Ahrens and Flaherty: Modern Masters of the Opening Number?

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 1:30pm

Who writes a better opening number than Ahrens and Flaherty? Even their less-than-stellar scores have superb opening numbers.
What's your favorite? I'm not a fan of the score, but the opening from My Favorite Year is quite thrilling.

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 1:31pm

Prologue from RAGTIME

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 1:34pm

I wonder what their writing process is...

Do they always start with the opening number?

[Cages or Wings]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 1:51pm

I have to agree the prologue from Ragtime is my favorite of theirs.

[lovesclassics]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 2:13pm

Opening numbers, and then some. I'd have to agree with RAGTIME.

LC

[jv92]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 2:17pm

The opening of Ragtime is exceptional, not just because of the song, but the staging is top notch. Seussical and Once on this Island also are great!
However, if anyone had to claim the writers of the best openings, I think Kander and Ebb would be the pick, or at least they would be mine. I mean "Willkommen", "All That Jazz", "The Happy Time", "Colored Lights"? Can you get any more stellar?

[RustyRocketteBoy]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 2:25pm

Dessa Rose's "We Are Descended" is amazing and so is the opening to Man of No Importance if its done right.

[jv92]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 2:26pm

I've heard a lot of great things about Dessa Rose. I'm interested in getting the recording for my birthday.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 2:27pm

I agree, Kander and Ebb are probably have the best opening numbers of the golden age.

[lovesclassics]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 2:28pm

jv92,

I'm loving DESSA ROSE. I hope you do get it for your birthday.

lc

[adamgreer]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 2:37pm

I love the opening number from Ragtime, though I still contend that the most thrilling opening number I've ever seen is The Circle of Life from The Lion King. If only the rest of the show were as good as that.

Although, that, I suppose, is the problem with the opening being the best number in the show- there's nowhere to go but down afterwards.

While Ragtime built on its opening, Lion King fell.

P.S.- I actually enjoyed both Ragtime and Lion King a great deal.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 2:49pm

I agree Ragtime is a fantastic opening, but all their shows do seem to have great openings--giving you all the background story you need set to a wonderful tune in an entertaining way. I love we are descended from Dessa Rose and We Dance from Once On This Island.

[Elphie]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 3:00pm

I never noticed how intoxicating their opening numbers are- they really know how to lure an audience into their show from the first number.

I'll give a vote to one of their lesser known shows that only made it off-broadway- Lucky Stiff. Great little song that sets the mood perfectly for a murder mystery musical comedy.

All their opening numbers always introduce the main characters as well. They have a style.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 3:01pm

I love the opening of Lucky Stiff too!

[LostLeander]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 3:07pm

I still think Sondheim writes the best openers.
And well.. the best shows.

"Company" (The overture of women singing Bobby)... Yeston TOTALLY stole that from Sondheim.

A Little Night Music. Great scene AND stunningly gorgeous music.

Sweeney Todd. What an exceptionally creepy, disorienting, yet brilliant introduction to the show.
Favorite line, "What happened then, well that's the play. And he wouldn't want you to give it away. Not Sweeney."

AHH! I love it.

But I adore Ragtime and its Opening, and finally seeing it staged after 4 years, I CRIED. Brilliance.

[Flahooley]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 3:52pm

I have to vote for Aherens and Flaherty as masters of the opening number.

How can I pick one? RAGTIME's opening is indeed their masterpiece, but my favorites A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE's opening.

It captures the poetry in the simple acts of getting up, going to work, and riding a bus.

[jam_man]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 4:16pm

adamgreer, you enjoyed Ragtime AND The Lion King? Is...is that allowed? *shuffles through unofficial Broadway rule book*


But, yes, A & F do have the best openings, with Ragtime probably being the best.

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 4:24pm

I A-D-O-R-E the Ragtime prologue. It is probably the greatest modern opening of the last ten years.

[jv92]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 4:36pm

Someone mentioned Sondheim-
Well, I don't think Follies really gets going at full speed until "Waiting for the Girls Upstairs."
And I don't care for Sunday's opening.
Except for those, however, I agree his openings are great! Updated On: 1/14/06 at 04:36 PM

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 6:46pm

Sondheim is a genious of the opening number, he says so much in every single opening number he's written. Look at "Happiness" from Passion, it is one of the most unusual opening numbers and yet it is brilliant. The opening of Sunday is unusual as well, and yet it tells you pretty much every single theme that will be discussed in the show by using a great soliloquy.
However, to stay in topic, the Prologue of Ragtime is one of the best opening numbers in my opinion, like someone else said, not only the music but Graciela Danielle's staging for this number is nothing short of brilliant.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 7:23pm

"adamgreer, you enjoyed Ragtime AND The Lion King? Is...is that allowed? *shuffles through unofficial Broadway rule book* "

I know....hard to believe isn't it? As much as I enjoyed both shows, I do believe that the Ragtime deserved Best Musical, however. But I've never understood the venom some people have towards Lion King.

[jam_man]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 8:22pm

Yeah, I do like both, too. I just like Ragtime MUCH more.

As for the venom against The Lion King, it's probably a combonation of (if I may borrow a term from Gerard Alessandrini) the "Mousification" of Broadway, as well as them winning over Ragtime. I've always believed that if Ragtime opened before Ragtime, their possistions would be reversed for the most part. Minus Garth Drabinsky's follies, of course.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 8:25pm

I don't know...I think Lion King would have been a colossal hit no matter when it opened. A later opening for Ragtime may have been enough to give it Best Musical, however. If it won, it's possible it would have played a bit longer. Of course, the Liven/Garth Drabinsky fiasco probably still would have destroyed any chance of an extended run for that show.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 9:16pm

I love the opening of Ragtime. I remember seeing it for the first time, shortly after the show opened on Broadway, and being absolutely spellbound. I believe that was the first time an opening number brought tears to my eyes.

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 9:21pm

Flaherty says they write the opening number 'first and last,' meaning they write it first as a way to be sure they're got the feel of the show in the early stages but they go back at the end and incorporate other themes and characterization when they have the show set.