As I said last week when discussing the greatest performances by an actor (
HERE), when you are fortunate enough to have seen 300 different Broadway productions, you are even more fortunate to have seen great, even legendary performances. And I have seen some of the greatest actresses to have ever graced the Broadway stage. I've also been lucky to have seen most of the remarkable women on this list more than once. The performances I selected are those that through years have seared themselves into my memory. It was even harder to pare my list down to just fifteen this time. Doesn't it say something when the likes of Audra McDonald, Betty Buckley, Chita Rivera and Patti LuPone
didn't make the cut??!!
300 Shows: Best Performances by an Actress
Nina Arianda - Venus in Fur
Ellen Barkin - The Normal Heart
Laura Benanti - Gypsy
Cynthia Erivo - The Color Purple
Sutton Foster - Violet
Glenda Jackson - Three Tall Women
Angela Lansbury - Mame
Katrina Lenk - The Band’s Visit
Beth Malone - Fun Home
Elaine May - The Waverly Gallery
Idina Menzel - Rent
Cristin Millioti - Once
Donna Murphy - Passion
Bernadette Peters - Follies
Alice Ripley/Emily Skinner - Side Show
BONUS: Best Risk Taken by an Actress: She always plays the bubbly, happy and funny girl. With this show, Kristin Chenoweth took a big chance and played serious, flawed and unhappy. And - though many disagree - I thought she was heartbreaking and brilliant.
Kristin Chenoweth - Promises, Promises
Over the years, I've seen many, many cast replacements. It's always a chance to see a character, a show, in a different light. Some are more successful than others, and it's not always an easy task to take over - especially if the previous actor was acclaimed. Here are my 5 favorite replacements, plus the two best replacement casts, I've seen - so far!
300 Shows: Best Replacements
Betty Buckley - Sunset Boulevard
Petula Clark - Blood Brothers
Sandy Duncan - Chicago
Michael C. Hall - Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Howie Michael Smith - Avenue Q
Cast: Vanessa Williams, Howard McGillin, Brian Stokes Mitchell -
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Cast: Kyle Dean Massey, Marin Mazzie, Jason Danieley -
Next to Normal
#2116
No comments:
Post a Comment