Friday 5: 5 Times We Took the Broadway Stage

 5 Times We Took the Broadway Stage

Like many of you reading this, we've dreamed of being on the Broadway stage. Well, it's more of a fantasy (I'm certainly not talented enough to make it!), but over the years, we've been on a few, anyway. Back in the day, I made my "Broadway debut" in The Mystery of Edwin Drood when I was selected to assist in taking the vote for my seating section. I'll never forget it! Actress Tina Paul (as Miss Gwendolen Pynn) pulled me out of my aisle seat, introduced me to the Chairman (the legendary George Rose), and I tabulated the votes on a pad while she counted the votes. Our section picked the murderer that night by a large margin - The Princess Puffer (the also legendary Karen Morrow)! So after that happened, I was aching to get up on the stage. Over the years, Mike and I have had several opportunities to do just that. Here are our five favorite moments:

5. Twelfth Night (Belasco Theatre, 2013) 

What an experience! Not only did we get to see Mark Rylance and Stephen Fry (among others) do first rate Shakespeare up close, but we got to watch the company prepare - make up and costumes. And what a thrill to be able to look out and see the stunning house - the recently revitalized - of the historic Belasco Theater!

4. Rocky: The Musical (Winter Garden Theatre, 2014) 

We splurged on these seats (today they'd probably go for four times what we paid). We had premium center orchestra seats for all of act one and most of act two. Then, when it was time for Rocky to have his famous fight, the show stopped and they moved more than 100 of us from our seats and up onto the stage; it was a feat of organization and efficiency. Then, the boxing ring moved over where our seats were, and we were escorted to seats on bleachers that faced the ring and the rest of the audience. Boy, is the Winter Garden big! Seeing the fight, cheering like maniacs, and watching Andy Karl work was really amazing. My favorite part? Riding the bleachers as they moved around the stage. I felt like a Broadway star!

3. Spring Awakening (Eugene O'Neill Theatre, 2007) 

After seeing the show several times, and wanting to see it one more time before Lea Michele, Jonathan Groff and John Gallagher, Jr. left, we decided to get onstage seating. What a fascinating point of view, and mingling with the actors who also sat there was very interesting. It was a fantastic experience. I found out Skylar Astin was a very sweaty performer, musical director Kimberly Grigsby did the whole show barefoot, and let's just say we saw up close parts of Jonathan and Lea that only their lovers must get to see.

2. Xanadu (Helen Hayes Theatre, 2007) 

Famously, for us at least, we went to Xanadu just to say we saw it. It was sure to be a flop people were saying. Boy were we (and they) wrong! It was great, a big hit, and we went back several times. One of those times, we did on stage seating. What a blast! The lighting, the roller skating up close was a real hoot. I am glad that we saw it from the house first, though, as a lot of it was done in front of us with the cast having their backs to us. But what I will never forget is a moment where Jackie Hoffman and Mary Testa were doing what they do best directly behind me. I turned my head to watch, and without missing a beat, Mary took my head in her hands and turned me forward, much to the delight of the audience and Ms. Hoffman. I was part of a laugh on Broadway!

1. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Circle in the Square Theatre, 2007) 

Mike had the best onstage experience of all, though! He was selected to be a spelling bee contestant. And not only did he compete, he was the last audience member to be eliminated! He got to share the stage with no less than Jennifer Simard, James Monroe Iglehart and Josh Gad. He shares, "It was the most exciting moment of my Broadway career, but I have to admit it's a bit of a blur. Unlike our other onstage experiences, it's a little hard to follow the show itself from that perspective. I wouldn't trade the experience for the world, though!" I have to say that it was such a thrill to watch him do it. He was unflappable, and really a good sport. My favorite part was when he was eliminated and he made a beeline for our seats. What he didn't know was the cast was right behind him the whole way! He sat down and they were right there with him and they sang to him their goodbyes! After the show, they all came out and signed his juice box, which he still has. To a person, they were so nice, and made a point of saying how much they appreciated how he played along. Surely, he should have gotten an honorary Tony, right?

Do you have any onstage experiences? Share with us! Contact me at JKsTheatreScene on most social media platforms.

