Even during a time of mandatory separation, music has the power to bring people together. Amid the distancing and loneliness that COVID-19 has thrust upon us, music lovers from around the world are finding hope and comfort in amazing music video collaborations.

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10 We Are the World

More than 70 members of the Long Island music scene united to create “We Are the World 2020 — The Quarantine Mix, Long Island.” They joined forces “to bring a little hope and healing to New York and the world during this COVID-19 crisis that impacts us all.”

All of the musicians worked virtually from the safety of their own homes to record and video their individual parts on home studio gear or smartphones and then sent their parts to be edited into the finished piece. Sit back and enjoy.

9 What the World Needs Now Is Love

Students from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Berklee College of Music delivered an inspiring virtual performance to bring their community together, performing “What the World Needs Now is Love” by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

Shelbie Rassler, a senior composition major at Boston Conservatory, coordinated the project from her home in South Florida. She recruited performers with a simple Facebook announcement:

“Your job is to just take a video of yourself singing (literally, pick any part/the whole song/just 10 second/riff to the gods/up to you!!), playing your instrument along to the track, choreographing a dance to the music, or anything your heart desires. I’ll cut everything up, create an arrangement from what y’all send me, and share it with you because WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE SWEET LOVE, Y’ALL. LET’S MAKE IT HAPPEN.”

A pianist friend played the accordion, while a percussionist who didn’t have access to his instruments improvised with rice in a salt shaker.

“While we’re in quarantine or whatever everyone is dealing with during these scary and uncertain times,” Rassler told NPR, “we can still do the things we love from our home and we can still collaborate and reach out to our friends and be in touch with our friends and create art together.”

Bacharach himself responded to the video, telling NPR he “felt very proud and honored to see and hear my song performed by these extremely talented students from the Berklee School of Music. It’s great seeing them find ways to be creative and stay connected to each other while maintaining social distance.”

8 Close to You

Last month, the Pub Choir “asked the internet to stop misery-scrolling for a moment and to sing with us!” In just two days, more than 1,000 people from 18 countries submitted video performances of The Carpenters’ “Close to You.” Every submission that was successfully received was manually added to the collective. The result is a magical “Couch Choir” performance.

“We can’t adequately express in words what a gift your videos were to us,” Pub Choir wrote. “Each was like unwrapping a beautiful, personal, virtual hug. Thanks for trusting us with your voices and for sharing your lives with us for a few minutes.”

7 Here Comes the Sun

Camden Voices is a collective of talented musicians at the leading edge of contemporary ensemble singing. The 30-piece choir comprises passionate singers, instrumentalists, and educators from across London who are unified by their shared love of music.

In this self-isolation virtual choir cover, Camden Voices is bringing the sunshine indoors. “So awesome!” said one commenter. “The virus is like the cold winter. Sun comes from a human voice made out of devotion and training. Totally inspiring. Keep doing it. Peace & Blessings.”

6 You’ve Got a Friend

“From all over the world, in these most challenging times, the cast of ‘Beautiful’ wants you to know that ‘You’ve Got a Friend.’” The worldwide cast, in quarantine, recorded this compilation for The Actors Fund. It’s a touching arrangement that features the actors doing what they do best, but doing it from the safety of home.

One viewer commented: “OMG, this is so uplifting! I wish everyone around the world could stay joined in caring…that these precious moments would live on after the pandemic. Blessings of health and safety to our world.”

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5 Hope for the Future

In a spectacular collaboration, 32 trumpet stars filmed and recorded themselves in isolation on a new inspirational song written by Matt Catingub. The video is a “tribute to the frontline heroes around the globe: our healthcare workers dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Each player is identified by name and country flag. It’s an impressive collection of talent.

“Representing 14 different countries, classical soloists, jazz artists, military personnel, educators, and rock stars from the Dave Matthews Band and Chicago, ‘A Hope for the Future’ is dedicated to all those around the world who care for us during this time of crisis and beyond.”

“Hope for the Future” was inspired by celebrated trumpet player Ryan Anthony, who is sequestered in the hospital and battling cancer. He is one of the musicians featured in this special performance.

4 Over the Rainbow

When their annual choir concert was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, these Chino Valley Unified School District students performed their acapella cover of “Over the Rainbow” virtually instead.

Reactions were positive and supportive. Fans expressed a desire for more music like this and fewer contrived performances by celebrities.

“MUCH better and more beautiful and authentic than the celebrity ‘Imagine,” said one fan. “Would love to hear more from these young guys and gals. That was lovely and uplifting and hopeful!!!”

3 What a Wonderful World

Fans felt the same way about a video posted by John Foreman’s Aussie Pops (Isolation) Orchestra. “This made me feel hopeful,” remarked one viewer. “A stark contrast to the cringe I felt watching those tone-deaf celebrities singing ‘Imagine’ in their mansions. Thank you.”

The video begins with the caption, “The Aussie Pops Orchestra has never ‘phoned it in’ … until now.” The talented Australian artists then deliver a beautiful rendition of “What a Wonderful World.” Foreman shared his vision for a return to normalcy. “Please stay safe. And when this current crisis is over, arts communities everywhere will be looking for your face in the audience! We hope it’s not too long before we can experience live music, together in the same room.”

2 Boléro

New York City has suffered tremendously from the pandemic. Members of the New York Philharmonic are doing their part by staying home in an effort to assist the first responders, nurses, and doctors who are unable to do so.

This rousing video is accompanied by a caption that reads, “The musicians of the New York Philharmonic dedicate this performance of Ravel’s ‘Boléro’ to the healthcare workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis. #ClapBecauseYouCare”

One viewer found the song to be especially fitting: “Bolero is metaphorical of getting out of quarantine–first few steps out by a timid human soul and slowly all the footsteps growing until thousands take over the streets again.”

The honorees are grateful for their efforts. “I have been a registered nurse in New York City for these past 35 years,” wrote Miles Clifford. “The past month has been insurmountably difficult for all of the healthcare team (but not as difficult as it has been for many of the poor souls for whom we are caring). A tribute such as this brings joy to my heart which, presently, aches for the world.”

1 Lux Aurumque

In this captivating video compilation, Grammy-winning composer and conductor Eric Whitacre delivers a groundbreaking virtual performance of “Lux Aurumque.” Whitacre’s choral composition is a Christmas piece based on a Latin poem, which translates to “Light, warm and heavy as pure gold, and the angels sing softly to the newborn babe.”

Whitacre created a downloadable score and track of himself conducting, then added the thousands of contributed videos into the collaborative virtual choir. The video features 243 tracks recorded by 185 singers from 12 countries. It is absolutely beautiful.

+ Bridge Over Troubled Waters

The coronavirus outbreak prevented the Voice of Miami children to rehearse in person. “So we decided to send some love out to the virtual world by dusting off an old song that means a lot to us.”

It was the group’s first try at a virtual choir with the song, and it is heartwarming. “Singing in a choir requires active listening, blending, cutting off together, and so much more,” Voice of Miami wrote. “As we approach this new way of making music, we will be challenged to hone our individual skills to maximize our #virtualchoir blend and sound. Nothing can replace making music together in person, but until then, let’s #keepthemusicgoing friends.”

++ Don’t Stand So Close to Me

Sting, Jimmy Fallon, and The Roots joined forces to recreate a quarantine remix of “Don’t Stand So Close to Me,” a fitting song for this era of social distancing. The vocals (Fallon can really sing!) were accompanied by musicians playing “at-home instruments,” including scissors, pot lids, and even Connect 4! It’s a lighthearted performance that promotes a serious cause: Frontline Foods.

“As an ICU nurse, I can tell you the donated food is one of the things that helps me make it through the day,” says one beneficiary. “Not even really about the fact that it’s free (though I definitely appreciate that) but just that it’s there on my unit. I certainly don’t have time during my shifts to make it to the cafeteria, and I’m too exhausted to pack a lunch between shifts.”

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It is widely accepted that “Rocket 88” by Jackie Brenston And His Delta Cats was the first ever rock ‘n’ roll song. However, many rock fans are not on board with this, as they feel that “That’s All Right, Mama” by Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup should receive the honor of being the first-ever rock ‘n’ roll tune. Other candidates include “Good Rockin’ Tonight” by Wynonie Harris and “Saturday Night Fish Fry” by Louis Jordan & The Tympay Five.

Rock ‘n’ roll has come a long way since those early songs and there have been many memorable rock moments over the years. On this list are just a handful of people who contributed greatly to rock music and will continue to be remembered in generations to come.

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10 “Ooh! My Head” – Ritchie Valens

Richard Steven Valenzuela became the first Hispanic rock star while he was still in high school. He was signed in 1958 by Del-Fi Records which was a small record label owned by Bob Keane. Richard soon changed his name to Ritchie Valens to be different from the ‘bunch of Richards around at that time.’ Valens recorded many hit songs, the most notably of which were “Donna” and “La Bamba” and his career became so demanding that he dropped out of high school.

Valens appeared in the 1959 film “Go, Johnny Go” in which he performed “Ooh! My Head.” The movie also featured Chuck Berry, Jimmy Clanton, and Alan Freed and was Valens’ sole movie appearance. Shortly after filming Valens died in a plane crash along with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper. He was only 17 years old.

9 “Sweet Little Sixteen” – Chuck Berry

While Ritchie Valens was considered a pioneer of the Chicano rock movement, Chuck Berry was nicknamed the “Father of Rock and Roll” after developing rhythm and blues into the distinctive sound of rock music. Even though Berry had several run-ins with the law and served time in prison, he overcame his troubled past to become one of the greatest rock artists of all time and was one of the first musicians inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, along with Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Ray Charles, James Brown and more.

