Hey guys. What are your favorite songs on Broadway from a show that is either closed, revived, or currently running? Mine is "Raise Your Voice" from SISTER ACT sung by none other than Ms. Patina Miller.
I'm not sure how one could ignore "Summertime" "Bess You Is My Woman Now" and "It Ain't Necessarily So" along with half of the score from Porgy and Bess as the best songs currently playing. But then again, it's not really fair to compare the Gershwins to modern composers who aren't even attempting to match their brilliance.
Scratch and claw for every day you're worth!
Make them drag you screaming from life, keep dreaming
You'll live forever here on earth.
I agree with Broadway Devil. Just about any song from THE GERSHWIN'S PORGY AND BESS should top the list. If those damn orchestrations didn't muck up the works, things would be better. That, and the slimmed down version, kept me from seeing the show.
I just reread the question and apparently the show can be closed as well so we have all of musical theatre history to pick from. In that case, there's no way I can answer that question.
The entire score from Porgy and Bess is by far the best that's playing now though (the other aspects of this production notwithstanding.)
Scratch and claw for every day you're worth!
Make them drag you screaming from life, keep dreaming
You'll live forever here on earth.
Bess, You Is My Woman Now and Falling Slowly are both amazing, but for totally different reasons. I really can't choose one because they're so different.
my favorite song from any show closed or running on Broadway is needless to say difficult to say and changes all the time but, if pressed at this moment I'd say Moonshine Lullaby from Annie Get Your Gun
in a show currently running: Falling Slowly from Once
Best opening number ever: Ragtime. No song (or staging, OBC) has better set up the evening, authors' intentions, characters' arcs and style of the score more elegantly and beautifully for me.
"Through The Sacrifice You Made, We Can't Believe The Price You Paid..For Love!"
Show not running: It used to be "I'm Still Here", but I really love "But the World Goes 'Round" these days, which TECHNICALLY is from a show...the revue of the same name (or does the show begin with AND THE...?)
Show currently running: Of course the PORGY songs are brilliant, but not as performed right now. Looking at the shows currently running, I think the whole "Carrying the Banner" sequence in NEWSIES is my favorite musical number on a Broadway stage right now.