Stage to PageTony Winner and Dear World Star Betty Buckley Shares Her Theatregoing ExperiencesOf which Tony-winning actress did Tony winner and Olivier nominee Betty Buckley say possesses an "unbelievable, stratospheric voice"?
(Clicking on a name bolded in blue will take readers to that actor or show's entry in the Playbill Vault.)
Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti in Once.
Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti in Once.Joan Marcus
"Cristin Milioti kills me. She's such a gifted young actress. And I love Steve Kazee. I cried a lot in that show. I just wept openly. It was so beautiful! I think it's one of the most beautiful productions I've seen on Broadway. I thought the staging, the set, the lights, the music, the adaptation of the music, the two leads' performances, the whole ensemble -- everything was amazing. And, that number where he stands up and sings and she discovers him in the bar, and the whole team dances, killed me. Just killed me."
Heather Headley in Aida.
Adam Pascal and Heather Headley in AidaJoan Marcus
"Unbelievable, stratospheric voice. Amazing!"
Jennifer Holliday in Dreamgirls.
Jennifer Holliday, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Loretta Devine in DreamgirlsMartha Swope
"That kind of rawness—that kind of passion in the theatre—is what I long to hear in the Musical Theatre."
Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera in the original Chicago.
Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera in ChicagoMartha Swope
"Divine. Anything Bob Fosse did was amazing, but that show most especially. I loved Gwen Verdon. I've always been a total Gwen Verdon groupie. And, of course, I love Chita Rivera, too."
Donna McKechnie.
Donna McKechnie
"Donna McKechnie in the "Turkey Lurkey" number of
Promises, Promises was amazing. I watched her every single night for six weeks in the London production from offstage. I just can't get over the way the girl moves. It's just so beautiful, and nobody dances like her. And then, in
Company, she did it again! And, of course, when she sang and danced 'The Music & the Mirror' in
A Chorus Line, she was sublime. She was Michael Bennett's muse and was
awesome, and I was so privileged to get to work with both of them."
Len Cariou in Sweeney Todd.
Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou in Sweeney ToddMartha Swope
"He was amazing…and then later George Hearn. I loved both of them. But I feel like Len Cariou is a kind of big brother to me because we both studied for years with Paul Gavert. We were both Paul Gavert protégées. And George was splendid as Max in
Sunset Blvd."
The finale of Spring Awakening.
John Gallagher, Jr., Jonathan Groff, and Lea Michele in Spring Awakening
"…Beautiful. I stood with everybody else and wept."
Donna King as Bombalurina in Cats.
Donna King in CatsMartha Swope
"When she sang and danced 'Macavity’—Wow!! Sexiest female dancer ever! I love Donna King! I’m a huge fan!"
Tim Scott as Mr. Mistoffelees in Cats.
"The guy was amazing! I mean, when he danced, you just felt joy bubbling up inside your body. It was something that he evoked in an audience that was just glorious. Every time he danced in every rehearsal that I watched him—every dress rehearsal, every performance—he was an absolutely magical guy."
Jane Connell in Mame.
"When I was in college I came to New York on vacation, and
Mame was the first Broadway show I ever saw before I moved here. I saw the original Lansbury production, and I loved, of course, Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur. But when Jane sang 'Gooch's Song,' I was just beside myself. I thought she was the coolest, funniest person I'd ever seen."
The Fred Ebb Award recognizes excellence in musical theatre songwriting, by a songwriter or songwriting team that has not yet achieved significant commercial success.
