History Main / GrandStaircaseEntrance

* Lampshaded in ''The Musical of Musicals: The Musical!'':

* In ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'', Elsa does this when her sister Anna finally meets her in her IcePalace. Anna even has the traditional "[[SheCleansUpNicely Whoa, Elsa, you look... different!]] [[{{Adorkable It's a good different!]]" reaction in regards to Elsa's Snow Queen outfit.

->''Music up as every eye goes to the head of the stairs, the portières move and Mrs. Levi steps through, handsomely gowned, red hair done up magnificently on top of her head. She descends stairs as Waiters, etc. await her first words.''\\
-- ''Theatre/HelloDolly'', stage direction preceding title song

* Fran gets a lot of mileage out of this trope in ''TheNanny''. She makes a Grand Staircase Entrance almost every time she's formally dressed.

* This is how the audience is introduced to the now teenaged Meggie in the miniseries TheThornBirds.

%% * Eliza makes her SheCleansUpNicely entrance on the balcony at the top of the staircase in Higgins's study.

* In the live-action ''Film/{{Cinderella}}'' remake, the two staircase entrances from the original are repeated, though choreographed differently. When Ella enters the ball, coming ''down'' (rather than ''up'', as in the animated version) the grand staircase, everyone there is stunned and can't stop looking at her. At the end of the film, she gets another, less grand but no less important staircase entrance as she finally appears to the Prince as she normally is (rather than in an enchanted dress).

* Lainey Boggs shows off her new look after her makeover in ''ShesAllThat'', although this is done on the stairs in her suburban home.

* Rose in ''Film/{{Titanic}}''. Slight subversion in that she is dressed like this every night and has come down those stairs several times- it's the onlooker who is [[PrincessForADay a gentleman for the evening.]]

* A tragic version in ''Film/SunsetBoulevard'', as she's breathtakingly attractive only in her own mind--"I'm ready for my closeup, Mister Director."
** It's also a [[InvertedTrope inversion]] - it's a Grand Staircase ''Exit''.

* In ''Film/EverAfter'' she makes her entrance all right (though ''up'' the stairs, not down).

* JerryLewis in ''Film/{{Cinderfella}}'' shows up at the grand ball in a big entrance on a ''huge'' staircase.
* Loki in ''Film/TheAvengers'' shows up at a museum gala in Stuttgart, Germany, strolling down a huge marble suitcase in an [[BadassInANiceSuit impeccable suit]] to the soothing strains of a string quartet. Then, in time to the quartet, he whacks a guy with his staff and stabs another in the eye.
* Rose in ''Film/{{Titanic}}''. Slight subversion in that she is dressed like this every night and has come down those stairs several times- it's the onlooker who is [[PrincessForADay a gentleman for the evening.]]
* [[AscendedFanboy Chris Cole]] in ''Film/RockStar'': In the very beginning of the first song in his first concert with [[FakeBand Steel Dragon]], slips and [[EpicFail falls down the stairs]]. Despite a nasty head wound and possible concussion, Chris rallies and [[TheShowMustGoOn finishes the song and the concert]].
* The introduction of [[FemmeFatale Mrs. Lewin Grayle]] in ''Film/FarewellMyLovely''. The scene is spoofed in the first ''Film/TheNakedGun'' movie when Frank's future LoveInterest Jane trips and [[StaircaseTumble falls down the staircase instead]].
* In the British comedy ''Curtain Up'' (1952) a playwright has written such a scene into her play "Tarnished Gold", only for the producer to bluntly inform her they're not building such a staircase [[AwesomeButImpractical as it wouldn't fit on stage]].

* Galadriel in the first ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' film.

* ''Film/GoneWithTheWind'' did this with Scarlett.

* ''Disney/{{Cinderella}}'' did it first.

* [[color:lime:Sn]]o[[color:lime:wman]] in the ''{{Homestuck}}'' [[http://mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=003167 intermission]].

* Eliza makes her SheCleansUpNicely entrance on the balcony at the top of the staircase in Higgins's study.

-- ''HelloDolly'', stage direction preceding title song

* In ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'', Elsa does this when her sister Anna finally meets her in her IcePalace. Anna even has the traditional "[[SheCleansUpNicely Whoa, Elsa, you look... different!]]" reaction in regards to Elsa's Snow Queen outfit.

* Elsa does this in ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'' when her sister Anna finally meets her in her IcePalace. Anna even has the traditional SheCleansUpNicely reaction in regards to Elsa's Snow Queen outfit.

* Cathy does this in PetalsOnTheWind at her mother's Christmas party, intent on humiliating her for her actions in the previous book--locking her four children away in an attic room.

* ''Series/GameOfThrones''. ManipulativeBastard Littlefinger is visibly stunned when Sansa Stark enters this way as a WomanInBlack, marking her acceptance of her own manipulative persona. She smiles, [[CorruptTheCutie fully aware of the effect she has on him]].

* In the first act of ''Series/TheAddamsFamily'' musical, Wednesday appears at the top of the stairs just after her "normal" fiance and his parents have arrived. Not exactly grand, but the "everyone stares" bit is played straight- because she's wearing a yellow dress (identical to her normal outfit in all but color). The general reaction is one of horror rather than admiration, from everyone except her future in-laws; in a cut line from the Chicago preview, said fiance even tells her to "take that dress and burn it."

* {{Anastasia}}, at the very end.

* Hermione's arrival at the Yule Ball in the fourth ''Film/HarryPotter'' movie.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Igor}}''--Eva makes her entrance just before the Evil Science Fair, complete with ShoutOut to the ''Film/SunsetBoulevard'' scene.

* Daphne makes several of these in ''WhatAGirlWants''. They proceed from funny, to serious, to heartbreaking as her spirit is slowly broken down and she conforms to upper class British society.
* JerryLewis in ''{{Cinderfella}}'' shows up at the grand ball in a big entrance on a ''huge'' staircase.

* The introduction of [[FemmeFatale Mrs. Lewin Grayle]] in ''Film/FarewellMyLovely''. The scene is spoofed in the first ''NakedGun'' movie when Frank's future LoveInterest Jane trips and [[StaircaseTumble falls down the staircase instead]].

* Elsa does this in ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'' when her sister Anna finally meets her in her IcePalace. Anna even does the traditional SheCleansUpNicely reaction.

* The introduction of [[FemmeFatale Mrs. Lewin Grayle]] in ''Film/FarewellMyLovely''. The scene is spoofed in the first ''NakedGun'' movie when Frank's future LoveInterest Jane trips and falls down the staircase instead.

* Eliza's official debut at the big fancy ball in MyFairLady.