What is your favorite Broadway show?

[vincentvioro]

For all the show queens out there:):

 

Mine is Rodgers and Hammersteins' timeless classic masterpiece, Carousel. I can never grow tired of listening to its beautiful score. I saw the 1994 revival at Lincoln Center for my 9th birthday. It is the happiest memory of my life.

 

What's yours?

[+ Cash4Trash]

Mine would be the Lincoln Center revival of the Threepenny Opera starring Raul Julia and Ellen Greene. It was directed by Richard Foreman.

[+ WilliamM]

"South Pacific" Of course, I did not see the original cast (Mary Martin, Ezio Pinza) back in 1949, but that recording is my favorite cast album. I did see the wonderful revival at Lincoln Center several years ago, and had the luck to sit next to a woman who was in the chorus of the the '49 original.

 

My favorite musical with the original cast is "Gypsy" (Ethel Merman, Jack Klugman), which I saw while I was in high school.

 

 

Excellent topic, Vincent.

[Cooper]

One of the 1st Broadway shows I recall seeing was "The Miracle Worker" staring Anne Bancroft and Patti Duke. It ran on Broadway from: October 19, 1959 - July 1, 1961 with 719 performances. Still remains my favorite.

[uwsman2]

My first Broadway show was Pacific Overtures, and I still have a "thing" for it. (First off-B'way - as a child - my father brought me in to the city to see the production at Theater de Lys of the Weill-Blitzstein Threepenny Opera, and that became my ideal for a musical show.)

[Gar1eth]

I've only been able to get to Broadway three or 4 times in my life. The only time I've ever seen a top Broadway show with the original cast was Jersey Boys. It had just finished previews at the time. So I guess I'll pick that one.

 

Gman

[dcguy20]

vincentvioro, I saw that same production of Carousel 3 times (including the final performance). What a stunning production! My all-time favorite musical is Ragtime.

[N13]

Redhead with Gwen Verdon was my first Broadway show and musical (Sweet Bird of Youth and Miracle Worker were the straight plays that introduced me to B'way that week). A few years ago I tried to pick my favorite musical and through a process of elimination [Did I like this one better than that one?] I ended up picking the current production of Chicago. Anne Reinking did a better choreography of Fosse than Fosse did himself - I disliked the original production with Verdon and Chita Rivera. I have seen this version 4 or 5 times with different casts and each time the show held up. Tight, well-performed and exciting! For anyone who has not seen this..put it at the top of your list for your next Broadway show.

 

An aside - When Reinking played Velma she directed the show to 'give' it to Bebe - that is until "The Hot Honey Rag" when Reinking let loose and wiped up the stage with Bebe. It is a shame that she subjugated herself to Fosse or she would have been the most famous and most thrilling of all of the dancing ladies....imho.

[+ WilliamM]

Redhead with Gwen Verdon was my first Broadway show and musical (Sweet Bird of Youth and Miracle Worker were the straight plays that introduced me to B'way that week). A few years ago I tried to pick my favorite musical and through a process of elimination [Did I like this one better than that one?] I ended up picking the current production of Chicago. Anne Reinking did a better choreography of Fosse than Fosse did himself - I disliked the original production with Verdon and Chita Rivera. I have seen this version 4 or 5 times with different casts and each time the show held up. Tight, well-performed and exciting! For anyone who has not seen this..put it at the top of your list for your next Broadway show.

 

An aside - When Reinking played Velma she directed the show to 'give' it to Bebe - that is until "The Hot Honey Rag" when Reinking let loose and wiped up the stage with Bebe. It is a shame that she subjugated herself to Fosse or she would have been the most famous and most thrilling of all of the dancing ladies....imho.

 

Agree, except I liked Gwen Verdon in the original production more than you.

 

There's no way I can include either "The Sound of Music" or "Hello, Dolly," as the "best," but I am very glad I got to see Mary Martin in both musicals.

[N13]

For performances I have to go with Ethel Merman in Gypsy and Streisand in Funny Girl. Absolute top was Rosemary Harris in Lion in Winter.

[+ WilliamM]

For performances I have to go with Ethel Merman in Gypsy and Streisand in Funny Girl.

 

I agree about "Gypsy" and "Funny Girl." I saw "Gypsy" about fifteen months into its Broadway run. It's always been difficult for me to accept anyone but Merman as Madam Rose. "Funny Girl" was a totally different experience. I saw a try-out performance in Boston, and things were not going well. I understand that the directer, Garson Kanin, had pretty much left the scene. So I had a chance to see a young Streisand left on her own. She did remarkably well, although slightly better in the songs than the book scenes.

 

I was in high school and college at the time. I started going to Broadway try-out performances...never realizing they would soon be a thing of the past. And I certainly never imaged that some of the falures would become classics on records and CDs (like Subways are for Sleeping, Flora The Red Menace, I Can Get It For You Wholesale, On A Clear Day I Can See Forever and Tovarich).

[+ Robster]

The only show my husband and I have seen on Broadway was "Avenue Q", which we loved. We've also seen it in Vegas and San Diego.

 

Other performances I've seen and loved, but not on Broadway, include Carol Channing in "Hello, Dolly" and Glenn Close in "Sunset Boulevard".

 

Rob

[+ WilliamM]

I have mentioned shows that eventually played on Broadway ("Funny Girl" with Barbra Streisand), or eventually opened in London (Mary Martin in "Hello, Dolly"). So I think the Channing "Hello, Dolly" and Close "Sunset Boulevard" are on target for this topic. In fact, perhaps more so than my "Hello, Dolly." Mary Martin opened Dolly in London, Japan and Vietnam, but never played the role on Broadway.

[N13]

Agree, except I liked Gwen Verdon in the original production more than you.

 

Just to be clear. I loved Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera in the show....it was the staging and direction of the show itself that I didn't like.

[TopAz]

If I could choose only one, it would be "The Producers" with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick.

[doitb4ugo]

I think the memories you all are sharing is wonderful.

 

I have sadly never seen a play on Broadway...and given everyone's favorites...it is an experience I may never get to have...What's on Broadway now doesn't seem to have that "bigger then life"quality to it (sigh).

[+ WilliamM]

I think the memories you all are sharing is wonderful.

 

I have sadly never seen a play on Broadway...and given everyone's favorites...it is an experience I may never get to have...What's on Broadway now doesn't seem to have that "bigger then life"quality to it (sigh).

 

I did not know when I was watching Ethel Merman, Gwen Verdon and Mary Martin on various stages all those years ago that they would be remembered as three of the greatest Broadway stars. I assumed that others would come along and equal or better what they did. I would argue than Nathan Lane and Bernadette Peters (and perhaps Patti LaPone) are more well-rounded performers, if not as charismatic, or "bigger than life" as Merman, Verdon and Martin. Nathan Lane is opening soon in a new play, "Nance," which has been discussed here. So do not give up. You never know how you will look back at a Broadway show or a particular performer.

[foxy]

The first Broadway show I saw was "Bye, Bye Birdie". My sister took me for my 16th birthday. I took my first date to see "Camelot" with performers I'd never heard of...Richard Burton, Julie Andrews and Robert Goulet. They went on to have pretty good careers. The tickets cost me $15 each which seemed like a lot of money at the time.

 

One of my favorite shows was "Pippin" which is now back on Broadway and I'm looking forward to seeing again. I saw it twice in 1973. Irene Ryan who played Granny in the Beverly Hillbillies also played the granny in Pippin. She sadly died while the show was running. Her big number "No Time At All" had the audience singing along. Now I hear the words "time to take time, cause spring will turn to fall, in just no time at all". Hard to believe that was 40 years ago. Kind of puts a lump in my throat.