The Last Midnight is such a step back for The Witch. She's at a moment where she is making the transition back to her old and ugly self and finally using her powers again. The music needs to reflect that. Bernadette Peters shouldn't have been such a whiny b*tch about Boom Crunch. Boom Crunch is a masterwork of a song. It incorporates the "pretty" but also the madness. It really plays out like a breakdown, which is what the song needs to be, not just a brisk angry waltz. Last Midnight is just too pretty for that moment in the show. Especially surrounded by No More and No One Is Alone. It's not big enough to represent The Witch's middle finger to the rest of the group and to the world itself.
From Sondheim's comments in Look I Made a Hat, he would certainly allow it. Boom Crunch is fascinating to hear--but I love Last Midnight, and reportedly Boom Crunch really confused audiences both in San Diego and Broaway's previews. I wish Sondheim had commented, though on the lyric changes for Midnight in the revival. I seem to remember from the filmed Regent's Park version they actually use a mix of both, but will have to check again (I prefer the original).
Really Boom Crunch is a fascinating view of the genesis and ideas of the song. But Last Midnight is better as a song and works better.
Having recently "seen" one of the first previews of this show from 1987, I can tell you that BOOM CRUNCH just does not work in context to the story. It's one of many many many things that were changed for the better to make the musical flow much more smoothly.
Boom Crunch is good, but Last Midnight is amazing. The one video I can find without digging too deep of the 1987 Old Globe production is just so..... meh. Sondheim has said he did not write this because Bernie wanted a showstopper.
Just listened to / saw this. Not even close as far as which number propels the story. Last Midnight is definitely a showstopper and tells the tale more clearly. Boom Crunch just feels like it's all over the place.
The other thing is, Boom Crunch is a breakdown. The Witch isn't crazy, she's just pissed off and wants to take action versus whining and whimpering. She's calling everyone out on what they're doing wrong and how it doesn't make them good, just nice. It ties in the theme of the midnights and is a powerful song when done correctly.
I don't care which song they use, I just want someone in the role who can do it justice.
"TO LOVE ANOTHER PERSON IS TO SEE THE FACE OF GOD"- LES MISERABLES---
"THERE'S A SPECIAL KIND OF PEOPLE KNOWN AS SHOW PEOPLE... WE'RE BORN EVERY NIGHT AT HALF HOUR CALL!"--- CURTAINS