Raisin
I adore the Overture/Night Waltz from A Little Night Music!
Holy crap.
I forgot
THE KING AND I.
Amazing, and underrated overture.
Understudy Joined: 8/12/05
I second City of Angels as an underrated show, although technically it doesn't have an overture. It's called Prologue in the score, at least, probably because it's maily vocal.
I agree about Sweet Charity, too. Whoa.
The Overture that was recorded for THE KING AND I's soundtrack album is the best overture ever, in my opinion. I'm a big fan of HOW TO SUCCEED, original production and the film version of FLOWER DRUM SONG. I love overtures. Lots of them.
To shortydudette: (regarding City of Angels)
There's a difference in terminology if there are vocals in that portion of the show? I really didn't know that! Thanks!
I did wonder about it though, as I don't often hear people singing in overtures...I always thought the point was to give the audience an "overview" of the score.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/8/04
MERRILYYYYYYYYYYYY
The Phantom Entre'Act is one of my favorite peices of modern orchestral music.
If Phantom didn't have the crazy chords, the Entre'Act would be the normal overture.
I enjoy the overture to Carousel.
Chorus Member Joined: 10/4/05
My favorite overture was for our local production of Nunsense. There is no written overture, but the director wanted the nuns to walk around and chat with the audience in character before the show started. So the musical director -- dressed in a friar's robe -- played a mix of every popular overture, including shows that had recently played in the theater. That was fun.
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC!!!
I love the Sondheim Scrabble Concert Overture - 14 or so minutes of pure Sondheim bliss.
Carousel, while not really being an overture, has glorious music to begin with.
Merrily We Roll Along deserves another mention. As does H2$.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
It has to be Mack and Mabel.
Audiences don't listen to Overtures now , they watch them, and talk through them
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