Musicals Without Overtures

[CapnHook]

Musicals Without Overtures#0

Posted: 12/22/03 at 11:42am

Can anyone name musicals with overtures?

"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle

[broadwayguy2]

re: Musicals Without Overtures#1

Posted: 12/22/03 at 11:44am

gypsy
peter pan
mamma mia
guys and dolls
.
.
.
.
.

[bwaylyric]

re: Musicals Without Overtures#2

Posted: 12/22/03 at 11:49am

Rent?

[Unknown User]

re: re: Musicals Without Overtures#3

Posted: 12/22/03 at 12:12pm

GYPSY has an overture.

Bulldog. Updated On: 12/22/03 at 12:12 PM

[Deena Jones2]

re: re: re: Musicals Without Overtures#4

Posted: 12/22/03 at 12:13pm

Do you want WITH or WITHOUT, Capn'????

[onceadancer2]

re: re: Musicals Without Overtures#5

Posted: 12/22/03 at 12:16pm

From my generation:

Music In The Air - 1932
Roberta - 1933
Lady In The Dark -1941
Sound of Music - 1959

Every movement has a meaning--but what the hell does it mean!

[~*The Broadway Baby*~]

Musicals Without Overtures#6

Posted: 12/22/03 at 12:40pm

Into The Woods - Sondhiem
Sweeney Todd....errrr maybe this has one hmm. Please correct me if I'm wrong

[BrdwyThtr]

re: Musicals Without Overtures#7

Posted: 12/22/03 at 2:14pm

The Rocky Horror Show
The Lion King

[bob8rich]

re: Musicals Without Overtures#8

Posted: 12/22/03 at 2:35pm

"Sweeney Todd" does not have an overture - just a short "Prelude". And no production I have ever seen of "Into The Woods" has had an overture either. In fact, few Sondheim shows have an overture, the major exception being "Merrily We Roll Along", which has a wonderful overture - and "A Little Night Music" has an overture which is sung by the Liebeslieder singers.

Most "older" musicals had overtures (e.g. "South Pacific", "The King And I", "My Fair Lady", etc.) while most "modern" musicals do not, often preferring to ease into the dramatic content of the show more naturally.

THEATRE 2020: CURTAINS**** LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE GIRLS***** WICKED***** KEITH RAMSAY TAKING NOTES WITH EDWARD SECKERSON***** KAYLEIGH MCKNIGHT CONCERT***** RAGS***** ON MCQUILLAN'S HILL** DEAR EVAN HANSEN***** THE JURY***

[Unknown User]

re: re: Musicals Without Overtures#9

Posted: 12/22/03 at 2:37pm

"Sweeney Todd....errrr maybe this has one hmm. Please correct me if I'm wrong"

No, Sweeney does not have an overture - just a musical prelude.
An overture is like a musical preview of a show.

Other musicals with overtures:

Annie
Oklahoma
Kind and I

Just about any R & H show.

[TheBalladeer]

re: re: re: Musicals Without Overtures#10

Posted: 12/22/03 at 2:40pm

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

All G&S Operettas

Candide

Urinetown

The Most Happy Fella

And plenty of others.

You will find that most older musicals have them, as another poster previously pointed out.

Cheers,
The Balladeer

"Someone tell the story...Someone sing the song...."

[bob8rich]

re: re: re: Musicals Without Overtures#11

Posted: 12/22/03 at 2:43pm

No, Sweeney does not have an overture - just a musical prelude.
An overture is like a musical preview of a show.

I don't wish to be pedantic - but an "overture" and a "prelude" are musically quite different things. Most musicals have a prelude of some kind - often just a few bars which lead into the action - and is an intergral part of the action itself. A full blown overture is something that is played before the show begins and usually contains musical themes from a number of the songs in the show.

THEATRE 2020: CURTAINS**** LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE GIRLS***** WICKED***** KEITH RAMSAY TAKING NOTES WITH EDWARD SECKERSON***** KAYLEIGH MCKNIGHT CONCERT***** RAGS***** ON MCQUILLAN'S HILL** DEAR EVAN HANSEN***** THE JURY***

[Mister Matt]

re: re: re: re: Musicals Without Overtures#12

Posted: 12/22/03 at 3:20pm

I'm confused - The topic is musicals without overtures, yet the question is musicals with overtures? Which is it going to be?

"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian

[Craig]

re: re: re: re: re: Musicals Without Overtures#13

Posted: 12/22/03 at 3:23pm

umm I was sure candide has an overture.. a very lovely one.. at least I have it on an overtures cd... or was that a listing for a show that did have an overture? This is the worst thread ever! lol

"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men" - Willy Wonka

[ChristineDaae]

re: re: re: re: re: re: Musicals Without Overtures#14

Posted: 12/22/03 at 3:39pm

Rent doesn't have an overture.

"Life will be frozen peaches and cream. Baby, dream Your Dream" ~ SC

[Bway_Mill_Fan]

re: re: re: re: re: re: re: Musicals Without Overtures#15

Posted: 12/22/03 at 4:05pm

Millie has an overture. would you say that the first couple of seconds of Wicked is an overture?

[eandan]

re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: Musicals Without Overtures#16

Posted: 12/22/03 at 4:10pm

yes.. its 50 seconds

[Mr Roxy]

re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: Musicals Without Overtures#17

Posted: 12/22/03 at 6:31pm

Jekyll & Hyde ?

Poster Emeritus

[liaghatgals]

re: Musicals Without Overtures#18

Posted: 12/22/03 at 7:12pm

The Boy From Oz has a prelude but not an overture

[~*The Broadway Baby*~]

re: re: Musicals Without Overtures#19

Posted: 12/22/03 at 7:28pm

COMPANY

[WhatDoINeedWithLove?]

re: re: re: Musicals Without Overtures#20

Posted: 12/22/03 at 7:42pm

Hairspray doesn't, but there is a little prelude

[bially082]

re: re: re: re: Musicals Without Overtures#21

Posted: 12/22/03 at 7:45pm

Once Upon a Mattress has an Overture.

You are young, life has been kind to you. You will learn.

[Gothampc]

re: Musicals Without Overtures#22

Posted: 12/22/03 at 8:15pm

A Chorus Line has no overture.

If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

[Unknown User]

re: re: re: re: Musicals Without Overtures#23

Posted: 12/22/03 at 9:46pm

"I don't wish to be pedantic - but an "overture" and a "prelude" are musically quite different things. Most musicals have a prelude of some kind - often just a few bars which lead into the action - and is an intergral part of the action itself. A full blown overture is something that is played before the show begins and usually contains musical themes from a number of the songs in the show."

I thought that's what I said. That's what I meant when I said "a musical preview of the show." Sweeney's prelude is the funeral organ music which leads right into "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd," which, in the score is refered to as the prologue.

[musicalthespis]

re: re: re: re: re: Musicals Without Overtures#24

Posted: 12/22/03 at 10:05pm

The musical Lucky Stiff doesn't have an overture. Flaherty and Ahrens first work I believe.