My highlights of the '07-'08 season

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 6/16/08 at 2:08pm

Some of my highlights from the 2007-2008 season, now that it's officially over.

"When the river stops flowing, all the fish die," and most of Bobby Cannavale's other line deliveries in the otherwise forgettable MAURITIUS.

A cancelled XANADU performance early in previews when the stage wouldn't cooperate. Saw it the next week. I remember thinking "boy, that skating could eb dangerous." Carpinello broke his leg the next day.

Sitting next to Laura Osnes at a performance of the brilliant GREY GARDENS and listening to her wax on about how exciting GREASE was going to be. She was much more entertaining in person than on stage.

Kevin Kline's jumping to the stage of the Richard Rodgers from the left mezzanine to make his entrance in CYRANO, and marveling at how well the production made use of the space. IN THE HEIGHTS did exactly the same. And nothing beat the audience's talking back to the stage during the latter.

The electricity of the BC/EFA reading of THE HOMECOMING.
Walking into the frigid November darkness following a Sunday matinee of THE SEAFARER. Ditto AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, though it was December.

Getting drenched with rain as I made my way to LCT to see SOUTH PACIFIC, the perfect show to cheer you up on a rainy day.

Top performances of the season: Patti LuPone, Laura Benanti, Boyd Ganes

Shows I didn't get/probably won't have a chance to see - Glory Days, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Top Girls, the 2nd half of Liaisons, Farnsworth Invention, Rock n Roll.

What are some of your highlights?
Updated On: 6/16/08 at 02:08 PM

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 6/16/08 at 2:15pm

Xanadu, Mauritius, Xanadu, August: Osage County, Xanadu, The Homecoming, Xanadu, Sunday in the Park with George, Xanadu, Gypsy, Xanadu, the Scottish Play, Xanadu, Boeing-Boeing (sort of), Xanadu, and November. Oh, did I mention Xanadu?

[verynewyorkcurious]

Posted: 6/16/08 at 3:02pm

Not into much detail

The first time I saw Passing Strange, the first time I saw August, and arriving at Xanadu half in the bag and sitting on stage.

Speech & Debate, From Up Here, and Jayne Houdyshell's monologue in The New Century.

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 6/16/08 at 3:09pm

The fact that, this season, we just barely had more new productions that got mixed-to-positive - raves than productions that got mixed-to-negative - pans.

That's good enough for me in any book.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 6/16/08 at 3:11pm

The brilliant 60-second silence during A CATERED AFFAIR as Faith Prince waits for the sun to rise.

The Strip in GYPSY, the dressing room scene in GYPSY, and Rose's Turn.

Anika Noni Rose's electric performance in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF.

"Evil Woman" in XANADU.

"96,000" and the opening number from IN THE HEIGHTS.

The entire three and a half hours of AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY.

Mary McCormack's standout performance in the otherwise ho-hum BOEING-BOEING.

The license plate tap-dancing in CRY-BABY.

Seeing the glorious orchestra of SOUTH PACIFIC during the overture.



Honestly, this was the most eclectic year on Broadway in a while and whatever you may say about the quality of the shows, the shows themselves were mostly all very edgy and risky and really different. It was a very good season, in my opinion and I was proud to have seen most of Broadway's new offerings this year. I can't wait to see [title of show] begin what will hopefully be an even better Broadway season in July...

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 6/16/08 at 3:18pm

Patti LuPone, Laura Benanti, and Boyd Gaines in GYPSY

Seeing GLORY DAYS: my first one-performance flop musical

I have a feeling seeing tomorrow night's performance of IN THE HEIGHTS will also be a highlight...

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 6/16/08 at 3:34pm

My highlight of Yankee's highlights:

Shows I didn't get/probably won't have a chance to see- the 2nd half of Liaisons
Brilliant!

My highlights:

-Laura Benanti screaming to one Patti LuPone: "Because for the first time IT IS MY LIFE!!!!!" Just chilling.

-Seeing an impressive Mary-Louise Parker on stage for the first time in the otherwise unimpressive DEAD MAN'S CELL PHONE.

-Seurat's painting coming together at the end of both acts of SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE.

-Megan Sikora stealing the show right from under just about everyone on stage, and giving a showstopping turn as Bonnie in the Encores! presentation of APPLAUSE.

-Anika Noni Rose's sexy, vibrant, haunting, emotional, and simply brilliant portrayal of Maggie, the Cat in a somewhat misconceived (yet unjustifiably criticized) revival of CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 6/16/08 at 7:53pm

yankee, I got so angry last night during the New Plays montage, when during Mauritius, they cut off just before Bobby says the line about the fish. They edited out the best line in the damn play!

