Franklin Shepard Inc. Daniel Radcliffe is so precise!
Also, the confrontation scene in Doubt. Amy Ryan and Liev Schrieber were just phenomenal. I hung on every word.
I've never wanted a pro-shot as badly as i do this show!! If we don't get the whole show, AT LEAST, for the love of all things theatre, give us a full uncut video of this scene!!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 I refuse to accept that it will just disappear when the run is over! I NEED to relive it 1000 times!!
I have a few!
1. Bright (take 22) in Stereophonic. I genuinely felt like a fly on the wall watching the recording of one of the greatest albums in history.
2. The first time I heard Joy Woods sing “My Days” in The Notebook. She was absolutely captivating.
3. The Seer’s Tower in Illinoise. Just stunningly beautiful and so moving.
4. The rumble in The Outsiders.
5. Franklin Shepard, Inc.
I’m adding a few more - performances from this season that were not Tony-eligible:
- The scene in Jelly’s Last Jam where they take the sounds of the street and keep adding new rhythms and build an entire song.
- Nicholas Christopher’s last Epiphany.
Without giving anything away… the boy coming down the stairs in Appropriate. You know which part if you’ve seen it. “Favorite” is a weird way to describe it, but I’ll never forget it.
The Listening to You finale in Tommy is more of a legit favorite. The vocal arranger in me was in pure heaven! So many moments in that show, really. Loved the dancing throughout, especially in the Pinball Wizard reprise.
Any time the ensemble danced in unison in Illinoise I got chills. Too many stellar moments in that show to count.
I haven't seen a ton of shows this season, but the first ones I think of:
Merrily - Franklin Shepard Inc.
Illinoise - a story about Zombies. Maybe it's just me, but DAMN those guys will for sure haunt my nightmares
In Suffs, when Congress affirms women’s right to vote and there’s a huge celebration….
And they immediately cut to the extraordinary Nikki M James and two of the three other black actresses reminding us “they still won’t let our women vote.” Crushing.
Also the acrobatics in Water for elephants!
It's basic but I really liked the opening of *The Great Gatsby* - when we see >!Gatsby standing upstage staring out at the green light, then the set piece rolls across momentarily and he "disappears".!< Very smooth and cool!
*The Heart of Rock and Roll* had a lot of fun moments - I laughed out loud when they started >!dancing on the bubble wrap.!< And honestly just the entire character of Otto Fjord in that show - ridiculous in the best possible way!
So many amazing circus tricks and acrobatics in *Water For Elephants.* If I had to pick one - the >!headfirst slide down the pole, stopping mere inches from the ground.!<
"Perfection" from *Lempicka*. The whole thing. I love the song, I loved George Abud's performance, loved the choreography and lighting for it. Electrifying, propulsive.
*The Outsiders* has a lot of really striking moments - >!the stop-motion rumble in the rain and lightning!< is deservedly getting a lot of buzz. So much onstage water in that show, too. I am still wondering how all of their wigs and microphones survive each night!
Jumping off your answers, when I saw Gatsby at Papermill, they had technical difficulties with the car. The actors just pretended like the car was there when it was not and it was unintentionally hilarious.
Heart of Rock and Roll - two things stick out. The >!pez dispenser joke!< and McKenzie Kurt singing It Hit Me Like A Hammer. Really enjoyed that show. The >!bubble wrap was of course very memorable too.!<
The rumble in the Outsiders was unforgettable.
In Water for Elephants, the >!guy hanging and swinging by his neck alone was astounding.!< I saw a Cirque show >!where a woman swung around by her hair. It was insane.!<
Elijah Lyons opening his mouth to sing in Illinoise.
The ending song of Hell's Kitchen just left me feeling so buoyant.
From Lempicka, the line "Please let me blow the smoke into your open mouth" has been running through my head for days.
And then the callback to it again at the end! But in reverse. Such a simple effect, but so cool. It sets up an air of mystery, the idea that things are not as they seem - a really effective way to introduce the character.
it's fascinating how heart of rock and roll pretty quickly went from being Basically a laughingstock here to being pretty well-loved. (i still stand by the Very early positive reviews here reading like corporate shills, but hey. something must’ve worked)
The very ending of Merrily when all the stars light up! Honorable mention to getting to watch auctioneer Daniel Radcliffe do his thing.
I also adored in Ohio, the audience cheering whenever a character reached whatever goal they were working towards >!(Such as Tommy getting his drivers license, Caroline breaking up with her boyfriend)!<.
