Is there a musical you saw on Broadway or touring in your hometown that you really loved and couldn't forget or a performer who completely mesmerized you? If so, we want to hear your stories. A select number of them will then be posted here in the coming weeks.
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Choreographer Jerry Mitchell |
Name: Ingrid Cajina
My Broadway Story: I've always been a fan from very young because my mom loved musicals. However, when I first saw "Phantom of the Opera," well, let's just say that I fell hard. It was gorgeous, the singing was great, the songs even better. I ended up having to find and finally buy the original cast recording, which I now know by heart, and I've become a fan for life. Long live the Phantom!!! And long live Andrew Lloyd Webber!!!
Name: Christine Chernis Brandt
My Broadway Story: I was a star-struck little kid from upstate New York. I was in love with Broadway musicals [and] had all of the albums and played them over and over. I was crazy for "The Music Man," especially Robert Preston. I wrote a parody of the show called "The Mail Man" and sent it to him in one of my fan letters. When I went to NYC to see the show, he entertained my mother and me in his dressing room after. It was the night of my life! I saw every show he did on Broadway and he always invited me backstage. He was a great man. Today, I hold two degrees in theater and work in the not-for-profit world due to his influence on my young life.
Name: Lyndon Fuller
My Broadway Story: In 1964, I was taken to New York by my parents for the first time. My folks went up all the time and ... got us tickets for "Hello, Dolly!" with Ginger Rogers. It was incredible! Never had I seen anything like it. The music, the acting, the playing to the audience -- which I didn't know what that was at the time, but still, it was fantastic. ... I have since lived in New York City, tried my hand at the Broadway stage, and now am a teacher of Theater Arts at Havelock High School, in Havelock, North Carolina, where I can give back to high schoolers what I have learned and hopefully help them live their dream.
Name: Trisha Tolentino
My Broadway Story: If there ever was a musical as powerful and moving as "The Phantom of the Opera," I probably wasn't around to see it, since the show's about a year older than I. I remember listening to the soundtrack for the very first time when I was 10 and being absolutely amazed and moved to tears. ... I could instantly recognize the brilliance of the music and the lyrics, and how they told the story so beautifully. Since that day (yes, I'll admit it), I've been obsessed with "the man behind the mask" and the musical. I've been a devoted "phan" ever since, and I think I always will be.
Named: Dee Rivellino
My Broadway Story: When "Mame" with Angela Lansbury opened on Broadway in 1966, I was there on opening night and saw the show 27 times, including the last show. I managed to get the show bugle and had each date engraved on the front. It was such a fun show and gave a message that has lived with me all these years: "Life is a banquet and most poor sobs are starving to death." It has been my life's philosophy. Years later, I met and became good friends with Jerome Lawrence, who wrote "Mame." When his house burned [down] in Malibu in the fire of 1993, he lost everything, so I decided to give him the bugle. When he died last April, his estate sent the bugle to the Gershwin Theatre, where it is displayed in a glass case along with other memorabilia of his career. Giving him the bugle was my way of thanking him for giving the world such enjoyment with that wonderful show "Mame."
Name: Ray Fisher
My Broadway Story: I have seen many touring productions in Sacramento and Atlanta; however, I finally had my first opportunity to see my first show on Broadway this last summer. Such a huge difference in the quality of the shows, the cast, the sets, and the overall magical experience. I'm already planning my next trip.
Name: Stephanie G.
My Broadway Story: I saw "Les Misérables" on Broadway when I was 13 years old and I loved it. I knew at that moment that I wanted to pursue a career in theater. It was amazing and I will never forget it. I am currently studying English and theater in college because of that one experience that changed me.
Name: Kenn Bird
My Broadway Story: I was a 12-year-old Midwestern boy sitting in the St. James Theatre with family [and] friends at a hope-to-be-hit called "The Pajama Game." Well, it was, and I was hooked. ... The music, the dancing, the songs -- I had goose bumps and felt I was a part of it and not watching something on a flat screen. There was no other experience to compare it to! Ever since then, I would return again and again these past 50 years or so to the NYC-Broadway experience. ... I thank you for your superb documentation on the greatest of all arts -- the musical.
Name: Jeremy Bloss
My Broadway Story: My wife (then girlfriend) loves musicals. We had just moved to a new town where she did not know about the traveling shows that come through. I convinced her we were going to hear a lecture. The curtain opened on "Jekyll & Hyde." I still get brownie points on that. One thing we were amazed at was the lighting. We came out of there with a new respect for what you can do with lighting. Often the crew of Broadway [shows] goes overlooked. In this case, the crew became a larger character than the actual show. It was absolutely breathtaking.
Name: Mark Saunders
My Broadway Story: Over the summer, my choir, The Young Catholic Musicians, and I went to New York for our annual summer tour. We were able to see six Broadway shows in five days!!! I, however, only got to see five because of not feeling too hot at the performance of "Phantom of the Opera." The other five were: "Thoroughly Modern Millie," "Hairspray," "Aïda" with Deborah Cox, "Fiddler on the Roof," and one heck of a way to finish my favorite summer tour of all, "42nd Street." It was all spectacular!
Name: Katie McMahon
My Broadway Story: I went to see [a revival of] "Peter Pan" at the Gershwin Theatre when I was six or seven years old, give or take. I am now 15. Ever since that show, I have been wanting to become a Broadway actress, like Idina Menzel, my hero. I've seen "Beauty and the Beast," "Lion King," "Aïda," "Les Misérables," "Phantom of the Opera," and "Wicked" two times. Going back to the Gershwin Theatre brings back so many memories. I love "Wicked" and I hope that one day my dream of becoming a Broadway actress will come true. ...
