The Friday 5: 5 Classic Original Casts I Wish I'd Seen

A lot of theater fans say they wish they had seen the original cast of The Glass Menagerie, including the legendary performance of Laurette Taylor. I could go for that myself. Truth is, I've had the great privilege of seeing many an original cast over the years. Still, there are several I wish I had seen. Here are 5 such classics:

The Friday 5:

5 Classic Original Casts

I Wish I'd Seen

All 5 of the shows on this list are among my all-time favorites. So why did these make the cut?

Fiddler on the Roof
I would have loved to be among the first to hear my favorite opening number, "Tradition." And to witness the legendary Zero Mostel's epic Tevye would be a dream come true. Or how about his duet with Maria Karnilova, "Do You Love Me?"

Guys and Dolls
One of my favorite scores! Man, I would have loved to have seen Vivian Blaine do "Adelaide's Lament!" And is it me, or is Robert Alda's voice intoxicating?

Man of La Mancha
Okay, maybe this is on here because it was the first show I ever did. But seriously, I would love to have seen the original environmental production. And then there's the great Richard Kiley belting out "The Impossible Dream (The Quest)." Sigh.

My Fair Lady
I can't imagine the thrill of being among the first to see this Golden Age show. The full orchestra, the lavish production values. But Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews, right?

West Side Story
Speaking of thrills, I can't imagine how exciting it must have been to hear that score fresh before having memorized every single note. Would I have loved it from the start? And the chance to see Larry Kert as Tony in person...those black and white clips from The Ed Sullivan Show are great and all, but the real thing live in front of me??!

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