Songs from shows that *tear* at your heart-strings. Songs that make you FEEL.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 7/30/06 at 3:07pm

For many of us, there are those songs from shows that, everytime you listen to them, you can't help but tear up, get shivers down your spine, feel intense emotions; songs that make you angry, sad, joyously happy, liberated. Songs that make you think and FEEL, that you connect with deeply on a personal level. It may be a specific actor whose performance of that song affects you in particular.

For me, those songs are Stranger in This World and Petrified from TABOO, as performed by Euan Morton and Raul Esparza, respectively. The former stands out for me as, knowing Boy George's background, the lyrics make real sense and Euan Morton just spills those emotions out into the song. Raul Esparza gives an equally moving performance in Petrified. I think it's fair to say that the performances of Mr. Morton and Mr. Esparza in TABOO were the two most emotionally wrought that season.

And most recently, the song What About Love?, as performed so gorgeously by Elisabeth Withers-Mendes and LaChanze in THE COLOR PURPLE, touches me every time I hear it. First off, it's wonderful to hear a love ballad between two women. Broadway has seen love ballads between a man and a woman, between two men, a man and a transvestite, among other gender pairs. These two women deliver such intense performances, you can't help but feel where Celie is and how vital what she's discovering is. Not to mention what the voices of Ms. Withers-Mendes and LaChanze bring to this song. I think Ms. Withers-Mendes gives the most underrated featured performance of the season.

What songs from shows do you find heartwrenching?

Updated On: 8/1/06 at 03:07 PM

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 7/30/06 at 3:10pm

Bring Him Home from Les Miz. My friend sang it for his brother at his funeral (sp?) because it was the first show they saw together.

Get out of my Life from Bounce. That is my brother and I.

Posted: 7/30/06 at 3:12pm

All of The Last 5 Years, especially Nobody Needs to Know and The Next Ten Minutes. I'm sure I'll be one of many to say it. I don't think you could get much more emotional and haunting, and I think the two-person cast only adds to the emotional intensity.

I'll forever preach about Chess as a severely underrated musical, but even that, as my favorite show, leaves me with a bit of a distant feeling.

Updated On: 7/30/06 at 03:12 PM

[Katurian2]

Posted: 7/30/06 at 3:15pm

"Losing my Mind" from Follies- Just so powerful in the OBC Recording. You can grab the emotion from the sound.


"What I Did for Love" from A Chorus Line- An important song in any artist's life.

"Why" from Tick, tick...BOOM- The monolouge leading up to the song is just so impactful too- tragic situation and beautiful haunting melody

Updated On: 7/30/06 at 03:15 PM

Posted: 7/30/06 at 3:19pm

"You'll Be In My Heart" - Tarzan
"If I Told You" - The Wedding Singer
several songs from Rent
a lot of Tevye's songs from Fiddler On The Roof

[jasonf]

Posted: 7/30/06 at 3:36pm

Schadenfreude - Avenue Q

[luvliza89]

Posted: 7/30/06 at 4:41pm

Both "A Sleepin' Bee" and "House of Flowers" from HOUSE OF FLOWERS. Those are two very beautiful songs.

"At The Ballet" also gets me emotional. Wonderful stuff.

[bwayboi4life42]

Posted: 7/30/06 at 4:54pm

"Children Will Listen" from INTO THE WOODS. Not so much within the context of the show, but Barbra Streisand's full version of it is beautiful.

"I'm Here" from THE COLOR PURPLE. I always get teary-eyed.

"You'll Never Walk Alone" from CAROUSEL. Beautiful song.

[GuyfromGermany]

Posted: 7/30/06 at 5:00pm

"Are you there?" from Bare
Those guys singing about seeking someone to answer their questions about life... It's just so beautiful!

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 7/30/06 at 5:01pm

Come To Your Senses from TICK, TICK...BOOM! as performed on stage within the context of the show really touched me. I saw this new character (not just Susan) up there and actually felt for her, with no previous character development. It is such a gorgeous song.

Updated On: 7/30/06 at 05:01 PM

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 7/30/06 at 5:06pm

For Good from Wicked-

Still Hurting- The Last 5 Years.

