King Herod in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. His song- HEROD'S SONG- especially in the most recent-gone-to-soon production- is a show stopper.
The Mistress in EVITA gets to sing one of the most glorious (IMO) songs in Musical Theatre- ANOTHER SUITCASE IN ANOTHER HALL. No spoken lines, nothing else.
Can anyone think of other examples?
Star To Be singing NYC in Annie
Berthe singing No Time At All in Pippin
No offense but seriously? The Herod song? That was the worst song in the entire show. Pointless and out of nowhere.
Marge MacDougall, Promises, Promises
Jan Donovan, Woman of the Year
Both won Tonys for the women who played them. Marge, twice!
Marge MacDougall was the first one that came to my mind.
Another vote for Marge. Katie Finneran was great, but Christine Baranski at Encores! remains one of my favorite performances ever.
A Fact Can Be A Beautiful Thing
Candela's "Model Behavior" in WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
But, Candela is a huge part throughout the whole show, so I don't think that would count. :)
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
Oops sorry, I misunerstood. I thought you wanted one song. Didn't realize you wanted a 1 character song.
"Gotta Get A Gimmick" in Gypsy. Rose and Louise spend 2 hours working their butts off and three strippers come out, sing this song and almost steal the show. In fact, the song is almost fool proof. I've never seen this song bomb.
Another vote for Marge MacDougall.
Also, obviously, the trio of strippers from Gypsy.
^^^ Good one, Gothampc!
There's that amazing Arthur Laurents quote:
"You could cast Saddam Hussein and his two sons as those strippers and they STILL would get a big hand."
Oh, I forgot about Martha Jefferson in 1776.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/29/12
When I saw Gypsy at City Center two men in front of me were totally groovin' to "You Gotta Get A Gimmick" - that was the scene stealer for me. They were on their feet for "If you wanna stump it, bump it with a trumpet!"
Priceless.
Keeping the strip motif, Melba in Pal Joey has "Zip" which usually gets a big hand too.
Does Petra in A Little Night Music count?
Any of tHE FOLLIES ladies
Broadway Star Joined: 6/26/11
I would say Carlotta in follies for sure.
"King Herod in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. His song- HEROD'S SONG- especially in the most recent-gone-to-soon production- is a show stopper."
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I agree, it certainly sticks in people's minds, although I'm most likely biased as I played it in high school!
Grizabella in Cats? She's in act 1 for a few minutes, but gets the big song in act 2.
I know it had Bobby in aswell but Zangler in What Causes That from Crazy For You.
Hilarious and a complete show stealer
While I don't think "King Herod's Song" necessarily steals the show, I think it just comes at the right moment in the show.
They're not one-scene characters, but when the two mobsters sing Brush Up your Shakespeare in Kiss me Kate, they steal the show like the mobsters they are.
Understudy Joined: 12/25/11
Grizabella in CATS. Whether or not you hate Cats, something amazing happens in that audience after she sings "Memory."
Richard Henry Lee in 1776 doesn't particularly have a lot to do other than "The Lees of Old Virginia".
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