I am a firm believer in the powers of theatre. I believe theatre is capable of much more than entertainment—it can provide you an escape, lead you to ask questions, and force you to see the world from a different perspective. Playbill’s website has a series where they have Broadway performers share their favorite theatregoing experiences. I’ve had multiple theatre experiences that played major roles in fostering my love of the arts and that I truly consider to be life changing, so I figured I would share them with you. These are my favorite theatregoing experiences of all time:
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
I bought the script for this show at Target on a whim last summer, and I ended up devouring the entire thing in two days. Although I had only read one Harry Potter book at the time, I found the script to be utterly thrilling and heartwarming. I knew I had to see it performed on stage, and I got to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway last November. The show is a spectacle that uses mind-blowing special effects to create the magic of Harry Potter. To this day, I don’t know how they do some of the magic. The show is performed in two parts, each at three hours long, so it is not a brief piece of theatre. Even so, the play whizzes by. The story is like a moving train: you hop on and brace yourself for the wild journey ahead.
Ramin Karimloo in Les Misérables
Les Misérables was one of the first musicals I ever saw on Broadway, and it left me absolutely blown away. I found it to be stunning and heartbreaking. I cried (literally) six times. Although I loved the entire production, the standout for me was Ramin Karimloo as Jean Valjean. He has a gorgeous baritone voice, and he possesses a warmth onstage that made it so easy to feel attached to him and cheer him on through the show’s trials and triumphs.
Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
The Great Comet was the first immersive, experimental piece of theatre I had seen, and it completely changed my idea of what theatre can be. The show transformed every inch of Broadway’s Imperial Theatre into a 19th-century Russian supper club. With the renovation, they added seats to the stage, which is where I got to sit. I had Broadway actors performing on all sides of me. In addition, the performers interacted with me and the other audience members onstage. The actors sat at our table, gave us pierogies, and hand delivered us love letters. It was incredible to witness such a beautiful piece of theatre while being right at the center of the action.
Jessie Mueller in Waitress
I completely fell in love with Waitress, which is an emotional piece of theatre that is equally charming and funny. I was most moved by Jessie Mueller as Jenna. Jessie Mueller is a unicorn on stage—seriously, she is one of a kind. Her voice has such a rich and unique tone and watching her feels magical because of how present she remains throughout the entire show. Even when she wasn’t speaking, I loved watching her reactions to the other characters onstage. Something about her is so vulnerable and honest. It’s impossible not to root for her.
Jessica Vosk in Wicked
This is the only show on this list that I saw on its national tour rather than on Broadway. When I saw Jessica Vosk as Elphaba, it was my fifth time seeing Wicked. I was just looking forward to basking in one of my favorite musicals all over again, but as soon as Jessica began singing “The Wizard and I,” I was floored. I got chills throughout my entire body. Every time she sang, I was mesmerized by her. Her voice is stunning, and she pulled off riffs that I’ve never heard any other Elphaba manage to do before. She embodies the definition of a star, and I was not at all surprised that she moved to the Broadway company a year later.
Hamilton
I’ve already written an entire blog post about this experience, but seeing Hamilton on Broadway changed my life. I saw it at the end of one of the most difficult periods of my life, and it made me feel grateful to be alive. It is unmatched in its originality and the strides it has made for people of color. I’m thankful that we are alive at a time where you can see such boundary-breaking, genius work living and breathing on Broadway.
Dear Evan Hansen
I first saw Dear Evan Hansen in previews back in 2016, and while I loved it, it wasn’t until I saw the show for a second time in 2018 that it truly made me feel changed. Dear Evan Hansen made me feel validated and heard. I found myself able to connect with it because the show draws on the universal feeling of loneliness, something that everyone has experienced at some point in their life. To me, it perfectly verbalizes the feelings of being an outsider and not fitting in. I sat in the front row and sobbed so hard that the person next to me turned to ask if I was okay. With seeing the show a second time, I also got to pay attention to some more complex details, such as the similarities between Evan and Connor, as well as the universal experiences that link every character in the show to every person in the audience. It is a heartbreaking and healing piece of theatre that I recommend to any person that has a pulse.
Cami and her friend, Abby
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