Favorite Opening Numbers — Page 3

#51

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 1:12am

Worell said it all:

Act one opening:
We Are What we Are: La Cage
Finland, Finland, Finland: Spamalot
Give Me a Freak: Taboo

Act One Finale:
Defying Gravity: Wicked
I Am What I Am: La Cage
Along Came Bialy: The Producers
Run Away: Spamalot

Act Two Openers:
Everything Taboo: Guess...
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: Spamalot
The Big Doll House: Hairspray

---

I hold a degree in Musical Theatre from Montclair State University. It is useless. Now I'm funny for money. Oh, and I sing.

#52

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 1:40am

The originator of this thread stated that the question was posed in connection with putting together a musical revue. While many good opening numbers have been cited, a good percentage would not work outside of the context of the show from which they come. As students are often advised to do while taking an exam, read the question carefully before you write the answer.

One of my favorite opening numbers that I have used in a couple of revues is "The Kid Inside" from "Is There Life After High School?" It has lots of solo lines, wonderful harmonies, a great build-up -- and it's really fun to sing as well.

#53

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 1:48am

Bert - I've used "The Kid Inside" for a few auditions. Great song!

PerforMeg brought up 11:00 numbers, so here are my picks there:
"Rose's Turn" (duh)
"Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat"
"Betrayed!"
"Back to Before"
"Make Them Hear You" (they BOTH count!)
"Cabaret"
"What I Did For Love"
"Gee, Officer Krupke!"
"The Ladies Who Lunch"
"Brush Up Your Shakespeare"
"Bring Him Home"

---

"Who is Stephen Sondheim?" -roninjoey
"The man who wishes he had written Phantom of the Opera!" - SueleenGay

GO CARDINALS!!!

#54

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 1:54am

I'll have to vote for The Old Red Hills of Home (I always thought that was the most amazing way to open a show), along with Lippa's Wild Party, Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens, and Songs for a New World.

---

-Anyone want to turn anarchist with me?

"Bless you and all who know you, oh wise and penguined one." ~YouWantItWhen????

#55

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 2:03am

I've recently re-fallen in love with "A Step Too Far" from Aida, so that takes one of my votes for Act II openers.

I also like:
"Seasons of Love" from RENT
"Good Morning Baltimore" from Hairspray
"Little Shop of Horrors" (Especially with the three fabulous girls on tour right now...they left me breathless after the opening number)
"Science Fiction Double Feature" from Rocky Horror
"The Heat is on in Saigon"/ "Bui-Doi" from Miss Saigon

---

"Who says you can't bend over backwards and eat bugs if you want to? I guess the bugs would probably say you can't do that that, but assuming that they are willing and consenting bugs, then there's no problem. Let's wig out eating bugs." -RuPaul

#56

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 3:11am

The best opening is Heaven on Their Minds from JCS, the best Act One Finale is Act One Finale from Urinetown.

#57

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 8:30am

For opening numbers, my favorites are:

"The Heat is on in Saigon" - Miss Saigon
"Good Morning Baltimore" - Hairspray
"Opening Night" - The Producers

My favorite Act 1 finales are:

"Along Came Bialy" - The Producers
"Act 1 Finale" - Urinetown
"If I can't love her " - Beauty and The Beast

---

"You drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!" - Betty Parris to Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller's The Crucible

#58

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 8:41am

I adore the opening number from "42nd St."...all that tapping as the curtain rises gives me goose bumps.

---

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. Ralph Waldo Emerson

#59

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 11:34am

Boobs, I'm with you about the "42nd Street" opening. It actually had me choked up!

Good Morning Baltimore (Hairspray)

Ragtime

The opening number(s) of Titanic.

---

Hey Dottie! Did your colleagues enjoy the cake even though your cat decided to sit on it? ~GuyfromGermany

#60

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 11:35am

"In" from Carrie!

#61

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 11:50am

My two favorite openers are those of A Chorus Line and 42nd Street

---

awkward.

"I think it was the Korean tour or something. They were all frickin' asian!" -Zoran912

#62

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 12:20pm

MAGIC TO DO from Pippin -- it's one of the best opening numbers ever. Great for opening a musical revue too.

#63

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 3:11pm

I love the beginning of Les Mis, it's haunting. um and I agree for Into the Woods, The light in the Piazza, and I LOVE the opening for A Chorus Line-it's brilliant. Hmm, I really like the Tune up for RENT..not much of a song, but I think it's fun.
And I Am What I Am from La Cage, it made me tear up the first time I heard it.

