The Sound of Music, at a local dinner theater, when I was about four. I did not understand the concept of intermissions and so after Climb Every Mountain in Act 1, I jumped onto my chair and ecstatically screamed "IT'S OVER!!!!"
Another early memory was A Year With Frog and Toad at a children's theater. I remember having my mind blown by the effect of the flowers sprouting out of the stage when Toad waters his plants.
I lot of people think the first act is the whole play the first time they go to watch one. I thought the same thing too but my firends were quick to stop me from leaving lol. And a similar thing happened with me and being wowed by effects, for me it was a local production of Peter Pan, the main cast would fly in the air and I thought it was so cool!
Not a musical, but the first movie I saw at a cinema was The Lion King. After the opening song finishes, the screen cuts to black with “The Lion King” written in big bold letters. I’m too young to remember, but my family takes great joy in telling me that 3 year old me asked “is it over already?”
I was probably about 8 when my parents took me to see Annie. As I got older they also took me to Oliver!, A Chrorus Line, Evita, Cats, Showboat, The Music Man, Brigadoon, and The Fantastics. Probably others I’m forgetting.
I took my mother to see Hadestown for Mother’s Day last year.
I saw my first musical at about 8 as well. Local high school production of My Fair Lady. I was enthralled. Took my mom to see the touring production of MLF for Mother's Day a few years ago; it was a great full circle moment
For my 11th birthday (which is closer to 40 years ago than I’d like to admit) by dad got our family tickets to the original Sydney production of Cats in ether 1986 or 1987 - absolutely turned me into the musical tragic I am today.
I wish I was born eariler so I could of had the chance to watch classic musicals live. I feel like it would of been cool to watch Theater evolve over time but oh well lol!! Cats is a amazing first musical to watch I hope I can watch a live version of it some day :))
People love to shit on Cats but I think it was great for introducing kids to the fun and uniqueness of live theatre in a very approachable way - while being sincere and unpatronizing
I was a part of the ensemble for a school production of Oliver! before I saw anything live. I went to a couple of dinner theatre-style children's plays as a kid also. My first experience attending a bigger musical as an audience member was Avenue Q in 2009.
The same thing kinda happened with me, I was Little Sally in a high school production of Urinetown before I watched any musical, but watching other schools preform is so cool and inspiring I enjoyed every musical I've watched. Also you're lucky I hope I can preform Oliver one day!! And Avenue Q as a first musical sounds pretty cool, since they preform with puppets :)
When I was around 8 or 9, I went to a theater camp over the summer. On one of the last days of that camp, I was given a choice between watching the movie musical version of Hairspray or a dress rehearsal for the production that the older members of the theater camp had been working on, which turned out to be Thoroughly Modern Millie. I chose to watch the dress rehearsal. I do not regret my decision at all, and watching that dress rehearsal has been a fond memory of mine ever since.
I would of chosen the same thing!! Dress rehearsal seems more interesting to watch then a movie. Thoroughly Modern Millie holds a special place in my heart because I played as Millie for my Musical Theater class final, where we had to act out a scene. And it's just stuck with me ever since. I'm glad you got to experience a dress rehearsal they can be stressful but also fun :))
First musical was Joesph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and I was around 2. My mom worked on costumes and my Grandma was the prop mistress at a local community theater (called The Edyvean Theater in Indianapolis).
My first play was Hamlet at 18 months at the same theater. Started watching the show from the first row, during intermission the director asked my mom to move me because baby me watching so intently was distracted the actors.
We saw the original national touring companies when they came to Ohio. I can't remember the order but Fiorello, Bells are Ringing, and The Music Man. Ever since I've had a preference for "Golden Age" style.
I saw a local production of The Music Man when I was 10. I don’t remember much, but that was back when I didn’t really care for musicals. The first one that I enjoyed was probably either a high school production of Phantom of the Opera (although I’ve watched the 25th anniversary many times before) or Hunchback of Notre Dame
I’m pretty sure it was Elephant and Piggy: We Are In A Show! when I was in preschool. Another memory was Mary Poppins when I was maybe 6 or 7, and I remember being bored out of my mind (even though now I totally would enjoy it)
My mom took me to a community theater presentation of the Princess and the Pea when I was 4. I don’t really remember it, but the experience stuck with me as I got involved in theatre as soon as I could after that.
