POTO: During the "soar" note on Music of the Night...done by Howard McGillin. I've NEVER, EVER heard anybody else sing that note so beautifully. Some Phantoms belt the stuffing out of that note, but Howard just lets it float. Very beautiful, especially live in the theater. :]
BatB: The final note of "If I Can't Love Her". The Beast I saw sounded so desperate on that final note and then you have the orchestral part belting under it--just AWESOME.
LES MIS: Javert's part in general. If I was a guy, I would LOVE to play Javert--he has a couple of the most haunting notes and songs from the show (like that awesome slide in "Confrontation").
THE PRODUCERS: The "overdue" note on King of Broadway. I love the way Nathan Lane sings it for some reason.
SWEENEY TODD: The undertone in the music around the part where Tobias says "he shaved the faces of gentlemen". Haunting.
JEKYLL AND HYDE (Anthony Warlow): "Henry Jekyll will follow wherever you lead"--I Need To Know
It would have to be the scene in "Jersey Boys" when Frankie Valli's daughter dies from a drug overdose and the prelude/song "Fallen Angel" starts playing. The emotion that the Jersey Boy playing Frankie projects to the audience is very tear jerking and has many in the crowd tearing up and sniffling. Also, goosebumps galore because of the emotional content that scene has.
watching defying gravity live will give you chills in the end. The emotion and power after , "its me, its me" and then the flying portion was breathtaking.
I second the earlier post about Raul Esparza's delivery of "mock me with praise" in Being Alive. Whether in performance or on the cast recording, I get breathless.
Basically the entirety of "Fable" from The Light in the Piazza, especially after "Go! Go!"
The intro to "Around the World" from Grey Gardens. You just know what's coming next.
The final "my God" in Another Winter in a Summer Town.
In the "I Love You Song" from Spelling Bee, from "I wrote you a letter..." on.
"My Son" from Bright Lights, Big City
I'm sure there are more, I just can't remember them.
"I'll cut you, Tracee Beazer!!!!
...Just kidding. I'd never cut anyone." -Tina Maddigan, 9/30/06, WS stage door
Avatar: JULIE "EFFING" WHITE, 2007 TONY WINNER. Thank God.
I'm thinking about legally changing my name to Lizzie Curry...
Wicked.. Defying Graivty (of course) All of it. Not just the end.. Also I get the chills at the finale when Glinda and Elphaba sing together and then Elphaba runs off with Fiyero.. That gets me everytime..
Rent- Season of Love B.. When Angel dies.. It's so sad..
"It's terrible to have a house fall on you, it is, but accidents will happen"
Evita: "A New Argentina" when the people are singing "Nationlisation [spelling is off but oh well] of the industries that the foriegners control..." and the piano is just banging on...when I saw/heard that I just shivered
Caroline, or Change (sadly missed this): Pretty much all of "Lot's Wife"
Spring Awakening: "Totally F*CKed" always gets me for some reason...then again I am just the stereotypical teenage theater geek.
And that's all I can think of off of the top of my head...there are many more, I'm sure...but that's it as of now.
New Music, even just the first few really high, soft piano notes do it for me. But then when BSM sings "Sarah come down TO MEEEEE" it gets me every time, and then the final huge chord gives me chills.
Similarly, One Day More from Les Mis gave me chills when I saw it in the theatre.
Gimme Gimme in Thoroughly Modern Millie when Millie just belts out "Somebody to love MEEEEEEE"
That's all I can think of right now but I'm sure there are countless others.
"Your Daddy's Son" from Ragtime "On the Street Where You Live" from My Fair Lady "People" from Funny Girl "Gimme Gimme" from Thoroughly Modern Millie (the best ever)
"Operator, you have obviously never been trapped in a Chinese opium den!" - Thoroughly Modern Millie
wow, i'm literally getting chills just reading some of these..
i think 90% of the songs in spring awakening give me chills.. "bitch of living" when the guys all harmonize when they sing.."god is this it.. this can't be *harmony* it.." gahhhh!
"i believe" is just a beautiful piece of music, especially with the current action in the show at that point, it fits perfectly.
"left behind" especially when j.groff hits the last high note in the song, ugh.. gorgeous.
"those you've known" *SPOILER* when johnny and lea come up from the ground is just, haunting.. and when the music kind of backs off suddenly at the very end *END SPOILER* and j.groff sings "you watch me, just watch me, i'm calling.. [piano] i'm calling and one day all will know" is just the pinnacle for me.
"song of purple summer" when they all go a cappala.. good lord. that is the most beautiful sound in the world. love it.
in SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD in the song "opening: the new world" when the 4 sing "nobody told you the best way to steer when the wind starts to blow.." stuff.. and basically the entire end of the song when they're all in powerful belting harmony. that is one of my favorite songs of all time.
i love harmony. can you tell? haha. <3
hear my song; it was made for the time when you don't know where to go, listen to the song that i sing, you'll be fine..
The Woman in White- every time she sings "I close my eyes and I still see his face" and of course the sweeping melody that comes right before that moment.
Ragtime- Till We Reach That Day
Der Glockner von Notre Dame- Esmeralda (the song, not the character) Wie aus Stein and Einmal
Lennon- Watching the Wheels
Pirate Queen- Sea of Life, The Wedding, Woman
Company- Being Alive
Wicked- the end of Defying Gravity (though it really depends on who is singing)
Riverdance- the finale
Sweeney Todd- the bit in the opening when the cellos really start rocking out...you know what I mean. That is epic!