Berry appeared in the film, Jazz on a Summer’s Day, which was released in 1959. In it, he performed the song “Sweet Little Sixteen.” This excellent performance inspired Keith Richards to pursue a career as a rock star, after seeing the film as a teenager.^[1]

8 “Runaway” – Del Shannon

“Runaway” was one of the most popular songs recorded by Charles Weedon Westover, better known as Del Shannon, in 1961. Shannon was popular in the UK and became the first American singer to record a cover version of a Beatles song, “From Me to You, which charted in America before the Beatles version did.

Shannon eventually re-recorded “Runaway” for the NBC show Crime Story and enjoyed renewed popularity. Unfortunately, Shannon suffered from alcoholism and depression and he took his own life on 8 February 1990. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.

7 “Barracuda” – Heart

Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart performed an electric version of their song “Barracuda” at Cal Jam 2 in 1978. Ann later revealed that the song was written out of the anger that she and Nancy felt towards Mushroom Records after the recording label released a fake story about an incestuous relationship between the two sisters.

The song was named “34th Best Hard Rock Song of All Time” by VH1 in 2009 and features on a multitude of compilation albums.

6 “Carry On Wayward Son” – Kansas

“Carry On Wayward Son” is instantly recognizable not only because of Supernatural and South Park, but because of the excellent intro especially when played live. Rock band, Kansas, recorded the song in 1977 and it was certified gold in 1990. Today, the song is certified quadruple platinum.

After releasing three successful albums by 1976, Kansas had yet to come up with a song that would get radio airplay. And they desperately needed one after all the big bands at the time became wary of Kansas opening for them as the band was a tough act to follow. After writing seven songs, chief songwriter Kerry Livgren brought in a last-minute idea. As soon as the rest of the band heard “Carry On Wayward Son” they knew they had something special. It soon became the hit they needed.

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5 “I’ll Stand By You” – The Pretenders

In 1978 Chrissie Hynde founded the rock band, The Pretenders. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005 after producing a number of hits including “Brass in Pocket”, “Back on the Chain Gang”, “Don’t Get Me Wrong” and the hugely popular “I’ll Stand By You.” This song was covered by many artists over the years and Noel Gallagher famously said, “he wished he’d written it.” “I’ll Stand By You” was written by Chrissie Hynde and released in 1994. The band performed the song live at Glastonbury that same year.

4 “Paranoid Android” – Radiohead

Radiohead also played at the Glastonbury Festival in 1997 and their performance was credited with helping to rescue the then flailing event. It had been raining heavily for weeks leading up to the festival leaving the grounds where it was to take place soggy and muddy. One of the stages began to sink into a pool of mud, and Neil Young as well as Steve Winwood dropped out of the festival. Things were truly looking bleak. Then Thom Yorke and company took to the stage and what followed was one of the most memorable rock performances of the 90s.^[2]

3 “Zombie” – The Cranberries

It is hard to imagine the 90s without hearing Dolores O’Riordan over the radio or picturing her smashing it at a live concert with The Cranberries. By 2019 the band had sold nearly 50 million albums worldwide. Tragically, O’Riordan was found dead in a London hotel room the year before and the remaining members confirmed that their final album that was to be released in April 2019 would be their last as they didn’t want to continue without her.

One of The Cranberries most iconic songs was released in 1993 and even though multiple great covers have been done of “Zombie”, nothing compares to O’Riordan singing it live with her incredible voice.

2 “Lightning Crashes” – Live

Live released “Lightning Crashes” in September 1994 and even though it wasn’t released as a single in the US, it was played on the radio so often that it peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1995. The song was dedicated to a long-time friend of the band, 19-year-old Barbara Lewis, who died after being hit by a drunk driver in 1993.

Record executives told the band that the song would never become a single because it was too long. However, it became one of Live’s biggest hits after its debut at Woodstock ’94 and constant airplay on MTV. The band performed it live many times, including at Pinkpop, Holland in 1997, which has been hailed as one of their best live performances.

1 “Last Kiss” – Pearl Jam

Wayne Cochran released “Last Kiss” in 1961 but it wasn’t a success on the charts at the time. The song was recorded by other artists including J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers, and Wednesday, and became enormously popular once recorded by rock band, Pearl Jam. “Last Kiss” also became the band’s highest charting single in both Canada and the US. The cover was released as a single in 1999 and the proceeds went to assist the refugees of the Kosovo War. The song earned around $10 million in relief aid.

Eddie Vedder performed the song live in San Francisco in 2006, while standing in the crowd who were singing along at the top of their lungs.

+ The Sound of Silence – Disturbed

Paul Simon wrote “The Sounds of Silence” while living with his parents in 1963. He would sit and play his guitar in the bathroom with the faucet turned on and came up with the words to what would turn out to be a massive hit song for Simon & Garfunkel, eventually. The song attracted airplay in 1965 and producer, Tom Wilson, remixed the track. The remix was released in September 1965 and hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1966. Renamed “The Sound of Silence” the song was named the 18th most-performed song of the 20th century in 1999.

Simon & Garfunkel were a folk-rock duo and “The Sound of Silence” has been covered by artists in many genres of music. The most recognizable cover however came from heavy metal band, Disturbed. Paul Simon sent the frontman of Disturbed, David Draiman, an email in 2016 praising his performance to which Draiman responded “… your compliment means the world to me/us and we are eternally grateful.”

Disturbed performed the song live in Houston in 2016 alongside Myles Kennedy, frontman of rock band Alter Bridge which made for an extremely memorable music moment.

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Every year, moviegoers are treated to new unforgettable films. But far too often, the spectacular acting performances that make the films so great are overlooked. Here, we honor actors’ work that has been underrecognized, underappreciated, and unacknowledged during awards season.

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10 Joaquin Phoenix—You Were Never Really Here

Who better to kick off this list than someone who has continuously flown under the radar? It wasn’t until 2020 that this brilliant artist won an Academy Award: a well-deserved honor for interpretation of the iconic Joker. But two years earlier, Joaquin Phoenix gave one of 2017’s most unforgettable performances as Joe, a war veteran with PTSD who earns his living rescuing sex-trafficked girls in the crime/thriller You Were Never Really Here, written and directed by Lynne Ramsay.

“It’s tempting to say Phoenix has never been better than he is here, but that just would not be true,” writes film critic Sheila O’Malley. “He was great in The Master and Inherent Vice, in two very different kinds of roles. His career has been a bit all over the place, but in the last few years he’s settled into himself. It’s like he feels the earth beneath his feet, and he knows what to do. It’s been exhilarating to witness.

“At his very best, he doesn’t ‘show his work.’ You’re just hanging out with whatever peculiar character he’s playing. He’s not self-consciously ‘stretching’ as an actor by taking these different kinds of roles. It’s just that he, to steal from Walt Whitman, ‘contains multitudes.’ In You Were Never Really Here, he sometimes vibrates with unmanaged trauma and suicidal ideation. His tears are heart-rending because he is so helpless when they come. His translucent green eyes pulse with mute torment. You are never 100 percent sure what Joe is going to do next.”^[1]

9 Melissa McCarthy—Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Melissa McCarthy does not disappoint with her portrayal of the real life Lee Israel in Marielle Heller’s comedy-drama from 2018, Can You Ever Forgive Me? A frustrated alcoholic and unsuccessful writer desperate for money, Lee pays her rent by forging old letters by famous writers and selling them for big bucks. While McCarthy was nominated for the role, her stellar performance was otherwise overlooked.

“Playing Lee, McCarthy manages something very special: She makes a character who is odd, obnoxious, difficult, and alcoholic seem lovable and even heroic,” writes Geoffrey Macnab @TheIndyFilm. “McCarthy doesn’t try to be ingratiating at all or to tone down Lee’s mixture of awkwardness and malevolence.” Somehow, she makes the audience root for this despicable character.^[2]

8 Robert Pattinson/Willem Dafoe—The Lighthouse

It’s impossible to recognize one without the other. Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe compliment each other brilliantly, acting opposite each other as the leading men in Robert Egger’s 2019 psychological horror film, The Lighthouse. The two men try to maintain their stanity while living on a remote island and working as lighthouse keepers.

“At the core of the film is Pattison’s impressively committed performance as the taciturn Winslow,” writes Alison Willmore for Vulture. “Dafoe may be a delight as a sea-brined gremlin with a bottomless thirst and a surprising sensitivity about his own cooking. (‘Yer fond of me lobster,’ he howls at one point. ‘Say it!’) But it’s Pattinson, playing the straight man, who sells the slow deterioration of the pair’s mental state.”^[3]

7 Ethan Hawke—First Reformed

In Paul Schrader’s 2017 drama/thriller First Reformed, Ethan Hawke plays Reverend Toller, the pastor of a small church in upstate New York. Toller begins to question his faith and spiral out of control after an existential encounter with an environmental activist and his wife.

“You are drawn into Toller’s story by a steady, unblinking camera that quickens your pulse even as it encourages your contemplation,” writes Justin Chang for the Los Angeles Times. “And you are held there by the mesmerizing clarity and intelligence of Hawke’s performance, which suggests that the most powerful epiphanies may also be the subtlest.

“Possibly too subtle,” continues Chang. “Hawke was conspicuously not conspicuously not nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award or a Golden Globe, both key Oscar precursors. It’s easy to see why. This isn’t the kind of acting that calls attention to itself, that bowls you over with bravura feats of vocal distortion and prosthetic wizardry.

“First Reformed gives us the latest in a string of remarkable Hawke performances, following the subtle explorations of midlife discontent in Before Midnight (2013) and Boyhood (2014) and the biographical transformations of Born to Be Blue (2015) and Maudie (2017). It is, I would propose, the culmination of the richest, most accomplished and surprising career of any actor now working in American movies.”^[4]

6 Natalie Portman—Vox Lux

It’s not on the same level as her Oscar-winning performance in Black Swan, but Natalie Portman’s portrayal of a Celeste in Brady Corbet’s musical drama Vox Lux is one you don’t want to miss. Celeste is a school shooting victim-turned-pop star. Now 31, she is on the verge of a comeback when another horrific scandal threatens her career. Terrorist attacks juxtaposed with the wild world of pop? You bet!

