What is a memory from a show that will stay with you forever? — Page 2

The original "Sunday in the Park with George", when, during the second act reprise/finale of "Sunday", all the characters from the painting bow to the grandson George. Tears were streaming down my face.

Barbara Cook's "A Concert for the Theatre", when, as an encore, she laid her microphone down on the piano, came to the footlights of the stage and sang "Why Did I Choose You?" (I'd never heard the song before and when I saw that it was on the "Live From London" album, I squealed out loud in the middle of the record store.)

So many things in "Grand Hotel": the song "Love Can't Happen" and those thrilling high notes at the end of it, how heartbreaking Michael Jeter was when he realized that the Baron was trying to steal from him, "Tango of Love and Death"

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The first time I saw "A Chorus Line" at the end of "I Hope I Get It" when they all appear on the line for the first time and on the beat and with the lights up they are all holding their headshots in front of their face. From that moment, I knew it was going to be one of those very special shows. I was right!

The staging of "Who's That Woman?" in Encores! Follies, especially when all of their younger selves join in the line.

Also from that production, Victoria Clark and Victor Garber singing "Too Many Mornings," Donna Murphy's "Ballad of Lucy and Jessie" and the two hysterical chorus girls in "Buddy's Blues."


oh, and the first time I saw Gypsy at City Center, the look on Laura Benanti's face at the beginning of The Strip. It got me every time I saw the show: the way she was clutching the boa, the look of sheer terror/wanting to melt into the floor. My heart always broke for Louise.

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Updated On: 8/9/10 at 04:32 PM

The first time I heard Bernadette Peters sing Some People is a night I will never forgot. I was totally blown away by her entire performance as Rose.

too many to properly write about

the final performance of rent. being in that theater at that moment with everyone else there was an experience liek no other

the halloween performance of Rent where everything that could go wrong, went wrong... from missed cues to malfunctioning props, to being in the front row with all of my friends...

the times that i was pulled up onstage during Something About You during Altar Boyz by Kyle Dean Massey, Michael Kadin Craig (twice), and Yannick Lanthier (he was in Montreal)

the time I got to be FOg GIrl in Altar Boyz and having everyone in the audience cheer for me, and seeing some of the boyz cheering for me offstage as i exited.

the opening scene of tarzan, and when tarzan kills the panther (or whatever animal that is)

when i saw spelling bee and during barrett foa made his mitch mahoney letter about me

anytime i was onstage at xanadu and spring awakening. hearing the actors' sing right next to me, without microphone was always chilling

the time frances was on as Adult Women in SA and threw her hat at me during totally ****ed and it hit me in the face. (thats more of a painful memory, i screamed i was so startled but luckily the song was so loud no one heard)

the final dress rehearsal of [tos] so much love in that room

opening night of the little mermaid and having a better seat than jodi benson

the first time i saw Kyle Dean as Fiyero in CT

seeing Adam andAnthony's first night back in Rent, and when i saw Gwen's as well.

heck the first time I saw Rent

The final performances of Altar Boyz

Sunday In The Park With George(Sondheim Celebration/DC)--Second Act, right at the end of this brilliant production--after the very last note and before the place went ballistic--the silence was broken by a very audible sob. Most of us were choked with emotion and that moment clearly summed up everyone's feelings.


Drowsy Chaperone (LA)--Second preview--Realizing what was happening, I blurted out to my friend a bit too loudly that the Man In Chair 'put on the wrong record' with the whole production team sitting behind me. (they were tickled that I was so into it, thankfully!)

Drowsy Chaperone (NY)--Closing night--besides the entire show, Beth Leavel's emotional "As We Stumble Along."

Patti Lupone Live (Westwood Playhouse/LA)--1992, before she was to cross the pond to do Sunset Blvd, there was incredible buzz about the show. The evening was about Patti's career and all the shows/roles she had performed. Everyone was anxious to here about Sunset. She launched into some patter and then proceeded to recite the Norma D lines from the movie, which led into a song that was to be in the show (I think it got cut?). It was mesmerizing start to finish. You could hear hearts beating, the audience was so wrapped up in the moment. Chills for sure.

