Your greatest theater experience....- Page 3

[MusicalDirector109]

Posted: 8/21/04 at 8:34am

Attending the final Angela Lansbury/Len Cariou performance of "Sweeney Todd" AND getting to attend the backstage party after the performance. What a PERFECT DAY!!!
"The Fifth of July" with Richard Thomas- who knew John Boy Walton could act?- what a great play and a wonderful production. I ALSO believe that Jeff Daniels was in the production
"Hairspary" - getting a seat in the front row of the orchestra (one month into opening) at 6:30 p.m. What a GREAT OBC!!
"Take Me Out" - Denis O'Hare's performance was BRILLIANT!!

Posted: 8/21/04 at 8:42am

musicaldirector - Mr. Daniels played Mr. Thomas's lover, Jed.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 8/21/04 at 8:45am

I KNEW I'd forget something. Judi Dench's performance in Amy's View left me so shell shocked it took me ten minutes to pull myself together enough to start crying. Incredible.

[MusicalDirector109]

Posted: 8/21/04 at 8:48am

Thank you DGrant- just found my program!

[Eastwickian]

Posted: 8/21/04 at 11:41am

The final performance of Ragtime in London. It may have been a slightly sparse production, but all the emotion there was real throughout the show, and the whole audience leapt to its feet at the end and just would not stop applauding.

Posted: 8/21/04 at 12:06pm

OBC of Hairspray at the Neil Simon Theatre.

[thirdrowcenter]

Posted: 8/21/04 at 12:27pm

The Boy From Oz=Hugh Jackman.

[Princeton78]

Posted: 8/21/04 at 3:20pm

A few memories...
1. "Cats" at the Wintergarden-first Bway show
2. "The Who's Tommy"-1st national tour at the Colonial in Boston...shook the chandeliers...
3. OBC of Hairspray at the Neil Simon
4. and finally,my favorite moment.... although the show wasn't my fave, I saw "Millie" about 1 week after Sutton won the tony, and her rendition of "Gimmie Gimmie" was so strong, I don't think I breathed for the last 30 seconds and I leapt to my feet along with the audience as soon as the song was over.......

[Glebb]

Posted: 8/21/04 at 3:27pm

Too hard to narrow this down! I'll keep it to two for the moment.

The opening of the Lincoln Center CAROUSEL was one of the most amazing visuals I've ever seen on the stage. That show reenergized my love for Broadway.

As I've said many times on this site, THE GRAND CANAL scene from Roundabout/NINE is shockingly beautiful.

[broadway1564]

Posted: 8/21/04 at 3:42pm

Well, I would have to list a few ...

- The first time I saw Bernadette Peters on stage ... she was an unhealthy obsession for a while ... but seeing her recently in GYPSY is something I'll always remember.

- Sitting in my seat at the Palace Theatre ... NOT BELIEVING that I was sitting there watching Heather Headley perform that role. It was incredible.

- Sutton in MILLIE

- And most recently ... sitting at the O'Neill, watchin Tonya Pinkins give a new meaning to the phrase "a force of nature" ... tears streaming down my face after Lot's Wife as she grabs Anika tightly and then walks into that bright white light. It was a moment to always remember.

[CJR]

Posted: 8/21/04 at 3:48pm

Off topic a bit, but Marquise if that's you in your picture, I'm in love lol

[Mamie]

Posted: 8/21/04 at 4:29pm

and I love broadway's!

[bythesword84]

Posted: 8/21/04 at 4:32pm

I have two...

1. The first time I saw Beauty and the Beast in 1995, during the Act I finale "If I Can't Love Her." To this day it hits me.

2. Gregg Edelman as Edward Rutledge in 1776, performing "Molasses to Rum." There are no words for how in awe I was.

[kec]

Posted: 8/21/04 at 6:09pm

"The Boy From Oz=Hugh Jackman."

Most definitely... his entire performance, but seeing him get the standing ovation for "Once Before I Go" when I saw the show in preview gave me chills.

Another defining theatre moment for me was the privilege of seeing Yul Brynner in the revival of The King and I in the early 80's. I still get shivers thinking about the "Shall We Dance" scene, and the curtain call, when he strode out onto the stage very regal and imposing. People stood and clapped their hands off but no one cheered or anything. He stood there, looked at us with a serious look on his face, then smiled and raised up his hands -- as one, the audience erupted into cheers. *shiver*

[Corine2]

Posted: 8/21/04 at 6:16pm

Just an fyi:
The Normal Heart and Avenue Q were my greatest theater experiences this past year.
Older experiences:
Dreamgirls- I'm Telling You
Millie- Gimme Gimmee
Hairspray- Can't Stop The Beat
Pippin- The entire show
Pippin was really my favorite musical of all time. I love all of these shows and there will be more to come.
Theater is a deep passion. Updated On: 8/21/04 at 06:16 PM

[Sheri]

Posted: 8/21/04 at 6:27pm

This is a great question. For me I think there were two really defining theatre moments for me.