Film critic Luke Chanell explains that in directly referencing both the Columbine High School massacre and 9/11, Vox Lux seeks to explore the connection between popstars and terrorism—coaxing up a wealth of thought-provoking ideas in the process:

“This is held together by a powerhouse performance from Portman. She’s equal parts fierce, bratty, and unhinged, yet she is also empathetic, emotionally wounded, and deceptively intelligent. Portman’s complex portrayal is never less than enthralling and she completely looks the part too with her over-styled quiff and swaggering demeanour. She is utterly captivating and convincing as a world-famous pop star in the film’s climatic concert sequence.^[5]

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5 Jake Gyllenhaal—Nightcrawler

In perhaps one of the finest performances of his career, Jake Gyllenhaal blew audiences away as Louis Bloom in Dan Gilroy’s 2014 crime/thriller, Nightcrawler. Louis begins a new career as a freelance cameraman after discovering that he can earn money by selling footage of accidents and crimes to local news networks. He becomes obsessed with getting the money shot and is willing to do anything it takes to get it.

“Gyllenhaal’s bold, committed performance makes Nightcrawler one of the most entertaining movies of the year…” writes Jocelyn Noveck for the Associated Press. “The most frightening thing about [Gyllenhaal]—even more than those sallow, sunken cheeks, those googly eyes, and that unkempt hair tied into a greasy bun—is his smile. They invented the word ‘creepy’ for that smile, a goofy, confident grin that reaches its full breadth just when you’re starting to realize how deranged the guy really is.”

4 Lupita Nyong’o—Us

After snagging an Oscar for her role in 12 Years A Slave back in 2014, it’s surprising that Lupita Nyong’o would be passed up for a nomination five years later when she took on the dual role of Adelaide and Red in Jordan Peele’s horror film, Us.

“A vibrant, appealing screen presence, Nyong’o brings a tremendous range and depth of feeling to both characters, who she individualizes with such clarity and lapidary detail that they aren’t just distinct beings; they feel as if they were being inhabited by different actors,” writes Manohla Dargis for the New York Times.

“She gives each a specific walk and sharply opposite gestures and voices (maternally silky vs. monstrously raspy). Adelaide, who studied ballet, moves gracefully and, when need be, rapidly (she racks up miles); Red moves as if keeping time to a metronome, with the staccato, mechanical step and head turns of an automaton. Both have ramrod posture and large unblinking eyes. Red’s mouth is a monstrous abyss.”^[6]

3 Song Kang-ho—Parasite

Bong Joon-ho’s 2019 comedy/thriller Parasite swept the Oscars, but the acting performances did not receive the credit they deserved: in particular, Song Kang-ho as Kim Ki-taek, the father of a destitute family struggling to make ends meet. After his son lands a job as a fake tutor for the wealthy Park family, the other members of the Kim family soon find themselves lying about their education and experience level to land jobs within the household.

Bong explained that choosing Kang-ho to star in the film enabled him to embolden his approach. “There was a relief that came from the certain expectation that if this actor plays this role, even the controversial parts will definitely be convincing to the audience. The script of Parasite, especially, has bold, unexpected, or somewhat controversial moments in its latter part, but having Song Kang-ho in mind resolved the fears and concerns that I had writing them.”

Kang-ho, who has starred in more than 30 Korean films and collaborated with Bong on four of them, says, “Over the years, the characters I’ve played have appealed to the Korean audience more as familiar, very realistic people that they can relate to, rather than somebody from a fantasy world.” But in Parasite, Kang-ho isn’t the “big star,” nor is he able to lean on his instant likability, says Patrick Brzeski for the Hollywood Reporter.

Bong observes: “Indeed, the acting format is that of an ensemble, where almost 10 main characters work with each other in even balance. Despite this, as can be seen when we look back on the film’s climax sequence, it’s Song Kang-ho who’s bearing the core sentiment of the film as well as its riskiest moments, the most daring parts,” he said.^[7]

2 Toni Collette—Hereditary

One of the worst Oscar snubs of the last decade was Toni Collette’s performance in Ari Aster’s 2018 horror film, Hereditary. Collette plays Annie, a grieving mother who has just lost her daughter in a tragic car accident. Annie is unable to cope with the loss of her daughter and quickly becomes unhinged, spiraling down a rabbit hole of satanic rituals and discovering that her own mother may be to blame for a curse on their family.

“The film’s most important asset is Collette, who weeps, screams, and snarls her way halfway off the screen and into the audience’s laps,” Tasha Robinson wrote for the Verge. “Annie is a complicated character, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes outright repulsive. The role only works because of Collette’s power to sell her emotions to an audience that may want to distance itself from her visible agony. Watching her suffer is emotionally exhausting, because she plays the character with such intensity.”^[8]

1 Adam Sandler—Uncut Gems

Last but most definitely not least, one could argue that Adam Standler gives the best performance of his career as charismatic New York City jeweler and gambling addict Howard Ratner in Josh and Benny Safdie’s crime thriller Uncut Gems. Sandler brings audiences along with him on the ride of their life as he rushes around the busy streets of Manhattan, placing high-stakes bets and fighting off Jewish mobsters all while dealing with a messy life at home that includes a divorce and a girlfriend half his age.

“The Safdie Brothers’ Uncut Gems proves to be one of the most mesmerising thrillers in a long time, and Sandler is a major reason why it works,” wrote Nick De Semlyen for Empire. “It’s a career-best performance, reminiscent of his character study 17 years ago in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love but even more layered and magnetic. His Howard is instantly iconic: part Job, part Jordan Belfort, part Jerry Maguire, he’s louchely attired, balancing out his shady wardrobe and dirtbag facial hair with a Star of David pinkie ring. Rarely stopping to take a breath, he is by turns hilarious, soulful and maddening; drilling down into a character who seems initially cartoonish but becomes ever more fascinating and human, Sandler is totally believable as a rapacious lowlife with big dreams.”^[9]

Top 10 Underrated Films That Will Give You The Creeps

In 1927, The Jazz Singer was released which marked the end of the silent-film era. The film was lauded for revolutionizing the industry as it was the first motion-picture to include synchronized speech, music and sound effects. As such it was also the first in what would become a long line of musical films, including Going My Way, Babes on Broadway, Singin’ in the Rain, Hello Dolly!, and Grease.

Some of the most captivating scenes in musical movies include the main character or several characters performing a heartfelt song or powerful anthem. On this list are just some of the memorable musical performances that still get people talking.

10 Great Scenes in Musical History

10 “Over the Rainbow”—The Wizard of Oz

“Once there was a wicked witch in the lovely land of Oz

And a wickeder, wickeder, wickeder witch there never, never was.”
The 1939 musical fantasy film, The Wizard of Oz, brought to life the unfor
gettable characters of the L. Frank Baum book in a most successful way. It features fantastic musical numbers and was ranked third on the list of most watched films of all times in 2013.

Judy Garland starred as Dorothy Gale and performed Over The Rainbow which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. The 17-year-old Garland celebrated her big break as an actress by giving her all in this performance which has gained iconic status.

9 “America”—West Side Story

In 1961, the film West Side Story adapted the 1957 Broadway musical of the same name, for the big screen. The story was inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and the film won 10 Academy Awards.

The film’s soundtrack spent 54 weeks at No.1 on the Billboard chart and won a Grammy award for “Best Sound Track Album – Original Cast.” It includes “Jet Song”, “Something’s Coming”, “Maria”, “I Feel Pretty”, “Somewhere”, and the catchy “America.”

“America” is the biggest dance number in the film. It was written by Stephen Sondheim and composed by Leonard Bernstein and makes for an exceptional scene.

8 “The Sound of Music | The Hills Are Alive”—The Sound of Music

Based on Maria von Trapp’s memoir, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, The Sound of Music documents the journey of an Austrian postulant, Maria, who brings music and joy into the lives of a retired naval officer and his seven children. The film was released in 1965 and by the end of 1966 had become the highest-grossing film of all time. It won a slew of awards and is preserved in the National Film Registry.

Julie Andrews accepted the role of Maria, even though she once made fun of the theatre production that preceded the film, a year after playing the iconic role of Mary Poppins. She brought her musical stylings with her to The Sound of Music and sang “The Sound of Music | The Hills Are Alive” as the prelude. The scene during which the song is sung, is one of the most memorable in movie history and has been referenced many times in TV series and movies.

7 “Don’t Rain on My Parade”—Funny Girl

Funny Girl is based on the life and career of Fanny Brice, who was an American comedienne, singer and actress. Barbra Streisand starred as Brice in the Broadway show and was then handed the movie role for the character in what was her film debut in 1968.

The film has been deemed one of the greatest musicals ever and includes memorable songs such as “I’m the Greatest Star”, “You Are Woman, I Am Man”, “My Man” and of course “Don’t Rain on My Parade.”

6 “Time Warp”—The Rocky Horror Picture Show

The Rocky Horror Show was a musical that paid tribute to terrible horror movies as well as science fiction movies from the 1930s to the 1960s. The original production was staged at the Royal Court Theatre in London in 1973 and closed in 1980 after 2,960 performances.

In 1975, the film The Rocky Horror Picture Show saw the light and went on to become the movie with the longest-running release in film history. It has a huge and faithful cult following, even though it initially flopped, and is preserved in the National Film Registry.

Some of most well-known songs in the film include ‘Damn It, Janet”, “Sweet Transvestite”, “Hot Patootie”, “Science Fiction/Double Feature” and “Time Warp.”

“Time Warp” featured in both the stage production as well as the movie and the dance that accompanies it has become a major audience-participation activity over the years.

