What is the best Stage Performance You Have Ever Seen?

If you can nail down one actor at one night of theatre (Broadway, Off-Broadway, Regional, West End, High School) that you think is close to perfect, what would it be? 

For me, it's Benjamin Magnuson as Lemml in Indecent at Victory Gardens Theatre.

Updated On: 7/22/19 at 06:16 PM

Lily Tomlin- "The Search for Intelligent Life in the Universe"

Laurie Metcalf's 20-minute monologue in "Balm in Gilead" in 1984.

I will cheat:

Male Musical -- Nathan Lane in The Producers

Female Musical -- Angela Lansbury in Gypsy

Male Play -- James Earl Jones in The Great White Hope

Female Play -- Colleen Dewhurst in A Moon For the Misbegotten

 

But, if I had too pick one, I would probably say Colleen Dewhurst

Glenda Jackson in Three Tall Women. She made you love someone who was on paper completely loathsome.

Bwayfan292 said: "Courtney Reed in Aladdin"

Oh yeah. How could I forget about her? lol

Can't pick just one:

Maggie Smith - Private Lives

Elizabeth Ashley - Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Sweet Bird Of Youth

Fantasia - The Color Purple

Kevin Spacey - Moon For The Misbegotten

Nathan Lane - Lisbon Traviata

Sandy Duncan - Peter Pan

Reba McIntyre - Annie Get Your Gun

Kristine Nielsen - Betty's Summer Vacation

J Smith-Cameron - As Bees In Honey Drown
 

 

I've only had the privilege of seeing 3 shows on Broadway, so my pick for best performances are from regional theater. Both involve Beth Leavel.

Watching Beth Leavel perform the song Hello Dolly in the rain at The Muny is an experience that I think will never be topped.

My second best performance is watching Beth Leavel as Mama Rose in Gypsy. I'm not even a big fan of  the musical, but her performance took my breath away.