Building a playlist of the best opening songs ever from musicals...
You've sat in that darkened theatre, excited to see a show for the first time, and that first song reaches out and just grabs you!
A great opener can set the tone for the entire show, and suprisingly lots of really popular and famous musicals DON'T have crushing opener....
Know you have your favorite openers, and want to know what they are!
Mine include:
Wilkommen-Cabaret Just Another Day-Next To Normal Company- Company Hello- Book of Mormon Some People-Gypsy Oh, What a Beautiful Morning-Oklahoma We Are What We Are-La Cage How to Succeed-How to Succeed All that Jazz-Chicago
Thanks in advance for sharing, and trust this will bring back some incredible opener memories....
Oh What a Beautiful Morning is the opening number for Oklahoma!, not the title song.
With that in mind:
Oh What a Beautiful Morning from Oklahoma! The Sound of Music from The Sound of Music All That Jazz from Chicago Wilkommen from Cabaret Try to Remember from The Fantasticks Bidin' My Time from Girl Crazy Die Moritat Von Mackie Messer from Die Dreigroschenoper Summertime from Porgy and Bess Cotton Blossom from Show Boat I Get a Kick Out of You from Anything Goes It's Today from Mame We're On Our Way from Very Good Eddie
Forgot Ragtime. Yes that is the only good part of what I feel is a colossal disaster of a show. Would the Carousel Waltz really be considered the opening number for that show?
The show is just great. The movie is terrible, but the movie based on the play is still wonderful and hilarious today. Funny how despite how many wonder (and boy do I mean wonderful) Jerry Herman production numbers we have, most of his opening songs do not fall under the category of big splashy openings.
And yes, Mame is chock full of amazing songs. I particularly like Bosom Buddies and the title song.
Mame's opening number is St. Bridget. It's Today is a good song; Herman lifted the melody from Show Tune, the opening number from his 1960 revue Parade.
"There is no tune Like a show tune...."
or something along those lines. I haven't listened to it in a long time.
The opening number of Gypsy is Let Me Entertain You, not Some People. I have always loved Call on Dolly from Hello, Dolly! for some reason that I have never specified. Circle of Life is also a pretty spectacular opening.
"Contentment, it seems, simply happens. It appears accompanied by no bravos and no tears."
Fantod, you're right. Carousel Waltz is certainly not an opening song. I thought the thread title was favorite opening number. Usually it's the same thing but not in Carousel's case.
Few can beat "God I Hope I Get It" from A CHORUS LINE in my book. There are simply too many others to list but I'll also throw in the title song from SEESAW since I don't think that score gets as much talk as it ought to.
Favorite Openings In Musicals (Instrumental or Vocal)
Wintergreen For President - OF THEE I SING Carousel Waltz - Carousel (It sets up the story.) This Time of The Year - FINIAN'S RAINBOW Fugue For Tinhorns - GUYS & DOLLS Another Op'nin', Another Show - KISS ME, KATE Rock Island - THE MUSIC MAN Comedy Tonight - A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM Good Morning, Good Day - She Loves Me I Put My Hand In - Hello, Dolly! Tradition - FIDDLER ON THE ROOF Aquarius - HAIR Walk Him Up The Stairs - PURLIE Sit Down, John - 1776 Company - COMPANY The Opening Music and Beautiful Girls - FOLLIES In The Middle of The Sea We Float - PACIFIC OVERTURES Sunday in the Park With George - SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE Prologue:Into The Woods - INTO THE WOODS Invocation and Instructions To The Audience - THE FROGS THe Old Red Hills of Home - PARADE Hold Me, Bat Boy - BATBOY THE MUSICAL A Year With Frog and Toad - A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD What Do You Do With A B.A. in English - Avenue Q Statues and Stories - THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA In The Heights - IN THE HEIGHTS Populism Yea Yea - BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON American Idiot -AMERICAN IDIOT
It's not a musical, but Summertime from the opera PORGY AND BESS.
Although it's not a great musical, The Wedding Singer has an absolutely energetic and vibrant opening number called "It's Your Wedding Day" that really kicks things off to a great start. Too bad the rest of the show couldn't live up to it, but it's still a great opening song.
One I was recently reminded of (because a local production is getting ready to open here) is "Scrap" from THE FULL MONT. It really establishes the characters and sets up the situation.
Among my other favorites:
Ragtime - RAGTIME The Ballad of Sweeney Todd - SWEENEY TODD Good Mourning Baltimore - HAIRSPRAY Aquarius - HAIR 6 months out of Every Year - DAMN YANKEES!
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks." Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com
"Miracle" from Matilda, specifically the "party" sequences at the beginning and end. The choreography is stunning, the lyrics are sharp, and it's got such a cynical bent. It sweeps me away every time I listen to it and perfectly sets the anarchic, (relatively-)edgy tone of the show.
Run, Run, Run (Let It Ride!) That Naughty Show From Gay Paree (The Girl in Pink Tights) Christopher Street (Wonderful Town) The Tour Must Go On (Make a Wish)