Best Song Written for the Theatre in a Decade?- Page 2

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 11:24am

I did mean that song, and wasn't aware that it was older than that. When was it written?

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 11:27am

That I don't know, but I know that Patti LuPone sang it in 2002 (and I feel like Brian Stokes Mitchell was also singing it around that time, if not earlier), so it's at least 11 years old. But if that's it, I would consider it part of this decade.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 11:28am

Ooooh, I need to find Patti singing it!

[Kad]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 12:14pm

I'll also throw out:

You Don't Know/I Am the One- Next to Normal
Love's a Gun- Love's Labour's Lost
Die, Vampire, Die! - Title of Show
Epilogue - Caroline, or Change (hell, this whole score, come on)

Urinetown is fantastic as a whole, but I do think it's more than the sum of its parts, considering it's basically entirely pastiche/parody. Same with The Drowsy Chaperone. I couldn't pick out one song that really stands out from either (Maybe "Show Off"? It's sort of a novelty song), but not because the songs aren't good. They need to be in context, it's like evaluating a single cog from a watch.

Updated On: 9/3/13 at 12:14 PM

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 12:19pm

Even though Kad nailed it by just saying the entire score for Caroline, or Change, I have a soft spot in my heart for "I Hate the Bus," "Roosevelt Petrucius Coleslaw," and "Long Distance," though I don't imagine anyone else saying "Long Distance" is even close to being one of the best songs in that show.

[Kad]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 12:21pm

"I Hate the Bus" is one of the rare songs I wish was double its length. It's gorgeous.

[jnb9872]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 12:50pm

"I Miss the Music" and "The 'I Love You' Song" are great choices, too. I can get behind those.

[JRybka]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 12:56pm

Another Winter in Another Summer Town - Grey Gardens
Electricity - Billy Elliott
Model Behavior - Women on the Verge
Before the Summers End - Dracula

my "cheezy" love: Finding Wonderland - Wonderland

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 1:00pm

Let's just stop pvssyfooting around, and say it - CAROLINE, OR CHANGE is just the best musical of the last decade. In fact, it might just be the best musical ever written; better than anything Sondheim, Herman, Webber, Styne, Lerner or Lowe ever wrote. Maybe it was just a fluke on the part of the creators of the show and they're likely to never top it, but the fact remains that with this show, they went beyond striking gold and struck absolute 100% unparalleled perfection.

Updated On: 9/3/13 at 01:00 PM

[jnb9872]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 1:04pm

Kad, your comment about wishing "I Hate the Bus" was double it's length reminded me of one of my personal faves like that: "Painter's Song" from AMOUR. I'm sure it wasn't technically written in the last 10 years, but the show premiered in America ten years ago so I'll put it forward. Also "Other People's Stories" and "Special Time of Day" are great from that score.

[Kad]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 1:07pm

I don't know if I would say Caroline, or Change is the best musical ever- because I don't think there's such a thing as a "best [X] ever" - but it is definitely up there

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 2:04pm

I would say Caroline, or Change is easily the best musical of the new century. In fact, it's one of the great pieces of art created in this century.

But as a stand-alone song out of context of the show? Another Winter in a Summer Town is it for me.

Updated On: 9/3/13 at 02:04 PM

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 2:13pm

"...as a stand-alone song out of context of the show..."

I'd agree that this should be the standard barometer for measuring such things, even though all art is subjective. It's easy to consider a song the 'best written' when staged and put into context. But it's more important to analyze it as a standalone composition. I would argue that is when something from BILLY ELLIOT, for example, greatly suffers.

[DeNada]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 2:16pm

This may be controversial, but I think one of the best songs of the past ten years is "Who I'd Be" from SHREK.

I don't care for the crappy pop orchestration that kicks in at the end much, but I think the song is beautiful in its relative simplicity (maybe the lyrics are a bit too cheesy poetic? I don't know, I love them anyway), and it's got a wonderful emotional core. It's just structured so well with the build up to "and I'd remove my helmet" - that giant pause where the audience takes a collective breath - and then the triumphant swell into "we'd stand and stare/we'd speak of love".

