Favorite Act 1 Finale(s)?? — Page 2

For spine-tingling theatricality "Sunday" from SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE is a top favourite of mine.

Certainly the whole "Pretty Women/Epiphany/A Little priest" section of SWEENEY is a most amazing 15 min stretch of musical theatre.

I know some people hated it but I thougt the first act finale of TITANIC was brilliant. Admittedly when a friend first told me about it I thought it sounded lame but when I saw the show I felt it was very effective.

Not great butI always loved Julian Marshe's "The rest of the performance is cancelled. Houselights!" at the end of Act One of the original 42ND STREET was a great Act One closer.

Another that poops into my mind if Pseudolus's cry of "Intermission" at the end of Act One of FORUM.

And a sentimental favourite: "I'm Flyin'" and the flying ballet that ends Act One of of PETER PAN always brings a lump to my throat.

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ONe day more and Defying Gravity.

This may seem like a stupid question but did Til We Reach that Day end Act 1 of Ragtime?

I saw Ragtime in its pre-broadway run in LA and it's been a long time since I saw it, but I'm pretty sure that in our production, Til We Reach that Day was the very somber, emotional opening of Act 2. In fact, I was going to suggest Sarah's death was an incredibly shocking ending for Act 1, because that was how I remember it ending. (I seem to recall discussing during intermission how disappointing it was that one of the best singers in the production (Lachanze) would be absent during the second act, even thought that didn't turn out to be entirely true.)

I'll also jump on the bandwagon for both One Day More and And I'm Telling You. Let me add Where Do I Go which ended Act 1 of Hair with the actors removing their clothes. It might not be my favorite finale, but it certainly was memorable the first time I saw Hair.

I am putting up a new one, Little Shop of Horrors. The curtain coming down with that plant with that evil, evil laugh. That gave me some chills when I saw it last week. I've seen both movies, listened to the recordings, I knew perfectly well what was going to happen, but when that Act 1 curtain went down I couldn't wait for act 2 to start so that I could see how things played out.

To restate others:
"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" - Dreamgirls
"La Vie Boheme" - RENT
"One Day More" - Les Miz

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Light in the Piazza, with "Say It Somehow"--

Best I've ever seen.

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One Day More, LES MIZ
Defying Gravity, WICKED
Can't Help Falling in Love, All SHOOK UP
Say a Prayer, DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES
Be Our Guest, BEAUTY & the BEAST (I think that was the title; it's been awhile since I've seen it.)

Updated On: 8/8/05 at 04:32 AM

You do not always need great effects and loud music for a great act one finale. My all tipe favorite was in "the Butiful Game". A short eprise of "let us Love in Peace" with a bare stage, a coffin ad rain falling down for about two minutes. No one on stage and just some drum playing while the curtain is going down. The best ever. Every body was speechless during intermission with red eyes.

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My first thought when I saw the title of this thread was definetly One Day More from Les Miz. And I stand by that. I don't think anything can beat that, for me. I also love La Vie Boheme from RENT. In a different sense, I really liked the Act One Finale of Little Women, which was Astonishing. Jo's basically just made the decision that she's going to completely change her life for herself, not for anyone else. I think it's a very powerful song. Maybe not great in the big, chorus number sense, but I think it's powerful in a different way.

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As much as I love One Day More, 'Til We Reach that Day is also incredible. I was in Ragtime a few years ago and every time we were onstage singing that song, we literally had tears streaming down our faces, and they were genuine. It's such a powerful ending for the first act, but on a somber note. Seriously, the entire theater was crying.

And to answer a question someone above had, yes, they moved it to the end of Act One for the Broadway run. I personally like it this way, because while it works to have the curtain close on Sarah's death, the transition between the funeral and Coalhouse Demands is kind of weird. There needs to be physical time between the two so that the audience can kind of take everything in.

La Vie Boheme - Rent
Defying Gravity - Wicked

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"A Weekend in the Country"~A Little Night Music

Les Mis- One Day More absolutely fantastic

WICKED- Defying Gravity, my personal favorite

DRS- The Miracle

RENT- La Vie Boheme is so powerful and energetic

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Updated On: 8/8/05 at 10:13 AM