Top 3 (or 5) Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 4:14pm

I love Act 1 finales, and we've had many threads on our favorites. And lately I've been thinking about how brilliant Sondheim's Act 1 finales are. There are so many great ones. So if you had to pick a top 3 or 5, what would they be? Obviously shows like Passion and Assassins can't be used.

in no order

1. A Little Priest from Sweeney Todd

2. A Weekend In The Country from A Little Night Music

3. Sunday from Sunday In The Park With George

4. Too Many Mornings from Follies I know most prefer the show with no intermission. But I find this the perfect moment to pause the show. Love the suspense of Buddy walking in on Ben and Sally.

5. Someone In A Tree from Pacific Overtures I've read this is Sondheim's favorite song that he's written.

Those are my favorites. I find Sondheim's Act 1 finales are usually his most pivotal and musically satisfying moments in the score.

Your top 5, or top 3?


Updated On: 2/22/07 at 04:14 PM

[sondhead]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 4:19pm

1. A Weekend In the Country
2. Sunday
3. A Little Priest
4. A Weekend in the Country
5. A Weekend in the Country

[JBSinger]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 4:20pm

These are my top 3 (in no order)

1. A Little Priest from Sweeney Todd

2. A Weekend In The Country from A Little Night Music

3. Sunday from Sunday In The Park With George

[C is for Company]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 4:25pm

1) Hands down, SUNDAY

2) A Weekend in the Country

3) A Little Priest

4) Marry Me A Little

5) Someone in a Tree

[LuPonatic]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 4:45pm

1. Ever After from Into the Woods
2. A Little Priest from Sweeney Todd
3. A Weekend in the Country from A Little Night Music

[lildogs]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 4:49pm

I think there are ONLY three (lol):

SUNDAY
SWEENEY
NIGHT MUSIC

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 4:53pm

^ Only 3? I don't know if you're joking, but not counting WSS and Gypsy.

Follies
Company
Pacific Overtures
Anyone Can Whistle
..Forum
Into The Woods
Merrily We Roll Along
Sunday
Sweeney
Night Music

and I'm probally missing a few.

[mattonstage]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 4:54pm

I waffle between Sunday and Little Priest, but I've got to give the edge to Sunday, it's just so beautiful.

[LeaGirl]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 5:00pm

I'm REALLY partial to "A Weekend in the Country" myself.

After that wouldn't know how to rank, but Ever After and Sunday would both be in there.

[Weez]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 5:04pm

I can't construct a top three or five or whatever, but I can say that 'Sunday In The Park With George' wins it EVERY time. :3

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 5:06pm

1. Sweeney Todd
2. A Little Night Music
3. Sunday in the Park With George
4. Into the Woods
5. Current COMPANY revival (Marry Me A Little)

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 5:07pm

As much as I love WEEKEND, I still think SIMPLE (from ACW) is arguably his most superb construction.

[tazber]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 5:15pm

Definitely A Little Priest. It's one of my favorite moments of any show finale or not. Perfect.

[lildogs]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 5:22pm

That was a joke, ljay, that's why I put the "lol" in there...

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 5:26pm

I'm not even going to construct a top 3 and just say Sunday.

Though I adore A Little Priest, Ever After, and Weekend, they are leagues below Sunday for me.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 5:30pm

1. Sunday, Sunday in the Park with George
2. Marry Me A Little, Company
3. A Weekend in the Country, A Little Night Music
4. A Little Priest, Sweeney Todd
5. Ever After, Into the Woods

[balletandbroadway]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 5:39pm

1. A Little Priest-- Sweeney Todd (I just bought tickets for the reunion concert at the kennedy center in june so i'm really excited about that )
2. Sunday-- Sunday in the Park with George
3. A Weekend in the Country-- A Little Night Music

[C is for Company]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 6:18pm

ljay, if we're talking Follies, where exactly would you have the intermission?

I know most would have it as after "Too Many Mornings," however that was cut in previews as well as placing it after "Who's That Woman?" I'm not trying to argue and it would be right to say that the normal placement is after Mornings, but if we counted the other intermissions it has had, then the "mirror number" would be my 2nd after Sunday. No matter what, I just don't see any of his ever trumping what I'd find to be one of the greatest closers to any act in any show (Sunday!).

Updated On: 2/22/07 at 06:18 PM

[D2]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 6:21pm

1. A Weekend in the Country
2. Simple
3. A Little Priest
4. Sunday
5. Ever After

[dfwtheatreguy]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 6:30pm

i like the Act 1 Finale for "Anyone Can Whistle" with all the Cookies....

[mrcacou]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 6:33pm

1 Sunday (it was gorgeous in London)

2 A little priest


3 I know I loved the end of the first act of Passion because it made me want to see act 2 real bad and skip the intermission,does anyone remember it ?

Updated On: 2/22/07 at 06:33 PM

[rosekwbp]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 6:44pm

Gypsy
Into The Woods
Sunday
Sweeney

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 6:44pm

C,

I think the intermission is in the perfect place for Follies - if there has to be an intermission. There's really no point in pausing the show after Mirror number. It makes sense after Mornings, because there is a lot of suspense there with Buddy walking in on his wife kissing Ben. Plus it's a VERY powerful song to end the first act.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 6:48pm

1. "Sunday" from SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE

2. "Too Many Mornings" from FOLLIES (I'd prefer the show without an intermission, but as a number in itself it's incredibly romantic).

3. "A Weekend in the Country" from A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC

4. "Simple" from ANYONE CAN WHISTLE (It precedes and influences a lot of Sondheim's famous musical sequences)

5. "A Little Priest" from SWEENEY TODD

EDIT: Re-Intermission of Passion, the intermission was added after the original run, I'm not sure if the non-intermission version is licensed, Act I now ends with "I Wish I Could Forget You."

Updated On: 2/22/07 at 06:48 PM

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 6:50pm

Sunday from Sunday in the Park with George

A Little Preist from Sweeney Todd

A Weekend in the Country from A Little Night Music

Updated On: 6/25/07 at 06:50 PM