The first was the first time I heard Kevin Earley sing "Molasses to Rum" in the LA production of 1776 a few years ago. It was so beautiful and had so much power and emotion that I swear the entire theatre shook from all the intensity - it was incredible and made me a strong admirer of his talent till this day.

The second had to be seeing the LA Reprise! cast of "Assassins" in their one night concert performance last September. Harry Groener as Guiteau, Kevin Chamberlain as Byke, Annie Golden as Squeaky, David Burnham as Hinkley, Kevin Earley as Booth - it was just magical. Aside from the cast being such a stellar and fabulous bunch, the audience were theatre-goers who were already fans of the show and who fully emmersed themselves in the experience. I think it had to be one of my single best theatre experiences to date because there was such a connection between the audience and the performers that day. It was phenomenal.

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 8/21/04 at 6:36pm

One of my personal favorite theatrical experiences was seeing Jennifer Holliday revive Effie for Dreamgirls in Atlanta a few years ago.
I grew up on the original album. It was one of the first OBCRs I ever listened to. I was barely alive when the revival with Lillas White closed and because it's such an expensive show to do, I had never been able to see it done regionally.
Just hearing Ms. H singing And I am Telling You live was enough but the entire production was absolutely phenomenal.
I'll never forget that performance.

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 8/21/04 at 6:52pm

There are a few...

1) It all started with a production of Grease for me (I was very young then) but I discovered the 'world of musicals' because of Grease. I remember how much I enjoyed the show at that time and wanted to see more shows... seeing this production today would be a totally different experience obviously.

2) Definitely Cabaret at Studio 54!!! I remember seeing the show for the very first time and it just blew me away (in EVERY possible way).

3) A strange one but up to now, I think that the opening number of The Lion King is one of the most amazing numbers I have seen. I am not a fan of the show but I remember seeing Circle Of Life for the first time and thinking I was on a different planet. It was amazing.

There are more examples like a few performers that blew me away, closing nights, anniversaries I was lucky enough to attend but the list would be a bit too long, I guess :)

QM

[marlomanners]

Posted: 8/21/04 at 7:17pm

The first show I saw on my first trip to New York was Rent, the summer it opened. I had always liked theatre, but seeing Rent on Broadway made me an addict. The next day we saw Victor/Victoria, which made Rent seem even better.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 8/21/04 at 7:19pm

Definitely listening to Brian Stokes Mitchell sing
"The Impossible Dream" !!

[stagemaster333]

Posted: 8/21/04 at 8:04pm

When I saw Annie Get Your Gun with Bernadette Peters. It was my first Broadway show and we had front row seats! I was literally 6 feet away from the actors when they would come up this spiral staircase, and the mist off the stage reached my seat. That was the first time I realized that I loved theater.

[broadwayfan24]

Posted: 8/21/04 at 8:12pm

When I saw Kristin Chenoweth's last show in Wicked. I never laughd and cried so much in my whole entire life. I also was sitting next to a lady who was crying when the music started. We kinda became friends but I still don't know her name. It was her first time seeing the show. (If you saw the show you'll know what I'm talking about) When Glinda sings "No One Mourns the Wicked" I pointed out to her Elphaba in the shadows in the background. I never saw anyone cry so much. She said her friend told her the plot but she didn't know she left out the suprise at the end. It was the greatest! I love when people have such a great time at a show. But when Kristin and Idina sang "For Good" Everyone in the theatre couldn't help but cry.

That was a day I will never forget Updated On: 8/21/04 at 08:12 PM

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 8/21/04 at 8:14pm

1. The original cast of Nicholas Nickleby - 8 hours of theatre that flew by.

2. Irene Worth and Christopher Walken in Sweet Bird of Youth.

3. Seeing Jason Robards and Coleen Dewhurst in Long Days Journey Into Night and then seeing them the next night in Ah Wilderness.

4. Seeing F. Murray Abraham in Cyranno de Bergerac.

[Derek2]

Posted: 8/21/04 at 8:18pm

WICKED - Idina Menzel, the score, the scenery, the costumes and the emotions! I've never felt so alive in a show! Both Defying Gravity and For Good left me speechless and in tears.

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS - The final scene where the plant grows and towers over the audience. We all started clapping before the song was over (as did we do during Defying Gravity in Wicked). The sound built up as did the lights and all of a sudden it all went black! very very cool

[nystateomind04]

Posted: 8/21/04 at 8:21pm

-the first time i saw "les miz" (and the second, third, fourth and so on...)

-tonya doing "lots wife" in caroline