Broadway's Greatest Hits?

[theatahguy]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 3:18pm

Hey everyone--I'm putting together a musical revue of sorts and doing a section on "Broadway's Greatest Hits"--songs that have crossed over and become well known to general public, and I'm looking for suggestions. I'm thinking along the lines of Tomorrow, Send in the Clowns, If My Friends Could See Me Now, Cabaret, etc...

ANY suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks!!

[jasonf]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 3:22pm

Memory, Music of the Night, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, Mack the Knife

[once a month]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 3:47pm

One from A Chorus Line

America from West Side Story

Razzle Dazzle from Chicago

[RentHead2]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 3:49pm

Seasons of Love - RENT

[SNLMedia]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 4:03pm

"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from Dreamgirls

"If I Were A Rich Man" from Fiddler

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 4:11pm

"Big Spender" Sweet Charity

[americanboy99]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 4:39pm

The Saga of Jenny- Lady in the Dark

DO RE MI- Sound of Music

What I Did for Love is better than ONE but more people may know ONE.

and how about Broadway's mot popular song right now-

DEFYING GRAVITY- Wicked

[almostxfamous]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 4:47pm

I Feel Pretty - West Side Story
Aquarius or Hair - Hair
Put On A Happy Face - Bye, Bye Birdie
All That Jazz - Chicago

[Nonfreak]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 5:05pm

I have a few for you that crossed over to the general public. I first have to say that "seasons of love" from rent is NOT a general public popular song. I know, I know, but obviously the name "renthead" says that you love the show, and I'm sure you know all the words, but most of America does not.Ask most people in middle America if they know anything from rent or Wicked and they won't. Here's a few songs from along time ago and more recently that most people know."Don't cry for me argentina = evita (madonna made it a pop hit). "One night in Bangkok = chess (it was a big 80's pop hit).Try to remember = the fantastiks (still played at alot of weddings and anniversarys). Not a day goes by =merrily we roll along (carly simon made it a hit in the 80's). I could write a book = pal joey (harry connick made it a hit, it was in the sndtrk of when harry met sally). Lullabye of broadway = 42nd street. Summer nights = grease. Caberet , Willkommen = caberet. I could have danced all night = my fair lady.

Updated On: 8/23/06 at 05:05 PM

[americanboy99]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 5:14pm

I dunno. I know alot of people who know both Defying Gravity and Seasons of Love. I think they are both more mainstream than that CHESS song.

I hate it when people try to act like they know everything on here.

[Nonfreak]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 5:22pm

I understand you may know alot of people who know rent and wicked, but the topic is about songs that crossed over to the general public. I don't know everything, but I have heard all these songs at one time or another on a regular radio station. You're obviously a big Broadway fan, fans of theater will know these songs ( I myself like rent and wicked), but most of America doesn't. Over 85% of this country has never even seen a musical, and that is actually a statistical fact. Again, i'm not insulting "renthead2" in any way.
Updated On: 8/23/06 at 05:22 PM

[Fosse76]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 5:32pm

I would like to see where you got your 85% number. I want the source. Seasons of Love and Defying Gravity may not be radio-mainstream, but I bet if you play them for a non-Broadway fan they will recognize it more than most, if not all, of the songs you mentioned.

[jasonf]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 5:42pm

Seasons of Love is debatable --

But Dirty Rotten Number or Toledo Surprise??? You're kidding, right? Please tell me you're kidding.

I don't know if it qualifies, but songs like Can You Feel the Love Tonight and Beauty and the Beast certainly have crossover appeal. Then of course there're all those jukebox songs...

Toledo Surprise, geez, next thing you know someone will say that there should be a musical based on Earth Wind and Fire songs or something.

[coolphantom919]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 5:43pm

does BRING HIM HOME qualify?

[Nonfreak]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 5:44pm

The statistic came from a past issue of Variety magazene a few years back....the article was about big budget musicals and why some of them close. It stated that not enough people see shows to keep them running and it stated (again) that 85% of America has never even seen a musical. Look, again, I personally love shows, I worked on one for 3 years and another for 8 months before it closed. I do most of my work on films and tv, sometimes I would be playing music and people would ask me what it was. I would tell them, and they would say "don't know it". Now, this is in New York and sometimes in L.A., if these people (who are just regular people) don't know the stuff, do you think people from Arkansas and Colorado are going to know these songs. Damn, the subject again, is about the general public, also, it's about which songs are "popular" with the public.



Updated On: 8/23/06 at 05:44 PM

[Nonfreak]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 5:46pm

Thank you 'jasonf' for agreeing with me. I think "beauty and the beast" and "can you feel the love" are probably more popular from the movies also.
Updated On: 8/23/06 at 05:46 PM

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 5:52pm

What I think are pretty famous:

-Memory(Cats, overplayed to the point where I'm sick of it)
-On My Own (Les Mis)
-Seasons of Love (RENT)
-All That Jazz (Chicago, maybe not)
-Send In The Clowns (A Little Night Music)
-White Christmas (okay, not Broadway, but still...)
-I Don't Know How to Love Him (JCS, not sure)
-Don't Cry for me Argentina (Evita, again, not sure)
-All I Ask of You (PotO)
-Where Is Love? (Oliver, Not sure if it's that famous)
-Some Enchanted Evening (South Pacific)
-If I Loved You (Carousel)
-The Music of the Night (PotO)
-The Last Night of the World (from Miss Saigon)
-You'll Never Walk Alone (Carousel)
-The Impossible Dream (Man of La Mancha)
-My Favorite Things (Sound of Music)

I hope that's it.

[luvliza89]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 5:53pm

Defying Gravity and Seasons of Love are not the big hits that people make them out to be. They are not mainstream at all. I know a handful of people (almost all pre-teens, teens) who know these song who are not into theatre at all.

Ask almost any middle-aged man if they know "One Night In Bangkok" and their answer will probably be "yes". As for kids though, forget it.

[endlessmedley]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 5:59pm

My Funny Valentine? (Babes in Arms)

I'd include Seasons of Love-after all, it is a broadway revue, someone who has never listened to/seen a broadway show probably wont know a lot of the songs

[Raviolisun]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 8:10pm

I wouldn't include Seasons of Love, although I love Rent, I just don't think it is as mainstream as most others. But then again, I live in northern California, so of course no one knows Seasons of Love. Or any theater, for that matter. MY friends and I were all talking about our dreams, and I said I wanted to direct on Broadway, and my friends just stared blankly. One of them asked me what Broadway was. It was kind of funny, but nevertheless dissapointing.

[jasonf]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 8:14pm

I'm sorry, but that's an INCREDIBLE level of ignorance - to have no idea what Broadway is. It's basic cultural knowledge to know that - it's like not knowing who Bugs Bunny is or that Jeopardy is a game show - it's just something you should know if you're alive in America today.

[JoMarch]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 8:28pm

"Ask almost any middle-aged man if they know "One Night In Bangkok" and their answer will probably be "yes"."

Middle-aged? Oh God.

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 8:31pm

Lots of Non-theater people know Seasons of Love. They know it as that "525,600 mintues song." Toledo Suprise and Dirty Rotten Number? PLEASE.

[Horton]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 8:36pm

Send in the Clowns: A Little Night Music

[briannn]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 11:50pm

how about anything you can do i can do better from annie get your gun?? that used to be in some sports drink add. or even there's no business like show business also from annie get your gun.