Each month for a year Prudential is gifting free tickets to theatre fans from across the U.S. with the Prudential Standing Ovations Ticket Giveaway, presented by Playbill. For the chance to win, entrants are answering the question "Which Broadway character or song inspires you, and why?" in a short essay or video. Read a few of last month's most stirring responses below.
Entries for this month's contest will be accepted June 17–July 16.
Kasandra Raux: Wendla from Spring Awakening inspires me because of she is not afraid to question what is going on in the world or the things she does not understand. By the end of the musical, she owns her journey of who she is and what her place is in the world. In this age, questioning is more important than ever.
Dmitry Bam: "This Is The Moment," from Jekyll & Hyde. It inspires me because it reminds to give my best at all times, and that if I work hard, I can succeed at anything.
Joshua Wagner: I admire Celie from The Color Purple. Celie overcame great obstacles, many hardships, and unfair circumstances that put her at a disadvantage among her peers, but she still pursued love…and in the end, the love she grew (and had) for herself helped her build a good life and find her true voice. She is such an inspirational and aspirational character.
Henry Zhu: "Wait for Me" from Hadestown. It's a very romantic song and speaks to the dedication of Orpheus to find Eurydice (and the reprise later in the musical shows her devotion to him!)
Merle Milder: "You Can Do It" from The Producers has always inspired my whole family. When the kids complain about something being hard in their lives, my husband starts singing "You Can Do It," and it cheers them right up.
Ron Merko: "Someone Like You" from Jekyll & Hyde. It was my deceased partner's and my song. He died 16 years ago. Being gay men at a time when in many ways we were social outcasts, we found each other to share 14 years of love. We became Linda Eder fans seeing her in J&H and in concert several times.
