What is the highlight of your theatre going experiences?

Nothing I have ever experienced can come close to that so I will not even try write one. That is so awesome!!

I've been in the same theater with the Clinton's, which was cool. Even more exciting was sitting next to Susan Sarandon, off -Broadway (Fela!) Didn't change my theater experience though.



My most impactful theater experiences were, in no particular order - and strictly off the top of my head: The original Sunday in the Park with George, Scottsboro Boys, the Yiddish Fiddler on the Roof, original cast of August: Osage County. There are more, older that I've have to give myself a moment to think on.

Updated On: 9/14/22 at 07:22 AM

my top 5 --

-- Original cast in the original production of Les Miserables

-- Hadestown Re-Opening Night Sept 2nd, 2021

-- Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Gary Beach, Roger Bart and Brad Oscar in the Producers

-- Patti LuPone in Company

-- Act 1 finale (Sunday) from Sunday in the Park With George, orignal cast 1984

Updated On: 9/14/22 at 08:09 AM

The ones that come to mind right off the bat:

~An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin (so simple, yet so beautiful and exciting. Although, they weren't doing the big Evita section yet, which I feel would might have cheapened the show)

~Come From Away (I saw this in Toronto from standing room only before it moved to Broadway. I was gobsmacked by the show through its storytelling and staging, that I realized this is the kind of theatre I would like to make)

~Grey Gardens (2 days after they annouced their Broadway closing I went, and Christine Ebersole gave a perfomance that will be forever in my mind. I wanted to yell out at her to leave during Winter in a Summertown)

~Blithe Spirit (seeing Angela Lansbury live, in person on stage was a thrill. Here is this icon who has done so much is standing 10 feet from me was mindblowing)

~The Band's Visit (the simplicity and complexity all in one moment was brilliant)

I can't think anything that will ever top my experience at the recent Little Shop revival. I had seen it twice before and loved it, but I was able to talk some friends into seeing it again with them. My previous seats were the far back sides, which were fine, but thank you that discount code that was passing around, we got front row seats for the same price. A no brainer.

The performance was electric, being so close to McClure, the Urchins, and the one and only, Christian Borle (another reason to go was to catch him one last time before he left). All of it was incredible; being that close to Borle's face as he died, catching the money during The Meek Shall Inherit (and giving it back), all of the Don't Feed The Plant finale, but nothing beats the cuttings scene.

After Seymour is eaten by the plant, I guess someone behind the scenes threw the machete a little too hard because it fell off the stage, right in front of my friend. Later Borle needed it so when he got to the front of the stage, my friend got to hand it back to him. I'm of course jealous he got to do that, but still blown away that I got to be that close to see it. Super curious how often that happens too.

Seriously, so glad I found that code here. It's wild how different a change in seats can be, even in a really small theater like that.

Updated On: 9/14/22 at 11:13 AM

So many incredible experiences. Fun Home original cast was special. More recently, I saw the full Company cast. I was in the second row and Patti winked at me during one of the scenes. A moment I will forever cherish.

I went and saw a preview performance of "The Visit" with Chita Rivera and Roger Rees before his passing. Afterwards I stage doored for over an hour to hopefully meet Ms. Rivera.

When she came out she took time to speak to all of us individually, even singing with one of the music students for a second. I told her how elegant and mesmerizing she was even from the balcony and she thanked me for my kind words and kissed my playbill as she signed.

I still have the playbill with the kiss and her signature and it's honestly one of my most prized theater possessions. It's a color cover one too!

Easy answer for me - Meryl Streep in “Mother Courage” in Central Park.