At This Theater: The Winter Garden

I've often written about my experience seeing my first Broadway show, the 1983 revival of Mame at the Gershwin. But I also have a vivid memory of that day before we even sat down for the show. Early for the matinee, we walked down the block toward Broadway. There it was. The Winter Garden Theatre, with its flickering light name plate and its signature giant billboard, at the time advertising Cats. It was still new, and tickets were very tough to get; an international phenomenon can be like that, especially after winning a Best Musical Tony Award. I remember thinking that I'd never get in there to see it. Ah, the extremity of teenage emotion. Actually, I got my first opportunity to see a show at the Winter Garden less than a year later. Over the years, I've been inside there many times, though I've only seen five different shows there - mainly because two of those shows were there for many years each.

At This Theater:

The Winter Garden

Like many theater-goers of my generation, the Winter Garden was synonymous with Cats, a dark junkyard, that upon entering closed you off from the chaos of Times Square. Since it was primarily an immersive production, especially in the orchestra section, it was difficult to imagine what it looked like as a traditional theater space. Imagine my jaw dropping to the floor the first time I went to see Mamma Mia!

The Shows We've Seen There:  Cats, Mamma Mia!, Rocky, School of Rock, Beetlejuice

How They Rate:

5. Beetlejuice (2019): I'm sure I'll probably get some kickback on this, but I didn't really care for this show. Despite wonderful performances (Alex, Sophia, Rob and Kerry - bravo to each) all around, and some truly clever staging and spectacle, I found it to be a generally tedious affair - one of those shows where a little less of everything would have made it more.

4. Rocky (2014): I might get some kickback on this one, too. Why? Because I really loved it. Andy Karl is such a star, and, if there's any justice, Margo Seibert will be a major one in quick order. We splurged and got "ring side" seats, which afforded us the chance to catch up close the blood, sweat and tears of the climactic fight. What a blast to be on the stage, and on moving scenery to boot!

3. School of Rock (2014): Now here's a show for which I had zero expectations. I knew almost nothing about it, never having seen the movie. And though I had followed its unusual path to Broadway with much interest, I went into it pretty much a blank slate. Maybe that's the way it should always be. The kids were amazing, and Alex Brightman won my heart. We saw the show from the back of the mezzanine, and I'm pleased to report that they offered an excellent view.

2. Mamma Mia! (2001): Say what you will about jukebox musicals, this ABBA-fest set the gold standard for an all out fun evening at the theater. Funny, clever and even touching, I remember the first time I saw it vividly. I literally could not sit still. I was vibrating with joy and excitement. Not everything has to be Sondheim to be great.

1. Cats (1982): Don't even bother emailing me. Yes, the notion of people playing cats is a silly one, and yes, A Chorus Line did the story significantly better. But, the way they did it  - so genuinely artistic - was brilliant. The movement, the singing, the score, the costumes and make-up, and the spectacle of the giant trash culminating in the flight to the Heavyside Layer was all jaw-dropping. And yet, for all of spectacle, there was something so basically theatrical about the presentation. All you have to do is watch the movie to realize that this piece thrives in a live, theatrical environment, and much less so when reality is attempted. Like it or not, Cats changed Broadway now and forever.

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Standing @ Zero: Frozen's Adam Perry (NSFW)

This month we give thanks for an ensemblist with seven Broadway shows (and three national tours) under his dance belt. His career spans classic shows, both revivals and modern, and he's worked with some of theater's best and brightest directors and choreographers. Dancing for charity also plays a major role in Adam Perry's resume; he has appeared in several Broadway Bares events. We are sure you'll be able to see why he's a fan favorite there! These days, he's a citizen of Arendelle, having been with Disney's Frozen since its beginning - a real Standing @ Zero hero!

CONTENT WARNING: Some of the photos below may be NSFW.

Standing @ Zero

Frozen's

Adam Perry

On Broadway, Adam has appeared in Wicked, A Chorus Line, Promises, Promises, Anything Goes, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Rocky and Disney's Frozen. His national tour credits include Wicked, Cats and Sweet Charity. He also appeared on TV's Smash.

with his A Chorus Line co-star, Tony Yazbeck

(above) rehearsing and performing Anything Goes

with his fellow ensemblists from Promises, Promises

The men of Nice Work If You Can Get It

Round 1! Rocky

 Broadway Bares and other NSFW pics

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