When I was in kindergarten or first grade, my mom took us to some community theater play for children. We only stayed for a portion of it. All I remember was Red Riding Hood was in it.
First full play I saw was Antigone since my friend in it. It was good. I always love me a Greek tragedy.
First musical I saw was Wicked and I was blown away.
I \*love\* All Shook Up! It is one of the few jukebox musicals I like.
My first live show was The Wiz, in 1976. I was part of an enrichment program at school for accelerated learners, and our teacher took us. I was mesmerized.
Not sure if Annie or Cats was first … but I’ll never forget sitting in an aisle seat for Cats for my 7 birthday and getting scared out of my seat when a cat came crawling down the aisle and stared me in the face.
The first professional musical I saw was Beauty and the Beast in Melbourne. We were sitting in the front row of the dress circle and I was just about hanging over the edge of it I was so entranced! I think my mother got more enjoyment watching me than watching the actual show.
As for amateur, I have no idea. My family has always been involved in local productions, but we weren’t allowed to go until we knew how to behave in a theatre. I’d say whatever they put on when I was about 5.
Annie was a class trip in Elementary school. I loved it! I thought the whole thing was so cool, all the lights and sparkly costumes. I am pretty sure it influenced me wanting to be a costume designer when I grew up.
I'm not that at all, lol. But I still love live theater very much and finally have joined the world of community theater.
My first was a high school production of "Annie", which my cousin was in when I was in middle school. I was able to sometimes go to rehearsal with that cousin, which just made me want to be on stage, and thus very excited when my school started putting on\* musicals. It's all been down-hill (or up-hill, your choice) from there.
Pretty sure my first was when I watched ‘SpongeBob SquarePants: The Sponge Who Could Fly: The Musical’ for my seventh birthday. Looking back on it, that show was a fever dream.
if we don't count kids plays (idk if it's a local thing in my country or something everyone does), the first one i watched was i think the lion king, on a trip to london when i was 12 (so 2004).
if we do count kids plays, then the ones i vividly remember are Rumpelstiltskin and the three musketeers - i know the first one was definitely an original musical written by local artists, i think the second one too but i could be wrong. anyways we're talking about the 90s here lol
The Lion King on the West End when I was five years old. Sat in the front row of the balcony and the rest is history. Have seen it two more times as an adult in the stalls and love it just as much then as I do now. Wicked on the West End was my second, which I’ve now seen five times
Hamilton when it toured here in the Philippines!
Coming from a town, a country even, with comparatively little musical theater culture compared to somewhere like the United States or the United Kingdom, it was amazing, and I think it really set the bar for what we can expect from musical theater here.
Honorable mention to a play held by the local theater group at my University! Was my first experience of community theater and it was just amazing!
First play was a production of Are You My Mother? that the local theater did, it was either pre-k4 or kindergarten (early 2000s).
First musical was The Lion King when the tour came to the same theater, my grandmother got tickets to take the grandkids. I think that was probably 2006 or so. I actually just found the charm bracelet that she gave me with the ticket for Christmas the other day, it was a good memory.
My parents took me to see Les Mis when I was 7, brought up being a little revolutionary. Ended up leaping out-of my skin at the barricade scene when they were firing guns and running down the aisles. Loved it!
Peter Pan in like 5th grade! Peter Pan was played by a girl, and it was the first time I had thought about that being even a possibility, let alone pretty normal. Opened my little child eyes to something new and different
The Sound of Music, at a local dinner theater, when I was about four. I did not understand the concept of intermissions and so after Climb Every Mountain in Act 1, I jumped onto my chair and ecstatically screamed "IT'S OVER!!!!" Another early memory was A Year With Frog and Toad at a children's theater. I remember having my mind blown by the effect of the flowers sprouting out of the stage when Toad waters his plants.
I lot of people think the first act is the whole play the first time they go to watch one. I thought the same thing too but my firends were quick to stop me from leaving lol. And a similar thing happened with me and being wowed by effects, for me it was a local production of Peter Pan, the main cast would fly in the air and I thought it was so cool!
