When I Look At You- Scarlet Pimpernel Unusual Way- Nine I Know the Truth- Aida The Impossible Dream- Man of LaMancha Move On- Sunday in the Park With George Far From the Home I Love- Fiddler on the Roof
My friends and I have put together a rather comprehensive list of the theatre’s most beautiful songs.
Our criteria was:
* The music could be anything: waltzes, polkas, marches, galops, mazurkas, ballads, gavottes, comedy songs, it did not matter.
* We divorced the lyrics from the music. The music had to stand on its own!
* We went back to the end of the 19th century.
* We also included London productions that were written by American composers and British productions written by English composers..
*We found that the greatest and most endurring songs were, in our estimation, written by Victor Herbert, Jerome Kern and Richard Rodgers.
*The list is totally subjective!!!!!!!!
The greatest and most beautiful theatre songs:
O Promise Me - Robin Hood Gypsy Love Song - The Fortune Teller Come Down My Evenin’ Star - Twirly Whirly Toyland - Babes In Toyland Mary - 45 Minutes From Broadway Kiss Me Again - Mlle Modiste Moonbeams - Red Mill Because You’re You - Red Mill Isle of Our Dreams - Red Mill In Old New York - Red Mill Absinthe Frappe - It Happened In Nordland Italian Street Song - Naughty Marietta Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life - Naughty Marietta I'm Falling In Love With Someone - Naughty Marietta Sweethearts - Sweethearts The Angelus - Sweethearts Every Lover Must Meet His Fate - Sweethearts They Never Taught Me That - Sweethearts Pink Lady - Pink Lady They Didn’t Believe Me - Girl From Utah Babes In THe Wood - Very Good Eddie Til The Clouds Roll By - Oh, Boy! Words Not Needed - Oh, Boy! You Never Know About Me - Oh, Boy! Auf Wierdersehn - Blue Paradise Crickets Are Calling - Leave It To Jane Will You Remember - Maytime Eileen - Eileen Thine Alone - Eileen Before I Met You - Oh, Lady! Lady! Do Look At Him - Oh Lady! Lady! Alice Blue Gown - Irene A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody - Follies of 1919 Look For The Silver Lining - Sally Whiporwill - Sally Kiss In The Dark - Orange Blossoms Indian Love Call - Rose Marie Rose Marie - Rose Marie Golden Days - Student Prince Serenade - Student Prince Just We Two - Student Prince Deep in My Heart - Student Prince Here In My Arms - Dearest Enemy Tea For Two - No No Nanette The Blue Room - The Girl Friend Looking For The Boy - Tip Toes Someone To Watch Over Me - Oh, Kay! Maybe - Oh, Kay! One Alone - Desert Song My Heart Stood Still - Connecticut Yankee Make Believe - ShowBoat You Are Love - ShowBoat Why Do I Love You - ShowBoat One Kiss - New Moon Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise - New Moon Blue Eyes - Blue Eyes (London) With A Song In My Heart - Spring Is Here Why Was I Born - Sweet Adeline Some Girl Is On Your Mind - Sweet Adeline Here Am I - Sweet Adeline Why Was I Born - Sweet Adeline Ship Without A Sail - Heads Up I’ll See You Again - Bittersweet (London) The Call of Life - Bittersweet (London) If Love Were All - Bittersweet (London) Kiss Me - Bittersweet (London) Dear Little Café - Bittersweet (London) Zigeuner - Bittersweet (London) Body and Soul - Little Show But Not For Me - Girl Crazy Embraceable You - Girl Crazy Ten Cents A Dance - Simple Simeon Time On My Hands - Smiles Dancing On The Ceiling - Evergreen (London) Who Cares - Of Thee I Sing I’ve Got Five Dollars - America’s Sweetheart We’ll Be The Same - America’s Sweetheart Dancing In The Dark - Bandwagon The Night Was Made For Love - Cat and The Fiddle One Moment Alone - Cat and The Fiddle Try To Forget - Cat and The Fiddle A New Love is Old - Cat and The Fiddle The Song Is You - Music In The Air Egen On The Tegern See - Music In The Air I’ve Told Every Little Star - Music In The Air There’s A Hill Beyond A Hill - Music On The Air Night and Day - Gay Divorce Yesterdays - Roberta Touch of Your Hand - Roberta Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - Roberta Easter Parade - As Thousands Cheer You and The Night and The Music - Revenge With Music All Through the Night - Anything Goes I Get A Kick Out Of You - Anything Goes I’ll Follow My Secret Heart - Conversation Piece (London) Someone Is Trying To Sleep - Three Sisters (London) You Are Doing Very Well - Three Sisters (London) Hand In Hand - Three Sisters (London) Roll On Rolling Road - Three Sisters (London) Most Beautiful Girl In The World - Jumbo My Romance - Jumbo Little Girl Blue - Jumbo There’s A Small Hotel - On Your Toes Glad To Be Unhappy - On Your Toes Sunday In The Park - Pins and Needles My Funny Valentine - Babes In Arms All At Once - Babes In Arms Where Or When - Babes In Arms Everybody Loves You When You’re Asleep - I’d Rather Be Right (cut) You Were There - Tonight At 8:30 September Song - Knickerbocker Holiday It Never Was You - Knickerbocker Holiday I Married An Angel - I Married An Angel Spring Is Here - I Married An Angel I’ll Tell The Man In The Street - I Married An Angel Falling In Love With Love - Boys From Syracuse Shortest Day Of The Year - Boys From Syracuse You Have Cast Your Shadow On The Sea - Boys From Syracuse I Didn’t Know What Time It Was - Too Many Girls All The Things You Are - Very Warm For May In The Heart of The Dark - Very Warm For May That Lucky Fellow - Very Warm For May Heaven In My Arms - Very Warm For May In Other Words, 17 - Very Warm For May It Never Entered My Mind - Higher and Higher Every Sunday Afternoon - Higher and Higher Tomorrow Is A Lovely Day - Louisiana Purchase Cabin In The Sky - Cabin In The Sky Love Turned The Light Out - Cabin In The Sky I Could Write A Book - Pal Joey My Ship - Lady In The Dark This Is New - Lady In The Dark Nobody’s Heart Belongs To Me - By Jupiter Foolish Heart - One Touch of Venus Speak Low - One Touch of Venus That’s Him - One Touch of Venus Out Of My Dreams - Oklahoma People Will Say We’re In Love - Oklahoma Right As The Rain - Bloomer Girl Rakish Young Man With the Whiskers - Bloomer Girl Some Other Time - On The Town Lonely Town - On The Town If I Loved You - Carousel What’s The Use of Wondrin’ - Carousel Carousel In The Park - Up In Central Park Close As Pages In A Book - Up In Central Park Come Rain Or Come Shine - St. Louis Woman They Say It’s Wonderful - Annie Get Your Gun Girl That I Marry - Annie Get Your Gun I Got Lost In His Arms - Annie Get Your Gun So Far - Allegro Almost Like Being In Love - Brigadoon Heather On The Hill - Brigadoon Come To Me, Bend To Me - Brigadoon So In Love - Kiss Me, Kate This Nearly Was Mine - South Pacific Some Enchanted Evening - South Pacific Lost In The Stars - Lost In The Stars Little Gray House - Lost In The Stars Who Am I? - Peter Pan (Bernstein) I’ll Know - Guys And Dolls Use Your Imagination - Out Of This World Make The Man Love Me - Tree Grows In Brooklyn I’ll Buy You A Star - Tree Grows In Brooklyn Hello Young Lovers - King and I We Kiss In A Shadow - King and I Here’s To Your Illusions - Flahooley A Little Bit In Love -Wonderful Town Quiet Girl - Wonderful Town I Love Paris - Can Can Fanny - Fanny Welcome Home - Fanny I Never Has Seen Snow - House of Flowers All of You - Silk Stockings Everybody’s Got A Home But Me - Pipe Dream All At Once You Love Her - Pipe Dream The Next Time It Happens - Pipe Dream Namely You - Lil Abner My Heart Is So Full Of You - Most Happy Fella I Could Have Danced All Night - My Fair Lady On The Street Where You Live - My Fair Lady I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face - My Fair Lady Goodnight My Someone - Music Man Til There Was You - Music Man Tonight - West Side Story One Hand, One Heart - West Side Story Maria - West Side Story Sound Of Music- Sound of Music Edelweiss - Sound of Music I Wish It So - Juno Bird Upon The Tree - Juno My True Love - Juno For Love - Juno One Kind Word - Juno Til Tomorrow - Fiorello When Did I Fall In Love - Fiorello Make Someone Happy - Do Re Mi Love Makes The World Go Round - Carnival The Sweetest Sounds - No Strings Shalom - Milk and Honey There’s No Reason In The World - Milk and Honey I Will Follow You - Milk and Honey If I Knew His Name - She Loves Me Dear Friend - She Loves Me Ribbons Down My Back - Hello Dolly It Only Takes A Moment - Hello Dolly Sunrise Sunset - Fiddler On The Roof Golden Boy - Golden Boy On A Clear Day - On A Clear Day Do I Hear A Waltz - Do I Hear A Waltz Dear Love - Flora, The Red Menace A Quiet Thing - Flora, The Red Menace If He Walked Into My Life - Mame And I Was Beautiful - Dear World I’ll Never Fall In Love Again - Promises, Promises I Won’t Send Roses - Mack and Mabel Song Of The Sand - Cage Aux Folles
Every movement has a meaning--but what the hell does it mean!