It's a great song in a not particularly great show. It's not as breathtaking as Tesori's work on CAROLINE, but it's still wonderful - and I can't wait to hear what comes out of FUN HOME if it gets a cast recording.

My hopefully less controversial choice is "Fable" from PIAZZA. I love how it builds on that simple theme that Margaret sings to Clara earlier in the show and then reveals the force behind it as the orchestration and lyrics explode angrily before collapsing back into some kind of hope.

(wow that sounds wanky)

There's loads of great suggestions in this thread and some I've not heard of I need to track down.

[Sauja]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 2:48pm

The show I'm surprised hasn't come up here at all is The Scottsboro Boys, which I think had one of the most uniformly strong scores of the recent past. I would personally pick "You Can't Do Me" as a high point.

I'd second the votes for "Around the World" from Grey Gardens and "The I Love You Song" from Spelling Bee, and concur 100% that Caroline, or Change has THE best score of the paste decade, so much so that I can't pick a best song. I'd lean toward the Epilogue, but I think that might be because it's such a brilliant moment within the context of the show. It can't be pulled out to stand on its own, but of course...that's one of the many perfect things about it.

I'd also mention "Rain" from Fela--the one original song in the show, and it was a doozy. And "Pretty Funny" from Dogfight merits a nod, though I still haven't decided if that was the song or Lyndsay Mendez's brilliant performance.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 3:21pm

I mentioned SCOTTSBORO BOYS in my original post.

[Sauja]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 3:56pm

Ah, so you did. And Glinda mentioned it in the very start of the thread.

Mea maxima culpa.

[AC126748]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 4:02pm

I'm taking "in a decade" literally, so 2003-2013. A few of mine:

"Work the Wound"--Passing Strange
"Around the World"--Grey Gardens
"I Hate the Bus"--Caroline, or Change
"Lot's Wife"--Caroline, or Change
"Coney Island"--February House
"Whispering"--Spring Awakening
"Island"--Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
"Time Stands Still"--Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
"My Body Wasn't Why"--The Glorious Ones
"Coffee Shop Nights"--Curtains
"Fable"--The Light in the Piazza
"Dividing Day"--The Light in the Piazza
"Twelve Children"--Dessa Rose
"He Wanted a Girl"--Giant
"A Stranger"--Giant
"Not My Father's Son"--Kinky Boots

[Kad]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 4:35pm

Completely forgot about "He Wanted a Girl." That was the highlight of Giant for me.

[luvcaroline]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 7:50pm

Caroline, or Change - I Hate the Bus and Underwater (Lot's Wife is pure brilliance but doesn't work as well out of context)

Ghost - With You and Suspend My Disbelief / I Had a Life (I know I'm in the minority on that one)

Passing Strange - Keys and Must Have Been High

Scottsboro Boys - Go Back Home

Catch Me If You Can - Fly Away and Good-bye

Wicked- For Good

Overall winner........Keys. Probably shocking considering my screen name, but I can listen to this song repeatedly, alone, and have the same experience I did when I saw it live. The perfect broadway song, in my mind. As others have said, Caroline is greatness, a true masterpiece, but best appreciated when played beginning to end

[luvcaroline]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 7:50pm

Double post

Updated On: 9/3/13 at 07:50 PM

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 8:54pm

I understand all the reasons why Stephen Schwartz' work is controversial and I agree with much of the criticism.

But setting the song "Loathing" as an exhilarating, Latin-beat celebration was the sort of choice that makes me love musical theater.

(For the record, I haven't seen or heard all the failed shows ya'll have witnessed.)

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 8:58pm

luvcaroline, I didn't even think of "Keys" but yeah. You're right. It's incredibly powerful. That being said, I have to wonder if that's just part of the recording we have come to love. I have my doubts that if the song were done by a high school drama club, for example, it would have the same emotionally stirring and exhilarating impact.

[luvcaroline]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 9:06pm

Valid point, Headband. One hing that does make that song so vibrant is the fact that it was recorded live (something that I wish more shows would do.)

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 9/3/13 at 9:09pm

Say what you want about Stew, but he brought that show to life. And he was able to make you really feel that raw energy in the recording.