Broadway's Greatest Hits?

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!!

One from A Chorus Line

America from West Side Story

Razzle Dazzle from Chicago

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

"If I Were A Rich Man" from Fiddler

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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

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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

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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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.

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.