hard act to follow

Originally referring to an outstandingly successful vaudeville act.

hard act to follow (plural hard acts to follow)

1. A performance that is so outstanding that it is unlikely to be equalled.

• tough act to follow

• Eric Partridge (1992), “act to follow”, in A Dictionary of Catch Phrases, Rowman & Littlefield, →ISBN, page 1: “Originally, and probably before 1920, referring to an outstandingly successful vaudeville act which might well cast a shade over the following act, but since at least 1930, applied to any outstanding performance or especially able person.”