What's the musical that you have the biggest personal connection to? — Page 2

FALSETTOS, hands down.

(I'm married to a man with two kids (now grown) and three grandchildren.)

I relate a lot to Deena from Dreamgirls. She has a magnificent ark that very few actresses take advantage of.

I also really connect with Cinderella in Into the Woods. On the Steps of the Palace is a brilliant song.

Funny, I never realized how similar those two characters are. They are both beautiful, and modest, and those qualities spark the interest of successful men (the prince, Curtis). Then those men give them what they feel is best for them. Cinderella and Deena think that this way of living is what they want, but then they discover that it isn't and have to deal with it.

For recent shows, BILLY ELLIOTT holds that sacred place in my heart. Seen it 4 times and cry buckets every time at the impossibility of that boy's dream ever coming true.

For classic shows, seeing the OBC of A CHORUS LINE was the major event for me. I'm not a performer, but seeing those dreams played out onstage and hearing Paul's monologue was more personally powerful to me than any other show before or since. Plus, for my 2 years at summerstock (1976 and 1977 with the New London Barn Players), all those gorgeous chorus boys I had endless crushes on constantly sang numbers from ACL for their weekly auditions. That show is my proustian Madeleine.

Updated On: 7/27/13 at 05:09 PM

The musical that I have the biggest personal connection to is and always will be DREAMGIRLS. It was my very first Broadway show.

Updated On: 7/27/13 at 06:05 PM

"Yeah, Diana looked like she was having a hell easy of a time when she couldn't really function at home alone, when she walked out on her family or when she tried to commit suicide."

As the Mormons would say, hey now! I'm sure Jane2 is aware of the plot of the show. What is she (or he) supposed to do, enumerate incidents from her family's personal history to prove her point?

For me, The Fantasticks maybe. Though it tends to be more a matter of connecting to specific characters or moments from various shows.

I guess Little Women, because it was what got me into theatre.

But Spring Awakening too. Even though I don't like it that much anymore there was a period of about a year and a half where I loved it more than life.

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I'm going to cheat and say a straight play: Angels in America. Even though I wasn't born until quite a while after the play takes place, it just resonates so deeply with me. The play really helped me through a difficult period, and I really don't know how I would have managed without that play.

For me I would have to say Big, it was my first Broadway show and the one that got me interested in theatre. But, the revival of La Cage that played at the Marquis was one that holds a special place in my heart, not because of the show itself (great show however that was a not so good production of an otherwise good show) but because of the night and the people that I was with.

I went with my two surviving grandparents (my Dad's Father and my Mom's Mother) at the suggestion of my Grandfather. He took the three of us to see it and it was great to spend the night with them. My Grandfather loved the theatre and that production of La Cage was the last show he saw before he passed away. That is a night that I will always remember and look back on fondly.

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I have two.
1. The Lion King-It was my first Broadway show and I love it. I went my mom, godmother, and her granddaughter and grandson. It was amazing. I actually went on Mary Poppins website to see if I could remember where I was sitting and I did.
Wicked-Wicked was the first national tour show I had ever seen. I had since 2003 to see Wicked but never got the chance. So, when it came to DC I jumped at the chance to see it. So, on my 15th birthday, I saw Wicked and absolutely loved it!! I even started lip-syncing.

My first major connection was to "My Fair Lady," at the age of 11. I fell in love with the movie and decided to become an actor at that point. (Alas, being too short, too clumsy, and lacking a sufficient voice, as well as being too chicken ultimately stopped me). As an adult, I can see the brilliance of the story -- it really is a feminist tale, since Higgins doesn't fall for Eliza till he realizes she's his equal.

Despite my youthful attachment to "My Fair Lady," "The Phantom of the Opera" has become my obsession. I don't really know why, but it's become such a part of me that I have Phantom jewelry, clothing, memorabilia, books ... you name it. Perhaps my obsession comes from the tragedy of someone who became ugly inside because he was ugly to look at.

Even though I'm not a huge "Les Mis" fan, if I had to pick a character to emulate, it would be Jean Valjean. He took lemons and made lemonade, leaving behind a world that was a better place than he found it. In many ways, JVJ is the opposite of the Phantom.

I also echo the comment of the poster who mentioned that Eastern European Jews all feel personally connected to "Fiddler on the Roof." Talk about folks who made lemonade out of lemons ....

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I'm actually gonna have to say GHOST. I had come out to my family earlier that year and it had NOT gone well and home was a place I did not enjoy being. Spring Break was going to be my longest time home and my boyfriend told me he wouldn't be able to talk to me at all because he was going on a trip to Italy with school. So I didn't know the story of the show at all, I just went alone when we visited my sis in the city. Well I'd been through a lot, so when he died and she couldn't talk to him...but the end where we saw him again. I was crying my eyes out. It was exactly how I felt in our relationship. Nobody can help but you, and I want to give up on you since I can hardly see you.

Cats---first professional show I ever saw and which started my love of theater
A Chorus Line---first show I ever saw in NY on Broadway
Annie---first show I ever actually acted in a children's theater production of