I'm surprized nobody mentioned it yet (I think). I keep hearing it everywhere lately, on a car commercial (with Rod Stewart) and on the NGD radio commercial. Maybe it don't count because the show didn't open yet. Anyway, the song just knocks me out, as does all of the Never Gonna Dance score.
Finale - Les Misérables On My Own - Les Misérables Stars - Les Misérables The Sound of Music - The Sound of Music For Good - Wicked If I Can't Love Her - Beauty and the Beast Defying Gravity - Wicked I'd Give My Life For You - Miss Saigon
Thank you WOSQ -- all songs must be considered ::besides:: "If I Loved You"
Not a Day Goes By -- Merrily No One is Alone -- Into the Woods Tell Me on a Sunday -- Song & Dance Time Heals Everything -- Mack&Mabel I Have Dreamed -- King and I Losing My Mind -- Follies New Music -- Ragtime Bring Him Home -- Les Miz Try to Remember -- The Fantasticks
And IMO the most beautiful theatre songs written were missing as well:
Pretty Lady and Someone in a Tree from Pacific Overtures.
Notable exemptions: Not While I'm Around (Sweeney Todd) My Man's Gone Now (Porgy and Bess) Bess, You Is My Woman Now (Porgy and Bess) Every Day A Little Death (A Little Night Music) Little Bird (Fiddler on the Roof) Sabbath Prayer (Fiddler on the Roof) Finishing the Hat (Sunday in the Park with George) Lesson #8 (Sunday in the Park with George) I Wish I Could Forget You (Passion) Sorry-Grateful (Company) Fine, Fine Line (Avenue Q)
these are just a few I can think off the top of my head that haven't been mentioned yet.
Updated On: 1/9/05 at 08:27 PM
I choose them either from the sheer beauty of the music or the emotions they evoke.
As they come to mind --
Love Changes Everything Seeing is Believing Send In the Clowns If I loved You Oh What A Beautiful Morning People Will Say We're in Love Camelot If Ever I Would Leave You On the Street Where You Live The Impossible Dream Dulcinea Can We Start Again Please Don't Cry for Me Argentina You'll Never Walk Alone Soliloquy On My Own Do You Hear the People Sing Empty Chairs at Empty Tables Loving You ( Passion) People Try to Remember Memory It's A Grand Night for Singing The Surrey with the Fringe on the Top You and I ( Chess) Anthem Music of the Night All I Ask Of You Tell Me On A Sunday Half a Moment Unexpected Song Lily's Eyes Johanna God's Own Country ( The Beautiful Game) With One Look Too Much in Love To Care ( Sunset Boulevard) Surrender ( Sunset Boulevard) Gethsemane Whistle Down the Wind Too Many Mornings Being Alive Live With Somebody You Love Last Night of the World Happiness ( Passion) No One is Alone Children Will Listen Not While I'm Around Younger Than Springtime Some Enchanted Evening Bali Ha'i Climb Every Mountain Maria Tonight Somewhere
Hello everyone! I'm new to the boards, but I've been reading them for some time so I know all about the search feature and how I'll get hammered if I make a "Oh my gosh! WICKED is my life!" post. LOL. Anyway, here's my list:
Unexpected Song Children Will Listen Dulcinea No One is Alone Without You Not A Day Goes By If I Loved You Johanna You'll Never Walk Alone Ballad Of Booth There are so many more, but I can't think of them right now! :)
"I am unfinished- I am diminished
With or without you..."
"On My Own" - LES MISÉRABLES (as long as it's NOT sung by Frances Ruffelle) "I Don't Remember You"/"Sometimes A Day Goes By" - AND THE WORLD GOES 'ROUND "Corner of the Sky" - PIPPIN "Never In My Days" - REBELS (a world premiere musical I did here in CT; lyrics by William Squier, music by Jeffrey Lodin) "In Seasons Past" - REBELS (I tell you, this show NEEDS to be on Broadway) "A Kind and Generous Gesture" - REBELS "Unanswered Prayers" - REBELS (wow, I never realized that I loved these songs from REBELS so much! I got chills and wanted to weep every night when I heard these songs!) "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" - DREAMGIRLS
Let me justify my last choice! I think that song is beautiful, specifically the original version by Jennifer Holliday, because of the incredible amount of heart, soul and emotion that Jennifer Holliday poured into that song. From the first line to the last chord, I have ridiculous chills. Ugh... that song is SO amazing.
Updated On: 1/8/05 at 10:22 PM
Anytime- cut from a new brain Come down from the tree- cut from once on this island Sorry-Grateful- company How Glory Goes- floyd collins Finishing the hat- sunday in the park Johanna quartet- sweeney todd (I know, kinda weird but I've always found it captivating)