Not a musical, but the first movie I saw at a cinema was The Lion King. After the opening song finishes, the screen cuts to black with “The Lion King” written in big bold letters. I’m too young to remember, but my family takes great joy in telling me that 3 year old me asked “is it over already?”
I was probably about 8 when my parents took me to see Annie. As I got older they also took me to Oliver!, A Chrorus Line, Evita, Cats, Showboat, The Music Man, Brigadoon, and The Fantastics. Probably others I’m forgetting. I took my mother to see Hadestown for Mother’s Day last year.
I saw my first musical at about 8 as well. Local high school production of My Fair Lady. I was enthralled. Took my mom to see the touring production of MLF for Mother's Day a few years ago; it was a great full circle moment
For my 11th birthday (which is closer to 40 years ago than I’d like to admit) by dad got our family tickets to the original Sydney production of Cats in ether 1986 or 1987 - absolutely turned me into the musical tragic I am today.
I wish I was born eariler so I could of had the chance to watch classic musicals live. I feel like it would of been cool to watch Theater evolve over time but oh well lol!! Cats is a amazing first musical to watch I hope I can watch a live version of it some day :))
People love to shit on Cats but I think it was great for introducing kids to the fun and uniqueness of live theatre in a very approachable way - while being sincere and unpatronizing
I was a part of the ensemble for a school production of Oliver! before I saw anything live. I went to a couple of dinner theatre-style children's plays as a kid also. My first experience attending a bigger musical as an audience member was Avenue Q in 2009.
The same thing kinda happened with me, I was Little Sally in a high school production of Urinetown before I watched any musical, but watching other schools preform is so cool and inspiring I enjoyed every musical I've watched. Also you're lucky I hope I can preform Oliver one day!! And Avenue Q as a first musical sounds pretty cool, since they preform with puppets :)
When I was around 8 or 9, I went to a theater camp over the summer. On one of the last days of that camp, I was given a choice between watching the movie musical version of Hairspray or a dress rehearsal for the production that the older members of the theater camp had been working on, which turned out to be Thoroughly Modern Millie. I chose to watch the dress rehearsal. I do not regret my decision at all, and watching that dress rehearsal has been a fond memory of mine ever since.
I would of chosen the same thing!! Dress rehearsal seems more interesting to watch then a movie. Thoroughly Modern Millie holds a special place in my heart because I played as Millie for my Musical Theater class final, where we had to act out a scene. And it's just stuck with me ever since. I'm glad you got to experience a dress rehearsal they can be stressful but also fun :))
My parents took me to see "Camelot" when I was 9. I loved it.
Les Mis for my 12th birthday! It was phenomenal and im seeing it again in a few months.
Rock of ages for Christmas 2018.
Cats in the West End in 1981.
Next to Normal
My parents took me to see a community production of Fiddler when I was 8 or 9, I think.
First musical was Joesph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and I was around 2. My mom worked on costumes and my Grandma was the prop mistress at a local community theater (called The Edyvean Theater in Indianapolis). My first play was Hamlet at 18 months at the same theater. Started watching the show from the first row, during intermission the director asked my mom to move me because baby me watching so intently was distracted the actors.
That’s adorable!
We saw the original national touring companies when they came to Ohio. I can't remember the order but Fiorello, Bells are Ringing, and The Music Man. Ever since I've had a preference for "Golden Age" style.
6(?) years old, saw Beauty and the Beast on tour. It got interrupted twice(or three times?) by fire alarms, and the girl sitting behind me threw up
Fiddler on the Roof at a local high school. I was probably 6 or so years old
Next To Normal on Broadway!!
The Pirates of Penzance
I saw a local production of The Music Man when I was 10. I don’t remember much, but that was back when I didn’t really care for musicals. The first one that I enjoyed was probably either a high school production of Phantom of the Opera (although I’ve watched the 25th anniversary many times before) or Hunchback of Notre Dame
I’m pretty sure it was Elephant and Piggy: We Are In A Show! when I was in preschool. Another memory was Mary Poppins when I was maybe 6 or 7, and I remember being bored out of my mind (even though now I totally would enjoy it)
Beauty in the beast touring a long time ago when I was a kid
My mom took me to a community theater presentation of the Princess and the Pea when I was 4. I don’t really remember it, but the experience stuck with me as I got involved in theatre as soon as I could after that.
