TICKET GIVEAWAY TO THE HEIRESS: Win two tickets to see “The Heiress” marking the Broadway debuts of Jessica Chastain (Academy Award nominee for The Help) and Dan Stevens (Matthew Crawley on Downton Abbey), alongside theater veterans David Strathairn (Academy Award nominee for Good Night, and Good Luck), and Judith Ivey (two-time Tony Award winner). It is directed by Moises Kaufman (Gross Indecency, The Laramie Project, I Am My Own Wife, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo)
The Heiress, a celebrated play loosely based on the novel “Washington Square” by Henry James, is the story of Catherine Sloper, the shy and sheltered daughter of a prominent New Yorker, caught between the demands of an emotionally distant father and the attentions of a passionate young suitor. It is playing at Walter Kerr Theater (219 W. 48thStreet) through February 10th, 2013. It opens November 1, 2012.
Answer the question: Who had the best Broadway debut you ever saw? Why was he or she the best?
Three requirements to win the tickets: 1. Please put your answer in the comments at the bottom of this blog post, because the winner will be chosen through Random.org based on the order of your reply (not its content. But you must answer the question, giving the person, the Broadway show in which the person debuted, and your reasons for finding his or her performance the best.)
2. Please include in your answer your Twitter name and follow my Twitter feed at @NewYorkTheater so that I can send you a direct message. (If you don’t have a Twitter name, create one. It’s free.)
3. This contest ends Tuesday, October 9th at midnight ET, and I will make the drawing no later than noon the next day. You must respond to my direct message on Twitter within 24 hours or I will choose another winner.
(The tickets are for specific days this month. You have to be in New York City and able to attend one of the designated performances.)
The most memorable one for me in the past decade was Scarlett Johannson in “A View From The Bridge.” Her Tony win was no fluke; it proved she is the real deal.
1- Hugh Jackman in The Boy from Oz. He had amazing stage presence and charisma!
2- @jeanvic24
@JoshLamon
The broadway debut I will never forget was when the tour of HAIR came back to broadway. Hair is a big cast. And when 90% of your company are making their broadway debuts at the same time…there isn’t enough Kleenex in the world. That’s a lot of dreams coming true and Debts being paid all at once.
Christina Ricci in Time Stands Still.
Twitter: @twittingbr
lee pace in the normal heart. a pretty thankless role in a play so full of powerful characters, but his monologue about the death of his lover with the most harrowing moment for me in the whole thing. saw the arena stage cast in dc and while a wonderful production also, the bruce niles came nowhere near lee’s heartbreaking solemn resonance.
@halehroshan
Douglas Hodge in “La Cage Aux Folles” took my breath away. It was my first exposure to La Cage and my last show with my grandfather. I’ll never forget it.
@jffmiele
Andrew Garfield absolutely blew me away in “Death of A Salesman,” such a powerful, riveting, honest performance!! I was not expecting it from him, only knowing his film work…he is a young man to watch.
Twitter: @ladystardust25
Another vote here for Douglas Hodge in the La Cage revival! An absolutely thrilling performance. He immediately became my favorite actor after seeing the show the first time!
@itsKristinD
Da’Vine Joy Randolph in GHOST the musical. As soon as she stepped out on the stage the audience fell in love with her. She was hysterical! @MicheleW_86
I’ll go with Liz Mikel in “Lysistrata Jones”. in a show with not much to love, she was the high point.
@JoeThomasNYC
Justin Bartha in Lend me a tenor. I went in not knowing what to expect and he (and the rest of ths cast) blew me away.
Meryl Streep’s turn in “The Cherry Orchard” at Lincoln Center in the Joe Papp reign. Hers was an appropriately physical take on her character which in many ways portended many aspects of the career to come!
Lin-Manuel Miranda as Usnavi in In The Heights. Miranda’s portrayal of the bodega owner hoping to escape to his island paradise embodied all the hopes, dreams and fears Hispanics growing and living in NYC feel everyday. His portrayal was a breath of fresh air. He made me laugh, he made me cry, he made me hopeful and he brought me joy.
Twitter: @shirlz1123
Julie McKenzie in Side by Side by Sondheim (also the first Broadway show I ever saw, so it kinda made an impression)
I was very impressed with Katie Holmes’ debut in All My Sons (so I’m eager to see her back on Broadway this season).
@Clairvoyant94
The most memorable performance was seeing Jennifer Garner opposite Kevin Kline in the play Cyrano De Bergerac. Even went back to see them twice outstanding acting.
@noisefunk
December 30th, 2002, my 16th birthday, I had the fortunate chance of seeing Fiona Shaw in Medea (obviously I wasn’t your normal teenager). It was the most magical performance ever. When came on that stage caring her dead children and droping them in the kiddie pool..chills still go down my spine. I wish she would remount it.
@Julessssss
Loved the debuts of all the actors/actresses in Book of Mormon. I could see that show over and over again. @Brianbklyn
Abigail Brelin in The Miracle Worker. It was one of the most inspiring performances I’ve ever seen. That role demands a talented actress and for an actress that was only 13 or 14 at the time to play that role so honestly 8 times a week is incredible. That performance made my level of respect for her as an actress went through the roof. I was appalled when Tony season rolled around and she wasn’t even nominated. It’s one performance I will never forget.