In terms of famous people in the audience, three come to mind:

• The night that I saw Fences with James Earl Jones, Angela Lansbury was right in front of me, she in the first row after the rise in the now Richard Rodgers Theatre. I tried to be really cool, and I did not do anything...just left her alone. At intermission, there were a number of people who approached her (she was on the aisle). She was incredibly gracious with everyone who approached her, saying 'thank you, dear' to several women who were trying not to gush, but not fully succeeding. As an avid theatregoer and serious fan since seeing Mame on Saturday, June 25, 1966 (I was 16), she was royalty.
• Fast forward to the Gypsy. Pre-premium pricing, I was in the second or third row off the center aisle. I turned my head around, and there was Jack Nicholson, joined by a couple of teens and a woman. Everyone around him was cool and ignored him, as only New Yorkers can do. Well, intermission came and I can only imagine that word got to the mezzanine and balcony that he was in the audience. Suddenly, from what seemed to be the balcony, came a loud 'hey, Jack'. That shout empowered the audience to acknowledge his presence, with long, thunderous applause. To acknowledge the applause (and probably get them to stop), he stood up and bowed in one of those clownish, self-deprecating bows.
• Finally, in London over 30 years ago, my wife and I were seated when, a party of 4 had to climb over us to get to their seats. My wife was sitting next to Rod Steiger; one of my wife's favorite lines in all of moviedom is when the Rod Steiger character spits out 'I have the motive which is blackmail and the body which is dead.' Well, right after he sat, he looked at me and said 'should I ask him to say 'I have the ...dead', clearly joking. Well he apparenty heard her, because he said the line to her, which made her entire trip. They talked during much of the intermission, which was very special for a big fan.

As for theatrical experiences, five tower over all others.

• Seeing Mame for the first time on that June date. I had loved the movie Auntie Mame since first seeing it, and I loved the musical, in particular the performance of Lansbury, which I still consider to be my favorite musical comedy performance ever.
• Seeing every single performance of the original Follies production, including Boston, where Uptown, Downtown and Boy, Can That Boy Foxtrot were still being performed, ultimately to be replaced by Lucy and Jessie (one of my two or three favorite production numbers ever) and I'm Still Here. The first time I saw it in NYC, from lousy side mezzanine seats remains for me my single favorite evening in the theatre ever.
• Seeing A Moon for the Misbegotten with Colleen Dewhurst and Jason Robards. For me, Dewhurst gave the greatest performance I have ever seen in a drama and Jason Robards was just haunting.
• Finally, Nicholas Nickelby. An all-day affair, with a lunch break and a dinner break, as I remember, but that may not be right. Showed what theatre can be when directed by people with incredible imaginations. In 1981 (ish), I paid $100 for each ticket, and remember saying to my wife that, if I ever got down below my last $200, I could regret spending such a ridiculous price for a show. Who knew?
• The first time I saw The Producers was the most I ever laughed in my life, and I felt that Nathan Lane's 'Betrayed' was as close to Rose's Turn for a man. Having seen it a number of times afterward, I came to realize that it was a delightful show, but Nathan Lane's participation was mandatory for it to reach the stratosphere. I never laughed so much in my life AND I loved the score...still do.

A couple of special mentions:

• Jennifer Holliday singing 'And I am telling you'. Managed to see her 4 times, including her final performance.
• Maggie Smith and Margaret Tyzack in Lettice and Lovage. Both won well-deserved Tonys.
• Angela Lansbury singing Rose's Turn in the closing performance at the Winter Garden.
• Christopher Plummer as Cyrano in Cyrano, a failed show that I loved and a performance for the ages.
• Barbara Harris in The Apple Tree. It is a pity that she did not like performing in front of a live audience (she once said that her favorite part of being in a show was rehearsals), because she was electrifying.
• Zoe Caldwell in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

Updated On: 9/15/22 at 04:20 PM

This season - INTO THE WOODS! AMAZING.

Patti LuPone locking eyes with me during Company

This is the kind of post to get someone to finally create an account :) Just some of the favorites

-Sitting seats away from James Lapine at Falsettos on Tour at the Ahmanson. Quite early in the run, he was quite obviously taking notes on a pad as they were still in previews. Spoke briefly afterwards and thanked him for Passion lol.

-Front row center in a '30 Under 35' seat for How I Learned to Drive. Masters at work. Essential theatre. All the things you heard. Johanna Day scared the **** out of me, I lived.

-Side Show. Long live Patty and Emily.