Favorite Musical REprise - the essence of musicals

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 8/9/03 at 11:38am

Jerry Herman has said that he thinks the well used reprise is really what makes a musical work.

Absolutely. There is something particularly magical and wistful and elating about a song we have already heard, coming back at us with a new twist and yet that delightful familiarity.

Off the top of my head some of my favorite Reprise moments are:

With you On My Arm - from LA CAGE AUX FOLLES when Albin and George do the reprise

Kids - the choir reprise in Bye Bye Birdie (this is my First reprise, I think--I belive I remember seeing the word reprise for the first time on this ORC when I was a child

But Alive - the reprise done by Eve in Applause

Don't Rain on My Parade - Reprised as the finale of Funny Girl

please share some of your favorite REPRISES.

Updated On: 8/9/03 at 11:38 AM

[ChrisLovesShows]

Posted: 8/9/03 at 11:44am

I know some accuse Andrew Lloyd Webber of reprising to the point of "recycling" the same tune over and over, but there are some lovely reprises, IMO, in both JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and SUNSET BOULEVARD. I'll go look so I can be more specific.

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 8/9/03 at 11:47am

yes, the Phantom's reprise of All I ask of You is rather haunting.

Posted: 8/9/03 at 11:56am

I like the reprise to "Good Morning, Baltimore" from HAIRSPRAY
also "Elaborate Lives" from AIDA
but I think the two best reprises are
The Finale from Les Miserables (Do You Hear the People Sing)
and The Finale of "Funny Girl" both very moving.

[MusicMan]

Posted: 8/9/03 at 12:12pm

As a writer, I find this a very interesting thread.
Here are my candidates:

AS LONG AS HE NEEDS ME (Oliver!)--The song is originally sung by Nancy in Act One as a song of masochistic love for Bill Sykes. She then reprises it in Act Two in reference to Oliver Twist before she decides to return him to Brownlow and meets her untimely and tragic end at the hands of Bill.

SEND IN THE CLOWNS (A Little Night Music)--Sung as a ruefully ironic and bittersweet lament of missed opportunities by Desiree in Act Two, it is reprised as a song of conciliation and self-acceptance by Desiree and Frederick at the end of the show.

IF I LOVED YOU (Carousel)---Billy and Julie express their love in tentative conditionals in Act One. After Billy's death and return to earth, he reprises a half-chorus and confesses his love for her ("HOW I loved you...") from beyond the grave.

LOVE, DON'T TURN AWAY (110 in the Shade)---Lizzie, an old maid, expresses her yearnings for romantic love early on in Act One. Later in the act, she reprises it in counterpoint to the community's prayer for rain, making a mythic connection between Lizzie's and the town's parched desires.

GOODNIGHT, MY SOMEONE/SEVENTY-SIX TROMBONES---Marian Paroo abd Harold Hill respectively sings these songs in Act One. In Act Two, portions of the songs are alternately reprised by the two characters and it becomes evident the songs are the same tune in different arrangements. Psychologically, the audience has been prepared for their eventual union from the very beginning.

THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM (Man of LA Mancha)---Performed by Quixote/Cervantes in Act One, it is reprised by Aldonza to a disillusioned Quixote on his deathbed in Act Two to reawaken the memory of his quest.

TONIGHT (West Side Story)/MY LOVE (Candide)---In the original productions of both musicals, these songs are reprised as a quintet and quartet, respectively, to thrilling effect.

STORMY WEATHER (Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music)---Obviously not a musical, this is, however, one of the strongest reprises in a show on record. In her one-woman show, Ms. Horne originally sang this standard as a souvenir of her Cotton Club days. Later, in Act Two, she pulled all the stops out and reprised it as an electrifying testament of survival. Updated On: 8/9/03 at 12:12 PM

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 8/9/03 at 12:15pm

MusicMan, I love the Send in the Clowns reprise.

Posted: 8/9/03 at 12:18pm

even though it might not classify as a reprise....the end of Cabaret when they do "Weilkommen" (I know I spelled that wrong) and then drums and all. Powerful stuff. Love the theater. Makes me chilled all over just thinking about some of it.

[ChrisLovesShows]

Posted: 8/9/03 at 12:35pm

One of the ones I was thinking about is the music that closes JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. The piece is called "John Nineteen Forty-One" and it is an lush instrumental reprise of "Gethsemane." It is achingly beautiful.

