Showstoppers - Witnessed Accounts of Show-Stopping Moments- Page 3

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 1/4/05 at 10:11pm

The guy playing Pseudolus has a pretty lame line about the the body snatcher's body being snatched, just kind of a throw away line, really, but someone in the audience groaned, and he just looked right at him and mouthed "I don't write this sh*t", and it doesn't sound as funny as all that, but his delivery was so perfect that the audienced laughed and stopped the show for a couple of minutes. Needless to say, all bets were off from that point forward for the rest of the show.



That actor doesn't even deserve to be in a Shevelove/Sondheim show.

What a concetied, annoying ignoramus.

[Eileen2]

Posted: 1/4/05 at 10:33pm

The Boy from Oz finale, they were a bunch of them, in particular:

Hugh Jackman: Once Before I Go
Stephanie J. Block: She Loves to Hear the Music

Both times, the crowd just wouldn't stop, an amazing performance.

Eileen

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 1/4/05 at 10:38pm

Let's not t forget BJ Crosby's final "Shake The Hand of a Brand New Fool" from Smokey Joe's Cafe. It lasted forever and so did the love.

[Feathah]

Posted: 1/4/05 at 10:43pm

The first time I saw the OBC of Rent perform "Season of Love" the cheering was endless!

Too many moments during the final performance of Rocky Horror to mention.

LaChanze performing "Waiting For Life" at the Once On This Island concert - standing ovation in the middle of the show.

"The Gods Love Nubia" during Heather's last Aida.

"Petrified" from Taboo, performed by Raul Esparza.

There's more! As I think of them I'll post them. I feel so lucky to have witnessed these!

[ElTico68]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 1:31pm

"That actor doesn't even deserve to be in a Shevelove/Sondheim show.

What a concetied, annoying ignoramus."

Dude... chill pill. Take one. It was funny... why the need to put people down like that? He's actually a very good actor... in my opinion it was in character, and IT DID stop the show.

[Elphaba4]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 1:36pm

I saw "Wicked" for the first time on July 7 and in the begining of the show when Glinda comes down in the bubble, she started to sing and then all the reall bubbles flew back in Kristin Chenoweths face. She cracked up and missed like two minutes of song!

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 3:57pm

"in my opinion it was in character"

Criticisng the material of a show you are performing in at that exact moment is 'in character'?

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 4:05pm

Patti LuPone stopped the show when she sang "I Love Paris" in the Encores production of "Can Can".

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 4:11pm

Do You Hear the People Sing?, One Day More- I saw Les Miz right before it closed and Do You Hear The People Sing? was phenomenal. The way it was staged was flawless and I got chills all over...One Day More was jaw-dropping...both songs got full standing O's

The Wizard and I, Defying Gravity, and Popular- When I saw Wicked on opening night, The Wizard and I left everyone around me screaming and breathless. Idina's power in this song shocked so many people. It gathered a standing O the three times I saw it after that. Defying Gravity is what it is; amazing. It got a got a standing O two times I saw the show. People around me and that I went with were literally left speechless. Popular is hysterical and left the audience standing two times I saw it as well.

Seasons of Love, La Vie Boheme- RENT is one of the greatest modern musicals ever written. These two songs prove this and then some. Seasons of Love was phenomenal. Especially the female soloist. She literally gave me goosebumps. People were ROARING for this song. La Vie Boheme was, obviously, much more upbeat and won the audience over as well. A great way to end the first act.

The Music of the Night- This is the most beautiful song from TPOTO. Both times I saw the show, the applause lasted about a minute or so. It is haunting and amazingly pretty at the same time.

The Impossible Dream- When I saw the revival of Man of LaMancha with Brian Stokes Mitchell, this song got a standing O and had people crying. Just amazing.

[not_that_girl]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 4:41pm

Kristin's last performance in Wicked...when she came down in the bubble she didn't even open her mouth before she received an ovation, the show was stopped for almost two mintues. she already had a tissue in her hand and finally said 'now you have to let me do the show' : ) also at the end of 'for good', her and idina just stood there hugging and it was a sea of flashes...the no picture policy kind of went out the window lol

also the end of the song 'dirty rotten scoundrals' in drs...the audeince applauded for about a minute and a half...norbert and john lithgow just sat there in thier lawn chairs smiling and tipping their hats and sitting their drinks : )

[ElTico68]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:24pm

"Criticisng the material of a show you are performing in at that exact moment is 'in character'?"

