What is the highlight of your theatre going experiences?

[Theatre Fan3]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 6:40pm

I ran across the article linked below and, with the passing of Queen Elizabeth II this past week, it got me to thinking that, for me, the highlight of all my theatre trips to London over the years was the night we were at ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS sitting in the Dress Circle about 8 rows back ... I was reading the programme waiting for the show to start when my friend poked me and motioned to the aisle on our left and said "Doesn't that look like the Queen?"  I turned and looked in that direction and said "It certainly does and the gentleman behind her sure likes a lot like Prince Philip."  Sure enough, it was them and they were accompanied by one of their grandson's and his very pregnant wife.  There were "Men in black suits" standing in all the doorways on that side of the auditorium but the Queen and Prince Philip walked down the aisle all by themselves and took their seats in, I believe it was, the 2nd row of the Dress Circle on the aisle.  Nobody bothered them.  Everyone was very respectful.  There was a definite "buzz" around the Dress Circle as soon as people became aware that they were there but I don't seem to recall people jumping up with their cameras and cellphones trying to take pictures.  At intermission the "Men in the black suits" cleared the people sitting in the row across the aisle directly to the left of them and then proceeded to escort the Queen's party out the side EXIT.  I assume that they must have taken them to some private area during the intermission.  Just before the start of the 2nd act they returned to their seats and then the people in the row opposite them across the aisle were allowed back in their seats.  It was hard to concentrate on watching the show that evening as I found myself glancing over in their direction to see how their were responding to the show.  They all seemed to be enjoying it and you could see they were all laughing right along with the rest of the audience.  When the show was over everyone remained in their seats as they escorted the Queen's party out first then the rest of the Dress Circle exited.  I remember being surprised that they had sat in the "regular seats" with the rest of us "common folk" and not in some special "Royal Box".  I also remember the Queen walking down the steps in the aisle to their seats completely on her own with no assistance and back out again at the end of the evening.  It all seemed rather surreal at the time but the next morning there was an article in the paper with photos telling of "Their Night Out To The Theatre."  I still have a copy of that article in my scrapebook.  Definitely a night I will always treasure and never forget!!

Remembering Queen Elizabeth's secret West End trips

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 10:30pm

Nothing I have ever experienced can come close to that so I will not even try write one. That is so awesome!!

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 6:18am

Bette Midler in HELLO, DOLLY! and the most recent COMPANY revival are definitely up there for me.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 7:22am

I've been in the same theater with the Clinton's, which was cool.  Even more exciting was sitting next to Susan Sarandon, off -Broadway (Fela!) Didn't change my theater experience though.

 

My most impactful theater experiences were, in no particular order - and strictly off the top of my head: The original Sunday in the Park with George, Scottsboro Boys, the Yiddish Fiddler on the Roof, original cast of August: Osage County.  There are more, older that I've have to give myself a moment to think on.

Updated On: 9/14/22 at 07:22 AM

[quizking101]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 8:01am

I have my top 5 that immediately come to mind:

- The first time I ever saw A STRANGE LOOP and feeling seen and connected to a piece of theatre in a way I never had before. 

- Seeing the revival of FOR COLORED GIRLS from the front row and being so taken by what I saw on stage that I sat in my seat in stunned, silent tears for a good 5 minutes after. I already knew how “Beau Willie Brown” was going to end, but Kenita R. Miller’s blistering performance was captivating and arresting and she goes down as one of the Tony snubs I will NEVER forgive. I also got to briefly meet Camille A. Brown (a friend of my companion) and I was lost for words.

- Meeting Hillary Clinton at POTUS and all of the winks and nods thrown her way during the show, one of which resulted in a rapturous standing ovation that stopped the show. She also thanked me for my work as a nurse and told me that “you are the ones that have kept hope alive”.

