The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

#1

The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 7:24pm

I don't know if this has already been done (I did search BTW), but what was the first moment that you can remember that made you get the theater bug?

Mine would have to be a tie between being a Grease obsessed little girl, and dancing to A Chorus Line in my grand parents living room when i was, like, 6 (which is even funnier now because two years ago I was Judy in ACL). Yep, my first taste of musical theater was Grease and A Chorus Line, interesting combo, right?

---

"If we don't live happily ever after at least we survive until the end of the week!" -Kermit the frog "I need the money... it costs a lot to look this cheap!" -Dolly P. "Oh please, Over at 'Gypsy' Patti LuPone hasn't even alienated her first daughter yet!" Mary Testa in "Xanadu" "...Like a drunk Chita Rivera!" Robin de Jesus in "In the Heights"

"B*tch, I don't know your life." -Xanadu After that if he still doesn't understand why you were uncomfortable and are now infuriated, kick him again but this time with Jazz Hands!!! -KillerTofu

#2

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 7:25pm

It was when I saw Oliver ( I believe my first show) at the Imperial I believe

---

Poster Emeritus

#3

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 7:32pm

PETER PAN

My father bought me the Goodtimes Video VHS of the Mary Martin 1956 televised production. Fell in love with it. Three years later we did PETER PAN in middle school.

---

"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle

#4

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 7:35pm

I was four, I think. My parents were watching the LES MISERABLES 10th Anniversary concert VHS. I became absolutely hooked. I sang the music day in and day out for a couple of years. The OBCR actually got so worn out that we had to buy a second copy. It's still one of my favorite shows today.

#5

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 7:46pm

The last Les Misérables tour, the Cadilac Palace Theatre in Chicago, Sunday March 27, 2005 at about 5.00 pm (the curtain call)...

---

What a night! I was in more laps than a napkin!

#6

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 7:51pm

Way back in 1975 when I saw a summer stock production of "Dames at Sea" at the tender age of six. It was my first show and I've been in love ever since!

#7

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 7:55pm

Opening song of Les Mis. It was my first show and it was just after my 9th birthday. I knew ti was liv but when they sang it hit me. Then

---

Megan Mullally as Karen Walker on Will and Grace: "Tell me more. Tell me more. Like does he have a car?"

#8

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 7:57pm

My aunt took my sister and I to see The Phantom of the Opera when I was about 6, and the part with the Phantom and Christine on the boat was the coolest thing that I'd ever seen. I was like "Whoa, how on earth are they doing that???".

#9

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 8:00pm

When I saw the first tour of B&TB when I was 12. Specifically, during If I Can't Love Her. I was enthralled. I didn't want to leave the theater.

---

http://community.livejournal.com/ltd_brands_suck/

#10

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 8:02pm

Opening number of Ragtime when I was 12.

#11

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 8:06pm

It's interesting to note the newer shows that have sparked a flame of theatre in the younger generation: RAGTIME, BEAUTY & THE BEAST, etc.

---

"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle

#12

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 8:08pm

Sonia Swaby as Nancy in the Oliver! London revival and Donna Murphy as Anna in the The King and I revival. Those two wonderful actresses made me appreciate live theater more than anyone could have, they are true gems.

Updated On: 3/10/08 at 08:08 PM

#13

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 8:13pm

When I saw CATS at the Winter Garden in 1997. It was in November, days (if not a day) after my 8th birthday. I was smitten with the show. But that was more centered on just that show...in 2001, however, I saw the national tour of Phantom of the Opera when it was in Boston. I remember walking out of the theatre going, "Wow. There's nothing like live theatre. I want to do that when I grow up."

#14

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 8:35pm

Watching the POTO movie. And before you all saw, "that movie was crap", I'd never heard the musical before and it got me very interested in the whole stage aspect of it.

#15

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 8:46pm

My story is similar to Maggie's but different. I watched the movie and liked POTO's music. Then my parents got tickets for the tour going coming into town and that was when I feel in love with theater. I was in love with just the movie before.

Updated On: 3/12/07 at 08:46 PM

#16

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 8:47pm

My first show...

When Mortimer died in my lap.

This was the Fantasticks on Sullivan Street, of course.

---

"Fenchurch is correct, as usual." -Keen on Kean
"Fenchurch is correct, as usual." - muscle23ftl

#17

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 8:48pm

During the crazy "murder, murder" sequence in Jekyll and Hyde of the national tour.

#18

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 8:55pm

Probably when I saw The Sound of Music film with Julie Andrews for the first time. It improved after I saw my first musical when I was what, 9? Anne of Green Gables! Not the one on (off?) broadway now but the one in P.E.I. After seeing that I knew that Musical Theatre would be interesting to do as a job or a hobby someday.

#19

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 9:04pm

Well there are a couple ways you could answer this. One version is that when I was around one I was backstage at a production of Big River (regional) because my aunt is an actress and my uncle is a directer. And in a crowd scene a baby (doll) was brought on, so the actors decided it would be fun to bring me onstage (my parents had no idea, so that was a nice suprise seeing little me carried on) And everyone says that that was the start of my love of theater. But really it could have been Les Mis at age 3. or multiple operas a NYCO around that age

#20

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 9:29pm

"My story is similar to Maggie's but different. I watched the movie and liked POTO's music. Then my parents got tickets for the tour going coming into town and that was when I feel in love with theater. I was in love with just the movie before."
Um.. wow. That's pretty much exactly my story, haha.

---

"I have this mental image of Patti barreling down the street and pushing tourists out of her way." -colleen_lee

#21

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 9:31pm

It all started when I was 4 and saw the movie of The Sound of Music for the fist time. I bawled at the end, and then watched it almost every day for an entire year.
I loved musicals when I was young, but after I got to about 2nd grade I stopped caring about them (shocking, I know). Then when I was 13 (I think?) I saw the preview for the Chicago movie....and it all came back to me.

---

There wouldn't be lights bright enough!

#22

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 9:32pm

My parents met when they were in a musical together. I think it was fate.

I would probably have to say that it was when I was about 7 or 8 and my mom was in a local production of Godspell. I would go to rehearsal with her every night and watch. I was fascinated and learned all of the words to all of the songs. It's still one of my favourite musicals to this day.

Updated On: 3/12/07 at 09:32 PM

#23

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 9:34pm

I saw the first national tour of Secret Garden, and remember getting so intense while watching it that I actually sat up on my knees and leaned towards the stage. I was nine years old, and that was it: I've been addicted and broke ever since. My favorite song was the Quartet. I would play it for hours in my room afterwards.


(Fun sidenote: Audra McDonald played the Ayah in this production.)

#24

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 9:34pm

The national tour of Oklahoma! in Ithaca, NY in 1949, followed that same year by Irving Berlin's Miss Liberty in New York City. Those two shows were responsible for the life-long mania that consumes me :)

#25

re: The Moment You Fell in Love With Theater

Posted: 3/12/07 at 9:35pm

My mom always played A Chorus Line around the house when I was little, so that was my first love. It wasn't until seeing Grease live, though, that made me really fall in love with live theatre. Then I knew I wanted some part in it.