You have seen the show, right? We are watching actors perform a farce... it's established in the opening number. Throughout the show the actor playing Pseudolus breaks the 4th wall to address the audience. So yes, in MY personal opinion, it's in character. And you've gotta admit, it IS a pretty lame joke.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 5:28pm

Nathan Lane could do it. But he has a relationship with the authors of the show. So it'd be in good fun.


However, a regional actor who is not close with creators and is bashing their work as he performs in it is just in foul taste, I think.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 6:23pm

hugh after any number in Oz

[musicgal04]

Posted: 1/5/05 at 6:39pm

I must be super emotional because just reading some of these stories is bringing tears in my eyes. Hugh Jackman "Once Before I Go" brought the house down when I saw it.

[onceadancer2]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 11:34am

My generation of theatregoers did not give standing ovations--just polite applause. And I saw and performed some great showstopping dances. The nearest I ever came to an ovation was in 1928. I was taken as a young child to see ROSALIE with Marilyn Miller. To the blast of trumpets, what seemed like ten million soldiers parading the stage the lights went dim and a spotlight hit Masrilyn Miller. The audience, in my memory, went berserk.

Miriam

[Eastwickian]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 11:46am

I have to say that here in Britain, I have never seen anyone stand at the end of a song, only at the end of the evening. The show has been stopped by extremely enthusistic applause, but never any standing ovations. Am I going to the wrong shows?

Posted: 1/6/05 at 11:56am

I was at the World Premier of The Producers (in Chicago, of course) and the show stopped for Springtime for Hitler.

I was at the second-to-last performance (Staurday night) of Gypsy back in late May and the show stopped for Bernadette Peters at the end of "Everything's coming up roses"

[CTY]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 1:06pm

I saw Wicked in Dec. 2003, so naturally Defying Gravity was like a religious experience for me...with Idina's voice and the smoke and the lights and all that jazz. I saw it again in July 2004, with Eden as Elphaba, and it was still pretty good...but nothing can compare to the first time.

Believe it or not, Brooklyn had 2 showstopping numbers (Once Upon a Time + Streetsinger) that I clearly remember a standing ovation after both for a good 2+ minutes. Granted, I didn't really realize how utterly nauseating some of the music was until I got the CD this Christmas, but live, it's actually a really, really enjoyable show with fantastic performances by Eden and Ramona Keller.

I was also at the Pippin benefit concert...Michael Arden's Morning Glow was probably the most moving musical number I have ever seen in my life, and I think it will be hard to top. Morning Glow has always been my favorite song from that show, but live + Michael Arden performing, it just was a really remarkable moment. One of those things you can't even describe in words :)

[NBC]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 1:15pm

I was also going to say Patti singing I Love Paris in Can-Can; I don't remember a standing ovation mid-show, but it was definitely a couple of moments before the show could continue. It was thrilling.

Also, Raul Esparza at the Kennedy Center in DC...but in Merrily We Roll Along. His Franklin Shepard, Inc., got the most amazing response...I remember my friend and I got sort of choked up about it - we had seen him in Rocky Horror, Tick, Tick Boom and Cabaret, and we were glad he was getting the sort of acclaim we felt he deserved!

[factorykid2]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 1:27pm

#1

On July 3, 1996 Harborlights Pavillion Boston MA

Liza Minnelli sings "The Man that Got Away".

It was the first time that I had heard her sing any of the songs that are associated with her mother.

A sax man plays the first ten wailing, defiant notes. I remember saying to my companion..."oh my god...THIS...is a moment to remember"

And then she sang the hell out of the song. To borrow a quote "Her voice was as big as a '71 Cadillac and she drove it as recklessly."

The song is written with the great, grand, sweeping, notes and she nailed every one of them.

