Showstoppers - Witnessed Accounts of Show-Stopping Moments — Page 5

Bernadette Peters didn't only get your typical standing ovation after Rose's Turn, it was more like the last scene was delayed because people just went crazy after she did it, it was such a powerful moment, she revealed so much during that number that the audience was just mesmerized. That was a real show-stopper, but if I had a time machine, I'd go to Dreamgirls opening night because Margot's experience is similar to everyone who saw the great Jennifer Holiday perform "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," if I get chills from the OBCR, I can only imagine what she must have been live.

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GREAT BIG STUFF.

I have never heard an audience scream like they screamed after that number. There was this enormous uproar that had to have lasted at least 5 minutes. The only real show stopper I've ever experienced.

Everytime I see DRS, Dirty Rotten Number gets a SH*T load of applause. It gets to a point where Norbert claps along with us and trys to get them to stop so he can start up the show again.

and, I finally saw Rent two saturdays ago (I know, I suck) and Frenchie was out but the woman who took her place as the 'Seasons of Love' soloist did an incredible job (my friend said that it was the best she had heard and she has seen it like 5 times). And it definately was a showstopper. Everyone was like, holy SH*T, that was incredible! The way she could hit those notes! Couldn;t help but clap right after her solo, not just after the song.

can't think of any others right now.

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I was bernadette's last performance of gypsy. she got a show stopping applause just for her first line, and she wasn't even on stage yet. then, when she walked out, good lord, it was like the pope himself. the show was stopped for a good two minutes. then finally after Rose's turn, the show was stopped for another two minutes, but the applause and the response was the most energetic thing I have witnessed from an audience.

also, Marin Mazzie in Kiss me Kate stopped the show three times during her "I hate men" number. after each verse, and then when she got up on the table and spread her legs like she was giving birth. the song took about ten minutes for her to perform. I will never forget it. one of the best theatre experiences of my life.

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this is from another thread, but this was my experience of Heather's final performance in Aida.

yeah, it was definately an experience, chloe. right at the end of Elaborate lives reprise she sing "too many choices tear us apart, I don't want to live like that. I just....." and she froze and started to just weep. It was so amazing. the orchestra was holding out the chord. after about 20 seconds of her trying to continue, but not being able to, a woman in the audience, who I am guessing was her mother stood up, and shouting something like "you can do it, go on". then the rest of the audience started to shout things like "take your time," "we love you" and all that. the tension was amazing. finally, she finsished her sentence.... wanna be with you- barely. she was so overcome, Adam pascal actually started to get affected as well. I was balling. then they climbed into the tomb, and I am sure she broke down after she was hidden from the crowd. When she came out for the final scene in the modern day museum, she was back together, but you could tell that she had gone through it. It was an amazing day, and I will never forget it. For her curtain call, she came out running and jumping to thunderous applause and yells, and she bent down, and hit the stage, and then kissed it. it was so amazing. a memory I will never forget.



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"Secrets".

IN MY LIFE.

need I say more?

Don't know if this was mentioned yet, but when Idina stepped onto the Gershwin stage at the almost-end of her "last show" in Wicked. There HAD to be a good 5-10 minutes of applause, then another 5 minutes when Jennifer Laura Thompson shouted, "I love Idina!!"

And from what I could hear on the phone, the applause and screaming after "Woman is the n* of the World" at Marcy's last show at Lennon.

I've had two accounts.

Bernadette Peters after Rose's Turn. It was breathtaking! I'd never seen anything like it, and she WAS magnificent in the role. After that I was hooked on all GYPSY.

The second, was a personal one, not something that the audience did, was after Gary Beach sang "I am What I am" It sent so many chills down my spine that it certainly stopped the show for myself, sadly, the audience wasn't packed like it should have been, I saw the show twice and got the same response each time.

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Old Fashioned Wedding (Bernadette and Tom spent the entire song trying to screw each other up - to the point where they were both singing the same part, and having to start over about twice)

From my recent trip:

When Cherry Jones slid onstage on top of that set piece in "Doubt," I didn't think the audience was going to stop applauding. I'd never experienced entrance applause before, and it seemed to go on forever. It was not two months after she won the Tony, and there was such a sense of recognition there that she is one of our finest actresses.

At the very end of "Piazza," there's not really a break for applause directly after Fable, it just ends the show. The audience was SILENT as those lights went out. The whole place was just frozen. And then as soon as chorus members starting coming out, people were on their feet. Everyone breathed this huge sigh of relief and tears, we were all so caught up, and huge cheers for Victoria Clark.

Though the hardest I have ever clapped for anyone was for Kelli O'Hara after "The Beauty Is," I wasn't sure when my hands would stop, I was rising out of my seat, but the show had to continue.

Updated On: 11/6/05 at 08:34 PM

"Jennifer Holliday
Dreamgirls
End of Act I
"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"
There was an applause break and cheers at the end of the first PHRASE.
The standing ovation started halfway through the song.
Sheer pandemonium at the end of the song.
Several people rushed down the aisle to the front of the orchestra, reaching out to her.
Some people were literally standing ON their seats, screaming and cheering.
By the time she reached the last note of the song, it looked a riot had broken out in the Imperial Theatre, with everyone on their feet, yelling bravas until they were hoarse ..... some people were even weeping......

Nothing I've ever seen since remotely compares."


Sounds like an episode of Showtime at the Apollo.