@bridg4491
I loved seeing Twiggy in her Broadway debut in My One and Only. She was able to reinvent herself from a model into a real singer and dancer. It was a commendable debut.
Twitter: @MimiJudith
Fionn Wittrock in Death of A Salesman last spring. I thought he had a great performance and seemed a seasoned professional.. plus i met him years and years ago…so I was a fan!
@gillhurst
Has to be Hugh Jackman in The Boy from Oz…even more amazing because he managed to make a not-so-great musical just electrifying with his talent!
@aprilpix
Lin Manuel Miranda: In the Heights. Brought something different to Broadway in a very special way!
Twitter: elove67
Nina Arianda in Born Yesterday, after her stunning Off-Bway debut in Venus in Furs.
@chaucerquest
Andrew Garfield in the Death of a Salesman because he was more amazing then I could have ever expected!
@bubblebuss
Jim Parsons in The Normal Heart. Funny and heart breaking.
I am also going to go with the cast of Hair when the Tour returned to Broadway. There we so many Broadway debuts that it made for such a truly special show
@stealthcatbg
Corey Cott in Newsies. What a great show and a talented cast. @Lora8787
Rob McClure in Chaplin in his Broadway debut. Very good singer and actor. @steveNYCguy
Lin-Manuel Miranda, In the Heights @randigoblue
I would say Tracie Bennett. She was amazing in End of the Rainbow. That girl brought it for sure.
Twitter:
emmieinthecity
Alex Wong in Newsies because he is a spectacular dancer and I’ve always wanted to see him perform live. Wish he were still in the show. @mymusicboxes
Nina Arianda in Born Yesterday- I couldn’t take my eyes off of her for most of the show, and wanted to return to see it again. @cindys13
Chris Rock in The Mother****** With the Hat. He was far better than I had ever imagined it would be. And the play was very enjoyable. @ScarletPax
Jessie Mueller in On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. What a stunner! That voice! (The show, not so much.) @AshleyRaeBK
Easy. The incredible ensemble cast of METAMORPHOSIS, all but I think 2 of whom were making their Broadway debuts. This was a fantastic and transformative (or should that be metamorphative?) night of theater that I remember clearly 10 years on. If pressed to choose a specific cast member, I’d probably choose Louise Lamson, whose roles enabled her to be incredibly heartbreaking, scary and hilarious in dizzying revolutions.
2. @IntheroleofTed
Jenna Russell in “Sunday in the Park with George.” It is my favorite musical and I had such high expectations going in but she was so captivating and heartbreaking yet very organic and truthful. I wish I could’ve bottled her Dot and relived it again and again!
@alanaenchanted
Tony Sheldon in Priscilla! A tony nominated pro, who never missed a performance, and the nicest man !
@Retailtherapy 10
Josefina Scaglione in the 2009 “West Side Story” revival. Even Sondheim has parodied the dopily heartfelt lovebird Maria (with the even-more-insipid Johanna in “Sweeney”), but Scaglione was incandescent in the role–she’s the rare soprano with warmth and vitality. The stand-out in a dreary cast that’d often call out sick and could barely hit their marks in the “Jet Song.”
@mattweinstock
Daniel Radcliffe in Equus really surprised me. Not only did he have did he bare it all psychically but felt that he gave a nuanced performance that really separated himself from the brand he was established with.
@AMogil
Hands down, Patina Miller in Sister Act. Ten times as beautiful as Whoopi! @rachelysanders
Toni Collette in LaChiusa’s Wild Party. What a gorgeously idiosyncratic singing voice, and in such a moving (though ultimately rather soupy) show. It’s a shame Mandy Patinkin’s antics seem to have scared her away from returning to Broadway. @k_guad
The most memorable debut has to be Hugh Jackman in The Boy from Oz. I just knew that I was watching a unique performer with a unique ability to connect with–and bewitch–an audience.
Carol C
@ceeanne619
Patina Miller in Sister Act because she started in the show as an ensemble member and made it all the way to the lead which lead to her broadway debut and tony nomination
Twitter: @schwartzieduck
John Larroquette in How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. Bigley’s not the most exciting character, but he made him stand out. (@nafmij)
Raven-Symone in Sister Act. Brought her unique brand of comedy, fresh youthful energy, and blew us away with that strong singing voice. Best “stunt-casting” in a while… specifically because she was a celebrity who was actually right for the role. And I thought she was really brave in doing it her own way and really interpreting the role through her perspective. Great show, great performance. (@PattyBallBundy)
Nina Arianda blew me away in Born Yesterday. She was just so interesting and gorgeous and hilarious.
@misslizrichards
Jessie Mueller in ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER. She was so remarkable that you couldn’t take your eyes off her anytime she was onstage, whether or not she was the focus of her scene. She sang the score beautifully and she was all you could talk about once the show was over.
@dfact1
Best debut I’ve ever seen is Adrienne Warren in Bring It On. Great, young talent!
@rachhadley