Tear jerking moments in shows

[Younger Brother]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 5:29pm

(I believe there may have been a thread on this a while back, but I can't seem to find it so - )
What are some moments in shows that make you teary eyed? The Letter in The King and I and the Act 1 finale of South Pacific (or at least, LCT's production) are moments that always seems to get me. Also 'Till We Reach That Day from Ragtime

Updated On: 11/4/12 at 05:29 PM

[hushpuppy]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 7:08pm

Yes, the KING AND I always gets me too. There was a lovely little musical, A CLASS ACT, that was steamrolled by all the publicity surrounding THE PRODUCERS, that featured a song, 'The Next Best Thing to Love', sung by Randi Graff, that destroyed me. Also, THE SUMMER OF '42 had a song in the second act, 'The Promise of the Morning' that always got me going. But then I get weepy at the finale of 'HELLO, DOLLY!' Sometimes I think if I'm not teary-eyed at some point in a musical, I'm not having a good time.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 7:12pm

In a well directed production, Quixote's Death to Cervante's call to face the Iquisistion is a major tear jerker!

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 7:15pm

Much of the second act of Grey Gardens, for me.

And even though I loathed the production, watching Carrie leave in her prom dress in the recent revival got me.

[pinoyidol2006]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 7:18pm

Sarah's death in Ragtime.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 7:19pm

Scary, agree with Grey Gardens, from "Choose To Be Happy" to the end!

[zepka102]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 7:36pm

Marin Mazzie's Diana pretty much had me choked up for most of the second act of Next to Normal

[jnb9872]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 7:48pm

Speaking of Lincoln Center, WAR HORSE. Just, the whole damn thing, really.

Maybe I'm a bit of a psychopath, but I don't find myself tearing up when most audience members seem to. I find some moments gasp-worthy (the sudden mid-air silk dance in BRIEF ENCOUNTER), or breath-taking (a moment of such sadness like the "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" sequence at the end of JERUSALEM last year), but choking up tends not to be my first impulse.

That said, besides WAR HORSE, I'll second (or third) the moment in RAGTIME between "President" and "Till We Reach That Day." The revival, with it staged such that Coalhouse streaked across each lever of the tiered stage and down every staircase while shrieking, was absolutely stunning in that moment. I also found myself choking up when I saw MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG and "Not a Day Goes By" was reprised in Act II, and then cursing Sondheim for making me choke up at such a horribly beautiful, fated-to-be-tragic happy moment. INTO THE WOODS, meanwhile, has a murderer's row of "No More" into "No One is Alone" into "Children Will Listen" at the finale that could draw tears to anyone's face.

[Jim3]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 7:52pm

The Scottsboro Boys cakewalk scene

[michellek45]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 7:54pm

The instrumental in Les Miserables after everyone's been killed at the barricades gets me every time. For some reason I didn't get teary during "'Til We Reach That Day," but I choked up during the finale when Mother calls Coalhouse, Jr. and he runs across the stage. Also the end of Shenandoah when Robert comes in during church service.

[wicked4l]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 8:06pm

Paul's monologue in "A Chorus Line"
Also
Depending on who's in the cast, Fiyero and Elphaba's dialogue about "beauty" and "looking at things another way" towards the end of the show.

[OperaBwayLover]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 8:34pm

"The Circle of Life" from Lion King got me both times I saw it.

[Quiche2]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 9:10pm

Defying Gravity from WICKED (Mostly final verse when Elphaba flies)

I Am Africa from BOOK OF MORMON

Beauty and the Beast from BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Memory from CATS

Anytime any of my idols gives a curtain speech on their final performance of a show... Ex: I literally cried watching Nicole Parker (I think...may have been a different Elphaba) give a speech for Megan Hilty on her last WICKED performance.

Also I cried when Andrew Rannells left BOOK OF MORMON. No speeches or anything, but he cried on stage during "Tomorrow is a Latter Day" and he was holding a bouquet of roses for the curtain call, and hugged all of the other cast members. I forget which one, but one of the Elders starting bawling on stage.

[little_sally]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 9:14pm

You've all mentioned some great ones already but Sunday and Children and Art from Sunday always get me.

The end of Passing Strange (basically from the mother's death on) really hit me too.

Basically the end second half of the second act of Piazza as well.

