Conclusions that elevate the entire show

While reading people's comments on Moulin Rouge!, there were many people (usually fans of the film) who didn't care for the ending. And it got me thinking about shows I've seen in recent years that end not just on a high note, but in a way that made me more impressed with the entire work. A satisfying conclusion can make me think a good show is great, or a decent one is better than I thought.

SPOILER ALERT! They're light spoilers, but if you haven't seen the shows and plan to do so, I'd skip my little summaries.

Here are a few I thought of:

- Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812: Aside from ending with a gorgeous visual and a lovely song, Dave Malloy's wildly entertaining musical grows more serious once the party is over and main characters are picking up the pieces. I know the musical isn't everyone's favorite, but the hopeful but quiet conclusion left me feeling as joyous as Pierre.

- Vietgone: Qui Nguyen's play (with a few songs) about the playwright's Vietnamese-American parents ends with two scenes that transform what had been a hilarious, clever comedy to a magical journey into the present. It doesn't feel like it should work, and the special effects were minimal in the performance I saw in San Francisco, but the audience - with a few simple directorial moves and some great acting - suddenly sees the playwright's father as he really is, turning a conceit of the play into something profound and moving.

- Hedwig and the Angry Inch: I can't entirely explain why the last scenes work so well. The musical is less interested in making literal sense, but by the end, Hedwig falls apart and then acts selflessly with his partner Yitzhak. I've seen the show twice (once on tour with Darren Criss and Lena Hall and again at an excellent regional production at the San Jose Stage) and for all of its absurdities, the ending gets me every time.

- Hadestown: OK, it's another Rachel Chavkin-directed musical. It was the ending I should have seen coming but didn't. Andre De Shields, who holds the audience in the palm of his hand as Hermes from the start, completes the show's circular journey in a way that feels surprisingly uplifting and emphasizes the power and importance of storytelling.

Any other shows with endings that made you like the entire shows a lot better?

Updated On: 7/24/19 at 12:19 AM

Not in the writing of the show specifically, but I felt this way about the revival of Oklahoma! The way the ending was played kind of got me on board, even though I wasn't really into the production until that point. I felt like that was the first "edgy" choice I saw validity in, the rest of the production felt like edgy-for-edgy's sake. Even though the ending wasn't perfect in my mind (I think Jud should've just fallen when he was shot like a normal death and stayed dead for the remainder of the show), Mary Testa's eerie performance and RBJ's fear and confusion stuck with me as actually poignant. The rest was nonsense. Fun, but nonsense.

The Ferryman. The whole play is great, but that powder keg of an ending really sealed the deal for me.

The ending of Light in the Piazza - the song "Fable," essentially - elevates an already great show to "top five" status for me. I can't think of many other musicals that end with a song that's brand new and as substantial and beautiful as this one.

Another great work that's pushed even higher by its ending is Angels in America. Somehow, by concluding on such an intimate note, the final scene makes everything that came before even more epic and universal.

The very last line of Fun Home (which is already full of great moments) - "Caption: Every so often there was a rare moment of perfect balance when I soared above him". It wraps up the show so stunningly, and truly resolves the question the lead character has been haunted with through the course of the show - "am I just like you?"

I have doubts. I have such doubts!

victoriafr said: "The ending to Next to Normal. The final song is of course beautiful (spoilers ahead), but when the audience finds out that Dan has had his son in his head the entire musical too, not only is it a crazy plot twist, it puts everything else in the show in a different perspective. You can go back and listen to the recording, and all of a sudden you question who some lines are sung to in the music! It's amazing."



I came here to say this as well. There are several endings I love, but I can’t think of any that make me reevaluate the show in the same way this one does. The reprise of I Am the One is one of my favorite moments in musical theatre. It adds such depth to Dan’s character, Gabe’s motivations, and the show as a whole.

I definitely agree about the Ferryman. That was such a thrilling ending.

Updated On: 7/23/19 at 06:47 PM

I second the Hair revival! When I saw it, the audience was having such a fun time, and then when flesh failures happened, it was like a bomb went off (pun intended? yikes). I'll never forget it.