Comedic Showstoppers

[Hot Pants]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 12:28pm

Often its the funniest numbers that prove to be the biggest crowd pleasers. What are some songs that often result in big laughs and huge applause?

Some (actually quite a lot) off the top of my head are:

Agony and its reprise from Into the Woods

Friendship and Gypsy in Me from Anything Goes

Not Getting Married Today from Company

You’ll Be Back and What’d I Miss from Hamilton

A Little Priest from Sweeney Todd

Everybody Ought to Have a Maid from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

The Smell of Rebellion, Telly, Loud, and The Hammer from Matilda

A Musical from Something Rotten

Friend Like Me from Aladdin

Never Ever Getting Rid of Me from Waitress

Sincerely Me from Dear Evan Hansen

Gaston from Beauty and the Beast

Brush Up Your Shakespeare from Kiss Me, Kate

Adelaide’s Lament from Guys and Dolls

The Lees of Old Virginia from 1776

No Time at All from Pippin

Mr. Cellophane from Chicago

Master of the House from Les Miserables

I’m Not a Loser from Spongebob Squarepants

And practically everything from Urinetown, Spamalot, and Book of Mormon

Obviously that was a lot, but I’d love to hear some other examples

Updated On: 6/22/19 at 12:28 PM

[Emmaloucbway]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 12:45pm

Currently I would say "What's Gonna Happen" from Tootsie

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 1:00pm

Sutton Foster making herself a sandwich in Vittorio Vittale’s apartment in the 2016 Off-Broadway revival of SWEET CHARITY. The entire show literally stopped as Foster hilariously held the entire audience transfixed on what seemed like 5 minutes. Sheer theatrical brilliance on every level. Speaks volumes about her magic on the live stage.

[magictodo123]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 1:31pm

The first thing that comes to mind is definitely A Musical from Something Rotten.

 

But does the part in Hello Dolly! where Dolly Levi eats and the whole show stops while she does count? I guess that is the literal definition of a show stopper...

[SharksVsJets]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 2:31pm

Gee Officer Krupke from West Side Story. Never realized what a show stopper it is until I saw it on stage. 

[IHeartNY2]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 2:49pm

My vote goes for "Never Ever Getting Rid of Me" from Waitress :)))))

[C.Jack]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 4:07pm

Moon and Me from Addams Family. Quite possibly the only thing in that show that could even be considered “show stopping”.

[C.Jack]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 4:07pm

Moon and Me from Addams Family. Quite possibly the only thing in that show that could even be considered “show stopping”.

[Hot Pants]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 5:20pm

C.Jack said: "Moon and Me from Addams Family. Quite possibly the only thing in that show that could even be considered “show stopping”."

I’ve always thought that, aside from Lurch, Fester is the only well written part of that entire show.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 6:01pm

Model Behavior from Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 11:11pm

The OP is seriously comparing "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid" (which stops FORUM regardless of the quality of the cast) with "Sincerely Me" (I have no axe to grind with DEH)?  SMH

[Jarethan]

Posted: 6/23/19 at 12:44am

I would add to the list:

Bosom Buddies from Mame

The Grass is Always Greener from Woman of the Year

She Sure Didn’t Get it Fom Me from Hallelujah, Baby

Class and I Didn’t Do It from Chicago

Broadway Baby from Follies

Updated On: 6/23/19 at 12:44 AM

[BenjaminNicholas2]

Posted: 6/23/19 at 1:51am

Everybody's Girl, Steel Pier.

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 6/23/19 at 2:54pm

Surprised no one has said Springtime For Hitler

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/23/19 at 3:00pm

Class and I Didn’t Do It from Chicago

Did you mean “Cell Block Tango”?

[Hot Pants]

Posted: 6/23/19 at 3:12pm

Mike Barrett said: "Surprised no one has said Springtime For Hitler "

I’m ashamed I didn’t think of that. Gary Beach truly was a riot in that role. Comedic perfection.

[Valentina3]

Posted: 6/23/19 at 4:33pm

I'm Breaking Down from Falsettos. Especially when Stephanie J Block performs it. The night when I saw it, it actually literally stopped the show from moving, she had to take an out of character now so audience would stop clapping. It was fantastic.

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 6/23/19 at 6:16pm

No one has mentioned "You Gotta' Get a Gimmick"

...also, "Franklin Shepard Inc"

[MollyJeanneMusic]

Posted: 6/23/19 at 7:44pm

I wouldn't call them "showstoppers," but I would think You'll Be Back from Hamilton and Sincerely, Me from DEH would count.  They both get pretty major applause every night.

[clearastheday]

Posted: 6/23/19 at 9:27pm

I saw a community theater production of Singin’ In The Rain last year, and “Make ‘Em Laugh” was pretty hilarious. Also, as another poster already mentioned, Stephanie J Block’s version of “I’m Breaking Down” was great.

[jwsel]

Posted: 6/27/19 at 8:28pm

I would definitely include “You Can Always Count on Me” from City of Angels” and “No Time at All” from Pippin. Both numbers pretty much we’re responsible for their actresses winning Tony Awards. And No Time at All” actually stopped the show. In both the original production and the revival, Irene Ryan and Andrew Martin got standing ovations when they finished the song.

Another is “Show Off” from Drowsy Chaperone. “”As We Stumble Along” and “I Am Adolph’s” also are great comedic songs and standout moments for those characters.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 6/28/19 at 12:03am

“Betrayed” from The Producers. Watching Nathan Lane do that song from the 8th row during previews right before it opened is a memory I will never forget. A solo comic showstopper that is very hard to pull off but brilliant when done well.

[Zamedy154]

Posted: 6/28/19 at 1:14pm

“(You’re) Timeless to Me” from HAIRSPRAY

[Bigserver1]

Posted: 6/28/19 at 2:38pm

For me, the biggest laughter/applause break I've seen live was during "Never ever getting rid of me" from Waitress. There was a solid minute of applause before the reprise and another minute of applause after, with a lot of laughter throughout. 

 

[IAMREADING]

Posted: 6/28/19 at 3:05pm

Sexy from Mean Girls