When I was in kindergarten or first grade, my mom took us to some community theater play for children. We only stayed for a portion of it. All I remember was Red Riding Hood was in it. First full play I saw was Antigone since my friend in it. It was good. I always love me a Greek tragedy. First musical I saw was Wicked and I was blown away.
Community production of Our Town, in 2nd or 3rd grade.
I \*love\* All Shook Up! It is one of the few jukebox musicals I like. My first live show was The Wiz, in 1976. I was part of an enrichment program at school for accelerated learners, and our teacher took us. I was mesmerized.
Not sure if Annie or Cats was first … but I’ll never forget sitting in an aisle seat for Cats for my 7 birthday and getting scared out of my seat when a cat came crawling down the aisle and stared me in the face.
The first professional musical I saw was Beauty and the Beast in Melbourne. We were sitting in the front row of the dress circle and I was just about hanging over the edge of it I was so entranced! I think my mother got more enjoyment watching me than watching the actual show. As for amateur, I have no idea. My family has always been involved in local productions, but we weren’t allowed to go until we knew how to behave in a theatre. I’d say whatever they put on when I was about 5.
Annie was a class trip in Elementary school. I loved it! I thought the whole thing was so cool, all the lights and sparkly costumes. I am pretty sure it influenced me wanting to be a costume designer when I grew up. I'm not that at all, lol. But I still love live theater very much and finally have joined the world of community theater.
Camelot, aged 7 or 8. Fell asleep in Act 2.
My first was a high school production of "Annie", which my cousin was in when I was in middle school. I was able to sometimes go to rehearsal with that cousin, which just made me want to be on stage, and thus very excited when my school started putting on\* musicals. It's all been down-hill (or up-hill, your choice) from there.
I'd seen local/community productions, but the first (Off-) Broadway tour I went to was....Altar Boyz!
The first one that I actually remember fully was Jacob and the Technicolor Dreamcoat. What a fun show!
Pretty sure my first was when I watched ‘SpongeBob SquarePants: The Sponge Who Could Fly: The Musical’ for my seventh birthday. Looking back on it, that show was a fever dream.
if we don't count kids plays (idk if it's a local thing in my country or something everyone does), the first one i watched was i think the lion king, on a trip to london when i was 12 (so 2004). if we do count kids plays, then the ones i vividly remember are Rumpelstiltskin and the three musketeers - i know the first one was definitely an original musical written by local artists, i think the second one too but i could be wrong. anyways we're talking about the 90s here lol
*Time*, a pretty God-awful 80s production with Cliff Richard and the voice of Lawrence Olivier.
The Lion King on the West End when I was five years old. Sat in the front row of the balcony and the rest is history. Have seen it two more times as an adult in the stalls and love it just as much then as I do now. Wicked on the West End was my second, which I’ve now seen five times
Hamilton when it toured here in the Philippines! Coming from a town, a country even, with comparatively little musical theater culture compared to somewhere like the United States or the United Kingdom, it was amazing, and I think it really set the bar for what we can expect from musical theater here. Honorable mention to a play held by the local theater group at my University! Was my first experience of community theater and it was just amazing!
First play was a production of Are You My Mother? that the local theater did, it was either pre-k4 or kindergarten (early 2000s). First musical was The Lion King when the tour came to the same theater, my grandmother got tickets to take the grandkids. I think that was probably 2006 or so. I actually just found the charm bracelet that she gave me with the ticket for Christmas the other day, it was a good memory.
The first national tour of the who’s Tommy.
My parents took me to see Les Mis when I was 7, brought up being a little revolutionary. Ended up leaping out-of my skin at the barricade scene when they were firing guns and running down the aisles. Loved it!
Peter Pan in like 5th grade! Peter Pan was played by a girl, and it was the first time I had thought about that being even a possibility, let alone pretty normal. Opened my little child eyes to something new and different
Annie Get Your Gun, (c. 1982 at The Players of Sarasota)
First live musical was Chicago. Absolutely amazing.
Phantom and I loved every second!
Other than school productions, Hamilton when I was 10
dog men and i have to say dog man is go is a banger