Favorite Overtures — Page 2

GYPSY an CANDIDE are obvious choices but would still top my list.

Actually for me, just about ANY Jule Styne Overture (GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, PETER PAN, BELLS ARE RINGING, SUBWAYS ARE FOR SLEEPING, DO RE I, FUNNY GIRL...) captures the brassy sound of Broadway at its best. There is an excellent collection of Jule Styne Overtures available:

http://castalbums.org/recordings/Everythings_Coming_up_Roses_The_Overtures_Of_Jule_Styne_Vol_1_Jack_Everly_and_the_RCA_Victor_Symphony_Orchestra/5086

Jerry Herman's MAME and MACK AND MABEL fit into the same category, and his DEAR WORLD is wonderful too.

The version of the Overture used at the start of the movie WEST SIDE STORY is terribly exciting. I also like the overture to WONDERFUL TOWN and the (apparently unused) overture to ON THE TOWN.

Technically "The Carousel Waltz" is not an Overture but on its own I rank it as one of the greatest concert music pieces of the 20th century. Rodgers' Overtures are all beautiful, especially SOUTH PACIFIC, and THE KING AND I. The Rodgers & Hart Overtures are not as well known but the ones for BABES IN ARMS, ON YOUR TOES and PAL JOEY are all great.

COMPANY doesn't have an Overture, but if you Arthur Fiedler's Fabulous Broadway to Hollywood CD you will hear a terrific 8 minute medley taken from the score of COMPANY that could very well serve as an Overture. The Overture from MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG is another favourite.

After seeing and hearing the recent revival I would have to include FINIAN'S RAINBOW: one great tune after another.

One other collection well wort checking out is taken from an Lp Lehman Engle conducted in the 1950s called Curtain Going Up. It preserves 10 classic overtures from BLOOMER GIRL, CALL ME MADAM, KISS ME KATE, ON THE TOWN, BELLS ARE RINGING, GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, CAN-CAN, SILK STOCKINGS, WONDERFUL TOWN, and FINIAN'S RAINBOW. (The CD adds two bonus tracks of LI'L ABNER and GOLDILOCKS.) It is out of print now but turns up frequently in used CD stores and on E-Bay.

http://castalbums.org/recordings/Curtain_Going_Up_Overtures_of_Broadway_Hit_Shows_1958_Broadway_Overtures/6797

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1 - Gypsy 5'20'
2 - Sweet Charity 3'36'
3 - Seven Brides For Seven Brothers 3'39'
4 - Guys And Dolls 4'14'
5 - The King And I 5'57'
6 - The Unsinkable Molly Brown 4'52'
7 - Gigi 4'27'
8 - On Your Toes 4'12'
9 - Kiss Me, Kate 6'56'
10- The Music Man 3'29'

1 - My Fair Lady 3'29'
2 - Carmen Jones 2'18'
3 - The Phantom Of The Opera 2'12'
4 - Silk Stockings 5'42'
5 - Oklahoma 5'44'
6 - Gentlemen Prefer Blondes 5'02'
7 - Candide 4'27'
8 - Singin' In The Rain 3'34'
9 - South Pacific 6'56'
10- Funny Girl 5'40'

1 - The Pajama Game 5'05'
2 - Annie Get You Gun 4'12'
3 - Paint Your Wagon 5'07'
4 - High Button Shoes 5'01'
5 - Flower Drum Song 5'06'
6 - On The Town 4'28'
7 - Cats 2'41'
8 - Bells Are Ringing 4'56'
9 - Pal Joey 4'23'
10- West Side Story 5'15'
Another fantastic compilation (3cd set)

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Updated On: 8/26/10 at 04:54 PM

I do get dissapointed by the constant lack of overture...so much so that I was surprised when going to see Sweet Charity the other day that there WAS an overture. I probably haven't seen a show with an overture for a very long time.

I also hate it when productions cut overtures. I saw the 50th Anniversary Production of West Side Story. And whilst being a flawless production, they just didn't play the overture!

Woman of the Year has a nice overture

And I agree with frontrowcentre about pretty much any Jule Styne overture (besides Gypsy I favor Fade Out, Fade In from his shows).

And, again agreeing with frontrowcentre, the overture to Candide is amazing. I would rank it right up against the overtures to Carmen and Le Nozze di Figaro amongst some of the tops ever written.

Gypsy and Candide, natch.

But I love the overtures to:

Li'l Abner
110 In The Shade (OBC, mistakes and all)
Juno
Donnybrook!
Subways Are For Sleeping
The Golden Apple
Promises, Promises
Anyone Can Whistle (which, oddly, one time I heard emanating from one of those rube-goldberg type gum dispensing machines in Navy Pier Chicago)

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Annie
Les Miserables
Crazy For You

Those are a few that come to mind.

Gypsy and Candide are my two favorites.

Edited to add: I didn't realize these were such popular choices. I'll also throw in Ben Franklin in Paris. Truly marvelous!

Updated On: 9/7/10 at 02:53 AM

I loved the Promises, Promises overture.

Oh yeah, Goldilocks has an amazing overture, and is among my favorite cast albums ever. I was listening to The Grand Tour over the weekend and that has a great overture. Still my favorite Herman score, I think.

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Miss Saigon with the sound of the helicopter rotter fading into the music.

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Follies
The Grand Tour
Nine
Gypsy
Mame
Dear World