- John Cameron Mitchell’s final show of HEDWIG at the Belasco where there was so much riffing and adlibbing that, by the time they reached a special Lou Reed encore, the show had gone on for almost 2.5 hours (when it’s usually 90-100 minutes).

- Seeing “Hairspray” on Broadway with my grandmother in 2008. We were supposed to see the tour but she had to have emergency surgery related to her colon cancer the night before we went, so my mom went in her place. I got a job that summer at 14 and resolved to make enough money to buy my own tickets to take my grandma to see her. My mother (who was in charge of her care) kept tabs on how my grandmother was feeling after chemo and methodically bought third row orchestra aisle tickets for a Saturday matinee. We went off to the see the show and I don’t think I ever saw my grandmother look that happy. She passed about 9 months later in summer 2009.

Updated On: 9/14/22 at 08:01 AM

[The8re phan]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 8:09am

my top 5 --

-- Original cast in the original production of Les Miserables

-- Hadestown Re-Opening Night Sept 2nd, 2021
 
-- Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Gary Beach, Roger Bart and Brad Oscar in the Producers

-- Patti LuPone in Company

-- Act 1 finale (Sunday) from Sunday in the Park With George, orignal cast 1984

Updated On: 9/14/22 at 08:09 AM

[SuttonPeron]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 9:17am

My top five:

- My first ever show, a production of The Sound of Music. My grandparents took me when I was a child, and I remember it as one of the happiest days of my life.

- Phantom on Broadway. Being European, I often thought I would never see a Broadway show. Not only did I make it to NYC, but could finally see one of my favorite musicals, with such a wonderful cast and orchestra.

- A semi-staged My Fair Lady at the Barcelona Opera House. I´ll never forget the terrific 45-piece orchestra playing the original orchestrations. The overture was stunning.

- Rebecca Frecknall´s Cabaret, with Amy Lennox as Sally. Truly nothing like it.

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 9:24am

The ones that come to mind right off the bat:

~An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin (so simple, yet so beautiful and exciting. Although, they weren't doing the big Evita section yet, which I feel would might have cheapened the show)

~Come From Away (I saw this in Toronto from standing room only before it moved to Broadway. I was gobsmacked by the show through its storytelling and staging, that I realized this is the kind of theatre I would like to make)

~Grey Gardens (2 days after they annouced their Broadway closing I went, and Christine Ebersole gave a perfomance that will be forever in my mind. I wanted to yell out at her to leave during Winter in a Summertown)

~Blithe Spirit (seeing Angela Lansbury live, in person on stage was a thrill. Here is this icon who has done so much is standing 10 feet from me was mindblowing)

~The Band's Visit (the simplicity and complexity all in one moment was brilliant)

[TalksAboutBruno]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 9:54am

Love all of this :) :) 

- Natasha, Pierre in the tent off-broadway. A true star is born performance from Phillipa Soo. Incredible score and impeccable direction.

- Seeing Idina fly during one of the first previews of Wicked. Maybe I'm basic... but I cried haha

- Eve Best in The Homecoming. I was so shaken at the end that I could not leave my seat.

- Eurydice at Second Stage. Ugly crying for the last 15 minutes. I ushered five times and it always was magical.

- Once at NYTW was such a gem. Fantastic transfer, but there was something so special in that small theater.

[DoTheDood]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 11:13am

I can't think anything that will ever top my experience at the recent Little Shop revival. I had seen it twice before and loved it, but I was able to talk some friends into seeing it again with them. My previous seats were the far back sides, which were fine, but thank you that discount code that was passing around, we got front row seats for the same price. A no brainer.

The performance was electric, being so close to McClure, the Urchins, and the one and only, Christian Borle (another reason to go was to catch him one last time before he left). All of it was incredible; being that close to Borle's face as he died, catching the money during The Meek Shall Inherit (and giving it back), all of the Don't Feed The Plant finale, but nothing beats the cuttings scene. 

