Greatest Song of All Time From a Musical- Page 2

[bear88]

Posted: 7/31/20 at 3:49am

As I look over the choices of the rest of you, and add a few of my own:

"The Room Where it Happens" - It's my favorite performance in a Broadway theater. The surprising sound of the banjo. The historical accuracy about the events (aside from the brilliant invention of a jealous Burr at that particular moment). It's a pivotal song in the musical, as Burr moves in the song from wry narrator to angry antagonist, revealing his own insecurities and desire for power - even if he doesn't really know or care what he would do with it. And then, after the setup, the big finish - which in the theater has Leslie Odom Jr. moving all over the stage, then singing to those of us in the rear mezzanine. Argument against: "Satisfied" is arguably the more impressive song from Hamilton.

"What Would You Do? - An unusual choice, but it did bring back memories of how crushing that song was to see and hear in a local production of the Cabaret revival. 

"Being Alive" - It pulls together the disparate threads in Company and builds to a surprisingly satisfying conclusion. 

"A Weekend in the Country" - I think it's funnier, though obviously less darkly humorous, than "A Little Priest." By the end of the first act of A Little Night Music, we know the characters and the song cleverly pulls together all of them together. Arguments against it: Not my favorite first-act closer of a Sondheim musical, which would be "Sunday." Not the best song in A Little Night Music, which packed with good songs, including the very funny "It Would Have Been Wonderful," "Send in the Clowns (which finally made sense when I saw the musical - and Bernadette Peters' rendition is glorious)," and even the underrated "The Miller's Son."

"Surrey With the Fringe on Top" - It's my favorite song from Oklahoma! and the version from the recent revival took a classic song and added a sultry touch. Arguments against it: A comparatively minor song, and other Rodgers & Hammerstein songs - including KingOfTheMine's suggestions of "Some Enchanted Evening" and "If I Loved You" - are gorgeous and play more significant roles in their respective shows. In Oklahoma!, "People Will Say We're in Love" is also lovely and is more significant in the story.

"Finishing The Hat" - It's a great song, one that is perfectly in character for Georges Seurat in the Sunday in the Park With George, and resonant  - as Carol Channing, or Change points out - even to those of us who aren't selfish, withdrawn artistic geniuses.

"There's No Business Like Show Business" - It's a fun song, and I still have fond memories of my performance as Annie's little brother in Annie Get Your Gun, my lone stage credit from, uh, 7th grade. 

"No One Else" - Natasha's gorgeous solo in Great Comet. Even I'm not sure if it is the best song in the show, but it's awfully pretty.

"Wicked Little Town" - It's hard to choose among the Hedwig and the Angry Inch songs, but this one has poignant lyrics and a lovely melody that surprised me a lot when I first saw the musical on tour.

"Hello, Dolly" - I agree the visuals are necessary, because it's nothing all that extraordinary as a song, but it sure works in the theater. (Saw it on tour with Betty Buckley)

"I Could Have Danced All Night" - I saw Laura Benanti in the My Fair Lady revival, and while there are plenty of wonderful songs, this one does stand out.

"Road to Hell II" - It's the last show I saw on Broadway last year, and I guess it will be a while before I return. But Andre De Shields, masterful from the beginning as Hermes in Hadestown, closed that musical with a powerful and moving performance that pulls the whole thing together.

[Lanie J]

Posted: 8/2/20 at 12:32pm

I've got to go with a true classic on this one. "Ol' Man River" seems absolutely flawless to me. Both the Paul Robeson and Judy Garland versions absolutely touch the depths of the human soul in my opinion. You have to be a true artist to be able to display the pain and the power contained in that song.

In terms of more racially-accessible songs, I'd say that "Hymn for a Sunday Evening" from Bye Bye Birdie would be my choice. Though this might be more of my own nostalgia than anything else, I think it displays the heart and the community of theatre, as well as some fine musical comedy writing.

For solos, I'd say "She Used To Be Mine" from Waitress and "I Confess" from Footloose. Perhaps those are more "basic" opinions, but this is a thread rooted in opinion, after all.

My overall pick is still "Ol' Man River." You can't top it.

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 8/2/20 at 1:24pm

I’m a big fan of “Shy” from Once Upon A Mattress. It’s really funny, with the music commenting on the lyrics, and it perfectly establishes the character of Winnifred.

[David10086]

Posted: 8/3/20 at 2:13am

I’m the Greatest Star from FUNNY GIRL.

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/3/20 at 6:33pm

SO many come to mind but the one that keeps coming back to mind, for me, is "Our Time" from Merrily We Roll Along. A close second for me is "At The Ballet" from A Chorus Line.