The Secret Garden- Lily's Eyes and Where in the World
Les Miserables- the finale
Phantom of the Opera- the final "you alone can make my song take flight..." at the finale
"But I can tell you that Raoul, who was so handsome in "The Phantom," is now a drunken wreck."
WICKED- 'Defying Gravity', when Elphie says, "It's ME!" and she starts to 'fly' and everything- it's beautiful because it's such a turning point in her story.
'Finale', when Glinda and Elphaba sing, "Who can say if I've been changed for the better- because I knew you, I have been changed..." and are cut off by the angry mob shrieking about wickedness, etc, again...
RENT-
'Goodbye, Love'- it is the perfect, 'Ohmigod, I'm brokenhearted and crying and yet I can still belt somehow' song. Though, I think that it's really only good when you're there live to see it.
'I'll Cover You, Reprise' is everything that a mourning song should be. Pain and love intermingle into a bittersweet plea that oozes from every line... It sounds like heartbreak, tragedy, and emptiness. It's amazing :)
PHANTOM OF THE OPERA-
*The very beginning, at the end of the auction, when the chandelier rises and the theme begins to play*
'Music of the Night', is... indescribable. Time stops when a decent voice sings this song.
LES MISERABLES-
'Do You Hear The People Sing', simply makes your heart sort of pound. My friend told me about what happens in the end of Les Miz, so the shock factor of it was spoiled for me, but... wow!
A CHORUS LINE-
*Paul's monologue*
'What I Did For Love' made me want to cry. The voices were so clean and pure and sure of everything they were saying- I don't know, but it felt so... innocent.
__
I know that I'll have more later but these are just off of the top of my head
Grown-ups never understand anything for themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery, "The Little Prince", 1943
With as many people that have mentioned Secret Garden I can't believe no one has said this - in How Could I Ever Know when they sing in harmony towards the end and Lily takes this beautiful high note descant on the AHH-AHH-AHh-AHH part right before the end
We Do Not Belong Together - SITPWG when Bernadette does the " NO! You are Complete George..." ahhh so good
Our Children - Ragtime - the dialouge at the end where the Baron says "I will buy her light and sun and the clean wind of the ocean for the rest of her life..." I cry every tiime
Roses at the Station - Grand Hotel - "I spent my chidhood in the field"... and then the key change into the reprise of Love Can't Happen... Perfection
Parade - At the end of "Come up to my office" where he smashes "The Factory girls" over the top... the clashing songs on top of each other give the most amazing dramatic effect.
Titanic - the instrumental waltz in the finale... it is one of the most gorgeous instrumental sections composed for the stage
You are My Own - Phantom - "For the music alone..." tearjerking
The Confrontation/Chris and Ellen - Miss Saigon OLC - "CHRIST! I am American, how can I fail to do good?"
The Confrontation/Chris and Ellen - "I Still taste your kisses"
Sun and Moon (reprise) - Miss Saigon - "And our love is reborn!" into that orchestral section and then right after "Take Care of TAM!" another amazing instrumental
And Then There Were None- Spring Awakening - "Just F*CK it right enough that's it, you'll still go on well for a bit, another day of utter ****" When John Gallagher Jr. does this live and just screams/cries this line, such an amazing performance
He Wanted to Say - Ragtime - "One turning from, One waking to... America"
All of Raul's Being Alive, when this recording came out and I got to this song, I just stopped what I was doing and listened to this four or five times in a row... I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
The overture to The Light in the Piazza
The Ballad of Floyd Collins (reprise) - "and when my Ti-me comes to die" omg I love this man he has such a real voice. It gives me chills.
The Origin of Love - Hedwig - "And then fire..." when those guitars come in... it is heaven! same with the intro to Angry Inch
If I Ever Say I'm Over You - It's Only Life - Brooks is perfection and a hell of a nice guy too!
Nobody Needs to Know - The Last Five Years - this whole song is so understated and beautiful
Kesa - See What I Wanna See - "Laugh and kiss and Fff**** and lie, My God it's hell to be God!"
Overture - State Fair - I just love these orchestrations they make me feel good all over!
This is probably just because I was listening to Rent earlier today but the first things that popped into my head are the whole "I'll Cover You (Reprise)" and when they start clapping in "Seasons of Love" (I guess I'm just a sucker for that form a line downstage and sing to the audience thing).
Also, I also too "Being Alive" and especially the mock me with praise stuff.
The I Love You Song (25th Annual...)
Poor Child (Lippa's Wild Party)
But thinking more about it, I get the chills a lot at shows so there are really too many to count. Nothing beats good live theatre.
"The Woman in White- every time she sings "I close my eyes and I still see his face" and of course the sweeping melody that comes right before that moment.
Der Glockner von Notre Dame- Esmeralda (the song, not the character) Wie aus Stein and Einmal"
I agree with both of these.
In the revised version of the Finale from "The Woman In White", right after Laura sings "I close my eyes and I still see his face", an oboe beings to play the Woman in White theme.
"Stärker als wir sind" from "Tanz der Vampire".
The line "Wir trinken blut wir haben null morale" in "Der Tanz der Vampire".
When Meg picks up the Phantom's mask at the end of "The Phantom of the Opera".
During the car chase in "Sunset Boulevard" when the orchestra plays the "One upon a time, not long ago, the head of any studio...." theme.
When the entire orchestra begins to play "Requiem for Evita".
The title song from "The Light in the Piazza".
"The Circle of Life" from "The Lion King". I saw the stage show last summer, and I was absolutely amazed during this song.