After Seymour is eaten by the plant, I guess someone behind the scenes threw the machete a little too hard because it fell off the stage, right in front of my friend. Later Borle needed it so when he got to the front of the stage, my friend got to hand it back to him. I'm of course jealous he got to do that, but still blown away that I got to be that close to see it. Super curious how often that happens too.

Seriously, so glad I found that code here. It's wild how different a change in seats can be, even in a really small theater like that.

Updated On: 9/14/22 at 11:13 AM

[lily carver]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 11:32am

The summer of 1977 my parents who knew I loved everything English found a "tour" for High School students ( I was going to be a junior in the fall). The group of about 18 spent a week in London and saw shows, I first discovered Sondheim in the original SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM which was a revelation, I saw John Mills in SEPARATE TABLES, but the one thing that made me a theater buff for the rest of my life was on the "day off" the group had where we could do what we wanted. I  had a crush on Paul Scofield from seeing the film of A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS many times and he was doing VOLPONE at The National Theater, I got up very early got on the tube and lined up for the "rush" tickets which were the first 3 rows. I convinced someone in the group to go with me and that night I saw Scofield as Volpone, John Gielgud as Sir Politic, and an up coming young actor Ben Kingsley as Mosca. It was an extraordinary production especially for someone who had seen only a bit of theater. It changed my life and I have been hooked ever since.

[HenryTDobson]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 11:41am

So many incredible experiences. Fun Home original cast was special. More recently, I saw the full Company cast. I was in the second row and Patti winked at me during one of the scenes. A moment I will forever cherish. 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 12:37pm

1.) My first time seeing a production of A Chorus Line. It was a summer stock production in PA somewhere and I was 12. Fell in love with the show and musical theater since then.

2.) First time seeing Come From Away. I never was so emotional during and after a show as I was when I first saw this show. Gave me closure on that awful day that there was this good dead and gave me hope for humanity.

3.) Closing performances of the revivals of ACL and The Color Purple.

4.) Seeing the 42nd Street revival and then going on to book my first professional show in the same day.

[BearcatBroadwayLover]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 1:11pm

I went and saw a preview performance of "The Visit" with Chita Rivera and Roger Rees before his passing. Afterwards I stage doored for over an hour to hopefully meet Ms. Rivera.

When she came out she took time to speak to all of us individually, even singing with one of the music students for a second. I told her how elegant and mesmerizing she was even from the balcony and she thanked me for my kind words and kissed my playbill as she signed.

I still have the playbill with the kiss and her signature and it's honestly one of my most prized theater possessions. It's a color cover one too!

[RUkiddingme]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 1:33pm

I wish the Queen was in the house when I saw that awful Guvnor's show!  Might have made the first act interesting.  I spent the second act on a subway.

Is seeing a celebrity a theater going experience or a seeing a celebrity out in public experience?

 

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 1:36pm

Easy answer for me - Meryl Streep in “Mother Courage” in Central Park.  

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 2:04pm

When I sat down at Come From Away, I was very happy to realize I was sitting next to Will Chase, who I adore. He was a sweetheart and we chatted briefly. Suddenly, these official dudes in suits headed down the aisle and Chelsea, Bill and Hillary Clinton were quickly escorted to their seats. She had lost the election 8 months prior and everyone knew we were in trouble. So, I think so many people were feeling helpless and angry over that because the cheering and crying over her was felt throughout the entire theater for a good 5 minutes. Seeing Jenn sing to her was thrilling.  It was a perfect night.

At Lady Day, I was sitting at a table on the stage and John Cameron Mitchell and his friend shared a table with me. He was lovely. Also, when Audra fell, she asked me to help her up. The highlight of my year right there!

