THE BROADWAY OVERTURE

I am a big fan of the overture. Love all the obvious ones like GYPSY and CANDIDE but can someone tell me who actually writes or constructs the overture? Is it the composer or the arranger or someone else?

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On a 1958 Columbia Lp of Broadway Overtures, conductor Lehman Engle explains a bit about how an Overture gets constructed.

Although it is the first item heard it is always the very last item to be assembled. The orchestrator meets with composer, producer, director and they try to select the songs that would most likely have a life outside the show, the songs that work best orchestral, and also avoiding a song heard too early in the program after the Overture. Once the 3-6 songs are selected the orchestrator must arrange into a medley, creating connecting lines and transitions. It is very last minute an often the copyists must work overtime to get the parts ready for the first performance. When he wrote these notes in 1958 most shows still went out-of-town for try-outs and he commented that sometimes a song featured in the Overture was cut and it had to be removed from the Overture. Or, sometimes an un-expected song became a hit and sometime the Overture was reworked to include it. And often time and money would run out so the Overture had to stand as it was. (For the post-Broadway, Richard Rodgers had the Overture altered to include "I enjoy being a girl.")

There was a time when EVERY Broadway show opened with a full 4-5 minute Overture. Today, it's just a short prelude that segues right into the opening number. I think shows do move faster now, but what we have lost!

Can anyone name a current Broadway show that has a full, stand alone Overture?

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No, POTO does not have a stand alone overture. In fact it begins with the auction scene, then during what is called an Overture, the famous organ theme peels forth. But that's really just a prologue: Not an overture in the traditional sense stringing together several melodies from teh score concert suite style.

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Does the revival of CHARITY use the full Overture? Or has it been shortened and abridged?

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The original CHARITY overture is brilliant and underrated.

The revival cuts "Where Am I Going?" and "I'm A Brass Band" from the overture, which is dissapointing. But the rest of the overture hasn't been changed.

if i remember correctly as well... didn't the Fully Monty have one and DRS have one right now??

West side's is beautiful and Anything Goes is OK, nothing great

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THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA.

As far as who writes the overture, it varies. Usually, it's the orchestrator or even sometimes the dance arranger, but as pointed out earlier, Richard Rodgers wrote all his own overtures and dance music. He insisted upon it. He was an exception to the rule, though.

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THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA began previews in New York with the FULL overture but it was later shortened because audiences complained it was too long.

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I think the last truly great overture was for "On the Twentieth Century."

My favorite parts of musicals are the overtures. They create the mood. They get the excitement going.

My favorite used to be Gypsy, but Wonderful Town and Sweet Charity are close up there too.

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I think that "Annie" is the last great overture. I do hope that they will make a "comeback". They are sorely missed!!! I know that they add time to a show but they are MISSED!!!