Earliest Musical/Theatre Memories

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 6:19pm

So every time I've seen an publicity interview for Julie Andrew's new book, I'm brought back to one of my earliest musical memories...

Sitting in my 4th grade music class and watching the Sound of Music. Our music teacher was out, and the sub put in the movie. I remember the uncomfortable risers, the decorations on the walls, everything... and being completely in heaven while watching this musical.

I also remember sitting in awe watching a community production of Annie.

What are your strongest and earliest memories?

[Eris0303]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 6:23pm

One of my earliest memory is going to see my grandfather in a production of The Pajama Game in Bryn Mawr, PA. He played the owner of the company. I had to have been 2-3 because I know we had to drop off my younger brother at my grandmother's house because he was too young to come to the theatre.

Another one is sitting on my father's lap while watching My Fair Lady on VHS when I was in elementary school. It was one of his favorites and he'd quiz me on lyrics and such while we were watching the film. Years later my high school put on My Fair Lady my senior year in March. I was the Queen of Transylvania and my father came to see the production. My father died of cancer later that same year so I've always had a soft spot for My Fair Lady.

Updated On: 4/6/08 at 06:23 PM

[skb2010]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 6:24pm

My strongest memory is when I went to see "Into The Woods" at Highland Community College when I was in about 4th grade. It was my first REAL theater production, and I loved it. I remember where I sat, and who some of the cast was. I still love the show.

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 6:25pm

Updated On: 5/7/09 at 06:25 PM

[puppetman2]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 6:30pm

My first live theatrical show was way back when the Shuberts would send out productions of operettras. My parents took me to see "Blossom Time". The first show I saw on my own was when in high school I saw a touring "Oklahoma". I've been in love with theatre ever since.

Updated On: 4/6/08 at 06:30 PM

[Marianne2]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 6:51pm

I remember being like 3 or 4 and watching Annie and the Wizard of Oz in my living room.

My first live performance that I remember was seeing the high school production of My Fair Lady when I was in 4th grade.

And as embarrassing as this sounds, I had never seen the whole thing of The Sound of Music until my freshman year of college. LOL! Nobody ever really introduced it to me until I was forced to watch it in a class, but it now is one of my favorite movies.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 9:19pm

Listening to my parents B'way album collection and playing ALL the parts. The ones that stick out in my memory:

Two by Two
The Rothchilds

I was also THRUST on to the stage in 2nd grade simply because I was a good student and well behaved. Our Jr. High did a musical and used elementary kids for ONE number. I was in "Put on a Happy Face" in ByeBye Birdie. I had to wear a blue rain coat. I hated my costume.

A year later I was given the part of the "Magical Toy" (anyone rmember that Christmas Carol?) and had applause for just little old me...I was hooked. Now some 35plus years later, I'm still hooked...the longest POSITIVE relationship in my life.

[christhefish]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 9:28pm

My mother took me to a community theartre production of Anything Goes, I was 6 and have been hooked ever since.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 9:39pm

My parents took me to see Wizard of Oz at Casa Mañana's Children's Playhouse when I was 6. I still remember it and it's weird RSC/MUNY Mashup script.

[winston89]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 10:08pm

My first memory with musical theatre and theatre was sitting in the last row of the Shubert theatre seeing my first Broadway musical Big. I was six at the time. I actually very vividly remember the whole day and what my family did prior to the theatre during the day in the city

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 10:39pm

I was 4. I went to THE NUTCRACKER. I was kicked out for being too loud.

In three years, I was on the stage doing the show. Take that, bizznatches!!

[ahmelie]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 10:40pm

I have 3 siblings and my mother used to sing us each a song or two before bed, my songs were that little "I love you Conrad" ditty from Bye, Bye, Birdie, I Love Paris, and Bushel and a Peck. Each with my name put in where appropriate. Each time I hear any of those songs, I get chills down my spine.

I blame her for my love of theatre.

Also, my sister was in a production of Fiddler at her high school. It was my first musical, and I went to every single performance and by closing night I was singing all the songs.

[broadwaybaby086]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 11:32pm

We watched Mary Poppins in preschool and I remember loving it so much. I begged for it, and I don't think I actually got it until I was 6 or 7. For Easter.

