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Margie suggested that perhaps I should divide my favourite theatre experiences into the Top Ten based on the show, and a Top Ten based on other reasons. So these are my sentimental faves, the shows that mean something to me for reasons other than what happened on stage (although that’s important too! 🙂
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1. Phantom of the Opera – May 12, 1993.
I think this one has to be number one, because it was my very first time at the theatre, and therefore is responsible for everything that came afterwards. It was also just a really wonderful show. I didn’t have great seats, but the binoculars helped, and the cast, which included Cris Groenendaal as the Phantom and Doug LaBrecque as Raoul, was wonderful. It was a day I will never forget!
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| 2. Man of La Mancha – April 4, 2002.
I had been waiting for six years to see Anthony Warlow on stage, and even with that much buildup, he lived up to the hype. 🙂 We had great seats, in the third row, and just to see him live, and hear him sing “Impossible Dream”, and to talk to him after the show, made a night I’ll never forget. And the show itself was pretty good too, as was Caroline O’Connor!
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3. The Scarlet Pimpernel – May 30, 1999.
This was the last show of SP2, and the last show at the Minskoff. It was also supposed to be Douglas Sills’ last performance as Sir Percy, but then he came back and did the tour and fooled us all. 🙂 Anyway, it was a very bittersweet occasion, with many occasions for tears and laughter. I also ended up sitting beside Frank Wildhorn and Linda Eder, which was really cool!
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| 4. Seussical – November 11, 2000.
Having worked on the first reading of this show, I had been eagerly awaiting its Broadway opening so I could see the finished product on stage. As soon as the overture started, I burst into tears – it was just amazing to hear that music performed by a full orchestra. And although it wasn’t quite the beautiful piece of theatre I thought it might become, it was still a fun production, with more than enough highlights to make the trip worthwhile.
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5. The Scarlet Pimpernel – November 8, 1998.
This was my first “League” performance of the show, and it was a blast! I felt really sorry for anybody in the audience who was seeing the show for the first time, but those of us who already loved it had a great time. The “flower toss” at the end of the show was really fun, and it was just a great weekend in all.
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| 6. Jane Eyre – November 11, 2000.
This is a show that I fell in love with the first time I heard the cast recording (I was actually driving at the time I was listening to it, and had to pull over, I was so moved!), so finally seeing it on stage 3 years later was really special to me. It is one of the very few shows that’s gone through major changes where I’ve been just as happy with the new version as I was with the original. They’re both beautiful, and I’m so glad I got to see it live.
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7. Phantom of the Opera – Sept. 20, 1998.
Being an anniversary show, this would have been special enough in itself, but the wonderful people at Livent decided to have 5 of the men who had previously played the role in Toronto come back and take turns performing the scenes that night. It was turned into a game where the audience got to guess who was on stage in each scene. It was an absolute blast, and the show itself was just great too. Ditto for the high-class reception afterwards!
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8. Titanic – April 21, 1998.
This was my very first show on Broadway! That, in itself, would qualify it for this list, but it was also special for other reasons. Not only was it my first show in New York, but it was also the original cast of a Tony-winning show. I love the score, and found it really moving on stage. It was a perfect night!
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9. Phantom of the Opera – October 31, 1999.
When I found out that Phantom was closing in Toronto, I knew I had to be there. Along the way, I met up with several other fans that I had encountered before during my years of seeing the show at the Pantages, and we all went to the theatre together. The cast gave a brilliant, heartfelt performance, and when they all sang “It’s over now, the music of the night” at the end, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
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10. Tick…Tick…BOOM! – November 9, 2001.
I was naturally a little bit curious about this show when I found out they were putting it on, but I probably wouldn’t have used one of my New York nights of theatre on it if Joey McIntyre hadn’t decided to do it. So go I did, and I was actually really impressed with both the show and Joe’s performance! And the picture I got with him afterward goes a long way towards easing the pain of not meeting him at the New Kids concert when I was 11. 🙂
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Theatre-Musical