#2

Ruth Brown (who won the Tony for Black and Blue) sequeing from Billie Holiday's "lover man where can you be" right into "Good Morning Heartache". I have seen her do it a few times...but there was one time....not sure what exactly was different..but the audience had a group physical reaction of all backing up in our seats as she started "good morning heartache". The room was silent. I mean completely STILL and SILENT as she sang. It was electric. The hairs on my body stood up on end..and I know that I wasn't alone. When she finished the room went crazy...people with tears running down their face screaming "DIVA, BRAVA, DIVA"

I have seen lots of "moments"...but these stand out in my memory.

[hushpuppy]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 1:43pm

May I humbly add:
Carol Channing in 'Hello, Dolly!' at the conclusion of the title number. Same reaction in every city on the tour where I happened to catch it.
Pearl Bailey (same show, same number)
Bernadette Peters closing perf in 'Gypsy' stopped the show twice. Once just by walking down the aisle ('Sing out Louise!') and once after 'Rose's Turn'
Elaine Stritch in 'Pal Joey' singing 'Zip'. Long Beach (CA) Civic Light Opera somewhere in the early 90's
Elaine Stritch ('Ladies Who Lunch')in a concert version of 'Company'. Long Beach 1993
Ann Miller in 'Follies' at Paper Mill ('I'm Still Here')
And the great Ethel Merman at the Beverly Sills Farewell Gala at The NY State Theatre in 1980 sang 'No Business Like Show Business' and brought down the house

[musicalblood]

Posted: 1/6/05 at 2:10pm

believe it or not...

Be our guest in Beauty and the Beast.

I'd seen the show multiple times because the whole family would go everytime a cousin of mine turned 10 which was about one a year. Anyway, the third time I went to see it Patrick Page was playing Lumiere. Something about the number and the house was electric. Before the song even came near its ending the audience began to clap...then scream....until almost instantaneously the whole audience stood at once.

I remeber Belle and Lumiere standing at the front of the stage attempting to go on with dialouge. When they realized they couldn't be heard they tried to hold for applause but it just kept going. The two were trying so hard to stay in character but you could see the occasional akward glance toward each other suggesting "Can you believe this? WHat do we do?"

My sister and I had been checking our watches and finally after at least 7 mins (i don't know exactly because I of course did not check my watch as soon as I stood) the audience began to calm and sit.

I couldn't believe it. The face on Patrick Page was priceless. He crack some joke like...as I was saying or Anyway, moving right along...

Very strange to see.

Posted: 1/6/05 at 3:08pm

Linda Eder, when in concert, singing "Man of La Mancha," "Vienna", or "Don't Rain On My Parade." AMAZING.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 12:33pm

Okay.
I just, for the first time, saw the clip of 'And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going' from the Tony Awards.
You always think that something with THAT much hype and bravo can't live up to it's impossibly high expectations.
But then, when something doesn't just live up to being so amazing that it is other wordly, but it, after your hearing about it's impact for years, exceeds your remarkably high expectations, it is an amazing the feeling.

Watching Jennifer Holiday pour her heart and soul into every lyric, every note, every expression, every gesture of that song was truly remarkable. Her intensity broke through the screen, I can only imagine how it must have washed over the entire theatre each and every time she performed it.
Her raw emotion was heart-wrenching and her dedication awe-inspiring. I got the biggest goosbumps I think I've ever had.
When Curtis leaves and she starts the whole "Tear down..." section I got the coldest chills sent down my back.

It's truly incredible when a something, or someone, can live up to THAT much hype.

But now it makes me even sadder for not being able to see her perform it live at the Imperial. THAT must have been a life-altering experience and I can't help but envy anyone who got to experience the power and emotion of her performance, not through a TV screen but in a theatre. Because the emotion of witnessing a performance of that magnitude live and in person is something only theatre can produce. Maybe that's why we all love it so much.

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 12:45pm

I've got TWO Taboo stories and one Caroline or Change and one Gypsy.

Taboo-London: Paul Baker's petrified people leapt to their seats screaming in ecstasy. He broke character and laughed.
Taboo-USA: Raul's entrance. two minute applause, not even the last preformance
Caroline or Change- Lot's Wife, stopped the show cold. People where on their feet cheering like CRAAAAZY
Gypsy- Bernedette's entrance "Sing out louise! Sing out!" people cheered. and rose's turn. wow.