What is the best Stage Performance You Have Ever Seen?- Page 2

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 1:33am

Christine Dwyer as Jenna Hunterson in Waitress 1NT.

[Blue_Lotus]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 4:42am

I can't say I've only seen one great performance. I've had the privilege of witnessing many great performances, but I will name one:

Geraldine Page in "Agnes of God".

 

[BalconyClub]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 7:06am

Colm Wilkinson in Les Miserables.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 7:48am

Michelle Williams in Cabaret.

[aj88]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 8:30am

I'm also going to cheat and name four but I'm going to also choose one at the end as who would be my favorite as of this moment:

And just to be clear, I didn't see anything in New York pre-1998.

Musical (Male): John Cameron Mitchell, HEDWIG
Musical (Female): Christine Ebersole, GREY GARDENS

Play (Male): Jefferson Mays, I Am My Own Wife
Play (Female): Cherry Jones, Doubt

Female in a play was incredibly hard. Actually the only one where I had a true definitive answer was Actor in a musical (although I thought of two other people).

For now, I'm actually going to cast my vote for Jefferson Mays in I Am My Own Wife.

[MVintheheartland]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 8:51am

"Hand to God" --NYC production, Steven Boyer

"The Wolves" -- Chicago (Goodman Theater) production, all the women

"Angels in America"  -- Andrew Garfield

Updated On: 11/5/18 at 08:51 AM

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 8:59am

So many great performances to pick from, but my vote also goes to Andrew Garfield in Angels in America.

[VotePeron]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 9:02am

Been thinking about this all weekend, but Denise Gough - People, Places & Things is who I keep coming back to!

[goodlead]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 10:44am

Uta Hagen in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and Margaret Leighton in "The Night of the Iguana."  (Original productions)

[adamgreer]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 10:50am

Man, this thread certainly reflects the current demographics around here. 

Without question, my answer is Christine Ebersole in Grey Gardens.  I have never, nor do I believe I ever will again, see as thorough and complete a transformation as this one.  The level of nuances she brought to these roles have been unmatched. 

LuPone in Gypsy would be a close second. 

[Vespertine1228]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 10:54am

I remember seeing A Streetcar Named Desire at BAM, with Cate Blanchett as Blanche, and thinking to myself after it was over "Well I never need to see that again. No one could possibly do it better."

And just because drama always seems to take precedent over comedy in discussions like these, James Corden's comic genius in One Man, Two Guvnors cannot be overstated.

[gymman]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 11:00am

Streisand

Lane, The Lisbon Traviata

[jbp1232]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 11:20am

Michael Cerveris in Fun Home 

[Rhoda4]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 11:30am

Jennifer Holliday - Dreamgirls

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 11:46am

Glenda Jackson in “Three Tall Women” and Carey Mulligan in “The Seagull” immediately come to mind. Also feel very strongly about Harriet Walter and Janet McTeer in “Mary Stuart”.

[markypoo]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 11:49am

Nathan Lane,

The Iceman Cometh.

[Debbie77]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 12:18pm

BalconyClub said: "Colm Wilkinson in Les Miserables."

 

THIS.

 

[nealb1]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 12:20pm

Natasha Richardson in "Cabaret."
Faye Dunaway in "Master Class"
Michael Crawford in "The Phantom of The Opera"
Elaine Paige in "Sunset Blvd" and "Piaf"

[trentsketch]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 12:47pm

Jefferson Mays in I Am My Own Wife. The play and production on Broadway were phenomenal. Mays felt effortless in all his character transformations done right in front of the audience and managed to draw focus from an extremely intricate set design of floor to ceiling living room sets ups with slight variants stacked behind him. My eye did not wander from him when he was onstage. 

[boywonder14]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 1:09pm

Christine Ebersole in GREY GARDENS

[artscallion]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 1:40pm

A tie between Victoria Clark in THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA and Christine Ebersole in GREY GARDENS

[adam.peterson44]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 1:45pm

James Snyder in Carousel (Goodspeed Opera House)

Kelli O'Hara in Bridges of Madison County

Cherry Jones in The Glass Menagerie

Brian Stokes Mitchell in Man of La Mancha

 

[veraclaythorne2]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 2:08pm

My first reaction: Cynthia Erivo in THE COLOR PURPLE. None of the praise I'd heard could prepare me for her. Absolutely stunning. 

I would add Mark Rylance in TWELFTH NIGHT (take your pick - Middle Temple 2002, Globe 2002/2012, Bway)

Guy Henry in KING JOHN for the RSC. 

Jim Broadbent (hell, the whole original cast) in THE PILLOWMAN. 

Andrew Scott in HAMLET. 

Definitely echo some of the others here: Jefferson Mays in I AM MY OWN WIFE, Nathan Lane in THE PRODUCERS. 

Two more recent performances that have stayed with me: Ben Walker in AMERICAN PSYCHO and Ethan Slater in SPONGEBOB. 

[BWAY Baby2]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 2:09pm

Ripley in Next To Normal

Kathleen Turner in Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf

The guy who had the lead in Fela

All these performers blew me away.

[ImAProphet]

Posted: 11/5/18 at 2:27pm

Billie Piper - YERMA

I've only been a regular theatregoer for a few years so I don't have many contenders, but that performance left me completely drained. In the best way. It's either her or Andrew Garfield in ANGELS IN AMERICA.

Updated On: 11/5/18 at 02:27 PM