Jennifer Holliday-And I'm Telling You/Dreamgirls Jennifer Holliday-When You're Good To Mama/Chicago, Revival Ethel Merman-World Take Me Back, Love Look Into My Window, Hello, Dolly!/Hello, Dolly! Cast-Advantages of Floating in the Middle of the Sea/Pacific Overtures, OBC Ruby Keeler and Cast-Tea for Two/No, No, Nanette Mary McCarty and Cast-Who's That Woman/Follies Cast-A Weekend in the Country/A Little Night Music, OBC Angela Lansbury-Rose's Turn/Gypsy Angela Lansbury, Len Cariou-A Liitle Priest/Sweeney Todd Cast-Turkey Lurkey Time/Promises, Promises, OBC Chita Rivera-All That Jazz/Chicago, OBC Donna McKechnie-Music and the Mirror/A Chorus Line Cast-Sunday/Sunday in the Park with George, OBCA Cast-Charley's Place/Over Here! Cast-Magic To Do/Pippin, OBC
I know some people on this board will laugh, but when the chandelier fell and the phantom went up in flames in Phantom. I was probably 10 or 12 or so and had never seen a real show on stage. I had the OBCRs for phantom and les mis and had acted them out in my living room dozens of times. But I had no idea what it would be like when I saw it onstage. The spectacle of it was so amazing; I was in awe and I was hooked. Now is that the sort of thing I find powerful now? Not really. But I credit it with instilling the awe that made me love theater to begin with.
Then shortly later I saw Les Mis and Eponine's death made me realize what emotion the theater could bring. I had listened to a Little Fall of Rain probably hundreds of time. I knew logically she was going to die. But I didn't know how it could affect me to see someone portraying it on stage. This was got me hooked on the emotional ride of theater.
More recentky, I will always remember Leslie Odom Jr. Sing Wait for It in Hamilton at the public. Something about that song gets to me and his performance just strikes a chord. It's him and Miranda's lyrics that death doesn't discriminate...
The Room Where It Happens, Leslie Odom Jr., Hamilton. The combination of the choreography, the lighting, the music, his amazing performance - just breathtaking. I'll never forget it.
"Who's That Woman" (aka the Mirror number) from the original 1971 production of Follies. Choreography by Michael Bennett, performed by Mary McCarty and Company. (And whatta company!)
Watch it--even in this grainy video--and it may change your life like it changed mine.
1998: Natasha Richardson's performance of the title song in Cabaret and the following scene between Sally and Cliff. I really believe we will never see a Sally Bowles that surpasses hers.
ChiTheaterFan said: "I know some people on this board will laugh, but when the chandelier fell and the phantom went up in flames in Phantom. I was probably 10 or 12 or so and had never seen a real show on stage. I had the OBCRs for phantom and les mis and had acted them out in my living room dozens of times. But I had no idea what it would be like when I saw it onstage. The spectacle of it was so amazing; I was in awe and I was hooked. Now is that the sort of thing I find powerful now? Not really. But I credit it with instilling the awe that made me love theater to begin with."
Are you kidding? I've seen tons of shows and yet those scenes still have an effect on me. Not even ashamed to admit it.
So does Defying Gravity.
Another thing that got me feeling all warm and tingly inside was when the first notes of the Prologue started playing during the Joseph and the ATCDC tour this past spring. The tour was enjoyable enough, but I had an emotional moment because I used to watch the Donny Osmond VHS all the time when I was, like, four. I also got really excited when the CATS overture started during its respective tour, too, since that was another VHS I used to watch all the time as a kid.
I think for me my "emotional, memorable" experiences will always have to do with nostalgic feelings that remind me of my time as a kid, even if the shows are what many people tend to refer to as "trash." Watching a new show now as a young adult is a different feeling than watching something that I've been familiar with since childhood.
"Was uns befreit, das muss stärker sein als wir es sind." -Tanz der Vampire
A Chorus Line SF first national tour age 16 when they came out in those fantastic gold outfits and starting singing One, i thought it was about the coolest thing Id ever seen...i talked about it for days....
Pippin first national tour age 15....the opening with ben vereen and every moment after...i went to this instead of my junior prom, and made a great decision
Phantom San Francisco...sit down production first time seeing it, and hearing the music of the night performed live for the first time
How to Succeed...july 96 Mathew and Jessica....was a huge how to succeed fan, and matthew fan from movies...when they sang Rosemary together
Aida april 2000..the first moments Heather headley started to sing The Gods Love Nubia
My fair lady london 2004 Laura michelle kelly singing loverly
Wicked sept 2005 london Idina singing defying gravity and for good...
Book of Mormon Easter sunday 2012 OBC...happy the building was not struck by lightning and every moment of the show
Kinky Boots obc every moment of the show, but especially not my fathers son..i cried like a baby as I had just lost my dad 2 months earlier....
Les Miserables...Ramin singing bring him home
Audra during her billie holliday show when she came to my table and had us light her cigarette....
Fun home...every moment of the show, it was like a group therapy session in there
A Little night music SF 2015 ACT a weekend in the country and Send in the clowns...
Bertie Hume's song at the end of Spoon River. I've never openly wept that hard in a theatre, and it was one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. No show forced me to my feet at the end like that show did. I'm seeing it for the fourth time this November.
Lillian Heyman singing 'She Sure Didn't Get It From Me' from Hallelujah! Baby.
A New Argentina from Evita -- I don't think it gets any more exciting than that
Jennifer Holliday singing her anthem in Dreamgirls -- the theatre was like an old revival meeting
Hello! Dolly! And Mame! -- both Jerry Herman gems that provided total joy to everyone in the theatre. Also Bea Arthur and Angela doing Bosum Buddies, particularly when Jan Connell came down the staircase, ready to Live! Live! Live!
Angela Lansbury singing Rose's Turn -- best performance I have seen in a musical
Nathan Lane singing Betrayed -- MAGNIFICENT
Who's That Woman, Beautiful Girls, and Lucy and Jessie -- from the original production of Follies, still the single greatest evening I have had in the musical theatre. Not the same in either revival or the London production
Act 1 closing of Les Mis-- goosebumps every time I have seen it
Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera performing Nowadays / Honey Rag from Chicago AND Chita and Mary McCarty singing Class...pure comic magic
The last 15 minutes of Nine...probably the most beautiful staging ever, complete with doves
Melba Moore singing I Got Love in Purlie
Idina Menzel singing Defying Gravity at the close of Act 1 of Wicked
The Phantom of the Opera number, with the original staging.
The scene leading to Sylvia's death in Finding Neverland. I have seen the show 4 times now, and am just as moved as the first time I saw it. I will never forget the staging, culminating in the breathtaking visual image of the floating shawl
Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou singing A Little Priest in Sweeney Todd
A Weekend in the Country (the original staging) from A Little Night Music. The revival particularly botched this number, which is one of Sondheim's greatest songs IMO, complemented by Harold Prince's brilliant staging
Sutton Foster leading Anything Goes in the recent revival. Patti Lupone sang it better, but Sutton's dancing added to the excitement
Judy Kuhn singing Ice Cream, immediately followed by Boyd Gaines great performance of She Loves Me. Sheer joy.
John Cullum singing the soliloquy in Shenandoah
Maxene Andrews singing At Charlie's Place, while Anne Reinking and John Mineo defied gravity dancing to it
Finally, Carol Channing and Pearl Bailey singing So Long Dearie from Hello Dolly