5 “Tomorrow”—Annie

A comic strip called Little Orphan Annie eventually turned into a Broadway musical in 1977 and then into a full-length feature film in 1982 starring Aileen Quinn, Carol Burnett, Albert Finney and Tim Curry. In the movie, Annie is convinced that she was left at an orphanage by mistake, and eventually gets to live in a mansion all the while longing to meet her parents.

Of course none of this happens without several musical numbers, including “I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here”, “Little Girls”, the well-known “It’s the Hard-Knock Life” and the very well-known “Tomorrow.” It is thought that “Tomorrow” was influenced by the Sherman Brothers’ “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” which was written for the 1964 New York World’s Fair. It has been covered many times over the years, but that first earnest performance by a young Aileen Quinn, still outshines the rest.

4 “Cell Block Tango”—Chicago

Several movie stars show off their musical chops in the movie, Chicago, including Renée Zellweger, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

The film follows the lives of two female prisoners awaiting trial on Murderess’ Row in Chicago in the 1920s. The two women eventually become entangled in a battle for fame and celebrity.

Chicago became the first musical film to win the Best Picture Oscar since 1968.

Some of the best performances featured in Chicago include “All That Jazz”, “Mr. Cellophane”, and the dark “Cell Block Tango.”

“Cell Block Tango” was originally composed for the 1975 musical, Chicago, and each of the song’s first six words is identified with a murder suspect. In the movie, the song is performed by Catherine Zeta-Jones, Susan Misner, Denise Faye, Deidre Goodwin, Ekaterina Chtchelkanova and Mýa.

3 “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going”—Dreamgirls

Dreamgirls was also adapted from a Broadway musical and released in 2006. It stars Beyoncé Knowles, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy and depicts the history of American R&B during the 60s and 70s.

Effie White, the character inspired by Supremes singer Florence Ballard, is portrayed by American Idol contestant Jennifer Hudson. Hudson won a Golden Globe and Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role. In the movie she performs many great songs including “One Night Only”, “I am Changing”, the spectacular “It’s All Over” alongside several cast members and the beautiful “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going”.

2 “On My Own”- Les Misérables

There are very few uplifting moments in the film, Les Misérables. After all, there is sorrow and death everywhere. However, there are some musical performances that shine very brightly (Russell Crowe’s weirdness aside).

The best of these included the emotional rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” by Fantine, played by Anne Hathaway (second clip above – filmed in one take!), “Bring Him Home” by Jean Valjean, played by Hugh Jackman and “One Day More” by the cast.

Samantha Barks made her mark with her character, Eponine, singing “On My Own.” She won the role after playing the same character in London’s West End, even though more experienced singers and actresses vied for the movie opportunity, including Lea Michele, Scarlett Johannsson and Taylor Swift.

Barks later said she truly related to the role, as she had been performing “On My Own” karaoke-style since the age of seven.

1 “Always Remember Us This Way”—A Star Is Born (2018)

A Star Is Born (2018) was Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut and Lady Gaga’s big Hollywood movie debut. Both Cooper’s direction and Gaga’s performance were a hit with critics and audiences worldwide. Gaga and Cooper’s onscreen chemistry led to many fans believing that the two had a real-life romantic connection, something both have denied.

The music in the movie is predictably great with “Shallow” winning the Oscar for Best Original Song. A stand-out performance from Gaga however, was “Always Remember Us This Way” sung by her character Ally, after Jackson (Cooper) tells her he loves her.

+ “This Is Me”—The Greatest Showman

The Greatest Showman is a spectacle of showmanship and music that gave the world the much-karaoked “Million Dreams” performed by Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams. Zac Efron and Zendaya also had their own moment to shine in the film, with “Rewrite The Stars.” And then, of course, there is “This Is Me” brilliantly performed by the astoundingly talented Keala Settle and several co-stars. The song has become an anthem for people around the world and brims with optimism and defiance all at the same time.

Top 10 Film Musicals

Sometimes creative types just refuse to conform. And sometimes, you can’t just edit it out. Harmonious humping, political picture desecration, and aiding and abetting arson are just a few on-stage antics broadcast live to millions.

Whether shameless publicity stunts or poor spur-of-the-moment decisions, the ensuing controversies are often half the fun. In chronological order, here are ten things musicians have been caught in the act doing while doing their act.

Related: Top 10 Live Music Mess-Ups, Falls, And Fails

10 Holy Humpin’ Hound Dog

Elvis Presley’s self-titled debut album was released in March 1956, and by the middle of that year, he was well on his way to becoming The King. The smash-hit “Heartbreak Hotel” rocketed to #1 on the charts, and plans were in the works for his first movie. With the possible exception of cultural appropriation, Elvis could do no wrong.

Presley had already appeared on national television several times by June of that year, but it was his performance on The Milton Berle Show that brought his career’s first full-blown controversy. Despite the date being a Tuesday, for Elvis, it was hump day.

Performing his latest single, “Hound Dog,” Presley pumped and thrust his way across the stage at a time when sitcom married couples slept in separate beds. Careful there, fella, or you might catch something far worse than a rabbit.

Critics across the country slammed the performance for its “vulgarity,” “appalling lack of musicality,” and—oddly considering the song’s title—”animalism.” The official magazine of the Catholic Church’s Jesuit sect ran a piece called “Beware Elvis Presley,” which in retrospect seems like deflection.

In the aftermath, Ed Sullivan, already TV’s most popular variety show host, declared he’d never have Presley on. By August, though, he relented and signed the poke-happy performer to an unprecedented $50,000, three-show contract. However, the performances’ camera angles were tightly controlled, keeping a sexually safe distance—and only above the waist.

9 High Times: The Doors Do Ed Sullivan

Three years after The Beatles sang three catchy-but-banal songs on The Ed Sullivan Show (“She Loves You,” “All My Loving,” and “Till There Was You”), both rock and rock lyrics had significantly matured. But ol’ Ed wasn’t having it.

On September 17, 1967, The Doors were invited to perform their hit “Light My Fire” from the band’s self-titled debut album. They were popular, yes, but hadn’t cemented their envelope-pushing legacy just yet, and likely Sullivan had never heard of them until he glanced at the pre-show guest list.

Someone apparently alerted Sullivan to an arguably controversial line in the song: “Girl, we couldn’t get much higher,” a double entendre alluding to both happiness and drug use. A firm believer that there’s no hope in dope, Sullivan personally visited the band’s dressing room before the show and demanded that “higher” be changed to “better”—which, of course, doesn’t even come close to rhyming with “fire.”

Frontman Jim Morrison agreed…then sang the original lyrics anyway. Sullivan, who had a history of censoring acts he considered racy (including the aforementioned Presley), banned The Doors for life.

8 To Heel with It: Madonna’s Improper Improv

In 1984, the then-fledgling MTV Network hosted its first annual Music Video Awards. The show opened with a showstopper: Madonna, already a superstar, kicked off the evening performing her smash hit, “Like a Virgin.”

The set featured a traditionally virgin scene: A wedding-dress-clad Madonna atop a giant wedding cake. A little parade float-ish, but okay. The beat started, and Madonna began crooning. Then…her shoe fell off.

That’s right: television’s steamiest, sexiest live performance to date was precipitated by a dropped high heel. To make the mistake seem planned, Madonna promptly kicked off the other. Then, as the song progressed, she descended the cake to stage level. There, she realized the only way to make retrieving her shoes look natural was to crawl around on the ground.

Decades later, Madonna shared her thinking with talk show host Jay Leno: “So I thought, ‘Well, I’ll just pretend I meant to do this,’ and I dove on the floor, and I rolled around.”

Her dress stuck to the floor, exposing her undergarments. Only then did Madonna make an active choice to lean into controversy. Instead of reverting to her rehearsed routine, she thrust and gyrated her way across the stage in a pantomimed portrayal of what “touched for the very first time” means.

Many—even her own manager—thought Madonna had just ruined her blossoming career. Yet, four decades later, she’s sold more records than any other female artist.

7 Out of Sync: Milli Vanilli’s Downfall

In the end, a pair of fakers had no one to blame their comeuppance on. Not even the rain.

In 1990, Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan—better known as the pop duo Milli Vanilli—took home the Grammy for Best New Artist. One reason for this was the unimpressive competition; the most prominent also-ran was Tone Loc, of the female-tested and Bill Cosby-approved “Funky Cold Medina.”

Another reason is that despite the embarrassing live performance we’ll discuss shortly, the Grammys had never really penalized live lip-syncing. Especially as music acts incorporated increasingly complicated dance moves, pre-recording live performances wasn’t considered a critical dealbreaker.

But sometimes, a screwup leads to a spiral. On July 21, 1989, during an MTV Concerts performance of the hit song “Girl You Know It’s True,” a record skipped and repeated, blaring the line “Girl you know it’s” over and over. Milli or Vanilli (who the hell knows which was which) panicked and ran offstage.

Temporary hiccup, right? Wrong. In the ensuing months, suspicions mounted that the duo was not only lip-syncing live music but also that the voices weren’t even their own. Say it isn’t true, girl. The two were revealed as nothing more than pretty poster boys and were summarily stripped of their award—the only take-back-sie in Grammy history.

6 Let Her Rip

Irish singer Sinead O’Connor is best known for two things. The first is 1990’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” a ballad that has graced several “Top 100 All Time” lists. When Prince remakes your song, as he did in 1993, you’re doing something right.

O’Connor’s second claim to fame, however, was far more controversial. In hindsight, however, many find it prescient.

In October 1992, O’Connor was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. Her second song was an a cappella ballad disparaging racism and abuse. She then picked up a photo of Pope John Paul II, exclaimed, “Fight the real enemy,” and tore the picture in half on live television.

At the time, O’Connor claimed the act was to protest the sexual abuse of children by the Catholic Church—an accusation that has been broadly substantiated in the three decades since. Many Catholic higher-ups deserved a hell of a lot more than bad publicity.

