Favorite Openings?- Page 2

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/12/11 at 5:35pm

A Chorus Line
The Lion King
Titanic
Parade
Into the Woods (1987)
Carousel
Tommy
Chicago
Will Rogers Follies
Guys and Dolls (1992)
Seussical
Book of Mormon
Xanadu
Legally Blonde
Pacific Overtures (1976)

[gfaustswa]

Posted: 10/12/11 at 9:57pm

A Chorus Line.....that opening gives me goose bumps everytime after the first "5, 6, 7, 8"!

[sing_dance_love]

Posted: 10/12/11 at 10:36pm

One I haven't seen here that I love?

"Scrap" in The Full Monty.

It does such a great job of introducing the shows main characters, unique musical sound, and creating a tone and atmosphere. Great song.

Updated On: 10/12/11 at 10:36 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 10/12/11 at 11:59pm

"And how about a ballet opening that actually tells a great story?:
On the Town "

Not trying to be argumentative, but as I've never seen OTT on stage--but know several recordings of the score, and have read the libretto--doesn't it open with a song? New York New York comes immediately after the overture. But I suppose it does ultimately turn into a song with extended dance segments, if that's what you mean. Or is there a dance opening I don't know of before the song?

Most of the ones I would list have been mentioned--so many Sondheim ones, Chorus Line, Chicago, Pippin, etc. Not mentioned, I don't think, but I do love the whole opening (especially when not cut to make shorter) of Show Boat (N word or not).

If we count Little Shop of Horrors' title songas a sort of overture, I love the whole Downtown opening. (actually Ashman and Menken, and later even just Menken tended to do well with openings--Belle obviously, Bells of Notre Dame for Hunchback--which counts cuz it's done in the stage version too, etc).

I tend to be a sucker for those long song openings that go through bits of dialogue, different sections, introducing different characters, etc (obviously Into the Woods is maybe the greatest example of that)--even when used in the Tales of the City musical.

[philly03]

Posted: 10/13/11 at 1:33am

Among those not mentioned above:
Sister Act ("Take Me to Heaven")
Wonderland in Tampa ("Worst Day of My Life")
A Tale of Two Cities ("The Way It Ought to Be")

[steven22]

Posted: 10/13/11 at 8:33am

Love the Lion King's opening BUT my all time favorite is Just Another Day from NEXT TO NORMAL!

[charlesjguiteau]

Posted: 10/13/11 at 11:53am

@Eric, re "On the Town": Based on both the 1998 Broadway revival and the excerpt included in Jerome Robbins' Broadway, my recollection is that the "New York, New York" number very quickly seguees into a ballet of the sailors meeting wacky types all over Manhattan. For those with sharper memories than I, did I get it wrong?

A couple of other great openings not mentioned yet:
The Color Purple (gave us such high hopes for the rest of the evening)
American Idiot (as a novice to the music, that opening completely sucked me in)
Grand Hotel (should have had a great revival by now)

[PianoMann]

Posted: 10/13/11 at 4:18pm

My favorite opening is definitely the overture from A Little Night Music!

[jsg03jd]

Posted: 10/14/11 at 5:18pm

The openings of "Ragtime" and "A Chorus Line" are good but, for me, the best is the "Carousel Waltz" or as it was called in the 1994 revival of "Carousel" at Lincoln Center "Prologue." It's an amazing piece of music and the scene beautifully sets up the entire story of Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan et al.

[junkyard]

Posted: 10/14/11 at 6:03pm

have seen more opening numbers than I care to remember....however back in the Winter of 1965 , I was present for the first public preview of "funny girl". Had heard a lot of things about Barbra and had seen her in a village club a few times, but nothing prepared me for her opening number "I'm the greatest star"...just blew me away. When she sang that number, you knew she was singing about herself....WOW...words can't describe it, you just had to be there

[pinoyidol2006]

Posted: 10/15/11 at 1:21pm

Sweeney Todd
Book of Mormon
Company (I love both the opening lines and the first number)
Avenue Q
Follies
Drowsy Chaperone (Opening monologue only... "Fancy Dress" was forgettable, but still funny)

[Sant]

Posted: 10/15/11 at 3:56pm

CHICAGO
CATS (yes, I'm serious!)
RAGTIME
PHANTOM
BOOK OF MORMON
SHREK
THE LION KING
HAIRSPRAY

[iagowasframed]

Posted: 10/16/11 at 8:02pm

Sweeney Todd and West Side Story...both still give me chills and it doesn't matter if it's on Broadway or at the worst community theater in the worlds....just amazing...

[showchoirguy]

Posted: 10/16/11 at 8:14pm

West Side Story
Seussical
Fiddler on the Roof
Phantom (ALWAYS)
Ragtime
A Chorus Line
Sweeney
Boom of Mormon
Into the Woods
Wicked
Addams Family (DON'T JUDGE)
La Cage opening number is always fantastic
BBAJ

[sondheim94]

Posted: 10/16/11 at 8:30pm

Ragtime

Sweeney Todd (Revival)

Spider-Man, don't judge. In previews, for some reason the song Splash Page was enthralling.

[My Oh My]

Posted: 10/16/11 at 8:34pm

A Chorus Line, A Chorus Line, A Chorus Line!

Ragtime
Evita
Carousel

[sondheim94]

Posted: 10/16/11 at 8:48pm

How could I forget A Chorus Line??? Yeah, that one too

[Renart]

Posted: 10/24/11 at 2:07pm

Mystery of Edwin Drood - There You Are
Parade - The Old Red Hills of Home
Updated On: 10/26/11 at 02:07 PM

[CONAries]

Posted: 10/26/11 at 9:02am

I hear that Hugh Jackmans opening is quite amazing!

...You can take this to mean what ever you want!

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 10/26/11 at 9:08pm

PHANTOM, LION KING and ADDAMS FAMILY.

"Once upon a time..." (INTO THE WOODS)... Gives me major chills

I enjoy A CHORUS LINE's opening, too.