Streep do Romeo and Juliet at the Delacorte for the Public Theater's gala a few years ago.
Boston tryout of PACIFIC OVERTURES: still had the original (much inferior) "Chrysanthemum Tea" and the cast came out in jeans for "Next" before their black & white costumes were ready.
Boston tryout of THE PRINCE OF GRAND STREET starring an abysmally miscast Robert Preston.
Boston tryout of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES back in '83. --I had no choice, I was on the crew. Got to see the few live performances ever done of Dindon's original song declaiming "Kikes and Spics and Wops and ..." Can't remember its title, but thank God it was cut during previews.
Don't know if any of these memories constitute events I was lucky enough to see since all I seem to remember are the lousy parts.
Updated On: 12/1/14 at 02:55 PM
Stand-by Joined: 3/10/14
I was at the performance of "Beautiful" where Carole King came out at the end and surprised the cast and sang. I felt like I was witnessing something really special.
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