Finale "Themes"

[gossipguy215]

Posted: 7/5/13 at 1:19pm

In older Broadway shows, the final song was normally followed by a short scene, then the "theme" of a song would start playing as the curtain fell: GYPSY ("Everything's Coming Up Roses"), ANYONE CAN WHISTLE ("With So Little To Be Sure Of"), MY FAIR LADY ("I Could Have Danced All Night"). Why was this? And why are finales now normally a strong choral reprise of a number?