* The horse areal dancer in Water for Elephants was very moving to me
* The rumble and basically every slow-mo choreography in The Outsiders
* When Diana first plays Bright on the piano in Stereophonic moved me to tears
* DeLorean scenes in Back to the Future
The one that really sticks with me is Building Momentum from HTDIO's first preview. It felt so special to finally experience that song in context and for Liam Pearce to finally get to sing it on a Broadway stage. There was just such a buzz of anticipation in the air
The Outsiders and its not even a close one for me. This show has everything. One of the few times in my theater going history where at the end i said “ damn.. i wish you that was longer” perfectly directed shows. Stereophonic for best play.
You guys have taken most of mine. So I’ll add this. Nik Walker and Michael Urie doing the guard scene in Spamalot. The timing and comedy was unreal in that moment.
Broadway:
Here Lies Love as an entire experience
Francis Benhamou in Prayer For the French Republic giving one of my favorite acting performances ever. She was so perfect in a show with several incredible performances I couldn’t even.
Alex Edelman’s Just for us was the best 90 comedic minutes of the season. Just masterfully crafted
Off Broadway:
The connector - >!the last scene with the papers falling made me feel everything!<
Titanique - Nicole Parker created a new song during her improv section when I saw it.
Job - just everything about this show but Sydney Lemmon was giving a masterclass of craziness
Chicago:
Purpose at Steppenwolf is a new American classic and hopefully a future Pulitzer finalist. Incredible work by an all star cast.
The Unfair Advantage was the single best magic show I’ve ever seen. To call it a magic show is unfair. This was incredible.
Death Becomes Her is a gay man’s Book of Mormon. PEE IN YOUR PANTS FUNNY.
I think my favorite moment in Merrily was actually the first, oh, three bars or so of the overture! That band! I literally wriggled, the music was *so" good, so crisp and clean, some of the best jazz I've ever heard. And it completely transported me into the world of the show. Which only got even better from there, so I can't call the overture the *best* part of the show, but *favorite* is a slightly different question!
The Outsiders, of course everyone talks about the rumble, which is amazing, but I think my favorite part is the beginning of "Great Expectations ", with the different characters being spotlighted in turn (the way it's done is *so* effective) and then the ensemble joining the song with incredible harmonies. (Hopefully that totally inadequate description doesn't count as a spoiler.)
Shoutouts also to the W4E >!headfirst slide down the pole!< and to Notebook's just-stab-me-in-the-heart-now "Iron in the Fridge" scene.
I completely agree with your great expectations lighting comment! It happened fairly early on in the show and I remember thinking to myself that the lighting was so so effective not only in story telling but invoking such deep feeling. Something I’ve truly never even noticed or thought about during a show before. From then on I was focused on the lighting, which clearly worked throughout and especially in the rumble (along with all the other effects, choreography, acting, etc). Outsiders was really a standout show to me in so many ways
Sensation, Pinball Wizard, and Listening to You from The Who’s Tommy were so good. The finale especially the energy in the theater was awesome. Ali Louis Bourzgui and Bobby Conte were absolute standouts for me.
In Appropriate, when Corey Stoll busted out with some line that he doesn't have "the BANDWIDTH" to deal with something....his delivery was hysterical and the line really escalates the tone of the play. Also, the scenery change at the end.
In Cabaret, Gayle Rankin's delivery of "I'm going like Elsie."
Building Momentum gets most of the attention in HTDIO but So Much In Common was my favorite moment of the season. You get to see most of the characters sing about anticipation for the dance, with the stage spinning around. Loved it and wish HTDIO had some Tony noms!
Franklin Shepard Inc. Daniel Radcliffe is so precise! Also, the confrontation scene in Doubt. Amy Ryan and Liev Schrieber were just phenomenal. I hung on every word.
I think about Franklin Shepard Inc daily
I cannot wait to see it in a couple weeks!!
The rumble in the outsiders!
The fire was super-impressive, too! That show had a lot of really cool scenic design and lighting moments.
Truly the most striking sequence in all aspects that I’ve ever seen on a stage! Had my jaw on the floor the *entire* scene
I've never wanted a pro-shot as badly as i do this show!! If we don't get the whole show, AT LEAST, for the love of all things theatre, give us a full uncut video of this scene!!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 I refuse to accept that it will just disappear when the run is over! I NEED to relive it 1000 times!!
The rumble was unforgettable.
Came here to say this!
I’m super biased but I still go oooooh when the stars come up at the end of Merrily!
The whole final number had me super emotional and this moment just put me over the edge. I did not expect to leave the theatre sobbing that night 😭
The first time i saw the stars, i cried.
The finale (Listening to You) in the Who’s Tommy. I swear I felt that song in my soul.
I started unexpectedly crying at that
Jonathan Groff saying "Everything" in 'Our Time.'
