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

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

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

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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

I think there are ONLY three (lol):

SUNDAY
SWEENEY
NIGHT MUSIC

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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.

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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.

I killed the boss, you don't think they're gonna fire me over a thing like that!!!!

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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.

Now what would you say if today I started over? Without a thing but this taped together four leaf clover And I'll pretend like everything is already alright And I'll run toward the sun till the castle's out of sight

#10

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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

Notes from the Earlham Street Gutter

#11

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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)

"I know now that theatre saved my life." - Susan Stroman

#12

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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.

http://docandraider.com

#13

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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.

....but the world goes 'round

#14

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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

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

#15

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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.

"You just can't win. Ever. Look at the bright side, at least you are not stuck in First Wives Club: The Musical. That would really suck. " --Sueleen Gay

#16

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
To Kill A Mockingbird

#17

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it."-- Ferris Bueller's Day Off

#18

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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

#19

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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

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

Cheyenne Jackson tickled me. AFTER ordering SoMMS a drink but NOT tickling him, and hanging out with Girly in his dressing room (where he DIDN'T tickle her) but BEFORE we got married. To others. And then he tweeted Boobs. He also tweeted he's good friends with some chick on "The Voice" who just happens to be good friends with Tink's ex. And I'm still married. Oh, and this just in: "Pettiness, spite, malice ....Such ugly emotions... So sad." - After Eight, talking about MEEEEEEEE!!! I'm so honored! :-)

#20

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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

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

"The theatre is so endlessly fascinating because it's so accidental. It's so much like life." - Arthur Miller

#21

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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 ?

In my heart, I found the answered dream, and in my soul I found the song, and in my friends I found the magic, the love, the moon up above- they were mine, all mine, all along..!

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

#22

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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

Gypsy
Into The Woods
Sunday
Sweeney

#23

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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.

#24

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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."

"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

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

#25

re: Top 5 Favorite Sondheim Act 1 Finales...?

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

I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.

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

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