Most Epic Song Climax?- Page 2

[After Eight]

Posted: 9/11/13 at 10:59pm

I find that the most exhilarating song climaxes come from the flurries, fillips, and flourishes the orchestra can add to a song after the singer stops singing. Two of the most striking examples of this are found in my two favorite songs from Kwamina, both sung by the incomparable Sally Ann Howes: "You're As English As" and "What Happened to Me Tonight?" (A question I often ask myself after staggering out of some of today's unspeakable theatrical entities.) 

Updated On: 6/18/15 at 10:59 PM

[justoldbill]

Posted: 9/11/13 at 11:10pm

Oh, dear. It sounds as if you have nothing more to look forward to.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 9/11/13 at 11:14pm

In terms of literal climaxes, in "The Tunnel of Love" in Side Show, Daisy's climax that Violet feels. The way Alice Ripley belted out "Where is mine? I want mine!" in the theater was absolutely spine-chilling.

[After Eight]

Posted: 9/11/13 at 11:14pm

^

I look forward to looking back.

The past is a treasure trove.

[peerrjb]

Posted: 9/12/13 at 3:02am

For me, more from the original 1971 performance than the recording: The end of "Who's That Woman?" in FOLLIES. After McCarty and the gang peaked the music (that orchestration is killer heard live) -- the house came down/up/around/and/thru -- but it became apparent that the number wasn't really over. Right at the peak of the applause, McCarty comes way downstage and shouts out "Wasn't that a BLAST!?!?!?", and the audience came apart again and peaked ITSELF. I guess it's that moment when you enjoy the fact that it's not just the onstage magic that is overwhelming, it's the magic which happens in the air in between stage and house. The "music" continued even after the song's end. Stunning.

[mrkringas]

Posted: 9/12/13 at 6:46am

A Weekend in the Country with original orchestrations.
Made of Stone from Hunchback of Notre Dame
New Music from Ragtime
Til We Reach that Day from Ragtime
Ragtime from Ragtime (spotting a theme here!)

[After Eight]

Posted: 9/12/13 at 7:37am

A few more songs with wonderful orchestral finishes:

Twin Soliloquies; Take the Moment (Do I Hear a Waltz?); This Really Isn't Me (First Impressions); The Lusty Month of May (Thank you eternally, Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe, and Julie Andrews); I Could Have Danced All Night; On the Street Where You Live --- Lilac trees bloom in every part of town when the orchestra plays the end of that song.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 9/12/13 at 8:15am

Karen Morrow and the Cast of I Had a Ball

[madbrian]

Posted: 9/12/13 at 8:23am

Make Our Garden Grow

[Jane2]

Posted: 9/12/13 at 9:16am

"but only when it's sung by BETTY BUCKLEY."

"There are a lot of fans of the late Laurie Beechman who would disagree with you on that one, Jane."

As it should be, it's only my opinion. I posted that opinion because in my lifetime (which is long), I have never heard a voice that affected me as Betty Buckley's has.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 9/12/13 at 3:41pm

The end of "How Glory Goes" from Floyd Collins. IMO it's one of the most beautiful, breathtaking musical moments I've ever heard.

[203bbf]

Posted: 9/12/13 at 3:52pm

I know the show itself may not be highly-regarded, but I remember the Act I finale of Aida, "The Gods Love Nubia," being absolutely electric. Brought down the house.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 9/12/13 at 4:10pm

The end of the Title number from MAME always gives me chills, even though it's just everyone singing the word MAME at the top of their lungs. I remember a legend that they hired a woman who walked on stage and just sang the top notes and did nothing else.

[zepka102]

Posted: 9/12/13 at 4:23pm

"Get Out and Stay Out" from 9 to 5

Completely agreeing on "New Music" from Ragtime. That part of the show always gives me the chills, and while I've only seen the revival, the visual in that added to it, watching Sarah run down the stairs to him.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 9/12/13 at 9:22pm

For me, more from the original 1971 performance than the recording: The end of "Who's That Woman?" in FOLLIES.

That was the number that taught me what a real "show stopper" is. I couldn't agree more with your analysis of the number.

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 9/12/13 at 9:30pm

I always get chills at the end of "Dance of the Robe" in AIDA, as well as the end of "How Glory Goes." Beautiful!

Posted: 9/12/13 at 11:38pm

It's not from a stage musical originally, but few song climaxes can compare (at least in my book) to the end of "The Bells Of Notre Dame" from THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. Especially at the end of the movie with Clopin singing over the chorus of "Bells, Bells, Bells, Bells."

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 9/13/13 at 6:26am

I love ROSE'S TURN, ONE DAY MORE from Les Mis, SANTA FE from Newsies, DEFYING GRAVITY and (pre-recorded or not) I think that the PHANTOM OF THE OPERA climax definitely belongs to the Epic category !

[matineeidol2591]

Posted: 9/13/13 at 3:59pm

I Have a Love, from West Side Story. Maria sings "Be with him now, tomorrow, and all of my life!" The orchestral climax immediately after she sings this line is one of my favorites.

[darquegk]

Posted: 9/13/13 at 4:13pm

The "Bells of Notre Dame Reprise" example noted above also reminds me of After Eight's love of orchestral codas...

I'm not sure if the film's ending can be replicated onstage, but it gets me every time. Over the "bells bells bells" chorus, Clopin's voice rises two full octaves, ending the song on a full-voiced, unmixed high D, which he then holds... forever (probably through studio trickery). It fades down under the orchestral tag, then is faded back UP, still singing that insane high D, as the choir comes in once more to sing the "Disney Cadence."

[frankenleeestein]

Posted: 9/15/13 at 2:10am

"Matilda: That gorgeous moment in When I Grow Up when the key changes and the tempo picks up. "And when I grow up, I will have treats every day." "

Couldn't agree more. Especially onstage with the swings? Chills every time.

My first thought on this one was "Muddy Water" from Big River. The middle end-ish section where they both sing "look out for me" and then the orchestra does that "da-da-da-da" (sorry that was the absolute worst description of a song EVER) is one of my favorite parts in any musical theater score.

[chewy5000]

Posted: 9/15/13 at 2:23am

The Music Man seems to have a disproportionate number of epic climaxes.