There’s a good argument to be made for the fact that the excitement of theatre is ephemeral that one evening; that what you know instinctively when you’re in an audience, unconsciously at the theatre is this performance is unique, it’s got the same cast that was there last night and will be there tomorrow night, but tonight is unique, the laughs are going to be individual, something may go wrong on the stage, a prop may fall over, somebody may fall in the orchestra pit, something is live, and there is danger, and something also that makes it that it’s being performed just for you
Stephen Sondheim