Your greatest theater experience.... — Page 5

My favorite broadway experience was on my last birthday, this past June 19th...

I had been trying to organize friends to get to come see Millie with me, not just for my birthday, but so we could see the show (again for me) and meet Susan Egan! After all this planning, the majority of my friends couldn't go for various reasons, leaving me with my mom and my neighbor, who is like a brother to me. We set off for NYC anyway, with me thinking that we would stand in the TKTS line for as long as it would take to get to see TMM on my birthday!

So I'm in the broadway store right near the Marquis theater, urging my mom and my friend to hurry up so we could get in line for TKTS. All of a sudden my mom just leaves the store, saying that she wants to go see if she could get some tickets at the theater itself. I just assumed she was checking for cancelled tickets or whatever, and wouldn't have any luck. But she comes back holding a card, which is a birthday card, that says "Enjoy the show!" - all along my mom had had the tickets, she was just making me nervous for hours! I started freaking out in the store, making many stare at me, I'm sure..

So basically the show was FABULOUS as always, and it was amazing to be there so close to the closing performance. And outside at the stage door was one of the best times I've ever had - Susan was sooo nice, she remembered me from a memorable e-mail I had sent her and took about 10 minutes to tell me how much she appreciated my e-mail and how glad she was to meet me, etc. etc.! We got some awesome pics of her hugging me after she found out it was me, and others of us just talking!

Wow, that turned out to be longer then I thought but it was such a fabulous day that I could never shorten my story, so just ignore me if it's too much!

Wicked on Broadway left me speechless. Laura Bell Bundy and Idina Menzel together were an incredible pair. The singing, the lights, and all the effects were incredible. I mean I totally agree with the reviewer's comment, "If every musical had the Brain, Heart, and Courage as Wicked then Broadway would be a very magical place!"

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Sorry, I have 3. I'll try to make it short.

Saw a touring company of CATS a lonnnnnggggg time ago. This was my first experience with a BW show. It was at the "Memory" reprise, when Grizzy is on the floor, you hear the music building, she slowly, agonizingly, finds the strength to stand, just as the run of the music hits its peak, and belts out the "Touch me. It's so easy to leave me....." line. It LITERALLY, and no kidding, took my breath away.

A year or so after that, I FINALLY talked 3 friends into going to our first trip to NY. I just had to see more BW since CATS. We saw POTO with the OC, including Michael Crawford. The hairs on the back of my neck raised with the Overture. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I just really could not believe that I was so lucky to be there.

And finally, Thanksgiving Night, 2003. In NY for my umpteenth time with a friend. Had nothing to do that night. I had heard that a new musical about the witches of Oz had lottery tickets. I asked my friend about trying for them. We agreed and walked over to the theater. We knew NOTHING about the show. We knew NOTHING about the cast. We only knew that it was about the witches of Oz, that's it. When we got there, there were about 400 - 500 people. I was shocked. We put our names in and began making plans for the evening, since we KNEW we wouldn't win. About that time, they called my name. We got the first two seats, center orch. from the right side. PERFECT. The show started and by the end, I was in tears. Not just because of the emotions of the story, but because once again, I just couldn't believe that I was so lucky to be there. It was as if I felt blessed and honored to have the opportunity to see and hear what I did that night, and so many other nights on BW!

Caroliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine.
-d.b.j-

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Tough one but a fun question.

As many have said here, the first time I saw POTO was unreal. It was not my first show but was my first musical. It is just so powerful and moving.

However, the experience that cemented my love for Broadway was the first time I heard Linda Eder and Christiane Noll sing "In His Eyes" in Jekyl & Hyde. I liked that show but I loved that song. They were truly on that night and you could just feel it. I met Linda a few weeks later and flat out asked her about that night. She remembered the performance and confirmed that the whole cast felt great that night and that everyone was "on". She gracefully accepted my compliment while confirming that that was about as well as they could perform that song.

Good question.

I will have to say the original production of Annie (my first B-way show; it was definitely a magical experience); and

Ragtime. I had seats in the 2nd row and I was totally blown away from beginning to end. I was so moved, I couldn't even speak.

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Well, I only got seriously into broadway about a year ago, when I got the Millie OCR as a present, along with tickets to the tour. I ended up getting to see the show in March of this year and meeting Susan Egan in the lobby and got to tell her about it, and she signed my playbill. She is so amazingly talented and sweet, and as a fan, I really felt like I mattered. And that's a great feeling.

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