Top 10 Favorite Broadway Performances I've Seen (Play)

Over the years and through the dozens upon dozens of shows I've been lucky enough to see, I've seen some wonderful actors give fantastic and memorable performances. For my next Top 10 installment,  I've decided to rank my favorite Broadway performances I've seen. To make this feat a little less overwhelming, I am splitting up these rankings and making two lists: one for plays and one for musicals. It was still difficult to narrow down so many excellent performances, but without further ado, here we go!

Nathan Lane in It's Only a Play

photo by Sarah Krulwich

From his iconic voice to his impeccable comedic timing, Nathan Lane is one of Broadway and Hollywood's best. Seeing him in It's Only a Play in 2014 was unforgettable. From the minute he uttered his first line, there was a special buzz that rippled through the audience. It was as if we knew we were about to witness greatness. Mr. Lane exceeded every high expectation I could have possibly imagined. He knows how to play to the audience and exactly how to score a rip-roaring laugh. He made me laugh so hard my sides hurt. If you have the chance to see Nathan Lane in anything, I HIGHLY recommend doing so.

Anthony Boyle in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts 1 & 2 

photo by Manuel Harlan

When I went to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, I had extremely high expectations. I am a huge Potterhead and devoured the script the second it was published. The character I was most excited to see portrayed was Scorpius Malfoy, played by original West End cast member, Olivier Award winner and Tony nominee Anthony Boyle. I thought I had a pretty good grasp of the character after the play, but Mr. Boyle proved me wrong. He took the character in a direction that I never saw coming and I enjoyed every second of it. He had me laughing one moment and gasping for air the next. His performance was one of the most nuanced and thorough I have seen in a very long time. Cursed Child's plot is considered rather controversial amongst Potter fans, but I for one am grateful it exists simply because it brought Anthony's touching performance into existence.

Tracy Letts in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 

photo by Sara Krulwich

In the playwright's Broadway acting debut, Tracy Letts shook me to my core. His character was as bonkers as he was mysterious as he was terrifying. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was one of the first Broadway plays I had seen and Mr. Letts set the bar pretty high when it came to acting performances. It is one I can't stop thinking about, even after all these years. In the moment, I knew that I was seeing something truly special. I was shocked to find out later that Mr. Letts is primarily a playwright, not an actor. Despite that, he gave an absolute master class in the 2012 revival and was exceedlingly deserving of his Tony Award win that season.

Celia Keenan-Bolger in To Kill a Mockingbird

photo by Julieta Cervantes

I have been extremely lucky to have seen the world premiere of To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway twice since its opening this past fall (my full review is coming soon!). The marquee outside the Shubert Theatre practically screams Jeff Daniels' leading role in the show, but the true star of To Kill a Mockingbird is undoubtably Celia Keenan-Bolger as Scout Finch. Ms. Keenan-Bolger is 41 years old, but brilliantly pulls off playing a 7-year-old. Her childlike mannerisms are incredible. The way she shifts her posture and stiffens her hands as she walks undeniably transforms her into a young girl. She gallops across the stage with such youthful innocence, and the alteration of her speech successfully makes her sound younger. Within minutes of the curtain rising, you forget you are watching a grown woman playing a child. She took my breath away, and I can't stop thinking about her touching performance.

Christian Borle in Peter and the Starcatcher

photo by Sara Krulwich

To put it simply, Christian Borle is a comedic genius. He won his first ever Tony Award portraying Black Stasche in the 2012 play Peter and the Starcatcher, and deservedly so. He had the audience in the palm of his hand soon after his entrance and had us in stitches for the entirety of the play. He was fully committed to his outlandish character and he never once lost focus. He was so hysterical that even his co-stars broke into fits of suppressed laughter onstage, which only made the audience laugh even harder. Mr. Borle absolutely stole the show and though he wasn't necessarily the leading man, he treated his character as such. He is quite the versatile actor and he absolutely shines when he can let his comedic skills fly.

Audra McDonald in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill 

photo by Evgenia Eliseeva

Every now and then you might be lucky enough to witness a performance that knocks all the air out of you and takes you several days or even weeks to fully register what you saw. For me, that was Audra McDonald's unparalleled portrayal of Billie Holliday in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill. When I go to see a show starring an actor I greatly admire, it's very difficult for me to see the person as simply the character. Usually I sit there thinking, "wow I'm watching this person performing onstage!" This was not the case for Audra McDonald. She transformed. The Audra McDonald I admired and idolized for years disappeared, and Billie Holliday herself was resurrected right in front of my eyes. Audra's representation of the late singer was uncanny, from her unique voice to her mannerisms. Her Tony Award winning performance rendered me completely speechless, and it took a couple hours after the show to even utter the words, "wow, that was amazing." I don't think I will ever forget Ms. McDonald's legendary performance as Lady Day. Ever. 

Megan Hilty in Noises Off 

photo by Joan Marcus

Megan Hilty proved herself as an excellent comedic actress in the 2016 Broadway revival of Noises Off. She took the role of Brooke Ashton in an entirely different direction than seen before with the character. She deliberately made Brooke a terrible actress, and the new character choice allowed Megan to absolutely steal the show. From counting the number of steps she took to cross the stage, to mouthing everyone else's lines yet forgetting her own, Megan's take on the character was executed perfectly. Her performance earned her a 2016 Tony nomination, and I am still a little sad that she didn't take the trophy home.

Annaleigh Ashford in You Can't Take It With You 

photo by Joan Marcus

Annaleigh Ashford took home the Tony in 2015 for her performance in You Can't Take it With You, and I can confirm for you that her performance was hysterically perfect. Like many of the people on this list, Annaleigh is a brilliant comedic actress and she put those skills to great use. Her gag as a wannabe prima ballerina was gut-bustingly funny and she bounded around the stage with endless energy (in pointe shoes, no less!). I was a big fan of hers prior to seeing You Can't Take it With You, but I gained even more respect for her and remain in awe of her ability to send the audience into laughing fits at a moment's notice.

Micah Stock in It’s Only a Play 

photo by Sara Krulwich

 It's Only a Play marked newcomer Micah Stock's Broadway debut. You would think that in a cast full of A-List stars he would be shuffled to the background, but the complete opposite happened. In It's Only a Play, Mr. Stock played the role of an easily starstruck wannabe actor working as a coat check at a posh Broadway party. As he entered repeatedly with the coats of celebrities like Lady Gaga and Daniel Radcliffe, he quickly stole the show and the audience's hearts. In particular, his terrible performance of "Defying Gravity" towards the end of the show was hysterical. To put the cherry on top, Micah Stock received a well-deserved Tony nomination for his spectacular performance.

Elaine May in The Waverly Gallery

photo by Brigitte Lacombe

 The Waverly Gallery was one of my favorite plays from this year's Broadway season. Elaine May's portrayal of a woman battling Alzheimer's was realistic and devastating to watch. Her performance hit a personal chord with me, as I have watched two of my grandparents suffer from the same disease. It's extremely difficult to watch two people you once knew deteriorate so rapidly, knowing there's not much you can do to help. However there was also a hint of comedy in Elaine May's performance. I found myself laughing at moments I found relatable. Elaine May's character reminded me so much of my own grandmother during her battle with Alzheimer's, so watching her portray the character's decline was a cathartic experience for me. She stole my heart and then broke it right in half.

Don't forget to check back soon for my Top 10 Favorite Broadway Performances I've Seen (Musical), and be sure to take a look at my other Top 10 posts here!

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