What's your favorite musical theater cliche, trope, or convention? — Page 2

High-energy Act II openers, especially if they're a dance number.



My two favorite examples are "What is Urinetown" from Urinetown, and "Red, White, and True" from Big Fish

Maybe my favorite trope is the post-trauma putting-on-a-brave-face number, which is a close relative to the laughing-through-my-tears number.

THE PARTY'S OVER

SEND IN THE CLOWNS

I AM I, DON QUIXOTE reprise

practically every song Kander and Ebb ever wrote

and of course EVERYTHING'S COMIN' UP ROSES

This thread is hysterical! Mine are:

-Ending a big group song by shouting the title of the song/show. This is so cliched and cheesy it isn't done much anymore... the last time I recall was the 'neon' GREASE revival.



-Ending a big group song, holding the pose for applause, then they break "laughing and scratching."

This is more a theater trope than a musical theater trope but I love it when a distant, difficult or person finally expresses a moment of tenderness and all of a sudden Everyone Understands All. I thought I was immune to this particular trope until I saw Fun Home and bawled all the way through the curtain calls.

I also love the Sad Reprise of a Once-Happy Song.

Ohhhhhh this is fun!!

I appreciate a good many, but my number one fave is what the Japanese call tsundere. The "boy and girl meet, hate each other and refuse to budge about it....but involuntarily come to realize the other isn't as bad as they thought and realize they're each others perfect match and right for no one else" ala Pride and Prejudice, Beauty and the Beast, all that good stuff :)

My second fave is "boy and girl meet and like each other and fall harder than they thought, but due to many abounding circumstances can't bring themselves to say it aloud...at all" ala Once. It was actually Once that made me realize what plot devices move my soul.

And of course these two tropes usually work in conjunction with each other, but here and there they don't.

The Overture, with Gypsy and Candide being among my favorites, and The Beautiful Game being among the bottom listers.

"OK, because you sang your argument, I now agree with you."

Someone on the first page mentioned "I Want" songs, which I love too. The best ones tell you a lot about the character and give a hint of what is to come. "Something's Coming," "The Wizard and I," and "Corner of the Sky" are some of my favorites.

The final bars of an overture where they reprise a phrase or two of the hit tune over the top of a hitherto unheard accompaniment - "The Boys From Syracuse" contains a classic example.

I'm a sucker for "anticipation" songs. Perhaps not as common but they get me PUMPED.

The "Quintet" from WEST SIDE STORY is perhaps the best example. On record I also really enjoy ones like "What A Night This is Going To Be" from BAKER STREET or "A Night We'll Never Forget" from CARRIE though I've never seen the shows. "A Weekend in the Country" especially the latter bits is also a well done example, and "Prima Donna" from PHANTOM.