You Are There--THE OPENING NIGHT OF...?- Page 2

[starlyricist]

Posted: 7/10/04 at 8:19pm

Opening night of RENT...I would've given anything to have been in the audience for that.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 7/10/04 at 8:28pm

damn yankees (revival), hairspray, or nine (revival)

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 7/10/04 at 8:29pm

Opening night of RENT or Phantom of the Opera. I know you said one, but choosing between these two is like asking a parent to choose between their kids on who they love the most.

[brdwaybaby17]

Posted: 7/10/04 at 8:30pm

The original Boy Friend... before Julie Andrews was a star. Plus, I would be back in the 20s and that seems like an amazing time to be alive...

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 7/10/04 at 8:37pm

"The Boyfriend" opened in 1954 -- it's set in the 20's. Julie Andrews is only 68, so she wasn't even alive during the 20's.

Updated On: 7/10/04 at 08:37 PM

[Hank]

Posted: 7/10/04 at 8:38pm

Thoroughly Modern Millie.

But I was there for the finale, and for Sutton's finale, and Sutton's 28th birthday, and the weekend it won the Tonys, and 3 other times, and met just about everybody, including the writers.

[Corine2]

Posted: 7/10/04 at 8:41pm

That is great Hank.
I was at the Millie Tony Party when they won.
I thought i had died and gone to heaven.

[chasing_rainbows43]

Posted: 7/10/04 at 8:47pm

I'm with Margo Channing. Girl Crazy. No contest.

[brdwaybaby17]

Posted: 7/10/04 at 9:25pm

Woops... Margo I knew that... I have no idea why I came up with that assanine comment... maybe... Oh jeez, I have no reason. lol Sometimes I don't understand myself.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 7/10/04 at 9:43pm

brdwaybaby17 --

No biggie -- don't beat yourself up. Great pick, by the way. Who wouldn't love to see a 19 year old, fresh-faced, fresh-voiced Julie Andrews doing the Charleston and singing like an angel?

[CJR]

Posted: 7/10/04 at 9:54pm

A Chorus Line
Dancin
Pippin

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 7/10/04 at 10:01pm

Wicked or Avenue Q. I was a the Millie opening night and it was very hectic, but fun.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 7/10/04 at 10:06pm

I was fortunate enough to have been at Wicked's opening night, and I am so happy for it.

I would've loved to see Rent, My Fair Lady (with Julie Andrews!) or Millie's opening night.

[ponine24601]

Posted: 7/10/04 at 10:08pm

wicked, hairspray, or phantom.

[mominator]

Posted: 7/10/04 at 10:14pm

Yet another vote for "A Chorus Line". That was a hard choice but he said only one.

Posted: 7/10/04 at 10:32pm

Methinks some folks are still making their way through reading comprehension class.

One as in "One Singular Sensation," "One Night in Bangkok," "One Kiss," "One Hundred Easy Ways," to name just a few examples.

I know it's hard but who said life was easy.

Oh and the poster who projected ahead to a show that hasn't opened yet, Zoran912, you have to sit through reading comprehension twice!

Me? My one choice? Oh, right now this evening I'd say the Opening Night of A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE. Updated On: 7/10/04 at 10:32 PM

[feinstein9]

Posted: 7/11/04 at 3:29am

i was SOOO gonna say streetcar before i saw your post! so now i have to change it! okay i'm gonna have to say the opening night of I Can Get it For You Wholesale. there. no more. not going to list anymore shows... oh but i wanna, i do! grrrrarrrr

Posted: 7/11/04 at 3:42am

I just have to add one thought. There were others who picked MY FAIR LADY, and specifically mentioned Julie - which I completely understand. But I just want to say that Julie, for me, would have been the icing - the cake would have been Rex. For, as many know, PYGMALLIAN - and by extension, LADY - is HIS story. And Rex would have told you that - to your face. That he wouldn't have cared about, much less grown accustomed to

[shavens]

Posted: 7/11/04 at 3:57am

THE MUSIC MAN with the perfectly cast Robert Preston.

[musicaltheatreman]

Posted: 7/11/04 at 3:58am

margo what was gwen verdons opening night showstopper from can-can??? thanks :)

Posted: 7/11/04 at 4:01am

Can't remember Gwen's number's title, but I think it was noteworthy because she went on at the last minute and stole the show. But that could also be Bonnie Franklin in APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE - I get my redheads confused.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 7/11/04 at 6:29am

Picture it. New York. Broadway. 1953 (I love me some Sophia). Opening night of the new Cole Porter show "Can-Can" at the Shubert Theatre.

The show stars a now-forgotten French chanteuse named Lilo, who was apparently a big singing star at the time. In the secondary female part of Claudine is an unknown young dancer named Gwen Verdon. Verdon had been a featured dancer in Jack Cole's troupe. Cole was a choreographer who was revered by dancers at the time (including a young aspiring choreographer, Bob Fosse, who's signature style owes a debt to Cole) for his bold, sexual, acrobatic dance numbers and his group was a favorite in New York nightclubs. Cole had also branched out into choreographing for movies, notably "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (including the legendary "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" -- according to legend, Verdon is the one who taught Marilyn Monroe how to walk sexy in heels -- personally, I believe it).

Anyway, when "Can-Can" was on the road pre-Broadway, Miss Lilo had become somewhat taken aback by the young upstart Verdon and the response her numbers were getting from the audience, and, by throwing several tantrums and threatening to quit the show, eventually got Verdon's role of Claudine cut down to just a couple of dance numbers. Well, when opening night in New York rolled around, Verdon went out to perform a number called "The Apache Dance" -- nothing to do with Indians, it was a very physical acrobatic French number -- man in tight striped shirt, Verdon in a tight slit skirt and high heels, with the man basically tossing her all over the stage. I've only read descriptions of it, but apparently her performance was absolutely death-defying and brilliant and virtuosic -- so much so that it stopped the show cold.

After the number finished, Verdon went back to her dressing room to make a costume change, the set changed and the actors were in place for the next scene, but the audience was still applauding for Verdon. The actors had taken their places on stage and apparently waited and waited to begin the next scene, but the applause kept growing and the audience wouldn't allow the show to continue until Verdon came out to take a bow -- a true "showstopper." Cy Feuer, one of the producers of the show, realizing what was happening, ran down to Verdon's dressing room and grabbed her. She had gotten out of her "Apache dance" costume and at that point was wearing only a bathrobe. He pulled her out of her dressing room, pulled her into the wings and pushed her out on stage, totally embarassed and not quite understanding what was going on, clutching onto her bathrobe. The audience apparently went wild and gave her a standing ovation. A star was born. Later that year, she won the first of her four Tony Awards (in six years) for that performance.

THAT'S the Gwen Verdon "Can-Can" story.

[mcphan19]

Posted: 7/11/04 at 9:08am

Phantom of the Opera
Les Miserables
Sunset Blvd

Posted: 7/11/04 at 9:22am

Les Miserables!

[sndtrklvr]

Posted: 7/11/04 at 12:09pm

I have many choices but today I think I will select opening night of Dreamgirls just to hear the ovation for Jennifer Holiday