Review - 2008's Ten Memorable Theatre Moments You May Have Missed

Ah, it's that time of year again when, while most theatergoers are assembling their lists of the top (and sometimes bottom) plays and musicals of the year, I prefer to focus on ten memorable moments that perhaps relatively few got to see. These moments don't necessarily come from the ten best productions, but in a city with the abundance of high quality theatre that Gotham enjoys, you never know when a great dramatic moment will come your way.

On the seventh day of that leisurely ten-day rehearsal period allotted for the Encores! concert production of Applause, Christine Ebersole, readying herself to star as Margo Channing, was stricken with a bad case of the flu. With no understudy, her absence would have meant cancelling the show, so after three days in bed she forced herself on stage for the Wednesday night dress rehearsal performance with doctor's orders not to touch anybody. At the Friday night performance I attended you could see and hear the obvious signs of the star's bad health; the notes that weren't held, the energy sagging at times, her voice petering out. There were a couple of times I seriously thought she was going to stumble and fall on stage. But the craft of a skilled actress and the heart of a passionate performer were out there in as full a force as Ebersole could muster. As she stood alone, center stage, after a soft, simple vocalizing of the first act closer, "Welcome To The Theatre," the star was showered with a long, appreciative ovation from an audience that knew she could do better, but adored her for coming out and giving them the best she had.

Nine more picks can be found here.

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