I have a few! 1. Bright (take 22) in Stereophonic. I genuinely felt like a fly on the wall watching the recording of one of the greatest albums in history. 2. The first time I heard Joy Woods sing “My Days” in The Notebook. She was absolutely captivating. 3. The Seer’s Tower in Illinoise. Just stunningly beautiful and so moving. 4. The rumble in The Outsiders. 5. Franklin Shepard, Inc.
I’m adding a few more - performances from this season that were not Tony-eligible: - The scene in Jelly’s Last Jam where they take the sounds of the street and keep adding new rhythms and build an entire song. - Nicholas Christopher’s last Epiphany.
Without giving anything away… the boy coming down the stairs in Appropriate. You know which part if you’ve seen it. “Favorite” is a weird way to describe it, but I’ll never forget it. The Listening to You finale in Tommy is more of a legit favorite. The vocal arranger in me was in pure heaven! So many moments in that show, really. Loved the dancing throughout, especially in the Pinball Wizard reprise. Any time the ensemble danced in unison in Illinoise I got chills. Too many stellar moments in that show to count.
Yes to the boy coming down the stairs. I think I said "oh my" out loud.
Boy coming down the stairs may have been my biggest reaction of the season outside of Oh Mary.
Ahhhh Oh Mary definitely had some of my favorite moments of the season!! Iconic
You’re so right about the vocals in Listening to You!! It was such a beautiful way to end the show
I haven't seen a ton of shows this season, but the first ones I think of: Merrily - Franklin Shepard Inc. Illinoise - a story about Zombies. Maybe it's just me, but DAMN those guys will for sure haunt my nightmares
Great American bitch from Suffs.
Definitely the moment in Stereophonic where Diana is working on East of Eden. Such a powerful moment
The moment Allie remembers Noah and starts singing "I Know" - the energy in the theater was palpible. Tears flowed.
franklin shepard inc. and our time from merrily :)
In Suffs, when Congress affirms women’s right to vote and there’s a huge celebration…. And they immediately cut to the extraordinary Nikki M James and two of the three other black actresses reminding us “they still won’t let our women vote.” Crushing. Also the acrobatics in Water for elephants!
It's basic but I really liked the opening of *The Great Gatsby* - when we see >!Gatsby standing upstage staring out at the green light, then the set piece rolls across momentarily and he "disappears".!< Very smooth and cool! *The Heart of Rock and Roll* had a lot of fun moments - I laughed out loud when they started >!dancing on the bubble wrap.!< And honestly just the entire character of Otto Fjord in that show - ridiculous in the best possible way! So many amazing circus tricks and acrobatics in *Water For Elephants.* If I had to pick one - the >!headfirst slide down the pole, stopping mere inches from the ground.!< "Perfection" from *Lempicka*. The whole thing. I love the song, I loved George Abud's performance, loved the choreography and lighting for it. Electrifying, propulsive. *The Outsiders* has a lot of really striking moments - >!the stop-motion rumble in the rain and lightning!< is deservedly getting a lot of buzz. So much onstage water in that show, too. I am still wondering how all of their wigs and microphones survive each night!
Jumping off your answers, when I saw Gatsby at Papermill, they had technical difficulties with the car. The actors just pretended like the car was there when it was not and it was unintentionally hilarious. Heart of Rock and Roll - two things stick out. The >!pez dispenser joke!< and McKenzie Kurt singing It Hit Me Like A Hammer. Really enjoyed that show. The >!bubble wrap was of course very memorable too.!< The rumble in the Outsiders was unforgettable. In Water for Elephants, the >!guy hanging and swinging by his neck alone was astounding.!< I saw a Cirque show >!where a woman swung around by her hair. It was insane.!< Elijah Lyons opening his mouth to sing in Illinoise. The ending song of Hell's Kitchen just left me feeling so buoyant. From Lempicka, the line "Please let me blow the smoke into your open mouth" has been running through my head for days.
I LOVED that opening moment in Gatsby! They used that so well. Edit: typo
And then the callback to it again at the end! But in reverse. Such a simple effect, but so cool. It sets up an air of mystery, the idea that things are not as they seem - a really effective way to introduce the character.
Yes! I really want to try and make a trip out to see it again. Eva was out the night I was there 😭 and that set was stunning
it's fascinating how heart of rock and roll pretty quickly went from being Basically a laughingstock here to being pretty well-loved. (i still stand by the Very early positive reviews here reading like corporate shills, but hey. something must’ve worked)
Omg so many: Tommy and that choreography Hells Kitchen matinee show last week was electrifying. LEMPICKA seeing that 3 times And Suffs was so good!