[Jarethan]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 4:20pm

In terms of famous people in the audience, three come to mind:

• The night that I saw Fences with James Earl Jones, Angela Lansbury was right in front of me, she in the first row after the rise in the now Richard Rodgers Theatre.  I tried to be really cool, and I did not do anything...just left her alone.  At intermission, there were a number of people who approached her (she was on the aisle).  She was incredibly gracious with everyone who approached her, saying 'thank you, dear' to several women who were trying not to gush, but not fully succeeding.  As an avid theatregoer and serious fan since seeing Mame on Saturday, June 25, 1966 (I was 16), she was royalty.
• Fast forward to the Gypsy.  Pre-premium pricing, I was in the second or third row off the center aisle.  I turned my head around, and there was Jack Nicholson, joined by a couple of teens and a woman.  Everyone around him was cool and ignored him, as only New Yorkers can do.  Well, intermission came and I can only imagine that word got to the mezzanine and balcony that he was in the audience.  Suddenly, from what seemed to be the balcony, came a loud 'hey, Jack'.  That shout empowered the audience to acknowledge his presence, with long, thunderous applause.  To acknowledge the applause (and probably get them to stop), he stood up and bowed in one of those clownish, self-deprecating bows.  
• Finally, in London over 30 years ago, my wife and I were seated when, a party of 4 had to climb over us to get to their seats.  My wife was sitting next to Rod Steiger; one of my wife's favorite lines in all of moviedom is when the Rod Steiger character spits out 'I have the motive which is blackmail and the body which is dead.'  Well, right after he sat, he looked at me and said 'should I ask him to say 'I have the ...dead', clearly joking.  Well he apparenty heard her, because he said the line to her, which made her entire trip.  They talked during much of the intermission, which was very special for a big fan.

As for theatrical experiences, five tower over all others.

• Seeing Mame for the first time on that June date.  I had loved the movie Auntie Mame since first seeing it, and I loved the musical, in particular the performance of Lansbury, which I still consider to be my favorite musical comedy performance ever.
• Seeing every single performance of the original Follies production, including Boston, where Uptown, Downtown and Boy, Can That Boy Foxtrot were still being performed, ultimately to be replaced by Lucy and Jessie (one of my two or three favorite production numbers ever) and I'm Still Here.  The first time I saw it in NYC, from lousy side mezzanine seats remains for me my single favorite evening in the theatre ever.
• Seeing A Moon for the Misbegotten with Colleen Dewhurst and Jason Robards.  For me, Dewhurst gave the greatest performance I have ever seen in a drama and Jason Robards was just haunting.
• Finally, Nicholas Nickelby.   An all-day affair, with a lunch break and a dinner break, as I remember, but that may not be right.  Showed what theatre can be when directed by people with incredible imaginations.  In 1981 (ish), I paid $100 for each ticket, and remember saying to my wife that, if I ever got down below my last $200, I could regret spending such a ridiculous price for a show.  Who knew?
• The first time I saw The Producers was the most I ever laughed in my life, and I felt that Nathan Lane's 'Betrayed' was as close to Rose's Turn for a man.  Having seen it a number of times afterward, I came to realize that it was a delightful show, but Nathan Lane's participation was mandatory for it to reach the stratosphere.  I never laughed so much in my life AND I loved the score...still do.

A couple of special mentions:

• Jennifer Holliday singing 'And I am telling you'.  Managed to see her 4 times, including her final performance.
• Maggie Smith and Margaret Tyzack in Lettice and Lovage.  Both won well-deserved Tonys.
• Angela Lansbury singing Rose's Turn in the closing performance at the Winter Garden.
• Christopher Plummer as Cyrano in Cyrano, a failed show that I loved and a performance for the ages.
• Barbara Harris in The Apple Tree.  It is a pity that she did not like performing in front of a live audience (she once said that her favorite part of being in a show was rehearsals), because she was electrifying.
• Zoe Caldwell in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

Updated On: 9/15/22 at 04:20 PM

[stoptheworld38]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 5:57pm

My top one would be a tie between Hadestown and Come From Away, specifically André De Shields and Jenn Colella in their respective roles in those shows. (I sadly was not able to see CFA on Broadway during Jenn’s original run so I was so happy when she returned this summer and I happened to have a trip planned). 
 

