First one that came to mind for me as well. Though even knowing that it would enable to prevent or at least witness the murder of America’s greatest president I’m not certain if I could sit through a Victorian drawing room comedy. I’d probably give the person next to me a couple of bucks to “nudge me when someone says ‘sockdologizing’”.
I’d love to see John Wilkes Booth perform as well, and his brother Edwin and their father Junius, to see if Junius and Edwin were that great or if John was as mesmerizing as his reputation. (His photographs aren’t exactly “hubba hubba” by today’s aesthetics for male attractiveness, but in person he must have been beautiful.)
A performance at African Grove, the early 19th century theatre company founded by freed slaves and frequently starring James Hewitt, an ex slave some critics counted as among the best Shakespearean actors ever. The actors there did a voodoo/Caribbean themed Shakespearean productions a century before Orson Welles.
I’d love to have seen Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews in My Fair Lady.
Sarah Bernhardt in one of her 48 farewell tours of La Dame Aux Camelias. I find it fascinating that Americans who didn’t even speak French went to see her and wept during the performance, and not just the social climbers. (They did sell scripts that translated the play into English during her U.S. tours- I have one.)
Oscar Wilde lecturing on Decorative Arts and House Beautiful (basically, interior design) in mining camps and tiny towns and to polygamous Mormons and Cajuns and other unlikely audiences during his 1882 American tour, usually while dressed in velvet and holding a sunflower, and often (not always) getting ovations including from roughnecks (who he sometimes drank under the table beforehand to get their respect). Accounts of his U.S. tour frequently had reviews similar to Blue Man Group today- “I can’t tell you what it is or why it’s brilliant, but trust me… it is”. I’m guessing it was as much stand-up comedy as aestheticism, and even so he certainly had his share of haters, but I’d love to have seen it.
Mark Twain of course. Hal Holbrook spent years researching Twain’s voice and mannerisms et al to be the most authentic Twain actor in the biz and I’ve seen him twice, but I’d love to see the real man. Also Charles Dickens, who became so passionate in his readings his audiences sometimes feared he was going to collapse.
And, assuming I could upload a Classical Greek translation program, I would love to see some of the great Greek tragedies (especially Medea) and comedies (especially Lysistrata) performed as they were performed in ancient Greece (masks, drag queens, god machines, wagons, chorus, etc.), and of course any performance at Shakespeare’s Globe (or Rose, or Swan) that didn’t result in fiery death for members of the audience. Dream choice would be one of the performances that Shakespeare himself performed in or one that Pocahontas attended.