Name: CL
My Broadway Story: The first Broadway show I ever saw was "Phantom of the Opera," as my 10th birthday present. I remember being so excited, because it was the first time I had been in to New York City (even though I only live about two hours away). We always listened to the soundtrack in the car, so I had to be carefully instructed that I was not to sing along with the real actors ... something of a disappointment. That soon fled as soon as we got to the theater. I was completely wide-eyed; I didn't know where to stare first. There were so many sights competing for my attention, until the show started. In all the times listening to the music, I had never imagined a show quite so fantastic. The moment where the chandelier falls still remains etched in my memory.
Name: Anna Rose
My Broadway Story: I was 11 when my mother took me to the greatest city on Earth, NYC. I had started loving everything theater at a young age and was a real little groupie when it came to all of the productions in our tiny Indiana town. On the third day of our visit, my mother and godmother told [me] they had a surprise. They wrapped my mother's scarf around my eyes and led me down the famous street blindfolded! Finally, they took it off right in front of the big outward flashing sign of "Beauty and the Beast." I stood there with my mouth open, trying to fathom that wonderment I felt. Those moments, walking across the busy road and into the lobby to sit down, were the closest to magic I ever [felt]. I haven't forgotten and I never will forget it.
Name: Natasha Perry
My Broadway Story: I have loved shows since I was old enough to speak and walk. I used to perform shows for my family at the age of five, mainly THE WIZARD OF OZ. When I went to see "Wicked" this past year my face lit up as if I was five again, seeing Dorothy walking into Munchkinland. ... The first time I arrived in NYC and saw the lights of Times Square, I knew that this was where I¹d want to be in the future. ...
Named: Cheryl Devall
My Broadway Story: My most extravagant indulgence ever was visiting New York for a day -- from Miami -- in autumn 1996. I'd been a big fan of Savion Glover ever since he'd appeared in "Black and Blue" some years before, and the reviews for his new show, "Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk," were irresistible. So I found a cheap round-trip fare, booked a ticket to a Saturday matinee, and stayed in the city just long enough for lunch at Sardi's and the show before a fast taxi to my return flight. It was absolutely worth it. Savion was brilliant, the show dazzled, and the audience (which that day included actors Andre Braugher and John Lithgow) was ecstatic. The show helped assure me that tap, hip-hop, and the musical could reach audiences who hadn't felt welcome before on Broadway.
Name: Christy Biggs
My Broadway Story: I saw my first Broadway musical in the late '80s when I went to New York with my high school drama club from Fort Worth, Texas. My most vivid memory was the "Free at Last" number from "Big River." I had never been so moved by dramatic performance. I cannot remember the name of the actor playing the slave, Jim, but his voice and performance was superb. I have just about worn out the original cast recording of that show! I have been privileged to see several shows on and off Broadway since that time, but the experience of seeing "Big River" that night has never been equaled.
Name: Ellen Simmons
My Broadway Story: I'm a Detroiter, and have great memories of seeing shows here all my life, particularly actor Charles Laughton READING aloud on stage, but in 1977, I attended a work conference in NYC and had the marvelous luck to see Constance Towers and Yul Brynner on Broadway in "The King and I." I was stunned. Even though I had attended shows at home, this Broadway experience was like no other. New York never meant anything to me before, but after that trip and the three different performances I saw ..., I could understand just why New York was, and is, the best. Nothing else compares to Broadway!
Name: BJ Watt
My Broadway Story: One of my favorite B¹way moments was going to see "Woman of the Year" with Raquel Welch, of all people. When the show started, it was obvious the sound system was not working. After making her entrance, she stopped the show, saying, "You people paid a lot of money to see this and we are going to do it right and start the whole show over!" And they did. The curtain went down and a few minutes later, they raised the curtain and started over again.
Name: Meredith Guzman
My Broadway Story: Over spring break of my ninth-grade year, a friend and her mom took me to New York with them for the week vacation. That's when I first saw "Rent." I had heard the music and already loved it, but seeing it was a whole other thing. Seeing "Rent" on Broadway changed me. There was just something about actually being there and seeing it that was overpowering and empowering at the same time. It was incredible. Then, the summer before 11th grade, I went back to New York with a group from my school. We saw "Rent" again, but this time, we got to go on stage afterward because we knew the guy who played Mark. ... THAT was incredible. I will never forget that moment.
Name: Rose Wolner
My Broadway Story: I had taken my eight-year-old daughter to see a revival of "Hello, Dolly!" starring Carol Channing. It chilled my spine to see Carol Channing at the top of the staircase in the famous "Hello, Dolly!" number. After the show, my daughter, who had seen many a Broadway musical since she was five, commented that "Hello, Dolly!" was her favorite musical of all.
Name: Rob Burns
My Broadway Story: I saw Yul Brynner in "The King and I" at The Masonic Temple in Detroit. That was a thrill I'll never forget ... what a great performer!
Name: Rita Patterson
My Broadway Story: I'll never forget the first time I saw a touring production of "Show Boat" at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle. It blew me away. I was 12 years old and already a big fan of musicals in general. But it was the first show I had seen that really spoke to me. Somehow, at the age of 12, I was able to relate to Julie. Sitting 28 rows back, I could feel her looking out at me. Although I don't remember the actress' name, I will never forget the woman who made me want to become an actress.
Name: Cheri Neil
My Broadway Story: My husband and I had been in New York on business in February 1988, and had wanted to see "Phantom of the Opera," which had just opened. The theater was sold out, and other tickets were so expensive, we just couldn't justify buying them. When we returned home to Dallas, I bought the cast album and became hooked. I learned all the libretto and sang and cried all the time in my car. In April came an opportunity to stop in NYC on our way to Pennsylvania, but we only had time for a Wed. matinee. ... We were able to enjoy Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman in their original roles, and it was our most memorable Broadway experience ever!
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