The best and worst live performance witnessed — Page 3

Your right about Will Chase in Miss Saigon, he nailed the part.

---

I know I've forgotten a few, but here are some of the standouts in my mind (in somewhat random order):

Plays:

Elizabeth Ashley (CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF)
ELizabeth Ashley, Geraldine Page and Amanda Plummer (AGNES OF GOD)
Zoe Caldwell (MEDEA)
Zoe Caldwell & Jason Robards (A LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT)
Vanessa Redgrave (A LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT)
Uta Hagen (COLLECTED STORIES)
Julie Harris (THE BELLE OF AMHERST)
Stephen Spinella, Marcia Gay Harden, Jeffrey Wright and Kathleen Chalfant in (ANGELS IN AMERICA)
Kathleen Chalfant in (WIT)
Rosemary Harris and George Grizzard in (A DELICATE BALANCE)
Charles Dutton (THE PIANO LESSON)
Ian McKellan (AMADEUS)
Ian McKellan (ACTING SHAKESPEARE)
Maggie Smith (LETTICE AND LOVAGE)
Alan Bates (FORUNE'S FOOL)
Judi Dench (AMY'S VIEW)
Charles Ludlam and Everett Quinton (THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP)
Trazana Beverly (FOR COLORED GIRLS)
Al Pacino, JJ Johnston and James Hayden (AMERICAN BUFFALO)
John Kani and Winston Ntshona (THE ISLAND)
Nathan Lane (THE LISBON TRAVIATA)
James Earl Jones and Christopher Plummer (OTHELLO)
James Earl Jones (FENCES)
Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn (THE GIN GAME)
Swoosie Kurtz, John Mahoney and Christine Baranski (THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES)
Maureen Stapleton (THE LITTLE FOXES)
Harvey Fierstein (TORCH SONG TRILOGY)
Stephen Dillane (THE REAL THING)
Joe Mantegna (GLENNGARY GLENN ROSS)
Lily Tomlin (THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE)
John Malkovich (BURN THIS)
Mary-Louise Parker and David Morse (HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE)
Mark Ruffalo (THIS IS OUR YOUTH)
Eileen Heckart (THE WAVERLY GALLERY)
J. Smith-Cameron (AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN)
Janet McTeer (A DOLL'S HOUSE)
Cherry Jones (THE HEIRESS)
Jefferson Mays (I AM MY OWN WIFE)
Viola Davis (KING HEDLEY II)
Natasha Richardson (A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE)
Simon Russell Beale (JUMPERS)
Simon Russell Beale (THE LIFE OF GALILEO)
Edward Hogg (WOYZECK)
Meryl Streep (MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN)

Musicals:

Ben Vereen (PIPPIN)
Donna McKechnie, Kelly Bishop and Sammy Williams in A CHORUS LINE
George Hearn and Angela Lansbury (SWEENEY TODD)
Angela Lansbury (MAME)
Ann Reinking (DANCIN)
Dorothy Loudon (ANNIE)
Nell Carter (AIN'T MISBEHAVIN')
Jim Dale (BARNUM)
Patti LuPone (EVITA)
Lena Horne (LENA HORNE: THE LADY AND HER MUSIC)
Jennifer Holliday, Cleavant Derricks and Loretta Devine (DREAMGIRLS)
Jennifer Holliday (SING MAHALIA SING!)
Raul Julia and Anita Morris (NINE)
Bernadette Peters (SONG & DANCE)
Bernadette Peters (SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE)
Gregory Hines (JELLY'S LAST JAM)
Donna Murphy (PASSION)
Brent Carver (KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN)
Natasha Richardson (CABARET)
Nathan Lane (THE PRODUCERS)
Harvey Fierstein (HAIRSPRAY)
Antonio Banderas (NINE)
Hugh Jackman (THE BOY FROM OZ)
Tonya Pinkins (CAROLINE OR CHANGE)
Victoria Clark (THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA)
Patti LuPone (GYPSY)
Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson (GREY GARDENS)

---

MargoChanning, that's amazing that you've seen all those productions; especially Pippin with Ben Vereen. I'm extremly jealous!

---

Just gonna stick to DRS for tonight..

Best:
Norbert, Jonathan Pryce, Lucie Arnaz (she did such a better job that Joanna, hate to say it)

Worst:
Keith Carradine, Rachel York *runs/hides*

DRSisLove,

You better hide! And you know why.

lc

Best: Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn in THE GIN GAME (magnificent, both of them - like dancing with words)

Worst: Sebastian Bach in JEKYLL AND HYDE (torturous, absolutely torturous)

lc

Best:
Beth Leavel, Danny Burstein, & Bob Martin in the Drowsy Chaperone
Norbert Leo Butz in DRS
Julia Murney, Megan Hilty in Wicked
Daphne Rubin-Vega, Celia Keenan Bolger, Adam Jacobs & Aaron Lazar in the Les Mis revival
Antonique Smith, Bryce Ryness in RENT
Will Chase in Aida

Worst:
Kate Reinders in Wicked
Tim Howar in Rent, Ano Okera(or something...) in the Rent Tour

I'm going to attempt to spell every name correctly, because I like being an exception to the rule.

Best:
Jason Danieley and Marin Mazzie in 110 in the Shade
David Miller (pre-Il Divo!!!) in La Bohème
Ma-Anne Dionisio in Les Miz
Tyrone Giordano and Michael McElroy in Big River

Worst:
Michael Genet in Lestat
Robert Goulet in South Pacific

There are a few more I could've put in some of these, but attribute it to lack of caring.

---

Updated On: 1/13/07 at 03:35 PM

I don't know. Both were great in roles that couldn't have been more different from one another -- and neither could have played the other's role convincingly (though it would have been funny to see them try). I suppose Banderas had the higher degree of difficulty (Guido is a b*tch to try to sing 8 times a week, he has to dance and he's on stage nearly the entire show), so he gets a few extra points there, but the timing and comedic skills that Fierstein brought to Edna shouldn't be undervalued either. Frankly, I didn't have a preference Tony-wise that year, and still don't, but I guess if I had to pick I'd give a very tiny edge to Banderas because of the sheer physical demands of his role.

---