Saddest moment in musical- Page 3

[Colle]

Posted: 1/9/11 at 9:49am

Most of the deaths in "Les Miserables," and Kim's suicide in "Miss Saigon."
Updated On: 1/9/11 at 09:49 AM

[fosca3]

Posted: 1/9/11 at 10:18am

I've been super-moved by lots of shows (The Seafarer broke my heart every time I saw it)

But I think the only time I cry (and it's consistently) is during Valjean's death in Les Mis. I've seen that show 38-39 times, and when the stage goes dark and he begins by lighting his candles, in the bishop's candlesticks, the tears just start

And for me, Randal Keith was always the most moving in that scene. He and Fantine would be reaching for each other as she moved towards him, singing 'Monsieur I bless your name...'. Then Fantine would drop her hand and move back into the dark, cuz she had just seen Cosette come in behind him. And at that second, when she vanished from his sight, he just crumpled in his chair. That one moment broke my heart every time I saw it

The final nite of the original run of Les Mis (the last public performance, the next day's matinee was invitation-only) -- I was sitting in the front row, one seat from far house left. At the last minute, just before the show started, the usher brought a blind woman down and helped her into that far-left seat. At the end of the show, at the beginning of Valjean's death, she started to sob out loud. I was crying too, from the scene and from knowing it was my last time seeing the show. I reached over and held her hand, and we squeezed each others' hands the whole way thru the finale. Just the music and words were moving her that much, she couldn't see the simple beauty of the set, or the actors' expressions

That is my saddest-happiest memory from a musical

Updated On: 1/9/11 at 10:18 AM

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 1/9/11 at 10:32am

The final scene in West Side Story,
The Sewers in Les Misérables (as in the music and the barricade turning)
Love Never Dies in Love Never Dies
and the final scene in Love Never Dies

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 1/9/11 at 2:51pm

- Kim's Nightmare in Miss Saigon, especially "Sun and Moon (Reprise)"
- "I'd Give My Life for You" in Miss Saigon, as well as the finale
- "Elaborate Lives (Reprise)" in Aida when Aida and Radames are reaching out for each other and then get pulled apart by the guards
- People may laugh at me for this, but I was really devastated when Bobby died in Urinetown.
- The ending of Les Miserables
- The beginning of Les Miserables when Valjean is redeemed by the Bishop
- "Finale" in Passion, or "No One Has Ever Loved Me" if I'm in an emotional enough mood
- I haven't seen it staged, but I cried really hard the first time I heard the Finale of Parade, especially when Frankie starts with "The Old Red Hills of Home"
- The "Epilogue" in Ragtime
- "How Glory Goes" in Floyd Collins gets me EVERY TIME I listen to it
- "Everything I Know" in In The Heights
- "Some Girls" in Once On This Island, and the ending
- "Goodbye Until Tomorrow" from The Last Five Years

[Madcap Maisie]

Posted: 1/9/11 at 3:20pm

The I Love You Song in Putnam when Olive says "I love you mama."

Kills me. That whole song really.

[Dave516]

Posted: 1/9/11 at 4:10pm

How about the ending of "Bare"?!?
I mean the whole show is a ridiculously emotional journey, but the final song, "No Voice" sung at the graduation is freaking gut-wrenching!

I agree with most of the others too...Next to Normal...
I don't know if anybody has mentioned the "If I loved You" reprise that Billy sings in act 2 of Carousel...that is beautifully haunting and sad too, but I love it!

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 1/9/11 at 4:57pm

"This Nearly Was Mine" from South Pacific.

[The Other One]

Posted: 1/9/11 at 5:44pm

Can't believe it took until the 3rd page to see a mention of Carousel. Yes, Dave516, that moment is heartbreaking, as is the preceding scene in which Billy tries to reach out to his now-grown daughter. As is the earlier scene in which he is killed.

[My Oh My]

Posted: 1/9/11 at 8:28pm

"But I think the only time I cry (and it's consistently) is during Valjean's death in Les Mis. I've seen that show 38-39 times, and when the stage goes dark and he begins by lighting his candles, in the bishop's candlesticks, the tears just start

And for me, Randal Keith was always the most moving in that scene. He and Fantine would be reaching for each other as she moved towards him, singing 'Monsieur I bless your name...'. Then Fantine would drop her hand and move back into the dark, cuz she had just seen Cosette come in behind him. And at that second, when she vanished from his sight, he just crumpled in his chair. That one moment broke my heart every time I saw it

The final nite of the original run of Les Mis (the last public performance, the next day's matinee was invitation-only) -- I was sitting in the front row, one seat from far house left. At the last minute, just before the show started, the usher brought a blind woman down and helped her into that far-left seat. At the end of the show, at the beginning of Valjean's death, she started to sob out loud. I was crying too, from the scene and from knowing it was my last time seeing the show. I reached over and held her hand, and we squeezed each others' hands the whole way thru the finale. Just the music and words were moving her that much, she couldn't see the simple beauty of the set, or the actors' expressions

That is my saddest-happiest memory from a musical."

Reading that almost made ME cry! LOL.

Wholeheartedly agree about Randal Keith. I saw him several times in the 3rd national tour and he is one of the best to date. So nuanced, such a delicately executed performance. He put his all into every moment he was on stage. You could tell he took the role and the show very seriously and had great affection for the character. It's remarkable what a difference that made.

