Favorite Act 1 Finale(s)??- Page 4

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 8:52pm

I also had that dont do it feeling at piazza.

[sanda]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 8:59pm

One Day More

[Buscee]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 9:00pm

"A Little Priest" from Sweeney Todd
"And Im Telling you" from Dreamgirls
"Everythings Coming Up Roses" from Gypsy
"I am What I Am" from La Cage
"Defying Gravity" from Wicked

[Enjolras77]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 9:01pm

A few other greats:

"Soliloquy" from Carousel and "Climb Evr'y Mountain" from The Sound of Music are two powerful 1st act closers that are sung by one character.

"One Day More" and "Til We Reach That Day" are the two most powerful large group 1st act closers.

The sequence at the end of the first act in Kiss Me, Kate is the most hilarious I can think of.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 10:09pm

A Weekend in the Country and Sunday! Yeah Sondheim!!!!!!

I also like One Day More!

[Jimmyojimmy]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 10:16pm

ONE DAY MORE
and
(with the right Fanny Brice)- Don't Rain on my parade.

[lfae]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 10:17pm

I know no one here will have seen it, but I can't place anything above the burning of the Eureka hotel in 'Eureka'.

[ElphabaRose]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 10:44pm

Tomorrow Belongs to Me and Defying Gravity...both are mindblowingly powerful in their own ways.

[lvpblues]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 10:56pm

I love the audible gasps from the audience at the first act finale of "Piazza." Definitely a favorite.

"Sweeney Todd"
"Sunday in the Park With George"
"Gypsy"
"Kiss Me Kate"

and also, its a play, but it's first act finale was stunning:
"Proof"

[BroadwayBaby315]

Posted: 8/9/05 at 12:25am

Act One Finale from Urinetown!

Close seconds:
Defying Gravity, One Day More, Sweeney Todd sequence

La Vie Boheme is a great song... not so much a turning point in the show though... unless you count "I Should Tell You"

[Broadway_freak]

Posted: 8/9/05 at 12:57am

"A New Argentina" from Evita is pretty darn amazing.

[jwsel]

Posted: 8/9/05 at 2:57am

hushpuppy,

You are very right about I Am What I Am. Oddly, I downloaded it from iTunes about a week ago and am just astonished by George Hearn's power and defiance in the song. I saw La Cage when I was a young teen and simply forgot that it was the finale of Act One. But it definitely has the same type of power and pain as And I'm Telling You and Til We Reach That Day, two of my other favorite finales.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/9/05 at 3:22am

Oh my goodness, so many! I'm going to go along with thoes who said "A little priest" from Sweeney Todd. Yeah, it's good.
~~EM~~

[Cheno'sBiggestfan]

Posted: 8/9/05 at 8:45am

defy gravity in wicked for sure and i do like intermission in spamalot too oh! also a little preist form sweeny todd

Updated On: 8/9/05 at 08:45 AM

[MagicToDo82]

Posted: 8/9/05 at 11:37am

"Til we reach that day" from Ragtime.

[theatreman]

Posted: 8/9/05 at 11:54am

"One Day More" is excellent- it is an actual additional song that is designed to powerfully close out the act and show all the different stories occuring in the show and why each person is looking forward to tommorow. When I saw "Wicked," is was absolutely blown away by "Defying Gravity"- obviously that's when Elphaba goes flying, and then the cast is under her, and the sudden blackout closes the deal. That is a great number. Of course, in "Phantom of the Opera," the chandelier goes falling, which is very exciting and does make you want to come back to see the second half. Of course, not all first act finales have to be huge- they can be huge in a different way. "There's a Fine, Fine, Line" really makes you want to see how the relationship ends. And sometimes the story makes you want to come back. "The Producers" ends with everyone involved in Bialystock and Bloom's production on stage, with Leo and Max in particular looking forward to the wealth they feel will come from their scam- we want to see how it turns out. In "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," the story is also thrilling- the first act ends as Lawrence appears, pretending to a doctor found to treat Freddy. When we think Freddy will win, Lawrence strikes back and the curtain falls. In "Spamalot," we are looking forward to and antics and excitment that will ensue as the knights are lost in the woods. And, of course, Sweeney Todd. Ending with the number "A Little Priest," Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett plan to make human-meat pies. We, of course, want to see how this plan works out. So, nearly every show has, in one way or another, a way to advance the plot and make you want to come back to see the second act in the first act finale.

[John Murdock]

Posted: 8/9/05 at 12:09pm

WICKED.... DEFYING GRAVITY DUH!

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/9/05 at 6:31pm

[incendiary_wit]

Posted: 8/9/05 at 6:36pm

Rent- going out on La Vie Boheme is the best!

[broadwaygal3]

Posted: 8/10/05 at 8:36am

I agree that Everything's Coming up Roses from Gypsy is the gold standard. That's my first choice. The others are:

I Am What I Am - La Cage
Not the Boy Next Door - The Boy From OZ
Along Came Bialy - The Producers

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 8/10/05 at 2:00pm

Sweeney Todd, A Little Priest is a genius song and before it Epiphany is just as incredible. But to end the first act of a show about what people would taste like in the way of Sondheim I think it is incredible. I also think that the Sunday in the Park George has a very very good ending to the act. I actually took a Picture of the tableiu an use it as the picture on my desktop. There are many more I could speak of but Sondheim tops them all with Sunday and Sweeney.

Honerable Mention:
One Day More - Les Mis
La Vie Bohem - Rent
I Am What I Am - La Cage
Soliloquy - Carousel
Till We Reach That Day - Ragtime
Defying Gravity - Wicked

[Jon]

Posted: 8/10/05 at 2:04pm

I Got Rhythm - CRAZY FOR YOU

[Esther2]

Posted: 8/10/05 at 2:24pm

Maybe I missed it, I can't believe no one mentioned it..but..
#1-Don't Rain on my Parade

Honorable mentions-
I don't remember but is the tonight Quintet at the end of act 1 of WSS? Otheriwise...
Defying Gravity, Before the Parade Passes by, Soliloquy, Everything's Coming Up Roses,Side by Side (Company) One Day More, And I am Telling You, A New Argentina,
www.davidgurland.com

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 8/10/05 at 2:25pm

If im correct though im probabgly not, I belive Side by Side opened act 2, not ended act 1 (unless that was in the original) Because the revival ended with Marry Me a Little.

[MissElphie]

Posted: 8/10/05 at 2:26pm

Defying Gravity and One Day More both give me chills. It's a tie for those two.