I was also (totally by coincidence) at the 300th performance of Once On This Island and the cast brought out cake and Schmackary’s cookies to the stagedoor. 

[BETTY22]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 6:29pm

This season - INTO THE WOODS! AMAZING.

 

 

[benfox2]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 6:46pm

Jarethan - your mention of Lettice and Lovage reminds me of when my local professional REP theater did the show. I was lucky enough to work as an usher there, and saw the show 3 or 4 times over many many shifts. I was 16, and had just started driving, and thus worked almost every single day during the shows 4ish week run. I have such extremely fond memories of those evenings, surrounded by my much cooler college aged coworkers(a local university funded the theater), seeing absolutely masterful theater. Chatting about life and fretting over my high school dramatics. I worked at that theater throughout every single year of high school, and a big part of my theatrical soul still resides there. To this day Lettice and Lovage specifically holds a very special place in my heart, as does that run of shows/shifts I look back upon so fondly haha.

[Nolan LuPone]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 7:00pm

Patti LuPone locking eyes with me during Company

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 7:10pm

Too many to count, but Hedda with Cate Blanchett at BAM and meeting her after was something I will always remember.  Her Stella years later, also at BAM, is equally at that same echelon. 

[aburnedhill]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 9:10pm

This is the kind of post to get someone to finally create an account :) Just some of the favorites

-Sitting seats away from James Lapine at Falsettos on Tour at the Ahmanson. Quite early in the run, he was quite obviously taking notes on a pad as they were still in previews. Spoke briefly afterwards and thanked him for Passion lol.

-Front row center in a '30 Under 35' seat for How I Learned to Drive. Masters at work. Essential theatre. All the things you heard. Johanna Day scared the **** out of me, I lived. 

-Side Show. Long live Patty and Emily.

[ManOfLaMuncha]

Posted: 9/14/22 at 9:22pm

Ok the first Broadway Play I saw was "Last of the Red Hot Lovers" with James Coco, and three wonderful actresses.

The first time I heard a song that really hit me was "One Hallowe'en" which was sung by Penny Fuller. She's truly a great performer.

But the story (and it's true, not BS) was the time Pearl Bailey chased my mother and I outside the Minskoff Theater.  It was my b'day and I brought my mom, her friends Helen and Carol (who's b'day it also was) out to eat, and then to see Hello Dolly.  Helen nagged us to go wait by the stage door so we joined the group there. My poor mom had retinitus pigmentosa and could barely see.  Well out comes Ms Bailey in a fur coat, giant eye lashes and sandals. It seems she had pictures in her hand to sign for fans, and someone tried to grab some. She started screaming really loudly to get back and get off me or something.  My mom got upset in the pushing and confusion, grabbed my arm and said "take me to the car".  I was pretty young and I screamed at Ms Bailey "Thanks for making a blind woman cry, I hope you're proud of yourself."  We started walking down the red carpent between the theater and Ma Bell's? The garage was next door. Next thing I hear Pearl Bailey screaming where's that woman?  Of course Helen points and says "she's down there", I told mom that Pearl Bailey was coming after us and my mom pinched my arm hard (very shy lady) and said let's get outta here lol.  I said we can't she's coming over to you.  She came and took my mom's hand and said "Don't ever let your eyes be a handicap. I died once on the operating table and they brought me back." My mom was near to tears of embarassment, and was never confronted by a famous person.  She handed us both a picture of her in a tiara, pre signed "love, Pearl Bailey".  I still have them somewhere.  She said "I have to go now and get interviewed by Rex Reid (pretty sure it was him).

So that's my broadway story, was kind of me defending my mom as a young person, and then having a star straighten out the situation.  I think she told my mom someone was grabbing at her...and "I wasn't yelling at you darling" It's strange but it's true!

Updated On: 9/14/22 at 09:22 PM