Photos: The Gasp Collection

There is a famous story about Stephen Sondheim and a list that he kept of songs that he "wished he had written" (like all good Urban Legends, the story has various versions and iterations).  Whatever may or may not be the truth of that particular story, it has left artists of all natures, everywhere, making the list of works that they wish had originated from their hand.

I've been a photographer for forty-four years.  In 2017 I put my cameras away.  In 2019 I was given this job and I got my cameras back out to supplement my articles, and four years and five months later I have a lot of photos that I look at and say, "Gee, I wish I'd taken that photo."  

Oh, wait a minute... I did.

Whenever I am looking at the results of a photo shoot for the first time, I always make note of the images that make me gasp, so that I can use them in the reviews because I know they will be my favorites.  Maybe it's the lighting, maybe it's the drama (or the comedy).  It could be just that a photo is really pretty, or that the actor is really in their moment.  It matters that the photo tells a story or captures a moment in time.  Perhaps there is a special spark in the expression, or the welling of a tear in the corner of an eye. Usually, what it comes down to is the humanity.  Humanity always takes my breath away.

This is The Gasp Collection.

Aaron David Gleason - 54 Below

Ace Young and Diana DeGarmo - Birdland

Adriane Lenox - The Green Room 42

Alexandra Silber and Ben Moss - The Green Room 42

Alexis Michelle and Brandon James Gwinn - Club Cumming

Alison Fraser and Lauren Molina - Joe's Pub

Amanda McBroom with Ritt Henn in the background - Birdland

Amy Irving with John Miller and Clint de Ganon - Birdland Theater

Andre De Shields - 54 Below

Andrea McArdle - The Green Room 42

Andrea McArdle, Donna Graham, and Shelley Bruce react to Bridgette Graham at 54 Below

Andrew Barth Feldman - 54 Below

Andrew Keenan-Bolger - 54 Below

Andrew Rannells and Jenn Gambatese - 54 Below

Andy Mientus - 54 Below

Anita Gillette and Penny Fuller with Michael Lavine - 54 Below

Ann Hampton Callaway - 54 Below

Ann Kittredge - Birdland Theater

Anthony Murphy - The Green Room 42

Anthony Nunziata and Stephen Schwartz - The Green Room 42

Anthony Rapp - 54 Below

Antonio Cipriano - 54 Below

Anu Mysore - The Green Room 42

Ari Axelrod and Leo - Chelsea Table + Stage

Ashley Park - 54 Below

A Swinging Birdland Christmas with Billy Stritch, Jim Caruso and Klea Blackhurst (that's Steve Doyle on the bass) - Birdland

Audra McDonald - Carnegie Hall

Barricade Boys - 54 Below

Beegie Adair and Monica Ramey With Roger Spencer - Birdland Theater

Ben Bogen with Ross Thompson and Morgan Harrison - The Green Room 42

Ben Jones and Lianne Marie Dobbs - 54 Below

Beth Leavel and Adam Heller - 54 Below

Beth Malone - 54 Below

Betty Buckley - Joe's Pub

Billy Gilman and Mike Renzi - Joe's Pub

Billy Shaw, Ben Moss and Arthur L. Ross - Laurie Beechman Theatre

Billy Stritch and Susie Mosher - Birdland

Blaine Alden Krauss - 54 Below

Brandi Burkhardt - The Green Room 42

Brenda Braxton with Bebe Neuwirth and Allison Williams Foster - The Green Room 42

Brian Stokes Mitchell - 54 Below

Brynn Williams - 54 Below

The Callaway Sisters, Liz and Ann - 54 Below

Candis Cayne - The Laurie Beechman Theatre

Carmen Cusack - 54 Below

Carole J. Bufford - Rose Hall

Catherine Porter with Elizabeth Ward Land and Susie Mosher with Brad Simmons at the piano - Birdland Theater

