Top Performances- Page 2

[Ruth Sherwood]

Posted: 11/23/04 at 3:28pm

I'm suprised no one has said this already- Donna Murphy in "Passion." Regardless of how you feel about the show, or Ms. Murphy, no one can say that her performance was anything short of amazing.

[Crazy4MattMorrison52]

Posted: 11/23/04 at 3:34pm

Carly Jibson in Hairspray,Raul Ezparza in Taboo, and Idina Menzel in Wicked

Posted: 11/23/04 at 3:36pm

I wqas completely and utterly blown away by...

KATE LEVERING's performance as "Peggy Sawyer" in 42nd Street. No, not my favorite musical of all time, but she reminded me, as well as many others, why 42nd street is the quintissential broadway musical. She was absolutely mind blowing, and just has sucha presence...which is why i love watching her on "Kevin Hill"

JOHN TARTAGLIA in Avenue Q. His broadway debut was so cute as rod/ princeton. Not the most challenging (vocally or acting) role on bway, but a fun one, and I thought he really made it his own, and something everyone could relate to. I thought it was awesome.

PATRICK WILSON in Oklahoma. Don't need to say anything but that he was a FANTASTIC curly.

WILSON JERMAINE HEREDIA'S Angel was yet another incredible performance. You would think that he had been in drag all of his life, but in reality, it was his first character in drag. He deserved that tony so much, and really hope that he is confirmed in the Rent film.

HEATHER HEADLEY's Aida has already been spoken for, but it was beautiful. Nothing else needs to be said about that performance.

I feel like I'm forgetting many...

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/23/04 at 3:37pm

"PATRICK WILSON in Oklahoma. Don't need to say anything but that he was a FANTASTIC curly."
*applause*
Love him... didn't put him on my list, though... but can we say "charisma?"

I agree about John Tartaglia; what a smashing debut. The man is oozing with talent.

[Elphaba3]

Posted: 11/23/04 at 3:39pm

Some more I forgot:

Tammy Blanchard in Gypsy
Gary Beach and Roger Bart in The Producers

I didn't see Sutton in Millie, but I have the cast recording and she's amazing.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 11/23/04 at 3:39pm

HARVEY FIERSTEIN - No, he doesn't have the best voice, but he has a charismatic stage presense/presence (lol, forgot how to spell).

HUGH JACKMAN - That man can act, sing, and dance...

SUTTON FOSTER - Amazing voice, brilliant performances, of course you knew I was going to mention her, and yes, I am playing favorites.

Posted: 11/23/04 at 3:41pm

THAT'S who I forgot! HOW?

SUTTON FOSTER in TMM was incredible.I don't even know what to say about it other than it was DEFINITELY tony-deserving, and I'm glad she got it! Her charisma was out of this world and i am so excited to see her in Little Women.

[gettinhep]

Posted: 11/23/04 at 5:23pm

I second Donna Murphy in 'Passion'. It was such an emotionally involved performance. Riight down to the trembling of the hands she was nothing short of brilliant.

Angela Lansbury in anything on a stage.

[BwayLover]

Posted: 11/24/04 at 1:32pm

Yes, Donna Murphy in PASSION absolutely blew me away. Her performance was just so intense, it gives me chills everytime I watch the DVD. Her body language, her facial expressions, her incredible, powerful voice- it all combined to one brilliat, spell-binding, breathtaking performance. Perfection. I was in awe of her talent the first time I saw it, and still am.

I was also very impressed with Mary Stuart Masterson in NINE- so glad I'm not the only one who thinks she was the best one in the cast.

Another performance that I loved was Fiona Shaw in MEDEA. I thought she was amazing, and captured her essence beautifully. I left the theater in total awe of her.

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 11/24/04 at 1:35pm

Jennifer Holliday in Dreamgirls
Having literally grown up listening to the cast recording to finally being able to see her perform Effie live in a regional production was one of the most moving theatrical experiences I ever had

[apdarcey]

Posted: 11/24/04 at 1:51pm

i'm actually going to add the whole cast of the revival of charlie brown... i find that i absolutely love this cast and that they perfectly PERFECTLY embody the characters... i'm in fact obsessed with this show so maybe that's it, but still... they are so good in their parts... when i played schroeder my director asked me to do some of the riffs like the "schroeder on the cd" (aka stanley wayne mathis!)... i had to tell him that the schroeder was black and i wasn't, but he still wanted it because it's so perfect for the character... i know you all probably hate ilana levine, but no matter what she is perfect as lucy... if you want to have a b!tchy character and then have someone with a great voice come out that just will never work... it's fake... she embodied lucy to a t... don't even get me started on cheno, rapp, roger bart, bd... i'll never end... oh my god...
i'm sorry, i digress...

[marincrazy11]

Posted: 11/24/04 at 3:57pm

Yes, I need to jump on the Donna train. She was just brilliant in that show!

Also Brian Stokes Mitchell in Man of LaMancha, wow. yeah-just wow.

Posted: 11/24/04 at 4:01pm

Donna Murphy was incredible in Passion. Whenever I watch the DVD, I think that she is Fosca. She's so subtle and her voice is incredible.

Joanna Gleason in Into the Woods has a fantastic performance. I can't get enough of it.

[secret-soul]

Posted: 11/24/04 at 6:00pm

HUGH PANARO (Phantom of the Opera) That man is like God.
TERRENCE MANN (Les Miserables) WOW
ANGELA LANSBURY (Sweeney Todd)
LISA BRESCIA (Aida)

[LoringsGuy]

Posted: 11/24/04 at 6:24pm

F. Murray Abraham in ANGELS IN AMERICA. Actually, the whole cast when I saw it--Cynthia Nixon, Dan Futterman, Jay Goede--was outstanding.

