Favorite Reprises From A Musical?- Page 3

[After Eight]

Posted: 10/11/14 at 12:20am

In the wedding scene in Milk and Honey, Robert Weede and Mimi Benzell sing a reprise of two beautiful songs, "Let's Not Waste a Moment" and "There's No Reason in the World." It was truly a magical moment in the theatre. Listening to it today, I get the same wondrous sensation I did over 50 years ago.

Julien's reprise of "Each Tomorrow Morning" in Dear World was one of the highlights of this lovely musical. It was as if rays of sunshine had flooded one's soul with beneficent warmth -- a sublime and moving sensation that bought tears to my eyes.

Unending thanks must be given to Mssrs. Harnick and Bock, not only for their terrific score for Tenderloin, but also for my favorite song in it, the simple and simply enchanting "Tommy, Tommy." Why, oh why, do we no longer have songs like "Tommy, Tommy" --- tender, warm, and perfect in every way. Happily, the Encores recording provides us with the reprise as well, both welcomed and welcome.

Whilst reams of fawning bilge are consecrated daily to the deadly dirges of composers incapable of writing even a half-decent tune, Bob Merrill, a composer-lyricist whose work surpasses theirs by light years, receives practically no mention at all. A reflection of the warped times in which we live, no question. Anyhow, even in the springtime of my years in the long, long ago, I was struck by the haunting power of his song, "Staying Young," in Take Me Along. Its wisdom and compassion transcended age barriers, and its reprise in the show made it more effective still. Now that I am in the so-called "golden" years, I realize even more keenly just how golden this song is.

On a less rueful note, I'll mention the reprise of "I Ain't Down Yet" in The Unsinkable Molly Brown. It's rip-roaringly rousing, and the perfect song to lift one's spirits. Heaven knows, after sitting through the dismal opuses that call themselves musicals today, our spirits are definitely in need of some heavy lifting.

[adam.peterson44]

Posted: 10/11/14 at 12:37am

Some of my favorite reprises are the ones that move me to tears and are uplifting at the same time:

I Am The One from Next to Normal
You'll Never Walk Alone from Carousel
The Impossible Dream from Man of La Mancha

plus ones that just make me cry:

If I Loved You from Carousel
Hasa Diga Ebowai from Book of Mormon
I'll Cover You from Rent

or are just uplifting:

Belle from Beauty and the Beast
People Will Say We're In Love from Oklahoma


I also enjoy 2 darker/comedic ones:
Gaston from Beauty and the Beast
Agony from Into the Woods


Updated On: 10/11/14 at 12:37 AM

[NoName3]

Posted: 10/11/14 at 12:52am

My favorite reprises have all been mentioned, some several times. But I'd also give a nod to the reprises of "The Other Generation" and "Kids" from Flower Drum Song and Birdie. And Father's brief reprise of "New Music" that leads into "Atlantic City" in Ragtime.

[Fantod]

Posted: 10/11/14 at 1:06am

Always love the parade of reprises at the end of a Herman show, and I really like the Tomorrow Belongs to Me reprise from the new version of Cabaret

[KnewItWhenIWasInFron]

Posted: 10/11/14 at 6:19am

Did I miss a previous mention of "Sunday?" Hands down, my favorite. It makes me cry every time. And "One."

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 10/11/14 at 10:38am

Belle (Reprise)
Small World (Reprise)
I'm Not That Girl (Reprise): Don't ask me why I didn't think they would reconnect it with Glinda
Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful (Reprise)
Tomorrow (Reprise) sung by Audra McDonald from the 1999 movie.

Updated On: 10/11/14 at 10:38 AM

[darquegk]

Posted: 10/11/14 at 10:46am

One of my favorite reprises comes from the revisal of "Promises, Promises," and does not appear on the cast recording.

In the original show, in Act 2, the horny office men pass by, have a brief comedic scene, and then shuffle off, singing a reflective bit of music more or less as background. In the revisal, their scene is capped with a reprise of "Where Can You Take A Girl," jumping immediately into the swinging, Carlton-like dance from the number before. It kept the comedic momentum moving, and provided a nice send-off to the characters who never really appear again.

Neil Simon is a comic genius, but he had some rather odd ideas about the structure of a musical. All of his musicals originally ended with a musical button, not a finale song. Revisals of these almost always end with a short, but more traditional finale with singing.

[dreaming]

Posted: 10/11/14 at 10:49am

My favorite by far is "Wicked little Town" from "Hedwig and the Angry Inch". In a reprise we get a character and lyrics every bit as satisfying as the first version.

I also love Fosca's short reprisal of "Happiness" from "Passion". She realizes at last what happiness and love are and that she won't get to experience it for long. It's also the most emotionally raw moment she has quite possibly.

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/11/14 at 11:21am

Haha, I barely remember some of those reprises I listed.

[BwayFan23768]

Posted: 10/11/14 at 2:30pm

Some of my favourites are:

Everybody's Got the Right (Assassins)
Tomorrow Belongs to Me (Cabaret)
Camelot (Camelot)
If I Loved You (Carousel)
You'll Never Walk Alone (Carousel)
All That Jazz (Chicago)
One (A Chorus Line)
Try to Remember (The Fantasticks)
Tradition (Fiddler on the Roof)
Small World (Gypsy)
Agony (Into the Woods)
Hello, Young Lovers (The King and I)
Something Wonderful (The King and I)
So In Love (Kiss Me, Kate)
Send in the Clowns (A Little Night Music)
Somewhere That's Green (Little Shop of Horrors)
The Reprises from Nine
As Long as He Needs Me (Oliver!)
The Old Red Hills of Home (Parade)
All I Ask of You (Phantom of the Opera)
Some Enchanted Evening (South Pacific)
Sunday (Sunday in the Park with George)
Tonight Quintet (West Side Story)