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/16/08 at 7:59pm

Having Patti LuPone throw June's letter on/at me in the front row! And having Patti and the rest of the cast refer to me as Mr. Conductor.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 6/16/08 at 8:04pm

I want to just add my own spin on one of your own:

Walking out of a matinee of The Seafarer, it's very dark and it's snowing, heavily... but not in the bit of the overhang near the stage door of the Booth Theater. Standing there and reflecting on what I had just seen amidst that weather was one of my favorite moments of the past 12 months.

My highlights:

The BC/EFA reading of The Homecoming... set in Cuba

A piece of broken plate flying past my head during the third act of August: Osage County (which only happened about 10 days ago)

Not technically Broadway, but: Seeing the Sweeney Todd tour in Boston... on Halloween

Every single moment of The Seafarer, which would have gotten my vote for Best Play, if I had one.

Michael Cerveris' wig in Cymbeline

Andrea Martin introducing "Puttin' on the Ritz" during Young Frankenstein

The ending of Cyrano de Bergerac

The intro to Passing Strange, I was hooked from that first riff

The look on Mark Rylance's face after Kathryn Hahn flashes him in the second act of Boeing-Boeing

Watching my mom talk to David Hyde Pierce at the stagedoor of Curtains, after I took her to see the show for Mother's Day

Seeing Rent for the first time

(I know the last two didn't open this past season, but they still resonate with me.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 6/16/08 at 8:43pm

WAT, I. Am. So. Insanely. Jealous.

Please post back and tell us how it was! I'll be at GYPSY. I can't wait!!!

[christhefish]

Posted: 6/16/08 at 8:55pm

Walking home alone from A Catered Affair and having one of those perfect moments where you feel all is right with the world.

Alabanza from In The Heights

and two non-traditional moments of the season

Discovering the [title of show] show

Falling in love with Laura Benanti during her interview on Down Stage Center

[Mandi Moo]

Posted: 6/16/08 at 8:59pm

Just seeing Sunday in the Park with George twice was fantastic, but the first time that I saw it the entire audience cheered and applauded at the end of act 2 when the people in the painting bow to George. I can't even describe what that was like.

Gypsy. Especially those first few notes of the overture, and then being able to move from the balcony down to the front center mezz for act 2.

In the Heights. I had no idea what to expect going in, but I was completely blown away.
Updated On: 6/16/08 at 08:59 PM

[jv92]

Posted: 6/16/08 at 10:03pm

"Sitting next to Laura Osnes at a performance of the brilliant GREY GARDENS and listening to her wax on about how exciting GREASE was going to be. She was much more entertaining in person than on stage."

She saw Grey Gardens? Did she like it? She didn't wax on durring the show, did she?

***

As for my favorite moments-

- LuPone Gypsy at The St. James. What a revelation. It was goodish at City Center with Patti rather unfocused and loud, but on Broadway- what a turnaround! She was phenomenal! And Gaines and Benanti! What more can be said? A perfect production of the perfect musical.

- South Pacific at Lincoln Center Theatre, espeically Szot's spellbinding, "This Nearly Was Mine" and O'Hara's, "I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy."

- Sunday in the Park with George at the Roundabout. A brilliant production of a brilliant musical with a remarkable Daniel Evans and luminous Jenna Russell.

- August: Osage County. I've never been that entertained and that enthralled with a play since Doubt several seasons ago.

- A Catered Affair. I'm in the minority, but it was undeserving of its reception and quite remarkable. Small doesn't mean bad.

- Norbert Leo Butz's hysterical turn in Is He Dead?.

- The Grease reviews. What a joyous morning that was!

And finally...

- The final performance of Grey Gardens. You can't get much better than that folks. Words cannot describe that experience. Seriously.

[scaryclowns223]

Posted: 6/16/08 at 10:10pm

-A young David Sarnoff telling a Russian police officer to "F*** Off" in THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION. (Honestly, I really enjoyed that play.)

-"Alabanza" in IN THE HEIGHTS.

-Colman Domingo standing at the edge of the Belasco Stage, screaming "What's inside is just a lie!" as I sat about three feet away in the front row and I saw him sweating, totally in character, hilarious and totally frightening, inhabiting that character, really making Berlin scary and interesting. (PASSING STRANGE)

-Everything about AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

-My bewilderment when Cheyenne Jackson began to draw on the Helen Hayes stage for a good 5-10 minutes before the show even started at XANADU.

-Realizing that dreams do come true when the Broadway engagement of [title of show] was announced.

-Both of Mark Rylance's acceptance speeches.

-Raul Esparza's kindness and personability at the stagedoor of THE HOMECOMING.