MusicMan, great list!

Updated On: 8/9/03 at 12:35 PM

[BrdwyThtr]

Posted: 8/9/03 at 12:40pm

I love the reprise of "Good Morning, Baltimore" and "Thorougly Modern Millie".

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 8/9/03 at 12:58pm

chris, the superstar reprise is indeed "divine."

[MusicMan]

Posted: 8/9/03 at 1:02pm

Not to mention the reprise of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" by Judas before he hangs himself. Updated On: 8/9/03 at 01:02 PM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/9/03 at 1:08pm

I agree that "As Long As He Needs Me" is one of the most masterful reprises ever. It is a glorious piece of art.

Sondheim also uses the reprise masterfully in "Sweeney Todd". "Not While I'm Around" is beautifully sung by Toby and then, while not actually a full reprise, Mrs. Lovett sings it again, more dissonantly, when she is trying to catch Toby.

A reprise that lost it's way is in Blood Brothers. The Marilyn Monroe reprise almost works, but then when the mother compares her jailbird son to Marilyn, that goes a bit too far.

[BudFrump23]

Posted: 8/9/03 at 1:16pm

In Company, they reprise the song about 5 times, although each time it is a little different (Bobby come on over for dinner, it'll just be the three of us....) and then (Bobby come on over for dinner, it'll just be the four of us...)

Also, in Rent, the reprise of "I'll Cover You" that Collins sings at Angel's funeral.

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 8/9/03 at 1:30pm

the COMPANY song kind of keeps reoccuring throughout the show

I love the marian/harold hill reprise of goodnight my someone/seventysix trombones,,,,they sing each other's songs in the reprise, how wonderful

the TONIGHT reprise in West Side Story is a thrilling moment in theater.

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 8/9/03 at 1:32pm

Mrs. Lovett singing "nothing's gonna harm you" while hunting for Toby is indeed chilling.

[ChrisLovesShows]

Posted: 8/9/03 at 2:12pm

Gotham:
I know what you mean about BLOOD BROTHERS. They take the Marilyn Monroe metaphor just a liiiittttttlllle bit to far and it becomes comical.

[ChrisLovesShows]

Posted: 8/9/03 at 2:14pm

That Mrs. Lovett...now that is one whack chick!!

[Starlight]

Posted: 8/9/03 at 2:48pm

Ok...well I'll admit that its not really one of the BEST reprises out there...but the "Speed Test Reprise" in Millie during Meers' capture is hilarious and pretty creative, in my opinion.

I don't think I've ever seen a more powerful reprise that "Do you hear..." in Les Mis. I think a lot of that has to do with the staging however.

I love the way Weber uses Memory in CATS...just a bit during Grizabella's first appearance and then the full blown ballad at the end of the show.

And lastly, in the King and I...the orchestration of "Something Wonderful" used at the end as the king dies and the son accepts his responsibilities. It really helps build the emotion of the scene.

There are so many great examples! This will be a fun topic to keep up with. :)

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 8/9/03 at 2:54pm

you are very sweet starlight:)

[Starlight]

Posted: 8/9/03 at 2:57pm

Hmmm...I guess that's a compliment? If so...thanks. :)

[BudFrump23]

Posted: 8/9/03 at 3:01pm

In "Into The Woods," the song Agony itself is hillarious. But then, we are given the reprise of the song, which is twice as funny as before. I love this!

In "A New Brain", we hear Gordo sing "Frogs have so much spring within them" trying to write his song for Mr. Bungee. And at the end of the show, he comes back with "I have so much spring within me" which is the perfect ending!

[magruder]

Posted: 8/9/03 at 3:24pm

What about the lovely, heartbreaking reprise of "Somewhere That's Green" in Little Shop of Horrors?

[MusicMan]

Posted: 8/9/03 at 4:34pm

Or the end of CAMELOT, when the title tune is reprised as Arthur's great dream of brotherhood comes to an end.

[ChrisLovesShows]

Posted: 8/9/03 at 5:35pm

I must mention the moving reprise of the title song of "Nine" at the very end of the show. I have it as my signature!

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 8/9/03 at 6:15pm

this thread is bringing back great memories....

remember in Fiddler on the Roof........

when the third oldest daughter is telling Tevye she wants to marry out of the faith and it leads to a rather horrifying, chilling reprise of

Tradition