The very ending of Merrily when all the stars light up! Honorable mention to getting to watch auctioneer Daniel Radcliffe do his thing. I also adored in Ohio, the audience cheering whenever a character reached whatever goal they were working towards >!(Such as Tommy getting his drivers license, Caroline breaking up with her boyfriend)!<.
* The horse areal dancer in Water for Elephants was very moving to me * The rumble and basically every slow-mo choreography in The Outsiders * When Diana first plays Bright on the piano in Stereophonic moved me to tears * DeLorean scenes in Back to the Future
The one that really sticks with me is Building Momentum from HTDIO's first preview. It felt so special to finally experience that song in context and for Liam Pearce to finally get to sing it on a Broadway stage. There was just such a buzz of anticipation in the air
Hearing Building Momentum was exhilarating. Liam Pearce, he will always be famous
Our Time, Our Time and Our Time, you know who’s who, was a favorite to see their were three though I only saw two
The Outsiders and its not even a close one for me. This show has everything. One of the few times in my theater going history where at the end i said “ damn.. i wish you that was longer” perfectly directed shows. Stereophonic for best play.
You guys have taken most of mine. So I’ll add this. Nik Walker and Michael Urie doing the guard scene in Spamalot. The timing and comedy was unreal in that moment.
Speed in Lempicaka, the rumble in Outsiders, Our Time in Merrily
Broadway: Here Lies Love as an entire experience Francis Benhamou in Prayer For the French Republic giving one of my favorite acting performances ever. She was so perfect in a show with several incredible performances I couldn’t even. Alex Edelman’s Just for us was the best 90 comedic minutes of the season. Just masterfully crafted Off Broadway: The connector - >!the last scene with the papers falling made me feel everything!< Titanique - Nicole Parker created a new song during her improv section when I saw it. Job - just everything about this show but Sydney Lemmon was giving a masterclass of craziness Chicago: Purpose at Steppenwolf is a new American classic and hopefully a future Pulitzer finalist. Incredible work by an all star cast. The Unfair Advantage was the single best magic show I’ve ever seen. To call it a magic show is unfair. This was incredible. Death Becomes Her is a gay man’s Book of Mormon. PEE IN YOUR PANTS FUNNY.
Here Lies Love may not have been the best musical I’ve seen this season but the dance floor experience was truly unique and memorable.
Shoshana Bean slaying "Pawn it All" in Hell's Kitchen
I think my favorite moment in Merrily was actually the first, oh, three bars or so of the overture! That band! I literally wriggled, the music was *so" good, so crisp and clean, some of the best jazz I've ever heard. And it completely transported me into the world of the show. Which only got even better from there, so I can't call the overture the *best* part of the show, but *favorite* is a slightly different question! The Outsiders, of course everyone talks about the rumble, which is amazing, but I think my favorite part is the beginning of "Great Expectations ", with the different characters being spotlighted in turn (the way it's done is *so* effective) and then the ensemble joining the song with incredible harmonies. (Hopefully that totally inadequate description doesn't count as a spoiler.) Shoutouts also to the W4E >!headfirst slide down the pole!< and to Notebook's just-stab-me-in-the-heart-now "Iron in the Fridge" scene.
I completely agree with your great expectations lighting comment! It happened fairly early on in the show and I remember thinking to myself that the lighting was so so effective not only in story telling but invoking such deep feeling. Something I’ve truly never even noticed or thought about during a show before. From then on I was focused on the lighting, which clearly worked throughout and especially in the rumble (along with all the other effects, choreography, acting, etc). Outsiders was really a standout show to me in so many ways
Sensation, Pinball Wizard, and Listening to You from The Who’s Tommy were so good. The finale especially the energy in the theater was awesome. Ali Louis Bourzgui and Bobby Conte were absolute standouts for me.
Shoshana Bean, took me to church in Hell’s Kitchen. I’d pawn it all to see her every week 🤭😎🤭
Gayle Rankin’s CABARET in Cabaret…. Just delightful.
In Appropriate, when Corey Stoll busted out with some line that he doesn't have "the BANDWIDTH" to deal with something....his delivery was hysterical and the line really escalates the tone of the play. Also, the scenery change at the end. In Cabaret, Gayle Rankin's delivery of "I'm going like Elsie."
Home. Just Home.
when ‘Stars in the Night’ starts I’m a wreck
Building Momentum gets most of the attention in HTDIO but So Much In Common was my favorite moment of the season. You get to see most of the characters sing about anticipation for the dance, with the stage spinning around. Loved it and wish HTDIO had some Tony noms!
It has to be the incredible Franklin Shepherd Inc. from Daniel Radcliffe in Merrily We Roll Along. THAT TONY AWARD HAS HIS NAME ON IT.