Then, probably in kindergarten, seeing the Sound of Music on NBC and falling in love with it, and waiting for it to come on tv again the next year so I could tape it. I had the Sound of Music LP with Mary Martin and used to listen to it constantly as a toddler. My older cousin would come over and she would throw the SoM LP off of my tiny turntable and put on Michael Jackson's Thriller- this was probably 1989 or 1990. My record got so scratched, and I didn't get another one 'til about 5 years ago. Also, with the movie, I had been watching my tv tape for years and didn't get the DVD until sometime during high school...probably 6 years ago, and had no idea that there was a wedding sequence...among other things. So much had been edited out for time that I had no idea!

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 4/7/08 at 12:10am

I'm told but don't remember that I insisted on watching Grease three or four times a day for a few years, 2-4, I think.

[lesmis]

Posted: 4/7/08 at 6:37am

Peter Pan. I was about 8 or 9, and I was hooked for life.

[Yero]

Posted: 4/7/08 at 7:10am

I remember going on field trips to North Shore Music Theatre in Kindergarten to see Charlotte's Web and The Velveteen Rabbit. I remember being so enthralled and curious about the whole thing.

[sccates]

Posted: 4/7/08 at 6:17pm

I remember when I was in junior high that a touring company of HELLO DOLLY! came to town, and it featured a star of my favorite tv show at the time--Yvonne DeCarlo {better known as Lily Munster). My mother knew I wanted to see her, and so she bought me a ticket [how I wish now that she had gone with me!}. Well, the night of the show, Yvonne came down with some illness, and when that was announced over the speaker-system, I was crushed, but the show went on and the understudy was great, and I discovered that I liked the show so much that it did not matter if Yvonne was in it or not. It would be a wonderful experience to actually see a true Broadway show, but I know that will probably never happen, but I have many good memories of the touring companies I have been fortunate enough to see, most with my now deceased mother by my side.

[The_Jackal]

Posted: 4/7/08 at 8:27pm

One of my earliest childhood memories is my dad playing The Most Happy Fella cast recording for me. I knew I didn't completely understand what it was, but I remember picturing little characters in my head singing the songs.

One of my earliest memories of actually seeing a show was seeing Peter Pan on tour and being absolutely terrified that Cathy Rigby's wire would snap and she would fall on me and kill me. Haha, I was an easily freaked out little kid, and I remember thinking it was a good show.

[haddaddy3]

Posted: 4/7/08 at 8:33pm

Cleveland's stop on the first national tour of "Beauty and the Beast".

[myshikobit]

Posted: 4/7/08 at 8:57pm

Listening to the OBC's of West Side Story and Fiddler on long car rides and learning all the words. That was when I was around 4. Then I saw a high school production of ANNIE, and became obsessed with Rooster, and made up a neighborhood kid game where we cast the play and then played tag in character. =) those were the days...

[shh282]

Posted: 4/7/08 at 8:57pm

I was 12 and went to see Les Mis with my school, and I thought the scene where he jumps off the bridge was the most extraordinary thing I had ever seen.


It was my first show, but far from my last.

[kylestefanie]

Posted: 4/7/08 at 11:31pm

My earlist Broadway memory was watching YGMCB and just starreing up thinking "wow" and then meeting the cast after the show. my first performance I went to was OKLAHOMA. but my first musical was Wizard of Oz or Calamity Jane.

[viola13]

Posted: 4/7/08 at 11:41pm

I was 3 or 4 when my mother took me to a local kid's production of Mary Poppins, because my neighbor was in it, and I clearly remember the dancing chimney-sweeps and carousel horses. According to my mother, I was standing on my chair, dancing the whole time. I was so tiny, I didn't obstruct the view of the woman who was sitting behind me, who apparently turned out to be the director, who told my mother that she had thoroughly enjoyed seeing how enthusiastic I was.

[musicalfan07]

Posted: 4/8/08 at 1:51am

The first 'live' theatre experience I can remember is an amateur production of My Fair Lady, starring a now West End leading lady, Emma Williams. I was 3 at the time, but I can still remember how amazing Emma was.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 4/8/08 at 2:15am

"Beauty and the Beast" at a HS near me.
"The Telephone Song" from my HS's "Bye Bye Birdie" when I was in 5th grade. I was wowed by the staging. Haha