best/most powerful finales of a show- Page 2

[Doogie]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 4:48pm

Melissa Errico at the end of the concert style Finian's Rainbow doing the reprise of "How Are Things...". I Love her.

Cabaret Revival finale.

Jersey Boys finale.

I do not like Woman In White, but I will admit that I do like when Maria Friedman does her last bit ("I close my eyes...")

PIAZZA ending w/ Fable!

And I know its not on broadway now and its not really a finale, but I LOVE the ending of Carnival when Lili picks up the puppet and walks off with Paul.

Carousel Finale.

Sweet Charity Finale. Best part of the 2005 revival.

[peggyandvelma]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 4:55pm

Put up another vote for 42nd Street. Oh my. When I saw the show (but not on Bway) I literally almost cried. The scarf! Oh, the hopeless romantic in me.
I like the Act One closing for MAME. That was really cool. "Mame" is a great song anyway, but I digress.

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 5:00pm

"Sunday" from Sunday in the Park with George. It's breathtaking.

The end of the Cabaret revival is definitely the most jarring and creepiest that I can think of.

I also agree with BroadwayChica about the Ragtime finale... it's one of my favorite musicals (as might be a little obvious), but "'Til We Reach That Day" (Act I closer) is much more powerful than the finale.

[TheaterAddict7652]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 5:10pm

Definatly Piazza..."Fable" is such a great song and the way Victoria Clark sings it...wow. Gives me goosebumps.

I also think that the ending of The Last 5 Years is very powerful...both Cathy and Jamie saying "Goodbye", but for two opposite reasons.

[jasonf]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 5:47pm

Does Rose's Turn REALLY count? It's an 11 o'clock number, and the last one sung in the show, but it's NOT the end of the show exactly...

I would add the signing at the end of 1776 (did I give it away?) to Les Mis, Sweeney, and Cabaret.

[TobiasFinch]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 5:50pm

As much as I don't like the show.. the act one finale of Side Show is pretty moving.. Who Will Love Me As I Am? is one of the better songs in the show..

Other than that:

Rose's Turn

and

CAROUSEL. Updated On: 2/19/06 at 05:50 PM

[jimnysf]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 6:01pm

"A Chorus Line", "Hairspray", "Saturday Night Fever" (megamix at the end), "Cabaret", "Gypsy", "La Cage Aux Folles", "West Side Story", "Funny Girl"

Updated On: 2/19/06 at 06:01 PM

[TheaterAddict7652]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 6:05pm

Even thought I haven't seen it, I think that the finale of "The Wild Party" is very powerful. Even on CD, Julia Murney's performence of "How Did We Come To This?" had me in tears.

[ben1986]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 6:07pm

Camelot, because my heart just goes out to Arthur.

[thez914]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 6:12pm

Hm...there are some good ones already mentioned (although I thought the ending of Miss Saigon blew...but that's just me)

Another powerful finale would have to be that of A New Brain, where Gordon's musical journey culminates in the creation "I Feel So Much Spring." Such a beautiful and uplifting end to a beautiful story.

[Kent]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 6:29pm

IMHO...A Chorus Line is the ending that defines, celebrates and encapsulates ALL other Broadway endings. How could a finale to a Broadway show be any more...well...final? ACL is the ultimate "big finish." A literal "signature" on one of Broadway's greatest achievements. The fact that the entire show preceeding the Finale is almost totally devoid of any sort of costumes, scenery, flash or spectacle (except for the mirrors/periaktoi mechanisms) only heightens the thrilling absolute magic that literally rushes out over the footlights into the audience during the Finale/bows.

Every time I've seen a competent production of ACL the "peak" moment of the Finale (when the music swells as the dancers move out of the circular formation and travel upstage to reform the line, turn to face the audience, tip back their hats and begin moving downstage "as one" while the orchestra brass blasts away and the "starburst" side of the periaktoi turns into view) not only gives me full-body goosebumps, it nearly makes me weep in amazement at the sheer genius/effectiveness of Michael Bennett's penultimate moment. After that, a gentle fade to black with never-ending kicks....

I can't WAIT to experience it again on Broadway this year.




Updated On: 2/19/06 at 06:29 PM

[timote316]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 7:21pm

As already said: Les Mis, Cabaret, Rent and Sweeney (LOVE the door slamming)

One not said: The Color Purple. When they performed the song on Oprah, the whole audience was crying. When I saw it in January, most of the audience (including myself, which is pretty rare) had tears in their eyes. Powerful.

[Anthony3]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 7:23pm

1. The Phantom

2. Hairspray - awesome

3. Wicked

[BrianWilsonFan]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 7:34pm

The finale to beat all finales: A CHORUS LINE...

[EganFan2]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 8:02pm

At the risk of sounding totally cliche, Phantom and Les Mis.

I'd have to agree with "Cabaret", too.

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 8:07pm

Carousel, Once on this Island (its very touching), Piazza, and Hairspray, and the Lestat finale is very powerful
Updated On: 2/19/06 at 08:07 PM

Posted: 2/19/06 at 8:09pm

You know I did not like the ending of POTO. The mask and the chair. To me it was kind-a weak.

I remembered a new one.... Sunset Boulevard when she goes totally wack job is amazing!

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 8:19pm

Very glad someone mentioned West Side Story. The voices sound so beautiful on the OBCR, along with the sad instrument ending, and the adults being left puzzled on the stage. One of the most moving ones I can think of.

Finales that I love that move me, and very often make me cry include those for The King And I, The Secret Garden, Tick Tick Boom, and Fiddler On The Roof.

Also the reprise of "Climb Evry Mountain" for Sound of Music sounds gorgeous and perfectly sums up the show.

I Loved the last part of Chicago that says something like this is what America is all about.

I also agree with many mentioned--Les Miz, Rent, Ragtime, Finian's Rainbow, Camelot, and Cabaret.

And for something different, I loved the ending to The Pillowman. It was very powerful and moving.

Oh, and I have a question about Carousel's ending. Billy declaring his love for Julie is the big part of it I believe...You'll Never Walk Alone is also being sung in this finale, correct?

Updated On: 2/19/06 at 08:19 PM

[Attendthetale331]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 8:25pm

Parade's finale is amazing

[BSoBW3]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 8:25pm

"Innocence Dies" ~ Marie Christine
"This Is What It Is" ~ The Wild Party

[little_sally]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 8:27pm

Let's see...amazing finales:
Les Miserables
Titanic (a personal fave)
Piazza
Hairspray
Cabaret
Parade

Posted: 2/19/06 at 8:28pm

Sweeney Todd
West Side Story
Hair

[TLKfan]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 8:37pm

Love the Lion King ending cause everyone is out there with their crazy costumes.

Les Miserables always gets to me. So powerful!

Mamma Mia is so much fun because you can sing and dance at your seat and is fun.

[alicia_11212]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 8:38pm

I have to say, since this isn't limited to 'broadway only' (for once) that "John & Jen" has such a subtle yet very powerful ending, and that it accomplishes it without all the bells & whistles and costumes that other bigget shows have. With just two actors and a near-bare stage, it has THE most heart-wrenching & powerful finale songs you could ever hear (and for this I have to join "That Was My Way" with "Every Goodbye Is Hello" since they're barely separate songs). I just totally lose it everytime during the opening bars of "The Road Ends Here" so it's really a culmination of the carried-over emotions from then, after she hits him. Ah! I just want to watch it over and over again. But then I'd always be crying, so...

Updated On: 2/19/06 at 08:38 PM

[jo]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 8:38pm

Most powerful - the finale of LES MISERABLES! It was very uplifting, maybe because it was performed in a historical context and somehow one feels that the emotions were very real!