Regardless, the backlash was fierce. Not only SNL but its network, NBC, banned O’Connor for life, and she was booed offstage at a Bob Dylan tribute. The highest-profile dis came the following week on SNL when guest host Joe Pesci taped the photo back together and threatened to smack O’Connor in a monologue that doesn’t age particularly well.

5 The Least Surprising Band Ban Ever

What do you get when you cross a conservative presidential candidate with an anarchist hard rock musical act? The most predictably controversial performance of all time, that’s what.

On April 13, 1996, billionaire businessman and recent Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes hosted Saturday Night Live. It was an odd choice because Forbes was neither charismatic nor a realistic contender for the White House. The musical guest was even odder: Rage Against the Machine was scheduled to play a pair of songs from their recently released album, Evil Empire. Um…red flag?

Anyone remotely familiar with RATM knew the album’s title didn’t allude to Russia or Nazi Germany. So Rage did what Rage does. They played an absolutely kick-ass rendition of Evil Empire’s lead single, “Bulls on Parade,” whose lyrics refer to the Pentagon, the seat of the U.S. military, as “that five-sided fist-a-gon, that rotten sore on the face of Mother Earth.”

Politics aside, this was a terrific live band performing one of their best son…wait, is that an upside-down American flag hanging from the amplifier?

Yup—though you’ll have to take our word for it because the show’s stagehands removed them quickly, and online video crops the display. Not only was RATM banned for life from SNL, but they also weren’t even allowed to play their second scheduled song that evening.

4 From Red Hot to Too Hot

Thirty years after the most iconic music festival of the 20th Century, Woodstock ’99 was billed as a revival of its predecessor’s celebration of peace, love, and music. In fact, the original Woodstock’s co-founder, Michael Lang, was the brainchild of the end-of-the-millennium sequel. So, what could go wrong, right?

Well, pretty much everything. Turns out transparently recreated nostalgia, huge crowds, and price-gouging aren’t the best mix. At Woodstock ’99, fans who shelled out $150 ($250 in today’s money) for the three-day festival found more than their favorite bands. They found $5 hot dogs, $20 tee shirts, and—worst of all, considering the weekend’s searing heat—$4 bottles of water. MTV broadcast the concert live…on Pay-Per-View, at $60 a pop. How festive.

Making matters worse, on Day #2, the portable toilets began to overflow, covering the ground in human waste. Then, as temperatures approached 38°C (100°F) with little shade and ridiculously overpriced beverages, the crowd began to crack. What would eventually turn into a full-scale riot started out as a few isolated fires, as pissed-off fans literally burned off some energy, setting trash cans ablaze.

Then, the Red Hot Chili Peppers came on and broke into a rendition of…you guessed it, Jimi Hendrix’s classic, “(Let Me Stand Next to Your) Fire.” After that, the number of conflagrations grew exponentially, chaos quickly ensued, and here’s some fun footage of Gen X going apeshit.

3 Eminem’s Same-Sex Partner

Hip-hop and the LGBTQ community have never exactly gone hand in hand. As the genre emerged, some of rap’s best artists—Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z—frequently dropped “the other f word” (rhymes with “maggot”) as a general putdown. In 1992, Ice Cube’s “Check Yo Self” dedicated an entire verse to an incarcerated rival becoming a prison queen.

One rapper, however, took gay-bashing to another level. In 2000, Eminem released The Marshall Mathers LP, considered one of the best rap records of all time. One track in particular, “Criminal,” took hip-hop homophobia to new heights: “My words are like a dagger with a jagged edge, that’ll stab you in the head whether you’re a f*g or lez. Or a homosex, hermaph or a tranves. So pants or dress, ‘hate f*gs?’ the answer’s ‘yes.’”

Ouch. The uproar was both immediate and understandable. The Grammys faced a conundrum: the odds-on favorite to win Best Rap Album was a PR nightmare.

Eminem was just as skeptical. “I was like, ‘The only way I’ll perform at the Grammys is with Elton John,’” he later told MTV News. “And I was saying it in kind of jest, thinking it would never happen.”

But happen it did. Elton John played piano and sang the hook to the smash hit “Stan,” an eerie anthem chronicling an obsessed fan. The song ended, the crowd erupted, and Eminem saluted the viewing audience with a double middle finger.

2 The Nip Slip Seen ‘Round the World

On February 1, 2004, the Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Show featured Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson, who were dating at the time. As the NSYNC alumnus belted out the last line of his hit song “Dance With Me”—a promise to “have you naked by the end of this song”—he put his hand where his mouth was by tearing a section from Jackson’s shirt. Briefly, the viewing audience of 150 million saw her exposed right breast, albeit with tape over the nipple.

Kiddies, meet t*tties. So much for a family-friendly environment.

Soon, Jackson’s manager released a statement about the nascent Nipplegate: “[Timberlake] was supposed to pull away [Jackson’s] rubber bustier to reveal a red lace bra. The garment collapsed, and her breast was accidentally revealed.” The phrase “wardrobe malfunction” then entered the lexicon.

MTV, who produced the halftime show, wasn’t buying it. Its own statement: “The tearing of Janet Jackson’s costume was unrehearsed, unplanned, completely unintentional and was inconsistent with assurances we had about the content of the performance.” The media largely sided with MTV’s version, declaring the act a shameless publicity stunt.

Jackson’s singles and music videos were subsequently blacklisted from various Viacom Media holdings, including the CBS Network, MTV, and the Infinity Broadcasting radio station group. A likely nod to racism, sexism, or both, Timberlake suffered no such backlash despite being the one who did the nip rippin’ in the first place.

1 A Bad Girl on a Bad Song: M.I.A. Outdoes Madonna

Madonna is making her second appearance on this list, but this time, the Material Girl is really just a material witness. In 2012, Madonna was tapped to perform the Super Bowl XLVI Halftime Show. Not exactly a target audience match, but her career credentials were undeniable.

Unfortunately for hundreds of millions of eardrums, among the songs Madonna performed was “Give Me All Your Luvin’,” the awful first single from her awful 2012 album, MDNA. Come on, lady…you have 12 #1 hits to your name, and we get this drivel?

The song’s lone bright spots are rap features from Nicki Minaj and M.I.A., two highly talented performers who also served to make the show more current. Minaj has several Grammy nominations to her credit, while M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” is routinely ranked among the best songs of the 21st Century.

Minaj’s cameo went off without a hitch. M.I.A.’s? Not so much. The “Bad Girls” singer wrapped up her appearance by brandishing a middle finger to the international viewing audience.

The NFL sued M.I.A. for breach of contract for—and I quote—”tarnishing the goodwill and reputation” of a league that brought the world such role models as dog-murderer Michael Vick and human-murderer Aaron Hernandez. M.I.A. ridiculed the league for its insincere virtue signaling.

The best actors become someone else entirely once they step onto the stage or into the camera frame. Their performances are so convincing that audiences are moved to tears or laughter—sometimes making fans think they aren’t acting at all.

Some of these actors have been performing for decades. They’ve perfected their craft, while others are just starting out but are already blowing us away with their talent. Without a doubt, these 10 celebrity performances moved everyone in the audience.

Related: Top 10 Movies That Changed Film-Making Forever

10 Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest

In One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Randle Patrick McMurphy was a criminal who fakes insanity to skip out on prison. He serves his sentence in what he thinks will be an easy mental institution.

One of the most iconic actors to be on the big screen, Jack Nicholson, gave an unforgettable performance as McMurphy. At first, he seems like a disruptive force in the institution until he eventually starts to care for the patients and rebels against the tyrannical Nurse Ratchet.

He stands up against abuse and leads the other patients in outbursts as he tries to improve their lives. When Nurse Ratchet deals the final blow, it’s hard not to feel immense anger at how bad the situation is for these patients, especially knowing that there are really people like her out there.

The fo;m won multiple awards, and Nicholson’s performance was paramount to its success. His acting is so convincing that it’s hard to believe he isn’t still living in the asylum, struggling to bring hope. Nicholson, “we wouldn’t leave you here like this.”

9 Meryl Steep in Sophie’s Choice

Meryl Streep is quite possibly the most celebrated actress of all time, and for good reason. She has an incredible range and can play any type of character imaginable. In Sophie’s Choice, she plays a Holocaust survivor struggling to deal with her trauma.

Her performance is so powerful that it will leave you feeling heartbroken and angry. She flawlessly depicts the pain and suffering of her character, and her performance is truly moving. This film earned Streep an Oscar nod.

Her performance is still one of the most emotionally taxing for audiences to watch. Because of Streep, the term “Sophie’s Choice” has transcended from just a movie title. It’s become the modern colloquialism for the old rock and a hard place.

8 Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad

“Say my name.” If there’s one unforgettable character from a television drama, it’s Walter White from Breaking Bad. Bryan Cranston gave an incredible performance as a chemistry teacher who turned to cooking meth to provide for his family after being diagnosed with cancer. Cranston won multiple awards for his role in Breaking Bad. His performance is considered one of the best in television history.

Cranston skillfully portrayed the transformation of Walter White from a mild-mannered man to a ruthless drug lord. His performance was so convincing that it’s hard to believe he isn’t actually a criminal. In reality, Cranston is one of the nicest people you could meet—like when he randomly pays for and autographs his biographies in book shops for fans.

7 Denzel Washington in Training Day

In Training Day, Denzel Washington gave an unforgettable performance as a corrupt cop who takes a young rookie under his wing. Denzel took home an Oscar for his role in this film, and his performance is still one of the highlights of his already impressive career.

Washington’s performance is so convincing that it’s hard to believe he isn’t actually a bad guy. He perfectly captures the character’s mystery and charisma while also making him seem dangerous and unpredictable. And for this film, we actually have Washington himself to thank for making this so unforgettable. He reportedly improvised many of his own lines in the movie.