Celia Berk - The Laurie Beechman Theatre

Cheyenne Jackson - 54 Below

Chita Rivera - 54 Below

Chita Rivera, Richard Ridge, and Mario Cantone - Sony Hall

Christina Bianco - Birdland Theater

Christine Andreas - 54 Below

March 12, 2020

Christopher Sieber - 54 Below

Clint Holmes and Kelly Clinton - 54 Below

Constantine Maroulis - Birdland Theater

Corinna Sowers Adler - The Laurie Beechman Theatre

Cristin Milioti - Joe's Pub

Cyrille Aimee - Birdland

Dan Tracy - Rockwood Music Hall

Darienne Lake - The Laurie Beechman Theatre

Darius de Haas - 54 Below

David Hyde Pierce and Debra Monk - 54 Below

Debbie Wileman and Ron Abel - Carnegie Hall/Zankel

Derrick Baskin - 54 Below

Dianna Agron - Cafe Carlyle

Donna McKechnie - 54 Below

Donna Murphy- 54 Below

Eden Espinosa - The Green Room 42

Edmund Bagnell - 54 Below

Elizabeth Stanley - 54 Below

Emily Skinner - 54 Below

Erich Bergen and Jim Caruso - Birdland Theater

Farah Alvin - The Green Room 42

Felicia Finley - 54 Below

Florencia Cuenca and Jaime Lozano - Joe's Pub

Frances Ruffelle - The Green Room 42

Freda Payne - Birdland

Gabrielle Lee - 54 Below

Garrett Clayton - The Green Room 42

Gaten Matarazzo and the band react to Sam Primack - Midnight Theatre

George Dvorsky and Sally Mayes - Birdland Theater

Gianmarco Soresi - Birdland Theater

Gina Gershon - Joe's Pub

Gloria Swansong and Maxie Factor - Don't Tell Mama

The Gravittes:  Sam and Debbie - Birdland Theater

Haley Swindal - 54 Below

Hannah Jane - Birdland Theater

Helen Park - 54 Below

Holly Ann Butler - 54 Below

Hugh Panaro - 54 Below

Isabelle Georges - 54 Below

J. Harrison Ghee with The Skivvies - Joe's Pub

Jack Bartholet - Pangea

Jaime Cepero - 54 Below

Janine LaManna - The Green Room 42

Jason Danieley - 54 Below

Jason Gotay and Alexa Green - The Green Room 42

Jay Rogers - The Laurie Beechaman

Jeanna de Waal - 54 Below

Jean Louisa Kelly - The Laurie Beechman Theatre

Jenn Colella - 54 Below

Jennifer Barnhart - Laurie Beechman Theatre

Jennifer Diamond - The Green Room 42

Jennifer Holliday - 54 Below

Jeremy Jordan - Sony Hall

Jess LeProtto - The Green Room 42

Jessica Vosk - Sony Hall

Jim Caruso and KT Sullivan - Birdland

Jim Caruso on March 10th, 2020 - Birdland Theater

Joan Ryan - The Green Room 42

Joanna Gleason and Chris Sarandon - 54 Below

Joe Iconis - 54 Below

Joe Kinosian - 54 Below

John Clarence Stewart - 54 Below

John Clay III - The Green Room 42

John Lloyd Young - 54 Below

Jonathan Savage - 54 Below

Josh Young and Emily Padgett - The Green Room 42

Juan Pablo Di Pace - The Green Room 42

Judy Collins - Joe's Pub

Julie Benko - Joe's Pub

Julia Murney - 54 Below

Julie Halston - Birdland

Justin Elizabeth Sayre - Joe's Pub

Karen Akers and Alex Rybeck - The Beach Cafe

Karen Mason - Rose Hall

Karen Ziemba - 54 Below

Kate Baldwin and Aaron Lazar - 54 Below

Kathleen Turner - The Green Room 42

Katrina Lenk - Birdland

Ken Page - 54 Below

Kevin Smith Kirkwood as Whitney Houston with Matt Scharfglass - Joe's Pub

KEVIN SPIRTAS - The Green Room 42

Khalifa White - 54 Below

Kinsey Sicks - Birdland Theatre

Krysta Rodriquez - Joe's Pub

KT Sullivan and Jeff Harnar with Jon Weber - The Laurie Beechman Theatre

Kuhoo Verma - 54 Below

