Ever seen a professional Broadway show?

[Bertha Venation]

The original Broadway cast album of "Ragtime" just got done playing. I sang and danced through the whole thing, and willed Mrs. V. to put down the paper and revel with me.

It was the first show I ever saw. It was my first date with the second woman I dated. She got two free tickets when the show was on its pre-Broadway national tour. We saw it at the Shubert in Los Angeles, and I cried from beginning to end because of the wonder of it. I also cried because I realized that I'd missed my calling.

I'd never imagined what such a show was like and I just couldn't get over it. Now close to eight years later, I'm still not over it.

We were lucky enough to see it with the Broadway cast, including Audra MacDonald, Judy Kaye, and Brian Stokes Mitchell. What an absolutely fabulous show.

I've since seen "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Rent." Hated "Phantom." I thought "Rent" was fabulous, but nothing will ever top "Ragtime" for me.

What Broadway shows have you seen?

[wryter2000]

1. When I was a child

I used to go to Broadway shows from time to time. My mother kept us out of school to see The Sound of Music with Theodore Bikel and Mary Martin. I have very vague memories of Peter Pan, also with Mary Martin. I saw 1000 Clowns with Jason Robards and The Subject was Roses.

If you want your hair to stand on end, see some live Shakespeare some time. I saw Morris Carnovsky's King Lear and walked around in a daze for about a week. Ditto Philip Bosco and Ruby Dee in The Taming of the Shrew.

[Jim__]

10. I just read Taming of the Shrew for the first time.

I didn't get it. The play starts out about Christpher Sly who passes out drunk and gets taken to a lord's house. He's supposed to be watching the play. But, this little intro is never mentioned again. Do they show that little introduction on the stage? Does Christopher Sly just disappear?

[wryter2000]

17. Welcome to DU

Hokey-smoke. I'd forgotten all about that part. It's been a looooong time.

[bbernardini]

2. Phantom, Les Miz, Damn Yankees, Tommy, JCS

Probably one or two others I'm forgetting. Never cared much from Phantom, like Les Miz, even though it's overplayed as much as Phantom. Saw the revival of Damn Yankees with Jerry Lewis as The Devil. Saw the original run of Tommy, and Jesus Christ Superstar was a touring show. The one I saw was the last time the guys from the movie would be doing the lead roles onstage. More like a rock concert than a musical (at least that's how the audience acted). JCS is the only Webber thing I don't hate.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

3. Less than I should have...

considering I live half an hour from NYC and work for a theater company. Hell, I get comp tickets to every NJ professional show and I barely take advantage of that.

Les Miserables
Jekyll & Hyde
Chicago
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (with Joan Jett...yum)
STOMP! (actually, I saw that in London)
Sweet Panic (also in London)
RENT

I think I'm missing something.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

4. Jesus Christ Superstar

I forgot that one....

[terrya]

5. I saw "Follies" a few years ago.

Fabulous cast...Blythe Danner, Treat Williams, Gregory Harrison, Betty Garrett, Marni Nixon among others. My first Broadway musical.

I saw "The Producers" in Chicago BEFORE it went to Broadway...I know that doesn't count, but I thought I'd just throw that in. :-)

:loveya:

Terry

[kayell]

6. I saw Hair when I was 14

My aunts sister and my uncle took me. It was a huge thrill. This also was the summer that see through shirts were in fashion, so audience watching was quite interesting too. LOL

Afterwards we wandered around, poking into stores and checking out all the interesting people. They took me out for dessert and I had a tiny little glass of Calvados. yum!

Then on the way back to my uncles apt. we watched some wild guy dressed as a viking recite poetry to the empty pavement. It was a night of major excitement for a girl from a small town!

[Paradox_Mystery]

7. Just last weekend

Saw the Producers and the Boy From Oz. Hugh Jackman was amazing in the latter.

[Pale Blue Dot]

8. My grandfather was a professional actor

and was nominated for a Tony starring opposite Carol Channing in a "Hello, Dolly" revival in the late 70's. I saw that show. I also saw "The Pirates of Penzance" which starred an up-and-coming young actor named Kevin Kline.

Recently, my wife and I saw "The Producers", although not with Nathan Lane & Matthew Broderick. It was a little disappointing.

[Jim__]

9. Saw "Annie" and "Cats"

I grew up in NYC. Never saw a Broadway play while I lived there. My sister used to work for a bank and got us great tickets to these plays.

Loved Annie. Don't remember much about Cats.