Idina Menzel in WICKED. When she came onstage at the top of Act 1, I literally burst into tears (and I'm not a crier). Her intensity and joy of performing that character poured off the stage.

Patrick Stewart and Mercedes Ruehl in VIRGINIA WOOLF.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 11/24/04 at 8:39pm

Maureen McGovern in LITTLE WOMEN. Breathtaking.

[MagicToDo82]

Posted: 11/24/04 at 8:45pm

I was completely blown over by Darcie Roberts on the Millie tour, and Randal Keith as Jean Valjean on the Les Mis tour. Also, when I saw Tick Tick Boom on tour, Christian Campbell was out and an understudy was on...his name was Trey Elliet or something like that (the program is at another house) but he was simply astounding!:)

[FosseBoi]

Posted: 11/24/04 at 8:59pm

Seeing Idina and Kristin was AMAZING! They WERE their characters. I think it made me want to do BROADWAY even more. Ever since I saw them I've worked even harder on my acting, singing, and dancing.

When I saw the RENT tour in June the Seasons of Love soloest was AMAZING! I was crying after the song because of how much she did with her solo. I had heard the CD a BILLION times and had seen it on Bway before. But for some reason, I had never relized how true the song is. From then on that song has ment A LOT more to me than it did before. I think her voice made me relize it.

[bdwybelle]

Posted: 11/24/04 at 9:53pm

Definitely Donna Murphy in PASSION. I have never seen a performer more connected to their character. I have seen the dvd, and the benefit concert, and I have never been more emotionally moved by a performance. How someone could be that incredible night after night in such a difficult character is amazing.

[AuBrie]

Posted: 11/25/04 at 2:19am

Randall Keith as Jean Valjean. I saw him in the national tour. He sang bring me home and I cried! The whole audience gave him a standing ovation after that song.

[Racetrack]

Posted: 11/25/04 at 2:11pm

I agree apdarcey I love the revival of Charlie Brown. All the characters really played to their best. While Ilana might not have the greatest voice in the world she does have what it takes to be Lucy. I could rant about that as well, but I won't.

I would also have to say Rent. I can't explain why, but it has on so many levels done things for me. I'll have to consider that one a little more.

[onceadancer2]

Posted: 11/25/04 at 2:40pm

I would have to say Gene Kelly and Vivienne Segal in PAL JOEY and Shirley Booth in MY SISTER EILEEN.. Unfortunately no one but myself on this board saw them, and it's hard to describe. IN PAL JOEY he personified sleaze and she personified even greater sleaze, although cloaked and disguised in good manners, fany dress and impeccable speech. The two were something to watch together. When they sang about their little den of iniquity you could just imagine what they did when the lights were low and they had a few drinks in them. As for Shirley Booth, what can I Say. It was the greatest comic performance I ever saw, and I saw MY SISTER EILEEN many times. How do you describe the comic spirit incarnate!

[PJ]

Posted: 11/25/04 at 4:25pm

Bernadette Peters in Gypsy: I've never been so moved by anything I've ever seen on stage or screen. I actually got tears in my eyes when she stomped down the right aisle shouting "Sing out, Louise!" at the opening of the show. Her performance, for me, was truly magical.

Raul Esparza in Cabaret: I had only gone to see this production because of Molly Ringwald. Well, she was out, which I've heard wasn't abnormal for her, and had it not been for Raul's top notch performance as Emcee, I probably would have not enjoyed the show at all. Not that Cabaret needs Molly, by any means, but I was initally drawn to the show to see her so you can imagine my disappointment.

and I may lose some credibility after this one, but what the hell...

Idina Menzel in Wicked: Next to Bernadette in Gypsy, this was the best thing I've seen on a Broadway stage. I nearly peed my pants during "The Wizard and I" and "Defying Gravity." Laugh if you must, but I'm truly grateful that I was able to catch her in this role before the OBC began filtering out this spring/summer.

[broadway86]

Posted: 11/25/04 at 4:45pm

Several come to mind...

Heather Headley, AIDA
Antonio Banderas, NINE
Hugh Jackman, THE BOY FROM OZ
Bernadette Peters, GYPSY
Bebe Neuwirth, CHICAGO
Robert Cucciolli, JEKYLL & HYDE
Brian Stokes Mitchell, RAGTIME
Natasha Richardson, CABARET
Nicole Kidman, THE BLUE ROOM

[Marquise]

Posted: 11/25/04 at 5:29pm

Anything BRIAN STOKES MITCHELL touches turns to GOLD.
His performances in KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, RAGTIME (robbed of a Tony), KISS ME KATE and MAN OF LA MANCHA are some of the best.

DAPHNE RUBIN VEGA as "Mimi" in RENT. She completely nailed that part. It fit her like a glove and it was such a "true" performance. It wasn't even a "performance" it was just BEING. I knew girls like Mimi...she was right on the money.

VANESSA WILLIAMS in KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN....Electric!!! She literally brought the audience to their feet with every number she performed. She was flawless. Chita Rivera's shoes are some mighty big ones to fill and Vanessa proved she was more than capable of doing it and she succeeded!

JENNIFER HOLLIDAY in DREAMGIRLS - - - my first exposure to Broadway. I consider myself fortunate that this was my first Broadway show...the performance and the show are LEGENDARY. 'Nuff said!