---

This is wanting something This is reaching for it This is wishing that a moment would arrive- LITP everybody goes down well with beer!-sweeney Todd Listen to the stories Hear it in the songs Angry men don't write the rules and guns don't right the wrongs!-Assassins

#64

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 3:23pm

i loved the opening of AIDA

and i love the ending of act one in ASU (cant help falling in love) also the opening of act two (all shook up)

#65

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 3:23pm

For opening numbers:
Will a Mania from Will Rogers Follies (thank god I'm not the only one who remembers this show!)

For Act One closures:
I'm going with "Blue Skies" from Irving Berlin's White Christmas.

---

"My dreams, watching me said, one to the other...this life has let us down."

#66

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 3:24pm

"Magic to do" Pippin It could work for ANYTHING!

#67

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 3:26pm

Favorite openings:
"No One Mourns The Wicked"~wicked
"Every Story"~aida
"Rent"(including the first tune-ups!~rent
"Give Them What They Want"~ drs
"Good Morning Baltimore"~hairspray
"Ballad of Sweeney Todd"~sweeney todd
"Hold me Bat Boy"~ bat boy the musical
"All that Jazz"~chicago

Favorite act 1 endings:
"Defy Gravity"~wicked
"Comfort and Joy" ~bat boy the musical
"Before the Parade Passes By"~ hello dolly

Favorite act 2 openers:
"Seasons of Love"~rent
"Forget About the Boy" ~tmm

the list could go on and on if I keep typing!

---

you say i'm weird! look at everyone you're sitting with! and hey, those guys over there just threw napkins up in the air like they were on something! it's contajous! you can't help it!

#68

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 6:38pm

Magic to Do works really well

I just did a revue and used "Heart and Music" from A New Brain for the opening number.

---

Be the change you want in the world....

#69

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 6:53pm

"Good Morning, Baltimore" would have to be my favorite opening number.

For Act I finale and Act II opener, it's All Shook Up. "Can't Help Fallin' in Love" is an AMAZING end to the first act, and "All Shook Up" is a great way to get you right back into the show after intermission.

#70

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 7:02pm

No one Mourns the Wicked

Its just sooooooooooooooo big!!! The huge notes!! So much excitement!!

#71

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 7:03pm

Favorite Act 1 Open: Sunday in the Park with George.. it's so perfect.
Act 1 Close: 'Ever After' from Into the Woods
Act 2 Open: Seasons of Love, i just love it

---

Without Sondheim, when sensitive teenagers got depressed, they'd just kill themselves. 'this is wanting something, this is praying for it, this is holding back and keeping fingers crossed.'- light in the piazza 11.11.05

#72

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 8:32pm

I agree that the March of the Falsettos opening is great
"I'm neurotic, he's neurotic, we're neurotic, they're neurotic!"

I second Into the Woods
love A Chorus Line opening as well
and can't forget Fiddler on the Roof
ooh! and forum

hmm..act one closers
Wicked
Aida

---

"No two shows are alike in the making. Each show is a living piece of your life in a small unreal world with its own character and integrity; its own new set of memorable experiences and incredible happenings. You begin to love and adapt to its strangeness. Dreams harden into substance. Values come into focus. You wish it would never end. The dream world vanishes like mist before a rising sun; part of you vanishes with it. And back you land in the real world with a thud- fogged, uneasy, jittery, difficult to get along with. There is only one cure. A new show. A new, small unreal world; new visions, experiences, incredible happenings. Again you love it, adapt to it, wish it would never end. But end it does. Another part of you vanishes. That's show business."-Anonymous

Updated On: 8/22/05 at 08:32 PM

#73

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 8:54pm

I second--no, third--wait, fourth--fifth "Magic to do". It's a great opening number that would work especially well as the opening to a revue, and I like Steven Schwarts...

And this one is very specific, and wouldn't really work in a revue, but I love 30/90 from Tick, Tick, BOOM, and also Louder than Words from the same.

---

Be a BE*liever! Feel the electricity!

Updated On: 8/22/05 at 08:54 PM

#74

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 8:57pm

I'd vote for Tommy. I loved everything about its opening: staging, storytelling, the music. It was great fun. Funny, I don't even care for the musical either except for its opening!

#75

re: Favorite Opening Numbers

Posted: 8/22/05 at 9:04pm

The Avenue Q theme? It's short, but sorta nice.

---

Be a BE*liever! Feel the electricity!