Comedic Showstoppers
Comedic Showstoppers
Comedic Showstoppers#1
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
Comedic Showstoppers#2
Posted: 6/22/19 at 12:45pm
Currently I would say "What's Gonna Happen" from Tootsie
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
Comedic Showstoppers#3
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.
Comedic Showstoppers#4
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...
Comedic Showstoppers#5
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.
Comedic Showstoppers#6
Posted: 6/22/19 at 2:49pm
My vote goes for "Never Ever Getting Rid of Me" from Waitress :)))))
Comedic Showstoppers#7
Posted: 6/22/19 at 4:07pmMoon and Me from Addams Family. Quite possibly the only thing in that show that could even be considered “show stopping”.
Comedic Showstoppers#8
Posted: 6/22/19 at 4:07pmMoon and Me from Addams Family. Quite possibly the only thing in that show that could even be considered “show stopping”.
Comedic Showstoppers#9
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.
Comedic Showstoppers#10
Posted: 6/22/19 at 6:01pm
Model Behavior from Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.
Comedic Showstoppers#11
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
Comedic Showstoppers#12
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
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
Comedic Showstoppers#15
Posted: 6/23/19 at 3:00pm
Class and I Didn’t Do It from Chicago
Did you mean “Cell Block Tango”?
Comedic Showstoppers#16
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.
Comedic Showstoppers#17
Posted: 6/23/19 at 4:33pmI'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.
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/25/11
Comedic Showstoppers#18
Posted: 6/23/19 at 6:16pm
No one has mentioned "You Gotta' Get a Gimmick"
...also, "Franklin Shepard Inc"
Comedic Showstoppers#19
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.
Comedic Showstoppers#20
Posted: 6/23/19 at 9:27pmI 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.
Featured Actor Joined: 8/2/05
Comedic Showstoppers#21
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.
Comedic Showstoppers#22
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.
Comedic Showstoppers#24
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.
Videos