I didn't see Hair. But, I had the album from the play. My favorite song was sung by a young girl - a single piano and the lyrics went something like, "He wore silver chains on his leather jacket ... Tell him Angela and I don't want our two dollars back, just him."

[Shopaholic]

11. Two in the past two years. . .

I go to NYC once a year on business. Two years ago I saw 42nd Street, last year I saw Chicago. Nothing beats seeing a Broadway show on Broadway!

[Nikia]

12. Les Miserables

I had the soundtrack and it was my favorite musical music. My husband and I shelled out close to $100/ticket. It was wonderful though.

[Gildor Inglorion]

13. Several - I've always loved Broadway!

Wonderful Town - On A Clear Day You Can See Forever - The Music Man The Phantom of the Opera - The Lion King - Cabaret (at the Old Studio 54) - Cats - The Woman In Black (in London) - Urinetown (not my favorite) - A Christmas Carol (with F. Murray Abraham as Scrooge)

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

14. The Gin Game with Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy

Saw it on my first trip to NY and it was absolutely wonderful. I saw another back in 1990, a big musical thingy, but apparently it made no impression on me because I've forgotten its name.

[Miss Authoritiva]

20. They were wonderful!

Saw "The Gin Game" too. Sadly, about the same time ticket prices started to really go up (even my cheapie two-for tickets). But for a good portion of my young adulthood, a cheap bus ticket, a brown bag lunch, and two-for tickets let me see a good many actors and some classic stage productions.

Silly to say this, but I've switched over to college and high-school productions. Not as polished, of course, but oh the heart!

[catzies]

15. Beatlemania at the Winter Garden Theatre, my sweet sixteen

in 1978. I thought you meant a Broadway show seen on Broadway!

[izzie]

16. Radio City a few times. Summer Stock shows, London, Paris. Shows.

Good enough now but when I was younger I did wish to see more.

[Missy Vixen]

18. We saw "Hairspray"

when it was previewing in Seattle.

By the closing number, the entire crowd was on its feet and dancing! I knew it would be a huge hit, because I wanted to get back in line and get some more tickets for the next night. I was thrilled at the wonderful reviews when it opened in New York.

We have the cast album; I still like singing along with it.

Julie

[bigwillq]

19. Last one I saw was "Take me out"

I loved it. It was charming, funny, brutually honest, great cast, great script. And the full-frontal nudity wasn't too bad either.

[terrya]

21. I understnad "Take Me Out" has closed.

Dammit! I waited too long to see it...

Terry

[nostamj]

22. ohmy..... after more than 20 years in NYC

I've seen *almost* every musical during that time and many many 'straight' plays. (and many more off and off-off B'way)

Most recently, BOY FROM OZ which contained some of the BEST performances in that 20+ years. (didn't make it a great 'musical' though)

way too many to count!

[BigMcLargehuge]

23. No, but I saw the Royal Shakespeare Company three times

Twice in Statford (The Merchant of Venice and The Tempest) and once in London (Two Gentlemen from Verona).

Does that count?

[gator_in_Ontario]

24. Rent! n/t

[The Zanti Regent]

25. "Dracula" with Frank Langella in 1978

Paid $75 for a pair of tickets in New York.

My girlfriend and I were both in New York for a short time.

Such a wonderful experience. What really surprised me was how narrow Broadway was.

[TreasonousBastard]

26. It's been years, but...

I used to work just upstairs from the downtown TKTS office-- half price tickets for that night's performances. Usually a lot of choices, even if the one you really want isn't there.

Broadway and Off-Broadway, the difference is the theater size, and Off-B doesn't have the big musicals, but more intimate plays. At least once a week, maybe twice, we went to see something.

There is absolutely nothing like a big Broadway production. There really isn't anything like an off-Broadway production, either. Actors acting, singers singing, dancers dancing... No retakes, no camera angles, no digital effects-- just the raw talent and skill of those people up there making you laugh, cry, and applaud. Two thousand years of live theater skill, lore and tradition in those shows.

In acting class, we talked about the "magic." When you've seen the magic, you understand.

[Catshrink]

27. Cats, LeMiz

[ldf]

28. 42nd Street

is what broadway is all about.

great music, dancing, glitz, glamour. it has it all.

seen it three times so far. it's closing in january 2005.

also:
kiss me kate
man of la mancha
gypsy
peter pan

and then there was NAKED BOYS SINGING! which was in greenwich village, but is moving up to a theatre on 55st., so that may be considered broadway. LOTS of fun and lots of "gratuitous nudity".

:-)