Broadway Legend Joined: 6/5/09
"Having Someone There," was cut in previews from The Grand Tour, and replaced by "I Belong Here." i preferred the former.
The best song in Titanic, "I Give You My Hand," was cut in previews. It was gorgeous.
My favorite cut sing is "Toy Balloon," cut before the Boadway run of Georgy. It was reinstated in the revival at the Wings Theatre some years back, and it was beautiful.
Not a great Titanic fan but I admit I was shocked that I Give You My Hand was dropped.
Featured Actor Joined: 7/7/09
"The Man I Love" (yeah, the Gershwin song) was cut from "Lady, Be Good" in '24, and from the first try-outs of "Strike Up the Band" in '27, was restructured for the then--star Marilyn Miller in "Rosalie" and vanished again. It's one of the few "Show Tunes" that actually never WAS a "Show Tune" Ira Gershwin's retelling of the song's saga is found in his book "Lyrics on Several Occasions".
There was a tune in the Phil Silvers "Forum" revival called "The Echo Song" for Hero and Philia, which was really delightful, and I was allowed to use it in a Tribute to Bobby Fryer (who had produced the show at the Ahmanson). It was IN then OUT then who-knows-where. But it was really charming and had/has a very Ravel-ish scoring behind the melody.
"Come Down From the Tree" is a TERRIFIC song -- I've sung it for years, and it still moves people. (And NO, not "out the door".)
I wish I remember "I Give You My Hand" from TITANIC...I saw the 2nd Preview and half the second-act score was played by a piano with a few pieces, cuz the orchestrations were even less complete than the tech. Was it between the Strauss couple? Anyhooo....
According to Sondheim (and Lord knows he gets details wrong--like in Finishing the Hat saying Bang! never made it past rehearsals in Night Music yet it's clearly on the Boston recording, but...) The Echo Song was written and then not used for the original Forum. For the Silvers one they decided to put it back in and while less "Broadway", Sondheim said staging wise it worked much better. I've always liked the Farewell which was added to that revival but is rarely used since, even if it is a bit of a one joke song.
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/5/09
"I wish I remember "I Give You My Hand" from TITANIC...I saw the 2nd Preview and half the second-act score was played by a piano with a few pieces, cuz the orchestrations were even less complete than the tech. Was it between the Strauss couple?"
It was a duet sung by Charles and Caroline.
also - 50 Checks from Catch Me If You Can. I know Wittman says he wishes they didn't cut it but it was for the sake of the show, it just wasn't working. Great, great song though...
How on earth do you all even know about these songs?? Would love to hear some of them....
My Crazy Heart from Women on the Verge
NoHSMisNotAMusical wrote: What is your favorite cut song or song that was removed for future productions?
Although the music is still a part of the score, "All Things Bright and Beautiful" is my favourite cut song. Getting to perform it when I was in MARRY ME A LITTLE was a thrilling experience, ever night. It is an incredible journey.
It's a gorgeous song and lyric. I love how it's used in Follies--funny that it wasn't used as the prologue till so late in the out of town tryouts as it's so perfect--and I guess there's no room for it in the show anymore as a song, but...
I also LOVE Who Could Be Blue/Little White House -- simple and perfect. They wouldn't suit Loveland the way Love Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Through do, but... (I first heard Who Could Be Blue as the violin solo piece Sondheim re-used it for in his Stavisky score and quickly learned how to play it on the violin as a teen).
Take it in your Stride from Annie Get Your Gun.
Phyllis Rogers Stone: so glad to see someone else love "Uptown/Downtown"!
I'm going through a "Second Midnight" phase right now. I love it. The part that eventually became "Children Will Listen" is beautiful, particularly the "What do you tell your child in the night.." sections. I'm aware those lyrics sometimes pop up in versions of "Children", but I don't find them as effective as in the cut version.
Chorus Member Joined: 12/26/10
I loved "love and war" from Legally Blonde, same for "Nothing here" from Lestat, both cut after their pre-Broadway San Fransisco run!
While "Costco" and "Feeling Electric" were easily cutable from NEXT TO NORMAL, I feel that the song "Growing Up Unstable" could have really worked somewhere else in the show, perhaps in the middle of Act I. That song stood out to me when I saw the show at 2nd Stage and was surprised to learn it was cut for DC.
Where Do I Go From Here? (Fiorello!)
Come Down from the Tree (Once on this Island)
Bolero d'Amour (Follies)
Your Eyes Are Blue (Forum)
And thank you, Steve, for putting Marry Me a Little in the licensed version of Company, and for finally reinstating There Won't Be Trumpets back into Anyone Can Whistle; these are two of the best songs he ever wrote!
"Tick Tock" (Goes the Clock) from PROMISES, PROMISES.
Per Donna McKechnie, the fully choreographed musical number was in the show for a few performances during its out-of-town tryout in Boston.
Stand-by Joined: 10/21/11
gfaustswa- Many cast albums have cut or demo versions of songs. Sometimes a prevously cut song will be added into a revival (like Our Little World in Into the Woods). To see the original opening number of Forum, and cut songs from Follies and Company (sung by the AMAZING Nathan Lane) check of the film The Birdcage (based on La Cage). Also check out YouTube for out-of-town tryouts ( there is still a very low quality video of Ellen Foley as the Witch and the original Little Red singing Your Fault and Boom Crunch at the Old Globe Theater) and many shows have a read-through album.
Also, I forgot Blood on The Pavement from Hairspray. It was pointless and didn't further the plot, but it's so funny.
I don't care for Side Show overall (aside from a few of the better numbers), but "She's Gone" is a particularly powerful song when sung by Ripley on her duet album "Unsuspecting Hearts".
Broadway Star Joined: 8/19/10
Think Again from Spider-Man and I love the evolved version Deeply Furious later in previews out of context. I think its just a fantastic song on its own.
Love and War is fierce, and Beacon of Positivity is just.. adorable, its one of my favorites.
The final is the extra sections in Big Bright Beautiful World during the Seattle run of Shrek.
Tick Tock from Promises is so over the top sexist it would have been hard to even justify back in 1968. It's a clever Bacharach rhythm though.
NoHS you raise good points but Out Little World was written for the London Woods, it was never in any earlier edition or even sketched out. It's a terrific song though and I think no Woods is complete without it.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/03
Tick Tock was indeed in the show in Boston - I have the entire performance - it includes several cut songs.
We just concluded a run of a fully staged production of Lost and Unsung, a new musical revue based on my albums Lost In Boston and Unsung Musicals here in LA. Got a rave review right here on B'wayworld and also in Backstage. Many of the songs listed here were in the show. Fun! Trying to bring it in to NY somewhere now.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/11/04
"When I Went Home" - PETER PAN
"Sweet River" - 110 IN THE SHADE
"Feeling Electric" - NEXT TO NORMAL
Understudy Joined: 4/30/08
"Now When the Rain Falls" from SCARLET PIMPERNEL - It's only on the "concept" album, as I recall. Gorgeous ballad.
(of course, that show was "fixed" so many times, I imagine it could be back in again!)
Stand-by Joined: 10/21/11
EricMontreal22- Oops. I must of gotten that confused with something else. I do agree it's nice to give Rapunzel something else to sing besides "AaaaAaaAaaA" :).
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