Joined: 12/31/69
1. Kristin Chenoweth
2. Karen Ziemba
3. Loretta Ables Sayre
4. Faith Prince
Bernadette Peters
Audra McDonald
Patti Lupone
Betty Buckley/Sutton Foster (tie)
Understudy Joined: 10/31/10
1.Marin Mazzie
2.Audra McDonald
3.Bernadette Peters
4.Donna Murphy
4.Alice Ripley
4.Kristin Chenoweth
4.Sutton Foster
4.Tyne Daly
4.Christine Ebesole
4.Patti LuPone
*Shout out to Lauren Kennedy, who I saw recently starrring in the musical Violet. She's wonderful and very charasmatic.
(Why narrow the field so small. We are so blessed with our divas right now! There are many other great ladies of musical theater besides the ones I've listed. Non-musical divas would be another long list.)
Sutton Foster
Laura Benanti
Patti LuPone
Sherie Rene Scott
Patti LuPone
Bernadette Peters
Elaine Stritch
Angela Lansbury
Patti Lupone
Bernadette Peters
Donna Murphy
Harvey Fierstein
Mary Martin
Ethel Merman
Carol Channing
Gwen Verdon
3 Priscilla divas + Patti LuPone
Bernadette Peters, Marin Mazzie, Donna Murphy, Patti LuPone
Current:
Stritch
Lansbury
LuPone
Rivera
All-Time:
Stritch
Merman
Lansbury
Rivera
Presently working ladies:
LuPone
Peters
Murphy
Ebersole
That subject heading... sheesh.
Barbara Cook
Chita Rivera
Elaine Stritch
Angela Lansbury
Alice Ripley
Tonya Pinkins
Sherie Renee Scott
Audra McDonald
1. Angela Lansbury
2. Elaine Stritch
3. Donna Murphy
4. Bernadette Peters
1. Patti LuPone
2. Bernadette Peters
3. Audra McDonald
4. Marin Mazzie
1.Lansbury
2.Channing
3.Rivera
4.Verdon/Prince
Peters
Buckley
Mazzie
Ebersole
Of the thrilling diva performances I've seen, it would have to be:
1. Angela Lansbury in Gypsy
2. Patti LuPone in Evita
3. Bernadette Peters in Sunday in the Park
4. 3-WAY TIE: Alexis Smith and Dorothy Collins in Follies and Elaine Stritch in Company
1. Angela Lansbury
2. Elaine Paige
3. Patti LuPone
4. Ruthie Henshall
Swing Joined: 7/16/11
Patti LuPone
Bernadette Peters
Elaine Stritch
Ethel Merman
Oh man, PalJoey. That weird feeling is my jealousy radiating out at you from midtown.
This is tough because there are more contenders than I expected, but I'll go with the four I would drop everything to go see in ANYthing.
Patti LuPone--I planned a vacation around getting to see her do Annie Get Your Gun at Ravinia
Elaine Stritch--From the time I first saw her in A Delicate Balance, I've been a dedicated fan. From Full Monty at Paper Mill to Endgame at BAM (which she was brilliant in) through her more prominent roles (and concerts and benefits).
Bernadette Peters--This is tricky because I'm often slightly disappointed by her having missed (I fear) her best days. I'll still see anything she does and settle for the performances I'm less enthusiastic about (Annie Get Your Gun) to get to the moment I think she achieves brilliance (A Little Night Music--disagree if you must!).
And last...I feel like it should be Audra McDonald, but thinking it through, I've let opportunities to see her pass me by. So the person I think I never miss is Donna Murphy. I still think she deserved the Tony this year.
Patti LuPone
Bernadette Peters
Bebe Neuwirth
Christine Ebersole
Chorus Member Joined: 9/6/11
First time posting on here after years of lurking!
Donna Murphy
Patti Lupone
Angela Lansbury
Audra MacDonald
And I'm surprised to find myself typing this but I'd add Tyne Daly after seeing her in Master Class!
I used Sauja's criteria for this (who would I drop everything to see?), as I have seen many wonderful leading ladies:
Donna Murphy
Bernadette Peters
Christine Ebersole
Angela Lansbury
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