Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?

[Bob30]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:07pm

I always look forward to how a show will end Act 1 and my favourite endings to Act 1 are

Wicked - Defying Gravity
Anything Goes - The large scale tap routine and Title Song
Avenue Q - The heart wrenching A fine fine line

I cant think of worst

yours?

[madbrian]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:09pm

Everything's Coming Up Roses
And I Am Telling You
Mame

[Wynbish]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:10pm

Best

Gypsy
Urinetown
Spamalot
Les Miz
POTO (if only because it is one of the most iconic Act 1 closers)

Worst

Godspell
Fiddler Updated On: 7/16/12 at 03:10 PM

[TheLadyoftheWood]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:14pm

Wynbish, when you say Spamalot do you mean the song Find Your Grail which is right before the last scene or Run Away? Because I always thought that they should have cut that part and just ended on a high note of Find Your Grail.

[little_sally]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:15pm

The Catch Me If You Can act 1 closer was awful.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:18pm

BEST:
Evita
The Book of Mormon
Anything Goes
Spider-Man
Phantom
Jersey Boys
Any of Wildhorn's show's finales

WORST:
Fiddler on the Roof
Lion King
Cats

[Wynbish]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:19pm

Find Your Grail is a better song, but the French taunters would not have made sense in Act 2. If there was a way to put them before Find Your Grail, it would have been great, as well.

I just love the "Have a drink and a pee, we'll be back for Act 3!" "Two, sir" "Two!" And the use of the cartoon on the screen.

[staunchcharacter]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:28pm

My personal favorite Act 1 closer will always be "A Little Priest."

[TheLadyoftheWood]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:31pm

Just noticed I didn't put my thoughts

Best:
Little Mermaid (Show was awful but ending the act with PUF was smart)
Miss Saigon (One of the most emotional Act 1 closers for me)
Ragtime (Another tear-jerker)
Titanic (Just because I love the song No Moon/Autumn)
WOTV (Cute song and good scene)
9 to 5 (About the only thing I like about the show besides Megan Hilty)

Worst:
Tarzan (WHAT?)
Wedding Singer (Like the scene but the song annoys me)
Wonderland (Just no!)
My Favorite Year (Only thing I liked about that show was the Act 1 Opening, the rest was torture.)

[booth0882]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:36pm

Best:
Anything Goes (You have to love that tap number)
Gypsy
Wicked
Billy Elliot
Cabaret (if it is done well, it is chilling)
Company

Worst:
Lion King
Catch Me if You Can
Damn Yankees (Love the musical, but the intermission could be better placed)
Love Never Dies
Hairspray
Into the Woods

[dreaming]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:39pm

Best:

Everything's Coming Up Roses
All I Ask of You Reprise-Say what you will about the show (I happen to enjoy it), it's a rousing end to the first act (and Masquerade is a terrific opener to act 2).
One Day More-another rousing closer
Ragtime-I cried and cried during the revival
South Pacific-Loved how they did it in the revival-it really left a sense of turmoil
Miss Saigon-(I want a revival!!) I really had goosebumps during this one
Wicked-this is a very iconic closer to act 1 by now, I'd guess (and for good reason)

Worst:
I've been lucky as I can't really think of too many right now-but I agree Find Your Grail should have been Spamalot's act 1 closer.

[booth0882]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:39pm

Wow how could I forget Ragtime! Definitely in my "best list"

[hyperbole_and_a_half]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:55pm

11 posts and no one has mentioned "Sunday"??? FOR.SHAME.

[Kad]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 4:01pm

For best, I'll add in Little Shop's creepy reprise of its title song.

[mar6411]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 4:03pm

I Am What I Am - La Cage

[Wynbish]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 4:14pm

In Aida, "The Gods Love Nubia" is a thrilling song.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 4:18pm

Best: Les Miserables and Urinetown

Worst: Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 4:24pm

Some of my favorites that haven't been mentioned:
A Little Night Music
Chess
Merrily We Roll Along
Parade

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 4:32pm

Nothing beats "Sunday". The entire song is visually and vocally stunning, the final moments breathtaking. There's never a dry eye on my face.

[ggersten]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 5:01pm

The Act I ending in Oliver is really awkward. And see the discussion of Pippin about where to put an intermission if at all. (Same discussion for A Chorus Line).

What's people's gripes with Fiddler's Act I closing? I think it's pretty emotional - yes, it's a downer - but doesn't it make you want to come back and see what happens next - how the jews in the village respond (if at all).

I don't know whether Into The Woods is good or bad - since people initially think it's the end of the show despite the "to be continued" statement by the Narrator.

[jamiekennywicked]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 5:10pm

I quite like the Act 1 ending to Fiddler On The Roof. And of course Ragtime is one of my favorites as well as Side Show and Evita. The King and I is quite good too

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 5:45pm

Best:

URINETOWN
RAGTIME
SIDE SHOW
LES MISERABLES
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES
ANYTHING GOES
THE BOOK OF MORMON
GYPSY
DREAMGIRLS
EVITA
SWEENEY TODD
WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
and the final minute or so of WICKED and AIDA

Worst:

GODSPELL
HAIRSPRAY (only part of the show I don't love musically)
WONDERLAND
THE WEDDING SINGER
DAMN YANKEES

[Jon]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 6:02pm

With the original Stroman choreography, CRAZY FOR YOU's "I Got Rhythm" had the audience cheering, stamping whistling, and virtually floating out to the lobby on a cloud of tap dancing euphoria.

[adam.peterson44]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 6:39pm

Best act 1 closers:

Wicked
Anything Goes (specifically with Kathleen Marshall's tap choreography)
Gypsy
Les Miserables
Next to Normal
Chess
Newsies

[bwayrose7]

Posted: 7/16/12 at 6:43pm

My faves;
Les Mis- epic and weaves everyone together
Wicked
Anything Goes- as others said, with Marshall's choreography
Aida
Newsies- so emotional

Worst:
Oliver
Hairspray (much as I love the show)