Favorite show-stopper?

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 12:04pm

What is your favorite show stopping number?

And no, "Defying Gravity" does not count.


Mine would be "Hello, Dolly!"

[Villiy]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 12:09pm

Rose's Turn
Being Alive
Gimme Gimme
Be Our Guest

Updated On: 7/14/06 at 12:09 PM

[Funny Face]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 12:17pm

Well, what "counts" and what doesn't?

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 12:34pm

DEFYING GRAVITY is an awesome showstopper- why doesn't it count? Simply because YOU do not like it, munkustrap178? That is wrong and makes no sense. There is no reason it shouldn't/doesn't count.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 12:35pm

"Defying Gravity" is not a showstopper in the traditional sense of the word. Absolutely not.

And my saying this has nothing to do with whether I like the song or not.

How can a song stop a show when after that song, it's intermission? I saw WICKED, and it did not stop the show.

[jakethesnake]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 1:09pm

Lillias White singing Brotherhood of Man in the revival of How To Succeed....

[greeneyed_one]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 1:47pm

So do NO sings that end Act One count? Why should Defying Gravity be singled out when your only complaint against it is that it comes before the intermisson?

Anyway I think The Gods Love Nubia is a fabulous if done correctly (although it does end Act One).

[Stphen1187]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 1:53pm

-"Be Our Guest" in 'Beauty and the Beast'
-"We're In The Money" in '42nd Street'
-"The Jellicle Ball" in 'Cats'

AND the mother of all showstoppers (alas, it concludes the first act): "I Got Rythym" in 'Crazy for You.'

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 2:02pm

Where you are-Kiss of the Spider Woman
Always true to you-Kiss Me, Kate
Saturday night in the city-The Wedding Singer
Wedding Qwalli-Bombay Dreams
Swing-Wonderful Town

[Funny Face]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 2:02pm

"Cell Block Tango" and "Mr. Cellophane"- Chicago
"Always True to You In My Fashion"- Kiss Me, Kate
"My Strongest Suit"- Aida
"Hello, Dolly!"- you guessed it

And even though, I guess, first act closers don't count, "Don't Rain on My Parade".

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 2:04pm

No, it's not always fair to say a song can't stop a show just because it's before an intermission - because surely, "Don't Rain on My Parade" is a showstopper.

I'm not here to tell you what you can and can not list...that's stupid. I was really just being sarcastic with the WICKED comment. I don't see how "Defying Gravity" is a showstopper, but...okay...

Also, "And I'm Telling You..." from DREAMGIRLS

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 2:04pm

"American Dream" - Miss Saigon (I'm not sure if it's a showstopper, though)
"My Strongest Suit" - Aida

[Wildcard]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 2:17pm

"Be Our Guest" from Beauty and the Beast
"Circle of Life" - Lion King, does it count as a showstopper since it starts the show?
"Wheels of a Dream" from Ragtime
"Tomorrow" from Annie
"Master of the House" from Les Mis (not nec. my favorite song)
"Springtime for Hitler" from Producers

[MrSweetNAwful]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 2:28pm

Some of the ones already listed above plus

Run Freedom, Run-Urinetown
Cabaret-duh
Great Big Stuff, Dirty Rotten Number-DRS
Come To Your Senses-tick, tick...BOOM!
Without Love-Hairspray
Ladies Who Lunch-Company
Epiphany-Sweeney
As Long As He Needs Me-Oliver

Updated On: 7/14/06 at 02:28 PM

[almostxfamous]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 2:44pm

Rose's Turn - Gypsy
Being Alive, The Ladies Who Lunch - Company
Epiphany - Altar Boyz
AIATY - Dreamgirls

[gumbo2]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 2:48pm

How about the opening audition dance from 42nd Street. Basically every number in the show is supposed to be a showstopper. And I agree with Be Our Guest.

[sanda]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 2:50pm

Impossible dream

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 2:52pm

At the last show of Piazza, there was a lot of midsong applause during Fable, so that's the closest thing I've experienced to a showstopper.

[greeneyed_one]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 3:04pm

Great Big Stuff and My Strongest Suit are really good ones.

[irenegrecco]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 3:11pm

Most recently when I saw ThreePenny Opera, in the second act Jim Dale had a number that was absolutely amazing. None of the songs had real names, just "The Song About the Song" or something like that. But he did this dance where he seemed to be triple jointed and it was just amazing.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 3:13pm

lol "I Want More" from Lestat ... though it started and stop the show.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 3:17pm

I don't know...I've seen nearly all of the shows from songs that people are mentioning, and very few of them have stopped the show. I mean literally stopped the show - I don't mean standing ovation for 20 minutes - but I also just don't mean big chorus number, either.

[Chris T]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 3:20pm

Depends on the Norma, but "As If We Never Said Goodbye" in Sunset Blvd and "Electricity" in Billy Elliot.

[MrSweetNAwful]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 3:25pm

Jim's Song was called The Ballad of Inadequacy of Human Striving. I also think Cyndi's Solomon Song is a contender for showstopper or Ana's Ballad of the Overwhelming Power of Sex.

[Parks]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 3:25pm

Some Things Are Meant To Be from Little Women.

While it's impossible for it to stop the show, since there is music right after it, it's been one of the few songs that has been able to make me tear up. It's so beautiful. It's not a big belting song--but it was the most memorable song from that show, in my opinion.