Overtures- Page 2

[Blanche]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 8:05am

Love almost all the ones already mentioned. "Annie Get Your Gun" is another favorite of mine.

[YankeeGal#24]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 8:33am

jasobres--Have never heard of the "Overture of overtures", but it sounds great! Going to see if I can track it down....

[freeadmission]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 8:38am

How could I forget My Fair Lady??!?!?!!!!

*slaps own forehead*

[Kgshrauder]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 9:45am

I like the opening of DRS too. But I would have to say that the one that gets me everytime are the opening hits of Les Mis. I was in the school version of that and whenever that would start, we would get even more pumped up in the wings. It was a great feeling.

[Glebb]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 10:01am

Company
NINE
Candide

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 10:12am

"Gypsy" is the only time I've ever heard audiences consistently applaud DURING an overture. It's that "hot." Easily the most exciting overture ever written, and my choice for #1.

I also love a few of the non-conventional overture choices: Nine and A Little Night Music.

Other favorites of mine include Candide and Promises, Promises (love the pit singers here).

And a few of the traditional ones (which are usually ENDLESS, but that's fine with me): Oklahoma!, South Pacific and The King and I. The orchestrations for those are incredible. It's like travelling back in a time machine.

Updated On: 12/23/05 at 10:12 AM

[lamentingenvelope]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 10:48am

I think Gypsy is hands-down the best overture of all time.

I also love the overture for Merrily We Roll Along.

[Millie Lammoreaux]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 10:54am

My all-time favorite MOVIE overture is from "Mary Poppins." Haven't seen the stage version yet but hoping its overture is just as great.

[Glebb]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 10:56am

Oh Millie, you're so right!!!

I love the Poppins overture. It's magic.
Maybe we can see it together on Bway.
Addy and I have a date for it. Join us.

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 11:02am

I echo BEST12BARS in that ""Gypsy" is the only time I've ever heard audiences consistently applaud DURING an overture. It's that "hot." Easily the most exciting overture ever written, and my choice for #1." I had the fortune of seeing Gypsy 6 times and it was amazing each and every time. That overture gives me goosebumps everytime I heard the opening "Ba BA BA BA...."

[TobiasFinch]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 11:16am

Jule Styne is the ultimate overture writer... Gypsy.. Funny Girl... Bells Are Ringing... Three greatest overtures...

I would LOVE to hear Barry Manillow's Overture of Overtures

[jasobres]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 11:21am

It's on the album "Showstoppers."

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 11:28am

Millie -- you're right about Mary Poppins, as far as film overtures. For some reason (probably the way it's orchestrated), whenever it kicks into Supercali...(etc.), I get chills. It shifts gears in such a great way.

[ALWrules]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 11:39am

I'm suprised that no one shares my favorite overture: Mame. Now THAT is a big sound.

Other great ones are: Oklahoma, 42nd Street, Phantom, Sunset Boulevard, and Anything goes.

[Broadwaygirl51]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 11:41am

42nd Street

[justagirl2]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 11:52am

I hate to be cliche, but I do love Phantom. It really catches your attention, and is just so intense.

[ALWrules]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 11:55am

Now, just out of curiousity, how do you all define overtures. I think of them as a medley of tunes that the audience is going to hear in the show. While I do love openings in shows like Phantom and Sunset Boulevard, are they really overtures? Both of them just present the main theme in an instrumental form. The same goes for a lot of modern musicals. Thoughts?

[Millie Lammoreaux]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 12:02pm

Would love to join you, Glebb. Say when! Am way overdue for NY and Glebb visits and would love to meet Addy.

[morosco]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 12:14pm

One that is often overlooked but that's very exciting is the overture to WOMAN OF THE YEAR. Always brings a grin to my face.

[Joe Mike2]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 12:20pm

The greatest overtures ever written are "Gypsy" and "My Fair Lady"

[YankeeGal#24]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 12:24pm

Has anyone said "Damn Yankees" yet? That's a great one too!

[jv92]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 8:00pm

1) Gypsy- best overture ever
2) Promises, Promises
3) Chicago
4) 42nd Street
5) Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Too hard to pick one.

[YankeeGal#24]

Posted: 12/24/05 at 11:23am

and then there are the shows with NO "real" overture. "The Producers" and "Hairspray" come to mind. Any others?

[Joe Mike2]

Posted: 12/26/05 at 8:44pm

The original "Hello, Dolly!" had no overture, although they added one for the most recent revival. Also, 1776 has no overture, Sound of Music has none, Jekyll and Hyde has no overture. I'm sure there are lots of others.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 12/27/05 at 7:37pm

While I do love openings in shows like Phantom and Sunset Boulevard, are they really overtures?

No these are NOT overtures. They are correctly termed "Preludes." The "Carousel Waltz" is also not an Overture, even thjough it is wonderful piece of music: quite possibly the greatest conceryt piece to emerge from Broadway in the 20th century.

An Overture is a short concert piece to introduce a program. For musicals it is usually a medley of proposed hit tunes. Some (GYPSY, CANDIDE) are outright classics. Others are more generic but still enjoyable if well played.

Many people here list the Overture from WEST SIDE STORY. I know teh movie had a 5 minute Overture (it can be heard on the DVD) but there was no Overture for the Broadway production which opened cold with danced Prolgue.

Early operettas often had 8-10 minute Overtures and some of these are famous: The overture from DIE FLEDRMAUS for example, or any of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta Overtures, especially THE MIKADO.

I especially like Kern's original 1927 Overture for SHOW BOAT, Gershwin's OF THEE I SING and GIRL CRAZY overtures and Rodgers' KING AND I Overture. Also the classic Overtures from the 40s/50s: ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, FINIAN'S RAINBOW, KISS ME KATE, CALL ME MADAM, SOUTH PACIFIC, PAJAMA GAME.

Not many recent shows have used overtures. THE PRODUCERS did in try-out but it was mostly cut to segue into "Opening Night" before opening night.

Problem is modern audiences talk all the way through Overtures and don't pay attention. They don't seem to think it is part of the show.