Kyle Dean Massey - 54 Below

Kyra Kennedy - The Green Room 42

Laura Benanti - 54 Below

Lauren Marcus - 54 Below

Lea DeLaria with Kate Rigg, Sandra Bernhard and Lance Horne - Joe's Pub

Lee Roy Reams - 54 Below

Leola Nolan and Jen Houston - The Green Room 42

Leslee Warren - Pangea

Leslie Uggams - 54 Below

Lianne Marie Dobbs - 54 Below

Lillias White - The Green Room 42

Linda Eder - 54 Below

Linda Lavin - Birdland Theater

Linda Purl - Birdland Theater

Lisa Howard - 54 Below

Lisa Viggiano - Pangea

Liz Callaway - 54 Below

Luba Mason - 54 Below

Lucie Arnaz - 54 Below

Mama's Boys - Don't Tell Mama

Maria-Christina Oliveras - 54 Below

Maria Wirries and Matt SanGiovanni - 54 Below

Mariah Lyttle - The Green Room 42

Marieann Meringolo - 54 Below

Marilu Henner - 54 Below

Marilyn Maye - 54 Below

Marissa Licata - Birdland Theater

Marissa Rosen - Joe's Pub

Mark Nadler - Laurie Beechman Theatre

Mark William - The Green Room 42

Marta Sanders - Laurie Beechman Theatre

Marty Thomas - The Green Room 42

Mason Alexander Park - The Green Room 42

Matt DeAngelis - The Green Room 42

Matt Doyle - Chelsea Table + Stage

Mauricio Martinez - 54 Below

Meg Flather - Don't Tell Mama

Meghan Murphy and Grace Garland - 54 Below

Melissa Errico - The Green Room 42

Michael Kirk Lane and Sidney Myer - Don't Tell Mama

Moipei - Birdland Theater

Natalie Walker - 54 Below

Nathan Lee Graham - Joe's Pub

Nellie McKay - Joe's Pub

Nick Adams - Joe's Pub

Nicolas King - The Green Room 42

Nicole Henry - 54 Below

Nicole Vanessa Ortiz - 54 Below

Noah Galvin - 54 Below

Norm Lewis - 54 Below

Orfeh-/">Orfeh and Andy Karl - Chelsea Table + Stage

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Patti Murin - 54 Below

Paulo Szot - 54 Below

Rachel Bay Jones - 54 Below

Reeve Carney - The Green Room 42

Richard Kind - 54 Below

Rita Gardner and Lee Roy Reams - 54 Below

Rob McClure, Rick Lyon, Maggie Lakis and friends - 54 Below

Sam Harris and Robbi Morgan Walberg - 54 Below

Sandra Mae Frank and Dr. Brian Cheslik - The Triad

Sandy Stewart - The Beach Cafe

Santino Fontana - 54 Below

Sasha Dobson and Norah Jones - Birdland Theater

Scott Coulter on March 12, 2020 - 54 Below

Sean Harkness - Birdland Theater

Seth Sikes and Nicolas King - The Green Room 42

Shaun Cassidy - 54 Below

The Show Broads - Leanne Borghesi and Marta Sanders

The Skivvies with Nathan Lee Graham.  The Skivvies are Nick Cearley and Lauren Molina  - The Green Room 41

Stephanie Blythe - Rose Hall

Sue Matsuki - Don't Tell Mama

Taylor Iman Jones - 54 Below

Taylor Louderman - 54 Below

Those Girls - Eve Eaton, Karen Mack, Wendy Russell, and Rachel Hanser - Steven Ray Watkins and Matt Scharfglass can be seen in the back.  The Laurie Beechman Theatre

Tim Connell - Pangea

Tom Hewitt and Lauren Molina - Joe's Pub

Tom Wopat - The Beach Cafe

Tony Danza - 54 Below

Tony Yazbeck - 54 Below

Tyne Daly and Jamie de Roy - The Green Room 42

Ute Lemper - Joe's Pub

Vanessa Williams - 54 Below

Will Roland - 54 Below

Winnie's Rock Cauldron Cabaret starring Jennica McCleary, Desiree Montes, and Kristen Sheola - The Green Room 42

Wren Rivera and Arielle Jacobs - 54 Below

YANK! Reunion Concert featuring Hugo Bonemer, Bobby Steggert, and Scott Hunter- 54 Below