Back to CARNIVAL (one of my fav scores) HER FACE, the beautiful Ballad is first sung by Paul as a slightly tormented love song is reprised and added on to with the counter melody I HATE HIM. The combination of Paul's frustration and Lili's emotional rage after Paul's surprising kiss make for an amazing duet worthy of Puccini.
Idk if you can consider this a reprise because the title changes to Finale, but "No Moon," in Titanic is beautiful but once it is sang in a round fashion with "Autumn," it adds so much to it. Just a beautiful song in general. Love this music from this show.
The duet of A COCKEYED OPTIMIST at the end of the first act of SOUTH PACIFIC between Nellie and Emile. I believe it is only eleven bars but it is amazing. Supposedly during rehearsals for SOUTH PACIFIC, Mary Martin did not want to sing a duet with Ezio Pinza (who at the time was the most famous opera singer in the world) and she didn't want her voice to compete with his so that is the reason there is no duet (except for those eleven bars) between Nellie and Emile.
I'm not much a fan of Webber, but when Murray Head kicks in to "I Don't Know How to Love Him" during "Judas' Death" on the original album, it's probably the most effective dramatic moment I've heard in a Webber recording.
Also, "Tonight" in West Side Story, if we count the Quintet/Chorus as a Reprise, has to be mentioned.
Some other ones I don't think have been mentioned yet, "Forever Yours" in Once on This Island (heart-wrenching), "I Am the One" in Next to Normal, "Look Over There" in La Cage, "Take Me to Heaven" in Sister Act (an altogether forgettable show, but a rather fantastic Act I Finale, that) and, for something completely different, the Lady of the Lake's rendition of "The Song That Goes Like This" in Spamalot, but that might only be because of Sara Ramirez...
I'll also second "Waitin' for the Light to Shine," "One," "Not a Day Goes By" (so incredibly heartbreaking) and, of course "I'll Cover You."
Words don't deserve that kind of malarkey. They're innocent, neutral, precise, standing for this, describing that, meaning the other, so if you look after them you can build bridges across incomprehension and chaos. But when they get their corners knocked off, they're no good anymore…I don't think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.
Some other ones I don't think have been mentioned yet..."Take Me to Heaven" in Sister Act (an altogether forgettable show, but a rather fantastic Act I Finale, that)
Good thing I didn't say "Some others I know haven't been mentioned yet!"
Words don't deserve that kind of malarkey. They're innocent, neutral, precise, standing for this, describing that, meaning the other, so if you look after them you can build bridges across incomprehension and chaos. But when they get their corners knocked off, they're no good anymore…I don't think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.
I have't seen it yet, but the "Newsies" cast album has "Santa Fe" as a prologue at the beginning of act one, and it ends act one also.
I wonder what allure Santa Fe has, because both in Newsies, the characters talk about going to Santa Fe, and also in Rent, they talk about going to Santa Fe also (and one thing that always bothered me in Rent was that it was Collins, Angle, and Mark that were singing about Santa Fe, and Roger is the one that ends up going, though I don't think he was around while the other characters were singing).
"All At Once You Love Her" from PIPE DREAM. A nice, quiet duet for Doc and Suzy at the end of the first act, it really shines in the second act as a reprise for Fauna. That's always when the song really gets me.