And, yes, the simple beauty of the set. I miss the original production so much.

Another moment for me is "Sarah Brown Eyes" from Ragtime. Get choked-up every time!

[secondarycharacter2]

Posted: 1/9/11 at 9:34pm

-The letter reprise and deep into the ground from Billy Elliott
-I am the one reprise (Well, the whole show next to normal, for that matter)
-Alabanza (Even more sad today... goodbye ITH)
-Angel's Funeral (of course)
-The I Love You Song

Posted: 1/10/11 at 12:52am

The final scene of Peter Pan. "You can't Wendy. you're too grown up." Breaks my heart every time.

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 1/10/11 at 2:40am

The Letter in Billy Elliot

I get tears at the end of The King and I, when the King dies.

Carousel. When Billy is trying to reach out to his daughter.

When Emile comes back in South Pacific.

But most tragic, the ending of Blood Brothers. I, literally, had to have my friend, and an usher escort me out of the theatre after the curtain call, as I was so upset and crying oceans.

Updated On: 1/10/11 at 02:40 AM

[ggersten]

Posted: 1/10/11 at 2:29pm

Kim's death in Miss Saigon hit me hard in the gut like no other show.
My then 8 year old got hysterical with tears at the end of WSS (film version) despite our warning her "that it had a very sad ending".

But, when this thread started I thought about the producer (whose name I forget) who said that he cried at the end of Annie - first because it was wonderful and second, because he had no money in the show.

[madbrian]

Posted: 1/10/11 at 2:34pm

First thing that came to mind was Gavroche's death in Les Miserables.

[Billy Boy]

Posted: 1/10/11 at 2:50pm

I agree about the ending of BLOOD BROTHERS.

My saddest (obscure) musical moment for me is the finale of MARGUERITE. Ruthie Henshall's performance rivaled Alice Ripley in N2N. I saw the show twice (by myself) and felt so embarrassed to be sitting their crying as the lights came up after the curtain call. Then I realized that there were a lot more people in the theater doing the same thing.

Music & Book is by the Les Miz folks, so you can imagine how melodic and soaring the score is.

imho


Ruthie Henshall and Julian Ovenden singing 'Finale'

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/10/11 at 3:12pm

We'll Meet Tomorrow - Titanic
I'll Cover You (reprise) - Rent
Please - Miss Saigon
Gavroche's Death - Les Miserables
Tell Me It's Not True - Blood Brothers (I was a MESS the first time I saw this)
I Hate the Bus - Caroline, or Change
I Wish I Could Forget You - Passion
I Am the One (reprise) - Next to Normal
Sh'ma - Parade
I Never Wanted to Love You - March of the Falsettos
What Would I Do - Falsettoland
Innocence Dies - Marie Christine
You Walk With Me - The Full Monty
Forgiveness - Jane Eyre
The Letter - Billy Elliot
Surrender - Sunset Boulevard
Invisible - Women on the Verge

Updated On: 1/10/11 at 03:12 PM

[Midnight Radio]

Posted: 1/10/11 at 4:26pm

I only saw it once so my memory is a bit faded, but in Passing Strange when the mother died and the boy realized he had neglected her & never called

That is the only time I think I have "bawled" my eyes out in a theatre...

ETA: haha oops Updated On: 1/10/11 at 04:26 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/10/11 at 4:33pm

I think you mean "bawled". What you wrote means something else entirely and is rather icky.

[twinbelters]

Posted: 1/10/11 at 5:14pm

I think that's at least the second time I've seen Mr. Matt make that correction.

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 1/10/11 at 9:49pm

I remember I was trying very hard not to cry during Some Things Are Meant to be in Little Women.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/11/11 at 10:34am

twinbelters - At the very least. Still, it does make me giggle when I see someone make that mistake. At least it wasn't another there/their/they're mistake. I often wonder how people get through reading anything in English when they have no idea what the words mean.

[Yawper]

Posted: 1/11/11 at 12:02pm

Children and Art

[SNAFU]

Posted: 1/11/11 at 12:19pm

Quixote's death in MOLM

[Eris0303]

Posted: 1/11/11 at 12:28pm

My friend and I both got teary during "Our Only Daughter" in "Catered Affair". Neither of us is an only daughter but we're both eldest daughters and the lyrics hit home for us.

A few people have mentioned Tony's death in WSS. The first time I saw it in DC I didn't feel a thing when Matt Cavenaugh "died" but when I revisited it on Broadway I was moved to tears when Matt Hydzik "died".

"Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" is a big one for me too.

[Necromancer07707]

Posted: 1/11/11 at 3:46pm

DOT
Tell me what you feel!
GEORGE
What I feel?
You know exactly how I feel.
Why do you insist
You must hear the words,
When you know I cannot give you words?
Not the ones you need.
There's nothing to say.
I cannot be what you want.
DOT
What do you want, George?
GEORGE
I needed you and you left.
DOT
There was no room for me-
GEORGE
You will not accept who I am.
I am what I do-
Which you knew,
Which you always knew,
Which I thought you were a part of!
DOT
No,
You are complete, George,
You are your own.
We do not belong together.
You are complete, George,
You all alone.
I am unfinished,
I am diminished
With or without you.
We do not belong together...

from SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE