Best contrapuntal moments in a show (or movie, or ANYTHING)

2-part:
Any Irving Berlin duet (An Old-Fashioned Wedding, You Wonderful You, You're Just In Love, Empty Pockets)
Six Months Out of Every Year from DAMN YANKEES
Don't Do Sadness/Blue Wind from SPRING AWAKENING
Leave Me Alone from SIDE SHOW
Belle from BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Doll on a Music Box/Truly Scrumptious from CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG
and (I hate to say it, but who are we kidding?) It's a Small World (put the verse and chorus together -- genius!)

3-part:
A Heart Full of Love from LES MISERABLES
The Trio from AND THE WORLD GOES ROUND
Andrew Lloyd Webber Love Trio
Trio from Disney's ANIMAZEMENT
"I Am So Proud If I Allowed" from THE MIKADO
The I Love You Song from 25APCSB
Now/Later/Soon from A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
Edgar Allan Poe from SNOOPY
Those You've Known from SPRING AWAKENING
Book Report from YAGMCB (original version)
I'm Movin' On from TEACHER'S PET
Real Big News from PARADE
A Shtetl iz Amerike from RAGTIME (short, but excellent example)

4 or more parts:
Monster Montage from A CHORUS LINE
Book Report from YAGMCB (1999 version)
Act One Finale from URINETOWN
On Any Sunday Morning from FOOTLOOSE
Act One Finale from THE PRODUCERS
One Day More from LES MISERABLES
Your Work And Nothing More from JEKYLL AND HYDE
Poor Child from WILD PARTY
Anything that Maury Yeston writes for ensemble
Anything Sondheim writes for ensemble (Pirelli's Miracle Elixir and Putting it Together often go up to 9!)
And the best example ever...
The Tonight Quintet from WSS

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Updated On: 4/5/08 at 12:29 AM

KISS ME (The Quartet) from Sweeney Todd.

One of the best quartets written for the stage.

"Leave Me Alone - Side Show"

Yeah, pretty much ALL of Side Show, Lol. So much of the reason why I loved doing that show so much, I love counterpoint.

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Well, think about:
"Bonjour (Pardon)
Good day (Mais oui)
You call this bacon (What lovely grapes)"

Sounds like counterpoint to me.

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The Tea Party- Dear World
In the Same Boat- Curtains
Love Will See Us Through/You're Gonna Love Tomorrow- Follies

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Would the round in "Will I" (Rent) count?

Also Finale of Rent (Without You/Another Day combo)

Tradition from Fiddler?

I think Now/Later/Soon should win the award for the best contrapuntal song written for the Musical Theatre Stage. It's perfect.

I think RENT's "And It's Beginning to Snow" is pretty messy and awful. I remember sitting in the audience and thinking I had no idea what was going on or what anyone was saying.

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"The Confrontation" from LES MIS is a favorite of mine.

"Notes/Prima Donna" from PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is a good one too. I think that's got 7 parts!

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Updated On: 1/3/08 at 12:34 PM

Thanks! I forgot those! Thanks for everyone who has mentioned what I forgot!
Tradition, Will I, and Rent's Finale all definitely count.

I forgot about Confrontation as well as A Simple Melody, and Lida Rose/Will I Ever Tell You.

BUT HOW COULD WE HAVE FORGOTTEN THIS ONE:

"Pick-A-Little, Talk-A-Little/Goodnight, Ladies"

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"You're Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Through" from Follies."

Yes.

Including a colloquial period authenticity while finding perfectly elastic lyrics to make sure it all hangs together.

And the cut Who Could Be Blue?/Little White House is perfection as a duet.

Tower of Babble from GODSPELL
A Step Too Far from AIDA
I also think the opening to Mama Will Provide from ONCE ON THIS ISLAND is a good example.

Pippin...good call on Moon Trio from COC. I get chills just thinking about it. The Moon, Emmie And Stuart Trio also deserves a mention.

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Updated On: 1/3/08 at 05:21 PM

"Do You Know What It's Like?" from Zanna Don't...one of my favorites in this category.

You mean the whole rapping against the singing? I like that.

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