Well, I love many finales but i think i'll go with HAIRSPRAY, BOY FROM OZ, RENT and LES MIS. Also AIDA's closing was great ! I am surprised no one mentioned 'For Now" from Avenue Q, since I know that many BWW posters love the show. Unfortunately I haven't seen the show live (YET) but it sounds great on the cast recording !
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I chose, and my world was shaken- So what? The choice may have been mistaken,
The choosing was not...
"Every day has the potential to be the greatest day of your life." - Lin-Manuel Miranda
"And when Idina Menzel is singing, I'm always slightly worried that her teeth are going to jump out of her mouth and chase me." - Schmerg_the_Impaler
I really love Hairspray's finale. You Can't Stop the Beat is one of the best songs - it makes me want to get up and dance, and makes me extremely happy.
I also love Wicked's, though it's not as fun. I guess I don't like it as much because when I see it, I know it's over when the finale comes, and I'm sad.
I love the Phantom ending - when you hear Christine's voice in the distance as she sails away - so sad!!! And also the ending for wicked - i just love the whole ending/back-to-the-beginning cyclic feel. X
I got you. Yeah, I got you on camera - you on candid camera now... An' you ain't know that...
The Boy From Oz and Hairspray are on the top of my list, just for the buzz I was on after seeing them - the energy on stage in the finale to these shows was amazing! But I love POTO and Wicked - both very touching, and made me really appreciate what I have
Mary Poppins is by far the best finale! when she flys off over the audience at the end, L-MK is AMAZING. The wicked finale isn't really satisfactory, I mean elphaba coming back to life makes it happy not sad, a complete anticlimax. i mean she died in the wizard of oz. Glinda's candy....er hello!!!
ragtime-although I've never seen it...the music is amazing
"You won't fight without layers of armor
Suit on up and come brace my sword
You look back when the pieces are missing
Hollowed out hope that no time can restore."
Gee, the thread has unfortunately turned into a "What shows have you seen on Broadway" thread. I mean, this is not about finales who are somewhat "cute" but rather overwhelming in their sheer theatrical brilliance.
So once more (after some serious thoughts): Cabaret (repeating myself) + Gypsy + Follies + A Chorus Line + Mystery of Edwin Drood + Into the Woods + Sweeney Todd
Edit: + Pacific Overtures ("Next" is extremely brillant)
I don't care for Rent at all...
Updated On: 3/10/05 at 11:48 AM
The finales that honestly get me choked up are The Producers and Avenue Q. I feel so determined and positive after Q, and I'm just a sap for Leo getting his due.....
"People have their opinions and that doesn't mean that their opinions are wrong or right. I just take it with a grain of salt because opinions are like as*holes, everyone has one".
-Felicia Finley-
um, Norbert Leo's Butt? (LOVING the name btw!! lol) - What makes the finale of Wicked so incredible is that, if the audience thinks about it realistically, it is absolutely not a happy ending! it's really tragic - sure Elphaba is not dead, but effectively her friendship with Glinda (what we are led to believe is the most important emotional aspect of the show) is. She will never see her again. So, while we can all feel happy to be alive, you have to mourn the loss of one of the strongest on-stage friendships, like, EVER! really powerful an' stuff... X
I got you. Yeah, I got you on camera - you on candid camera now... An' you ain't know that...
Glinda's candy (not getting the name by the way). I agree with you, but do you not reckon that there is an element of 'why couln't Glinda see her?' Who would find out. i think it is way more sad for glinda at the end than elphaba. i mean, elphy's happy, she has norbert leo's butt but glinda is stuck being good and gets left with boq i guess. It didn't seem to fit in quite right although was v. good. xoxox see ya doll face
As much as I LOVE Avenue Q, the ending was a little disappointing. I enjoyed the finale music (in fact, it's one of my favorite songs), but it just..doesn't do it for me.
I really liked the ending to Godspell. When we did the show last year (I did lights) and our cast starting singing "Long Live God", I started tearing up. It was very touching.
Into the Woods had good finale music, but not my favorite ending. A little boring, and just a little too calm. I enjoyed when it sped back up with "There are always wolves, there are always spells..."
"If it walks like a Parks, if it wobbles like a Parks, then it's definitely fat and nobody loves it." --MA