6 Javier Bardem in No Country For Old Men

Javier Bardem gave a chilling performance as Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men. Earning himself an Oscar for his role in this film, his performance is still one of the most terrifying to watch. He played a sociopathic killer who is tracking down a man who has stolen his money. The lack of emotion Bardem shows as he kills almost every person he comes across leaves you feeling uneasy.

Bardem’s performance is so unnerving that it’s hard to believe he isn’t actually a psychopath. His spot-on portrayal reflects the character’s cold and calculating nature, making him seem like a real threat. As in, if you were to meet him in public after watching this movie, you’d seriously consider turning around walking the other way.

5 Jamie Foxx in Ray

Ray Charles himself once said, “I never wanted to be famous; I only wanted to be great.” So it’s fitting that the biopic starring Jamie Foxx would be a truly “great” performance. Foxx gave an incredible performance as Ray Charles in Ray. He captured the musician’s pain and suffering while also showing his immense talent.

Ray Charles’s life was filled with tragedy. He was born with glaucoma and became blind at the age of seven. He struggled with addiction for most of his life, and he lost many of the people closest to him. Still, he was able to find incredible success as a musician.

Foxx won an Oscar for his role in this film, and his performance is still one of the best biographical performances to date. Jamie perfectly captures Ray Charles’s spirit and talent, making him seem like a real-life legend.

4 Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland

In The Last King of Scotland, Forest Whitaker gave an outstanding performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. He perfectly captured the character’s brutality and charisma, making him seem like a real monster.

Whitaker won an Oscar for his role in this film. No surprise there—his performance is chilling. He disturbingly revealed the character’s lack of empathy and complete disregard for human life. His performance is truly terrifying, and it will leave you feeling disturbed long after the credits have rolled.

3 Stephanie Beatriz in Brooklyn Nine-Nine

“What kind of woman doesn’t have an ax?” Not Rosa Diaz, that’s for sure. Stephanie Beatriz gave a hilarious performance in Brooklyn Nine-Nine as Detective Diaz. She is a tough, private, but secretly caring detective who struggles to show her real emotions.

Stephanie Beatriz’s performance is one of the best in sitcom history. She portrayed the rough and gritty personality for eight seasons, making her seem like a genuine person.

So when people see her when she’s not acting, they struggle to believe that Diaz wasn’t her real personality—especially since her real voice is practically an octave higher than her character. Beatriz’s performance has earned critical acclaim for her work on the series. She is also a talented singer staring in Encanto as Maribel and In the Heights.

2 Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave

Starring in a movie primed for strong emotional reactions is always a gamble. But Chiwetel Ejiofor didn’t hold anything back as Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave.

Ejiofor’s performance is so powerful that it’s hard to see him in anything else without remembering Solomon—but maybe that was the point. Ejiofor was nominated for several awards for his role. His performance is still one of the most moving to watch. He embodied the character’s pain and suffering while showing his immense strength.

In fact, his performance moved him so much that in an interview he did with Entertainment Magazine, he said, “It took me a little while, even in a practical sense, of coming out of that experience, of being able to turn up at dinner parties and not just be talking about man’s inhumanity to man. It took me a little while to re-enter society.”

1 Ben Kingsley in Gandhi

Ben Kingsley has been acting since the late 1960s, so nobody’s shocked to hear us say he’s an extremely talented actor. He’s played pivotal roles in almost every genre and still appears in major box office hits like Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Iron Man 3.

But one of Kingsley’s most masterful performances came from his role as Mahatma Gandhi in Gandhi. He was completely committed to the role and encapsulated Gandhi’s spirit, vulnerability, and quiet strength.

Kingsley has a stage presence that pulls you in, masterfully toying with audience emotions. Director Isabel Coixet said of Kingsley, “He can be British, American, Sikh—he can be anything. You ask Ben to play a chair, and he could play a chair!”

Ben won multiple awards for his portrayal of Gandhi, including an Oscar, BAFTA Film Award, and a Golden Globe. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, it’s one classic that everyone should watch.

Performance art is known for many things, and weirdness is definitely one of them. While this list of weird live art looks at the (sometimes bizarre) inner-workings of artists’ minds, we’re steering clear of the blatantly offensive and inflammatory works that the art form is often cited for.

Instead, we’re looking at “the weird” as an expression of an artist’s creativity and emotion. In one definition of performance art, it’s characterized as “[a] live artistic practice that evolved as artists sought to extend art beyond conventional media,” and this tells us that the very nature of this art form is expressive.

These 10 live art performances were created as a means to break free from the confines of censorship and tradition, in turn allowing for potentially infinite experiences and ways of expressing oneself.

Related: 10 Artists With Insanely Unique Art Forms

10 Butoh

Butoh is a Japanese contemporary performance art that started in the late 1950s. It was developed by the Japanese choreographer Tatsumi Hijikata following the end of WW2. At the time, art movements like French Surrealism and Dadaism were coming to Japan and influencing perspectives on traditional Japanese performance art.

Butoh started as “anti-traditional” and “anti-establishment” in nature, rejecting more traditional movements focused on strength and conformity. Instead, Butoh “resonates with weakness.” Some practitioners say that this movement resembled mercury poisoning, a major problem in post-war Japan.

What is thought to be the first presentation of Butoh, called “Forbidden Colours,” was an adaptation of the eponymous novel by Mishima Yukio. The performance starred Yoshito Ohno alongside Hijikata.

9 Parade (1917) by Erik Satie and Jean Cocteau

This ballet was originally performed in 1917 by Ballet Russe and recreated by Europa Danse for the modern stage. Not only was it created by French composer and pianist Erik Satie, alongside the French poet Jean Cocteau but the costumes and sets were also designed by none other than Pablo Picasso.

Considering that the ballet is notoriously strict and traditional, Picasso’s extreme costumes, including a two-person horse, were heavily criticized by viewers. The dancers were constricted in their movements due to the shape and size of Picasso’s designs, making the performance very different from what 1917 audiences would have been used to.

This was Satie’s first ballet and first time working with Picasso. The ballet was poorly received by critics and audiences alike, with the premier even causing the audience to riot. Rumour has it that Satie was even slapped by an infuriated audience member following the show.

8 Interior Scroll by Carolee Schneemann

The first performance of Interior Scroll was In 1975, during the Women Here and Now exhibition in New York. Multidisciplinary artist, Carolee Schneemann, climbed on a table dressed in nothing but two sheets, undressed, painted her naked body. Then she read from her book Cezanne, She Was a Great Painter (which would be published the following year) and then pulled a scroll of feminist discourse out of her vagina.

This performance was repeated one other time during the 1977 Telluride Film Festival. Although she was invited to simply introduce a collection of erotic films made by women, upon arrival, Schneemann chose to perform Interior Scroll due to her frustration with the way the collection was titled.

7 Gavin Krastin’s BODY/BAG

Gavin Krastin is a South African choreographer, curator, and performance artist that proudly represents the LGBTQ+ community. He is known for his extreme and out-there performance art, self-describing his work as prompting the audience to question what is ugly and what is beautiful.

His work, BODY/BAG, is supposedly a commentary on race and politics. However, he doesn’t go much into detail about what exactly that means. This performance and EPOXY (2016) both involved vacuum-sealing his naked body in a human-sized plastic bag.

Some of his other works involve having someone eat food off of his naked body, attaching himself to a chair and dancing, and filling his lips with clothespins while holding a pig’s head.

6 Payau #2 Waterproof

Payau #2 Waterproof is a dance performance choreographed by Jakarta Institute of Arts (IKJ) alumna Yola Yulifianti. It was performed at the 2012 Indonesia Dance Festival as the main piece for the entire festival. It consists of movement choreographed to the beat of dripping water and a dance solo where the dancer has a pink bucket on their head while they perform.

Yulifianti’s choreography examines the social problems within communities, and Payau #2 Waterproof is no exception. This piece was created through the process of working with the people of Penjaringan, North Jakarta, Indonesia.

5 Allan Kaprow’s Yard (1961)

Legendary performance artist, Allan Kaprow, created an interactive art piece given the title Yard in 1961. The work consisted of filling a space in the Martha Jackson Gallery with tires from cars, as well as other objects covered in tar paper. The audience would then climb up the tires and move them around freely.

Kaprow is known for pioneering the performance art term known as “Happenings.” The Routledge Performance Archive describes Happenings as “cross disciplinary non-text-based events that utilize all media and means at an artist’s disposal, often from outside the maker’s own field, to blur boundaries between art and life.”

In 2009, three artists would recreate Yard as an event celebrating the opening of the New York Hauser & Wirth Gallery.

4 Bobby Baker’s Cook Dems (1990)

Bobby Baker is a British performance artist that uses food as a vessel for her art. Some of her more famous shows, notably Kitchen Show and Drawing on a Mother’s Experience, are known for their sarcastic and witty commentaries on gender roles and running a household. Yet, it is in her performance of Cook Dems that she truly embraces her art’s weirdness.

In a later performance titled How to Live (2004), Baker takes a frozen pea through an 11-step recovery program modeled after the cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) programs that she had gone through herself in the latter part of the 1990s. In an interview for the Guardian, Baker opens up about her struggles with her mental health, self-harm, and even her stay at the Pine Street psychiatric hospital.

Cook Dems is performed in front of a live audience and includes Bobby Baker decorating a man in a speedo like he is a cake. The man stands there, emotionless, following Baker’s commands, as she paints him and smears icing on him.

3 Lukas Avendaño

The art of Lukas Avendaño is an experience that cannot be described in mere words. It is a live performance involving dance, movement, sound, and props. Avendaño is an Oaxaca-born, Muxe artist and anthropologist that explores themes of sexuality, gender, and Muxe identity through their work. Much of Avendaño’s work involves partial nudity, with the body being the vessel for expression.

According to Siwarmyu, “Muxes are a community of indigenous people who are assigned male at birth and take on traditional women’s roles presenting not as women but as muxes.” Moreover, Muxe is a gender that is particular to Be’ena’ Za’a (Zapotec) culture.