Victor/Victoria (NY)--The privilege of seeing the legendary Julie Andrews recreate a role from one of my all-time favorite films. And what a knockout Rachel York was.

Ragtime (LA)--besides the entire production, the opening number. I had been to the show once before, but my friend was tardy, so we were sat past curtain 'at the appropriate moment in the show', and didn't know what we had missed! That added another level to my appreciation of Ragtime, having fallen in love with it the first time I saw it.

A Chorus Line (NY)--1978, a sophomore in high school--my first Broadway show will forever live in my memory. We even went to Sardi's before the show!

RAGTIME's Robert Petkoff singing "Gliding" to his little girl and the last ensemble number at the end of the show. Still get emotional remembering those voices and that production.

Robert Lindsay and Maryann Plunkett in ME AND MY GIRL.

Amy Morton in AUGUST, OSAGE COUNTY.

Sally Murphy in GRAPES OF WRATH at the end of the show.

The first time I saw Phantom of the Opera when the curtain comes off the chandelier and it flys up and the music starts.

Stage door at Chitty Chitty Bang Bang...I saw Raul Esparza and I was like he is so pretty

Woman in White-When the train projection made it look like the train was coming right into the audience.

The first time I saw it, we were on such an extreme angle, that none of the visuals really played for me.

Sooo, when I saw "A Chorus Line" on tour, I had been generally impressed, but as the writers say, "At the Ballet" is when the show takes off. Right at the climax, when Maggie hits the money note, and the black wall dissolves into the mirrors and the lights come up on the cast doing the ballet positions, took my breath away.

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Jennifer Holliday singing "And I Am Telling You" in the original "DreamGirls"

The final scene of "Agnes of God" with Elizabeth Ashley & Amanda Plummer. RIVETTING!!!

Getting TKTS for "FoxFire" and ending up in the front row, with Hume Cronyn doing a speech on the corner of the porch --his foot about 1 foot away from my head.

Laura Benanti doing her strip and talking to me,while she was doing it in "Gypsy"

Cassie Levy coming behind me a flipping her hair over my Bald Head, rocking my head from side to side during "Hair". Funny as all get out.

Finally seeing Barbara Cook Live in "Sondheim on Sondheim"

My favorite would have to be the 5th and 6th (closing performance) seeing the Starshine tribe of HAIR. The 5th time I saw it, June 24th, the cast has gotten to know me well, especially since I sit front row every time. Catherine Brookman played with me during Aquarius. Then Kate Rockwell sat on my lap during "Electric Blues". Then Jeanette Bayardelle was fooling around with me during "White Boys". She was looking at me, making sexual gestures, winking.

At the final performance, it was so breathtaking. Kyle laid across me and my friend during "Hair". Then Catherine Brookman was like petting me during "Hare Krishna" when they walked down the aisle to the stage. Then at the stagedoor, saying goodbye to my favorite cast and making each one of them cry, and then making me cry, again.

The opening and the curtain going up on the convicts on the ship - Les Miserables.

The opening sequence - An Inspector Calls.

Totally F****d - Spring Awakening, and the 5 minute ovation that followed on closing day.

The Scherzo and Ballet Sequence - West Side Story.

Earl Carpenter flying through the air as Javert - Les Miserables.

Seeing Michael Ball in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Hairspray.

The Sabbath Prayer - Fiddler on the Roof.

There are so many indelible memories in over 50 years of theatregoing. Some, from my first years of theatregoing- the best in my opinion- make me so sad because of how wonderful they were that I really try to avoid thinking of them.

But here are 3 standouts that don't make me sad, and I will definitely never forget them.

1) Marlene Dietrich at the Mark Hellinger. Was it a put-on or for real? The lady toyed with the audience and had us eating out of her hand. One of a kind, and never to be forgotten.

2) The closing performance of the last revival of "Hello, Dolly!" with Carol Channing. The atmosphere was electric, and it was like bidding a final farewell to an era now past.

3) Judy Garland's closing performance at the Palace. Since it was indescribable, I won't attempt to describe it.