Playbill.com's feature series Their Favorite Things asks members of the theatre community to share the Broadway performances that most affected them as part of the audience.
This week we spotlight the choices of singing actress Elena Shaddow (La Cage, The Woman in White, Fiddler on the Roof, Nine), who will offer Always Better: The New Golden Age of Broadway Sept. 6 at 54 Below. The evening will feature the songs of Kerrigan & Lowdermilk, Andrew Lippa, Adam Guettel, Jason Robert Brown, Adam Overett, Scott Alan and more.
Elena Shaddow
(Clicking on a name bolded in blue will take readers to that actor or show's entry in the Playbill Vault.)
"I had always been a fan of his work from various films of his - but getting to see him live was a very different experience. He was so full of kindness and love and it radiated from him through his every word."
"I got to watch him from the wings every night while he divested himself of emotion with grit and those soaring masculine vocals; awe-inspiring and honestly so handsome."
"Celia has the purity and strength of an Archangel. She is beautiful and kind, and the way she sang 'The I Love You Song' still stands out in my memory as one of the finest songs I've ever seen performed live."
"The legend that is Chita Rivera paired with the sweet and beautiful Antonio performing a tango will forever stay in my memory as the most exquisite duet ever. Such style and sexiness from two gorgeous people rolled into one fantastic dance."
"While not a Broadway performance exactly, getting to witness Audra’s work live and in person taught me so much about integrity and strength through performance. She breaks convention every single time she performs, and Mother Superior was no exception."
The Entire Cast of Not By Bread Alone at NYU Skirball Center
"Again, not a Broadway performance, but this company of deaf-blind actors personified every actor’s need to connect with humanity; to say I was humbled by this show would be a huge understatement. It was incredible."