Your First Broadway Show — Page 3

The Lion King in the summer of 2001.

42nd Street in 1980, the week after it opened. It was my first (and to date, only) trip to NYC - 5 shows in 4 days. Besides 42nd Street at the Wintergarden, I saw The Elephant Man at the Booth, Children of a Lesser God at the Longacre, West Side Story at the Minskoff, and Peter Pan (Sandy Duncan) at the Lunt-Fontanne. All tickets from TKTS except for the matinee of WSS which I paid full price for, though I needn't have bothered; it was quite late in its run and there were lots of empty seats (but what did I know back then?). I was thrilled to get a box seat for 42nd Street because I had the romantic notion that box seats were the best seats in the house instead of the worst. I could see almost nothing and spent a good deal of the first act looking about for a better seat. I can't remember where I ended up - I think maybe I stood at the back of the house. Apart from that, it was a wonderful experience. My friend and I stayed at the Chelsea Hotel - it meant nothing to me at the time, it was my friend's idea. Coming back late one night, we decided to take the stairs to our 10th floor room instead of waiting for the ancient elevator. The night clerk warned us to be on the lookout for a resident's boa constrictor that had escaped (we didn't encounter it). We paid just under $50 a night to stay there. We met up with some friends who were staying at the Royalton (I envied them their air conditioned room) and walked across the street for drinks at the Algonquin Hotel. Quite a first trip. I'll make a second one, someday, when things are... better.

P.S. loving this thread.

Updated On: 6/16/20 at 11:52 AM

In 1964, I was in Washington DC on a trip and saw "Fiddler on the Roof" which was in previews before going to NY. My mother's friend had gotten tickets and said, "This show is going to be a big hit when it gets to Broadway." I guess she was right!

In 1967, I saw "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" (off Broadway) with all of the original cast. Andy Williams and Lorne Greene were sitting in the row right behind us.

My first Broadway musical was "The Me Nobody Knows" in 1971. I went by myself because my mother had no interest in this show. My mother and younger sister went and saw "No No Nanette" with Ruby Keeler. My sister would have been 10, so that might have been her first Broadway show.

I also saw "Grease" off Broadway, probably around the same time.

Chicago revival in '97 or '98 at The Shubert with Bebe & Karen Ziemba.

Promises, Promises in 1969 with the wonderful original cast. As a kid from the Midwest, I had never seen automated scenery that moved on its own and I was enthralled. I was already a Bacharach fan but Tunick's orchestrations and Wheeler's dance arrangements lifted the songs through the roof. It was the perfect introduction to Broadway for a guy with my showbiz sensibility, all I imagined Broadway would be.

The Wiz in 1975. Original cast. House right about 5 rows back right off the aisle.

I did something I now know was wrong. I audio recorded the whole show. I still have the tape in storage somewhere and I remember being disappointed that the song "Who Do You Think You Are" was not on the OBC recording. It is one of my favorite songs in the show and I would sing along to it in my room constantly.