Who did you see before they were famous??- Page 6

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 1/17/09 at 5:24pm

Ari Graynor as Little Red in Trinity Rep's production of INTO THE WOODS in Providence, RI.

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 1/17/09 at 6:17pm

Barbara Cook in the 1951 musical FLAHOOLEY.

[AfterTheSky]

Posted: 1/17/09 at 6:22pm

I saw Skylar Astin play Jean Valjean at Stagedoor Manor's "Les Miserables." Great place for early star spottings. Not as famous, but I saw Erich Rosenberg at Stagedoor rehearsing as the lead in "Little Me." He played Gaudio on the "Jersey Boys" tour.

Not for me but: a good friend of mine is the step-nephew of Mandy Patinkin. Updated On: 1/17/09 at 06:22 PM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/17/09 at 6:38pm

I almost forgot this:

I was Brian Dennehy's dresser in a community theater production of CAMELOT.

[Demitri2]

Posted: 1/17/09 at 10:01pm

Elliott Gould and Liza Minnelli in "The Fantasticks".

Suzanne Pleshette as Ann Bancroft's replacement in "The Miracle Worker".

Christopher Walken in Anna Maria Alberghetti's stock tour of "West Side Story".

A teenage Sam Harris in a college production titled "Hurry Hurry Hollywood".

A pre movies Glenn Close in "Barnum".

Veering somewhat from the question, "Henry Sweet Henry" had a remarkable number of people in its ensemble/chorus that would have future careers as performers, choreographers and directors with Baayork Lee and Priscilla Lopez ("A Chorus Line"), Kim Milford (Rocky in "The Rocky Horror Show"), Pia Zadora (whatever), Robert Avian (directed the recent "A Chorus Line" revival). Louise Lasser ("Mary Hartman") had a small supporting role. What I remember and enjoyed most about the production was the impact Michael Bennett's cinematic staging (though he was only credited with the choreography) had on me. Years later I'd see it again in "Dreamgirls" direction.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/17/09 at 10:06pm

Ashley Spencer? She is famous?

[PRFRMR20]

Posted: 1/17/09 at 10:15pm

cindicindi... you could say that about a lot of people mentioned here!!!

[jayclay]

Posted: 1/18/09 at 12:01am

Betty Buckley in Pippin
Nick Jonas in Annie Get Your Gun
Nancy Opel in Evita (matinees instead of Patti Lupone)

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 1/18/09 at 12:54am

Demitri2, you reminded me of seeing Christopher Walken in several productions in the early 1970s at Lincoln Center. By that time he was an established New York actor, but several years off from stardom.

And also that I saw Glenn Close in her Broadway debut when she replaced Mary Ure in Hal Prince's production of Love for Love for the Phoenix Rep. She was fine but it was Mary Beth Hurt who stole that production.

[CMU_bway_lover]

Posted: 1/18/09 at 1:10am

Not entirely famous but Patina Miller in a few college productions and possibly Megan Hilty (it was a small student directed piece with a ditzy blonde type who was a sr. they same year Meg would have been).

Also she's not famous yet, but Tro Shaw who is playing Anybodys in WSS was in my Shakespeare class.

[broadwayboy101]

Posted: 1/18/09 at 1:16am

Paige Davis in the Beauty and the Beast national tour (before Trading Spaces)

[mbjts]

Posted: 1/18/09 at 1:21am

As someone else already posted, Kelsey Grammer in "Othello" (with James Earl Jones and Christopher Plummer).

"Benefactors" starred Sam Waterston, Glenn Close, Simon Jones and Mary Beth Hurt.

Saw "Mail", Brian (Stokes) Mitchell's Broadway debut.

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 1/18/09 at 1:59am

" 'Benefactors' starred Sam Waterston, Glenn Close, Simon Jones and Mary Beth Hurt."

Who is the person here who wasn't well known at the time but later became famous? Close had already been nominated for three Oscars and Waterston had been nominated for one. Mary Beth Hurt was well-established. Actually, she was probably better known than she is now. And Jones is not exactly famous even now.

I do love that play and I kick myself that I didn't see that production.
Updated On: 1/18/09 at 01:59 AM

[WhenURScrap]

Posted: 1/18/09 at 2:12am

"Ashley Spencer? She is famous?"

I didn't see your name in the playbill as the lead in a Broadway show...

Nor did I see you on national television being cast for one...

[JasonM12480]

Posted: 1/18/09 at 3:26pm

I had mentioned that Shere Renie Scott was in the Ninja Turtles rock concert in 1990.

Have fun! And the hair!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl8pXKBtU

[Jon]

Posted: 1/18/09 at 4:07pm

I directed Sally Murphy ina summer stock production of BABES IN ARMS in 1982 - she was 18 years old.

Yes, Sally Murphy is 45!!!

[Lynnespock2]

Posted: 1/18/09 at 4:13pm

James Earl Jones as Macbeth in theater in the park that toured around NYC in 1966.

[Shapusen]

Posted: 1/18/09 at 4:22pm

JasonM12480 I TOTALLY saw Sherie Rene Scott in the Ninja Turtles Coming Out of Their Shells Tour, AND have it on video. I had the cassette tape at some point too that they gave away at Pizza Hut.


Also I went to high school with Aaron Tveit so I MORE than saw (performed) with him before he was famous.

[TheatreFreak05]

Posted: 1/18/09 at 4:24pm

I saw Autumn Hurlbert in the national tour of Little Women before she was on Legally Blonde: The Search for Elle Woods.

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 1/18/09 at 4:40pm

Nick Jonas in Annie Get Your Gun
Sutton Foster in Annie
Lea Michell in Ragtime (well known in the broadway community)

[Madcap Maisie]

Posted: 1/18/09 at 4:44pm

 

Updated On: 6/12/20 at 04:44 PM