Sutton Foster in 'Violet' Neil Patrick Harris in 'Hedwig & the Angry Inch' James Monroe Iglehart in 'Aladdin' Ramin Karimloo in 'Les Miserables' Audra McDonald in 'Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill' Jessie Mueller in 'Beautiful: The Carole King Musical' Kelli O'Hara in 'The Bridges of Madison County'
Updated On: 12/18/14 at 11:27 PM
I've been impressed with Kelli O'Hara in everything I've seen her in -- and that includes Far From Heaven and even Nice Work If You Can Get It. I cannot wait to see her in The King and I.
I could easily include another 10 favorite list with completely different performers/performances.
Definitely O 'Hara & Pasquale for Bridges and Audra as Lady Day.
Speaking of ensembles--my favorite this year was the cast of Guys and Dolls at the Carnegie Hall performance on April 3rd. Nathan Lane Patrick Wilson Sierra Boggess Megan Mullally John Bolton Robert Clohessy Colman Domingo John Treacy Egan Christopher Fitzgerald Steve Schirripa Lee Wilkof Judy Kaye Len Cariou
I'm with you on Judy Kaye, tremendous performer. She has this great "how I broke into show business" reminiscence in a book just reissued called It Happened on Broadway. She got the bug when she saw Funny Girl with Barbra Streisand. "I sat in the mezzanine and saw myself up there onstage. A couple of years later, I sang I'm the Greatest Star at the Jewish Center in Phoenix, Arizona, and I got a standing ovation."
Kelli O'Hara and Steven Pasquale - The Bridges of Madison County Michelle Williams - Cabaret Idina Menzel - If/Then Jessie Mueller - Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Neil Patrick Harris - Hedwig and the Angry Inch
"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "
Judy Kaye inspires me in so many ways. Her shining example has saved my life more than once.
On topic...some of them, anyway...
Christian Borle in "Little Me" Jefferson Mays in "Gentleman's Guide" Jessie Mueller in "Beautiful" James Monroe Iglehart in "Aladdin" And from what I hear, Tony Sheldon completely stole the show in City Center's "The Band Wagon."
Audra McDonald - Lady Day Mia Farrow - Love Letters Tony Shaloub - Act One Celia Keenan-Bolger - The Oldest Boy Chris O'Dowd - Of Mice and Men Linda Emond - Cabaret Michael C. Hall - The Realistic Joneses (didn't like the play one bit, but he was superb) Jeremy Shamos, Marin Hinkle, Heather Burns, and Darren Pettie - Dinner With Friends Denzel Washington, Sophie Okenedo, Anika Noni Rose, and LaTanya Jackson - A Raisin in the Sun Sutton Foster - Violet Laura Benanti - The Most Happy Fella Hari Dhillon and Karen Pittman - Disgraced
Mia Farrow - Love Letters Audra McDonald - Lady Day Jessie Mueller - Beautiful Ramin Karmiloo - Les Mis Erin Davie & Emily Padgett - Side Show Sutton Foster - Violet Michael C. Hall - Hedwig
I agree with you about the entire cast of Dinner With Friends. There was some great ensemble acting this year, including Casa Valentina on Broadway, and To the Bone and My Mañana Comes Off-Broadway.
So many fabulous performances noted so far. I would add: Alan Alda and Candace Bergen in Love Letters Christoper Sieber in Matilda and even though she is a kid, Ripley Sobo as Matilda.
I only make it to NYC a couple of times a year, but from what I saw:
In no particular order:
Bryce Pinkham and Jefferson Mays--Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder The cast of You Can't Take It With You (especially James Earl Jones, Kristin Nielsen, Annaleigh Ashford, Will Brill). The cast of Here Lies Love Alysha Umphress--On the Town Kieran Culkin--This Is Our Youth (well, I saw this at Steppenwolf in the pre-Broadway run) Patricia Clarkson--The Elephant Man Lindsay Duncan--A Delicate Balance Neil Patrick Harris and Lena Hall--Hedwig and the Angry Inch Taylor Trensch--Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Andrea Martin, Tony Shalhoub and Santiano Fontana--Act One
Audra, Audra, Audra. Also, Jessie Mueller and Anika Larsen. Oh, and the entire cast of A RAISIN IN THE SUN was just sublime.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
Jefferson Mays and Bryce Pinkham in Gentleman's Guide. Alan Cumming in Cabaret James Monroe Iglehart in Aladdin Jessie Mueller in Beautiful Nick Cordero in Bullets over Broadway Erin Davie and Emily Padgett in Side Show Rob McClure in Honeymoon in Vegas
I haven't seen "Honeymoon in Vegas" yet. I'm glad to hear that you think Rob McClure's performance was good. He certainly was the best thing about "Chaplin."
I just put together a list of the best performances of people making Broadway debuts in 2014. (You can click on the link and scroll to "26" to see their pictures and links to the reviews, but I'll just list them here, alphabetically) Bryan Cranston Kieran Culkin Sarah Greene Cush Jumbo Ramin Karimloo Chris O’Dowd Margo Seibert Alex Sharp Micha Stock Saul Williams Celebrating the Best of 2014