Will I, I'll Cover You: Reprise-Rent

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 7/30/06 at 5:07pm

Time Heals Everything from Mack and Mabel

Being Alive from Company

Marry Me Terry from Side Show

[worrell4077]

Posted: 7/30/06 at 5:12pm

"Fallen Angel"-Jersey Boys
"See Me, Feel Me"-The Who's Tommy
"Fools Fall In Love"-All Shook Up
"It Hurts Me"-All Shook Up
________________________________________________________________
"Fallen Angel, I Forgive You Anything. You Can't Help The Things You Do, But Something's Gotten Hold Of You."
-Jersey Boys

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 7/30/06 at 5:17pm

Anything from LES MIZ
FOR GOOD from WICKED
I KNOW THE TRUTH (Amneris) in AIDA
the Finale and most of the ending sections in INTO THE WOODS

[bjh2114]

Posted: 7/30/06 at 5:29pm

The only song I have actually cried during while both watching the show and listening to the recording afterwards is "Some Things Are Meant to Be" from Little Women. It still gets me to this day.

[Mythus]

Posted: 7/30/06 at 5:33pm

"See Me, Feel Me" (and the reprise) and "Listening to You" from Tommy, "The I Love You Song" from Spelling Bee, "No One Is Alone" from Into the Woods, "I'll Cover You (reprise)" from Rent, "I Am What I Am" from La Cage...and this is going to sound silly, but the act two finale from Spamalot. It lifts my spirits tremendously every time I listen to it.

[jwsel]

Posted: 7/30/06 at 5:38pm

Just a few that come to mind:

Til We Reach That Day and Make Them Hear You from Ragtime
Bill from Showboat (especially Lonette McKee's version in the 1993 revival)
I Am What I Am from La Cage
I Know Where I've Been from Hairspray
Tell Me Its Not True from Blood Brothers
And I'm Telling You from Dreamgirls
Lot's Wife from Caroline or Change (it just left me breathless) Updated On: 7/30/06 at 05:38 PM

[ashley0139]

Posted: 7/30/06 at 5:52pm

Days of Plenty from Little Women never fails to get me emotional.
Maybe I Like It This Way from Lippa's Wild Party
Aquarius from Hair just makes me... happy.
A Little Fall of Rain from Les Mis.

Updated On: 7/30/06 at 05:52 PM

[thevolleyballer]

Posted: 7/30/06 at 5:57pm

I love "If I Told You (Reprise)" from WEDDING SINGER because of the total mood and theme of that song, in context. The poem just shows what love is, and Robbie and Julia really, truly want that. It's such a sweet song. The audience loves it in person.

Also, Gavroche's last reprise of "Little People" is just so sad. Poor little Gavroche.

[John3]

Posted: 7/30/06 at 5:58pm

All the Wasted Time - Parade
It's Hard To Speak My Heart - Parade
It Don't Make Sense to Me - Parade
Larger Than Life - My Favorite Year

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 7/30/06 at 5:58pm

Anything from Piazza.

[boxers7]

Posted: 7/30/06 at 5:59pm

- Most of Ragtime
- Mama, A Rainbow
- No One is Alone
- Finale (Into the Woods)
- Who Will Love Me as I Am?
- I Will Never Leave You
- Finale (Side Show)

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 7/30/06 at 6:23pm

Your Daddy's Son - Ragtime
'Till We Reach That Day - Ragtime
Wheels of a Dream - Ragtime
New Music - Ragtime

Maybe I should just list the whole song-list from Ragtime.

[SarahBeth]

Posted: 7/30/06 at 6:27pm

A Little Fall of Rain - Les Miserables
Some Things Are Meant To Be - Little Women
Empty Chairs at Empty Tables - Les Miserables

[Marguerite Chauvelin]

Posted: 7/30/06 at 6:28pm

The 10th Anniversery Les Mis Concert: The performance of "A Little Fall of Rain" with Lea Salonga and Michael Ball made me cry the first time I saw it.

A lot from Ragtime

I'd Give My Life for You- Miss Saigon
Some Things are meant to be- Little Women