Kristen Chenoweth in A New Brain. She sparkled and glowed as part of a small ensemble playing multiple parts to back up the leads. I was not at all surprised when her career took off shortly thereafter.
Does Sutton Foster in Millie count? The hairs on the back of my neck stood up when she sang "Gimme, Gimme". As I said to my friend after the show, who was equally gobsmacked by her enormous talent, this is what it must have felt like for audiences discovering Barbra's talent in Wholesale.
I saw Amy Spanger in Sunset Boulevard... she replaced Lauren Kennedy in the ensemble. I actually don't remember very much about her other than the first time she ran out dressed in that pink dress I thought she looked awfully short compared to what Lauren looked... like.. in those costumes.
Did she ever go on as Betty?
Now what would you say if today I started over?
Without a thing but this taped together four leaf clover
And I'll pretend like everything is already alright
And I'll run toward the sun till the castle's out of sight
I live near Alexandra Socha and saw her in community theatre productions of Aida and Songs For A New World. Yeah, she is pretty famous around here and it was so cool to see a local make it big!
I saw Drew Sarich in Lestat before he became Armand, does that count?
Can't really think of any besides that and Laura Bell Bundy in Wicked and only because I'm staring at the header of this page. Oh, and I did see Sierra Boggess in the Les Miz tour.
And not that that he's come that far since then, but Ben Eakeley in a God-awful production of Cabaret in Sacramento a few years ago.
My parents saw Pat Benatar perform in "Catch A Rising Star" singing opera before her rock and roll days. Also, my mother worked with Alec Baldwin on "The Doctors" before he had a movie career. I, unfortunately, didn't see anyone before they were famous that I can recall.
Acting should be bigger than life. Scripts should be bigger than life. It should all be bigger than life.- Bette Davis
I saw Jayne Wisener play mary phagan in the donmar production of parade in september, so after filming of sweeney todd, but before release, so she was still an unknown. and she had a very strange looking face in that production. and a nice dress in the opening scene. :P
I saw Jasmine Guy in shows at Atlanta's HSPVA "back in the day...". She was my first "gonna be a star" spotting. There have been too many since to list; I've been very lucky that way.
Marisa Jaret Winokur in the Grease Tour Anika Larsen in the RENT tour Cheyenne Jackson when he went on for Chris Seiber in Millie on Broadway(I just remember how dark his skin was and thought he tanned too much)
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Reviews and the like
John Gallagher, Jr. in an early 2005 staged reading of BINGO WITH THE INDIANS by Adam Rapp.
I went to the reading for Anthony Rapp and I didn't remember any of the other actors. A couple months ago I was going through my Playbills and saw John Gallagher's name on it and went, "Whoa!" I flipped to his bio and saw that he had recently done a workshop for a new musical version of SPRING AWAKENING.
That's my favorite "before they were stars" story.
Nothing matters but knowing nothing matters. ~ Wicked
Everything in life is only for now. ~ Avenue Q
There is no future, there is no past. I live this moment as my last. ~ Rent
i don't know if this really counts, but a guy i was in high school with and did plays with is now playing Boq in Wicked. He started at the beginning of the month and from what i hear, is doing really great!
PUPPETMAN I wished I could have seen La Tune in MACK & MABEL when he toured playing the Lisa Kirk (is the character Lottie?!?!) role...now THAT must have been different.
Sutton Foster in ANNIE Roger Bart in Triumph of Love and in YGMCG Susan Egan in Triumph of Love Kristen Chenoweth in YGMCB B.D Wong in YGMCB Chris Fitzgerald in Amour Brad Oscar in Jekyll & Hyde Megan Hilty in Wicked