2 Wafaa Bilal’s …and Counting (2010)

Wafaa Bilal is a well-known Iraqi-American performance artist and art professor. Following the death of his brother Haji at the hands of a missile in Kufa, Iraq, Bilal started exploring the pain and trauma of war in his work. Other works of Bilal’s, including 3rdi, where he had a camera surgically implanted into the back of his head, are intended to create a conversation about the state of American surveillance.

In his 24-hour performance piece called “…and Counting,” Bilal is tattooed for a collection of visitors at the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts in New York. Not only was this a performance piece, but it also raised $105,000 US to be used as scholarships for Iraqi and American students that lost families in the war.

1 Senga Nengudi’s R.S.V.P.

Senga Nengudi is an African-American visual artist with a very long and impressive career. According to MOMA, her career began along with a collection of other black avant-garde artists from New York and Los Angeles throughout the 1970s and 1980s. She worked in famous galleries such as Just Above Midtown (JAM), as well as the Pearl C. Woods Gallery in LA, paving the way for future black women in visual and performance arts.

R.S.V.P. is a series of performances and installations using “previously worn, dark-hued pantyhose partially knotted into pendulous, sand-filled sacks, then stretched and tethered to the wall in various changing arrangements.” These installations then become vessels for performance, where Nengundi and collaborators like Maren Hassinger entangle themselves in and interact with the pantyhose.

Honorable Mentions

Unfortunately, we had to narrow this list down to just ten, but here are some honorable mentions that just about made the cut (if only to keep this as family-friendly as possible):

• Pope L. performing Eating the Wall Street Journal (2000)
• Cabaret Voltaire (1916) by Various Artists
• Trans-fixed (1974) by Chris Burden
• Self Obliteration by Ron Athey
• Testicle Banquet (2012) by Mao Sugiyama
• Rhythm 5 by Marina Abramović

There have been so many convincing duets between various entertainers over the years. Of course, some duets are notable because of the vocal harmony or because the entertainers are such big stars. Still, some platonic pairs are so good at performing love songs on stage together that it’s easy to imagine they are a real couple. These are 10 of the most convincing duet performances by singers who were not romantically involved… as far as we know.

Related: Top 10 Fascinating Feats Of The Human Voice

10 “Easy Lovin’”

In addition to being a popular duo who collaborated on many hit songs during the 1970s and early ’80s, country music artists Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty had so much chemistry and such a friendly rapport that a lot of fans believed there was an off-stage romance between them. However, Lynn and Twitty were both married to other people at the time.

In the PBS documentary Loretta Lynn: Still a Mountain Girl, Lynn set the record straight, denying these rumors while professing her love for Twitty as a friend. The two actually became more physically demonstrative with age, as we see in their version of “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man” on Lynn’s 1985 TV special. However, sparks were particularly noticeable in a televised duet of “Easy Lovin’” in 1972, during which they projected strong vibes despite the somewhat restrained performance.^[1]

9 “Hate That I Love You”

While some would say that the interaction was too stagy and slick between Rihanna and Ne-Yo in their performance “Hate That I Love You” at the 2007 American Music Awards, the singers pulled it off very well. Rihanna, appropriately dressed in a flapper-inspired costume, has a teasingly seductive manner that almost overshadows the song itself. In many of these great duets, one singer plays it noticeably cooler than the other. In this case, Ne-Yo is the more reserved entertainer, although his reactions are very good, and he is very much into the performance.

In discussing his collaborations with Rihanna, Ne-Yo said, “When I met her, she was young still… I met her when she was still a kid.” He admitted to feeling uncomfortable when his friends made remarks about her sex appeal. However, we would never guess it from watching this performance.^[2]

8 “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers”

The bittersweet 1978 ballad “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” by Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond was not originally intended to be a duet. The singers had each recorded their own version of the song, but according to a Rolling Stone article in 1978, a “scorned, just-divorced radio jockey from Louisville, Kentucky, spliced them together as a spiteful missive to his ex-wife.”

The popularity of the track prompted the record label to have Diamond and Streisand record an actual duet of the song. As beautiful as the audio recording is, their performance of “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” at the 1980 Grammy Awards is especially memorable and poignant. At one point, shrieks of excitement can be heard coming from the crowd when Streisand tenderly caresses Diamond’s cheek. The two multi-talented entertainers put their respective acting skills to good use in making the audience feel that they were a real couple, heartbroken over their once lovely but now failing relationship.^[3]

7 “Endless Love”

It should come as no surprise that the sweepingly beautiful ballad “Endless Love” from the soundtrack of the 1981 coming-of-age film by the same name has been covered a number of times, including the popular Luther Vandross-Mariah Carey version in the early 1990s. “Endless Love” was originally recorded as a duet by Lionel Richie (who wrote the song) and Diana Ross. The two did a memorable rendition at the 1982 Academy Awards, which features a boldly flirtatious performance by Richie while Ross remains a little coy. However, the singers’ overall rapport is very warm, and they could have easily been taken for a real couple.^[4]

6 “Friends and Lovers”

Singer and actress Gloria Loring, who is probably best known for her role as Liz Chandler on the soap opera Days of Our Lives in the 1980s, did a very memorable duet on an episode of the daytime series, with Carl Anderson (Jesus Christ Superstar), which went over really big with viewers. The ballad they performed together, “Friends and Lovers,” is about a pair of good friends who are contemplating a romantic involvement despite the possible risk to their cherished friendship. The chummy, easy togetherness, along with Loring’s saucy performance, convincingly project the image of friends who feel a strong attraction toward one another. The song was #2 on the Hot 100 chart for two weeks.^[5]

5 “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”

Among crooner Bobby Darin’s many talents was his skill for romantic duets, particularly with female singers who were guests on his television show in the early 1970s. Though he was best known as a singer/songwriter/musician who recorded a number of hits in the 1950s and ’60s, like “Dream Lover” and “18 Yellow Roses,” Darin was also a noted actor who earned an Oscar nomination for his role in the 1964 dramedy Captain Newman M.D.” So it makes sense that Darin was adept at performing sensitive, sometimes intense duets.

Darin’s cover of the stirring Motown song “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” with guest star Freda Payne (“Band of Gold”) on an episode of his TV show in 1973 is especially powerful. It helps that he had chemistry with Payne, who was warm and responsive in her performance. But the pair was also very effective in creating a sense of intimacy. Their body language is a big part of this. Sitting close together, they stare into each other’s eyes throughout the up-tempo ballad. Toward the end of the song, their lips are so close that it appears they are singing into each other’s mouths, which, of course, leads to a kiss at the conclusion of the number.^[6]

4 “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”/”Night and Day”

Dean Martin was another sexy singer/actor who did many playful and even sultry duets with the lady singers who guest starred on his popular TV variety series. Often these routines were more like comedy sketches. The singing would be interrupted by risqué comments, profusive giggling, or Martin hamming things up with his farcically amorous act. Other times Martin’s real and potent sex appeal showed through, such as the duet medley of the songs “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” and “Night and Day” with Broadway star Eydie Gormé on the 1964 TV special Your All-Time Favorite Songs.

This number has a more grown-up feel to it, which suits both Gormé and the sophisticated selection of music. It’s obvious that we are watching two smooth professionals who know exactly what they are doing in this carefully choreographed depiction of a romantic couple affectionately serenading each other.^[7]

3 “Islands in the Stream”

One of the best-loved and most iconic duets of all time is “Islands in the Stream” by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. Of course, the country singers recorded other popular songs together, such as Parton’s favorite “You Can’t Make Old Friends.” But there was something special about their first duet, the 1983 hit “Islands in the Stream”—maybe because it was written by the Bee Gees for soul singer Marvin Gaye and was not meant to be a duet.

Rogers, who was not anxious to record the song, suggested bringing in Dolly Parton, which made all the difference in the world. The two became good friends and frequent collaborators.

Rogers, who passed away in 2020, explained in a 2017 interview he and Parton did with Today why they never dated: “I’m a believer that tension is better if you keep it than if you satisfy it,” Rogers said. “And then secondly, she said no to me.”

Parton said they didn’t have a romantic relationship because they were too much like siblings.

Parton and Rogers performed “Islands in the Stream” many times over the years, but one of the best and most convincing was at the 17th Annual Country Music Association Awards in 1983. This flirtatious, enthusiastic, high, energy rendition really shows off the duo’s chemistry and rapport.^[8]

2 “Some Enchanted Evening”

Obviously, there’s a big difference between duets sung in musicals, through specific characters within the context of a storyline, versus a stand-alone duet. It isn’t easy to compare the two. However, occasionally there will be a theatrical duet that is so powerful that it is in a class of its own. One such example is “Some Enchanted Evening,” as performed by famed opera baritone Ezio Pinza and iconic singer/actress Mary Martin in the original Broadway production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific (1949).

One of the most striking things about this duet is the blending of Martin’s clear, soft vocals with Pinza’s deep, rich voice. A performance broadcast on a TV special in the mid-1950s captured the magic these two legendary entertainers created together with their rendition of the classic sentimental ballad about love at first sight. The soaring emotion expressed in this duet, which is all at once tender and passionate, combined with Martin and Pinza’s natural rapport, makes them very convincing in their portrayal of a couple blissfully in love.^[9]

1 “Shallow”

There was a lot of buzz following the Bradley Cooper-Lady Gaga performance of “Shallow” (co-written by Gaga) on the 2019 Oscar telecast. Rumors had already been circulating about a possible romantic involvement between the two when they co-starred in the 2018 remake of A Star Is Born. This passionate version of the hauntingly romantic ballad from the film only encouraged speculation about Gaga and Cooper, who were both in relationships with other people at the time.

Besides the sensual feel of the duet, the pair seems very comfortable together, especially when Cooper joins Gaga on the piano bench, and they end the song with their faces together and eyes closed.