[quizking101]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 9:25pm

In HIGH, when Kathleen Turner's character realizes she is no longer able to help the drug addict and that he is a lost cause, and just walks away with a blank face, leaving him to die in the alley.

The ending scenes of "Wit", after Dr. Bearing delivers her final monologue.

"True Colors" scene in PRISCILLA

The end of Act II in SOUTH PACIFIC

The ending of "Ghost"..."It's amazing, Molly. The love inside, you take it with you."

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 9:28pm

Passion-"Loving You"
Next to Normal- Almost entire end of Act 2
The King & I- The king's death
Man of La Mancha- His death
(lots of death lol)
The Secret Garden- "Where in the World" and "How Could I Ever Know?"
Titanic- "We'll Meet Tomorrow" "Finale"
Wicked- "Defying Gravity" "For Good" and "Finale" "I'm not that Girl" if done right
Chess- The moment when Florence realizes she was tricked
So many moments to choose from really.

Wow...I forgot Ghost...That entire thing had me in tears.

Updated On: 11/4/12 at 09:28 PM

Posted: 11/4/12 at 9:29pm

I went to see Next to Normal the first time without knowing what the show as about and myself and my three companions were gross sobbing before intermission

[Broadwayboy2631]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 9:36pm

The last ten minutes of Who's Afraid... always gets me.

[justoldbill]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 9:50pm

Many years ago, St Bart's in NYC did a brilliant production of ALLEGRO directed by Tom Briggs. As written, when Joe Jr. leaves his father's medical practice to move to Chicago, he (of course) takes his medical diploma with him. This particular production made a point of his taking along his shingle. Of course, the pay-off was at the end of the show when Joe Jr. returns home and re-hangs his shingle under his father's shingle, embracing his father to the chorus' full-out "One Foot, Other Foot", an amazingly powerful moment- one that still gets me when I think about it.

Updated On: 11/4/12 at 09:50 PM

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 9:50pm

C.C: EFFIE, I HAVE A SONG AND ONLY YOU CAN SING IT THE WAY IT SHOULD BE
EFFIE: I'VE WAITED SO LONG TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT TO ME SAY IT AGAIN! SAY IT AGAIN!
C.C: EFFIE, SING MY SONG THE WAY IT SHOULD BE!

[OKBroadwayFan]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 9:55pm

Billy Elliot- Mum's Letter
Ghost-final scene

[showchoirguy]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 10:11pm

West Side Story- Tony's Death
Catch Me If You Can- Goodbye. Aaron Tviet was absolutely breathtaking! His emotion in the song was so real.
Newsies- Santa Fe. Jeremy Jordan and his belting. Also, the scene where Crutchie gets beaten.
Evita- Don't Cry for Me, Argentina, You Must Love Me, the ending of Dice are Rolling, and Lament. Cannot express my love enough. In the revival, I bawled from the end of Dice are Rolling until the end of Lament.
Porgy and Bess- Mostly because of Audra's Voice.
Ghost- With You and the Finale. Not an amazing show, but it hit right in the feels.
Carrie- The ending just gets you. The revival, of course.
Godspell- Finale. Breathtaking.
Next to Normal- In I Am the One/ You Don't Know, when Diana sings her You Don't Know towards Dan, I die.

[justoldbill]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 10:28pm

Almost every time New York is finally moved to the YEA column- can't be beat.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 10:31pm

Fable - The Light in the Piazza

Especially as performed by Victoria Clark.

Actually, the whole show. Brilliantly moving. I cried each and every time I saw it. It remains one of my most cherished Broadway memories.

[sephyr]

Posted: 11/4/12 at 10:49pm

Definitely Fable...when she gets to the "Look...look" part near the end and the piano is descending. It's...breathtaking.

I cried during Sister Act when the nuns came to sis. Mary Clarence's defense against the goons. It was a beautiful moment.

Rent, I'll Cover You Reprise gets me everytime. Your Eyes too.

Les Miserables, I Dreamed A Dream.

Not a show but in A Star Is Born (Barbra), With One More Look at You/Are You Watching Me Now always gets me. The heartbreak in her voice was epic.

Funny Girl's My Man is a heartbreaker too. Especially as sung by THE funny girl herself.

Into The Woods, Children Will Listen is a beautiful moment too.

Sunday in the Park With George, Move On definitely moves me. Especially the build up to "And the light...moving on...we do not belong together."