Cooper later denied he and Gaga were anything more than friends. He actually planned for the number to unfold like a scene from the film. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Cooper explained, “Just from a personal standpoint, it reduces the anxiety level.” He said, “They kind of fall in love in that scene in the film. It’s that explosive moment that happens to happen to them on a stage in front of thousands of people… It would have been so weird if we were both on stools facing the audience.”^[10]

While interruptions of plays, concerts, and other live theater events may not be that uncommon, it is unusual for a shocking or tragic incident to take place in the middle of a performance. Sometimes, these moments are caused by accidents or sudden emergencies, but often they are intentional actions by people who want to disrupt the show for one reason or another. Here are some of the most shocking occurrences to take place during live event performances.

10 Groping Incident

Back in 2007, country music star Faith Hill made headlines for her reaction to an incident that could easily be viewed as sexual harassment. However, in this case, it was not Hill herself who was the target of the harassment but her husband and fellow country music singer Tim McGraw. At the end of a concert in Lafayette, Louisiana, which was part of the couple’s Soul2Soul tour, a reportedly intoxicated woman in the audience grabbed McGraw’s crotch while he was greeting fans in the crowd.

McGraw himself initially reprimanded the woman, but it was his wife’s furious response to the outrageous behavior that drew so much attention when clips of Hill chastising her from the stage quickly appeared online. Reluctant to confront her at first, Hill was spurred on when she noticed the woman smiling tauntingly. Hill firmly defended her husband and pointed out how disrespectful her actions were, saying: “Someone needs to teach you some class, my friend.”^[1]

9 Harness Malfunction

Stunts involving harnesses seem to be an occupational hazard for recording artists who put on spectacular shows. One harness mishap experienced by pop star Pink was particularly frightening. During a concert in Nuremberg, Germany, on her 2019 Funhouse tour, Pink was set to perform her closing song “So What” while flying over the crowd. This was actually one of many acrobatic feats featured in the show, but Pink herself realized something was wrong. Turning to the back of the stage, she sent a signal that she was not ready by making an X with her arms, but it was too late. The wires pulled her to the edge of the stage, where she crashed against a barricade. The singer later explained that she was not clipped into the harness correctly.

Pink was in a lot of pain and thought she might have broken something. She apologized to the audience for not being able to perform the song and was rushed to the hospital. However, it turned out that she did not have any serious injuries, just very sore.^[2]

8 Musician Passes Out

There have actually been many cases of entertainers, particularly musicians, passing out on stage. Sometimes these episodes result in a tragedy, such as the death of Morphine’s lead singer/bassist Mark Sandman in 1999.

One of the less tragic but more peculiar instances of a performer losing consciousness on stage was when The Who’s wild drummer, Keith Moon, passed out not once but twice during the same concert in San Francisco’s Cow Palace in 1973. The most unusual part of the story is how the situation was handled. A 19-year-old attendee named Scot Halpin, pushed toward the stage by a friend encouraging him to step in for Moon, was noticed by promoter Bill Graham, who asked if he could play the drums. After being prepped by a drum roadie, Halpin went on stage just as Pete Townshend asked if anybody in the crowd could play drums. But Halpin had already gotten the last-minute gig and played with the band for the remaining three songs.^[3]

7 A Star’s Near-Fatal Fall

Occasionally, we will hear about an entertainer getting hurt during an accident on stage, but one of the most catastrophic involved the legendary Ann-Margret, which permanently altered her appearance. The beautiful actress/singer/dancer was performing at a Lake Tahoe casino in 1972 when she was badly injured after falling 22 feet (6.7 meters) from a platform used in the show to transport her to stage level during the elaborate opening number. Anne-Margret narrowly escaped death in this accident, which caused her to fall into a coma for three days and left the star with multiple injuries, including a broken arm and five broken bones in her face.

She underwent major facial reconstructive surgery but made a full recovery and, being the trooper that she is, returned to work just 10 weeks later. Known at the time for a wide range of films, from musicals like Bye, Bye, Birdie to provocative dramas such as Carnal Knowledge, Ann-Margret has continued to be popular, performing in many stage and screen projects over the years.^[4]

6 Electrocuted Performer

Another example of an entertainer almost being killed on stage is something that happened to iconic Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards at a 1965 concert in Sacramento, California, before an audience of 5,000. Four songs into the performance, the show came to an abrupt and terrifying end. Richards suffered a severe electrical shock when his guitar touched the microphone stand, causing him to fly backward and fall to the ground amid a flash of blue sparks.

The confused crowd was stunned into silence, with some thinking he may have been shot. Chaos quickly ensued, and a semi-conscious Richards, hooked up to oxygen, was rushed to an emergency room. One doctor speculated that the rubber soles on the boots he was wearing might have saved his life. Richards made such a speedy recovery. He was able to perform the very next night and has managed to have a sense of humor regarding the incident, publicly joking about it over the years.^[5]

5 Suicide Attempt

One of the biggest stars of the silent screen era was Lon Chaney, dubbed the Man of a Thousand Faces, who played iconic leading roles in such classic films as The Phantom of the Opera and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Before he became a movie actor, Chaney was successful on stage, but it was a real-life tragedy that happened in the wings one day that probably got more attention than anything he did in front of the audience.

Chaney’s troubled marriage to singer Cleva Creighton led to a shocking incident in which his wife of eight years swallowed poison while standing in the wings of the Majestic Theater in Los Angeles during one of Chaney’s performances in 1913. After she recovered, the couple divorced, and Chaney was awarded custody of their son, future actor Lon Chaney Jr.

Her failed suicide attempt left Creighton’s vocal cords permanently damaged, ending her singing career. The scandal took a toll on Lon Chaney’s own theatrical career, leading him to go into the fledgling motion picture business, which proved to be his true calling.^[6]

4 Walking into Fire

There are an alarming number of stories about entertainers and others being injured in accidents involving pyrotechnics. Still, very few are as extreme as what happened to James Hetfield at a sold-out 1992 concert in the 55,000-seat Montreal Olympic Stadium. The pyrotechnics had been expanded for that show, and just a couple of songs into the set, during “Fade to Black,” the Metallica frontman went to his designated area. Unfortunately. he was slightly confused about the exact spot. A charge went off next to him, and he literally walked into a 12-foot (3.7-meter) flame. Recalling the incident on an episode of VH-1’s Behind the Music, Hetfield explained that the pyro worker didn’t see him, and then “a big colored flame goes right up under me.”

Suffering multiple second- and third-degree burns on his left side, including damage to his face, arm, and part of his back, Hetfield was rushed to the hospital. Metallica cut their portion of the show short, and the co-headliner for the event, Guns N’ Roses, went on a few hours later. Hetfield was performing again 17 days later. ^[7]

3 High Society Murder at a Rooftop Theater

One of the most sensational and attention-grabbing trials of the 20th century concerned the murder of famous 52-year-old architect Stanford White during the rooftop theater premiere of the musical Mam’zelle Champagne. The crime took place at the Beaux Arts Madison Square Garden, a building White himself designed, which preceded the current arena. As the closing number was being performed, “I Could Love a Million Girls,” one of the attendees, 25-year-old Pittsburgh millionaire Harry Kendall Thaw, suddenly walked up to White’s table and shot him three times—twice in the face.

Thaw, who was married to the young model/actress/showgirl Evelyn Nesbit, said: “I killed him because he ruined my wife.” Among the revelations that came out during the subsequent trial was that five years earlier, Nesbit had been White’s underage mistress following an incident in which White gave champagne to the then sixteen-year-old, which may have contained a drug. Thaw was said to have been obsessed with getting revenge for Nesbit’s alleged rape.

While Stanford White sought to present himself as respectable, he did have a reputation among New York elites as a sexual predator of very young girls. In a comparatively innocent era, the general public, who tended to idolize the upper classes, was truly shocked, not only by the public murder but also by the stories in the press about White’s lecherous and hedonic lifestyle. Thaw was found not guilty by reason of insanity and sent to an institution.^[8]

2 Massive Fire

Sometimes performers aren’t the only ones who become victims of accidents involving pyrotechnics. Occasionally, audience members or others will be harmed. One of the most devastating examples of this took place in 2003 at the Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, during a Great White concert. Just after the band launched into their opening number, “Desert Moon,” flammable sound insulation caught on fire from the pyrotechnics that had been set off by the tour manager, Daniel Biechele.

With the stage suddenly covered in flames and the venue filling with smoke, the crowd rushed to get out of the building, which led to a stampede, causing the narrow hallway that led to the front door to become jammed. There were three other exits, including one beside the stage, which most of the Great White members and their entourage used to escape, but many individuals perished. Out of 462 people at the venue, 100 died, including lead guitarist Ty Longley and DJ Mike “The Doctor” Gonsalves. Over 200 people sustained injuries. Biechele pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in prison.^[9]

1 Assassination

The most infamous live theater interruption occurred during a performance of the comedic play Our American Cousin in Washington D.C.’s Ford Theater on April 14, 1865, when President Abraham Lincoln was shot by prominent actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth, resulting in Lincoln’s death the following morning.

In a last-ditch effort to save the confederacy at the end of the Civil War, Booth and his co-conspirators were planning to kill President Lincoln, along with Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William H. Seward. However, neither of the other two assassination attempts was successful.

Ironically, the atmosphere in the theater just before the attack was lighthearted as the audience enjoyed the popular comedy. Lincoln was enthusiastically laughing while seated in his private box with First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln and their guests Major Henry Rathbone and fiancée Clara Harris. This is when Booth gained access to the box, shot Lincoln in the back of the head, and stabbed Rathbone, who had lunged toward Booth. After the assassin jumped onto the stage below and shouted “Sic semper tyrannis,” the Virginia state motto meaning “thus always to tyrants,” he managed to escape, despite a broken leg from the fall. He was located by Union troops and shot to death on April 26, 1865.^[10]