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What are your favourite opening numbers?

A Canadian in NYC

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Leading Actor
joined:4/27/15

Leading Actor
joined:
4/27/15

What are your favourite opening numbers?#1
Posted: 1/9/17 at 4:03pm

I saw La La Land last week and knew from the opening number that I was going to love the film - and I did. It's the same feeling I get sometimes when seeing a show on Broadway. It's that moment when you know that you're going to absolutely have the best experience, and so you hunker down in your seat - smile on your face - ready to be taken away for next few hours. It's not a given with every show, but certain shows definitely stand out for me.

So I thought it would be a fun exercise to go through and just quickly come up with faves - without putting too much thought into it. What comes to mind for you?

Book of Mormon had me at "Hello"... seriously. It was my first Broadway show experience and the intimacy of the theatre blew me away. I knew instantly I was going to love love love that show.... and I did (and still do).

Hedwig and the Angry Inch - Tear Me Down - right?

Something Rotten - Welcome to the Renaissance - smiles galore

Hamilton - Alexander Hamilton - goes without saying

She Loves Me - Good Morning, Good Day - I still am humming it...

SueBee06

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Understudy
joined:1/12/16

Understudy
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1/12/16

What are your favourite opening numbers?#2
Posted: 1/9/17 at 4:09pm

Tradition - Fiddler on the Roof. It gives me goosebumps every time.

ErinDillyFan

Broadway Star
joined:7/14/06

Broadway Star
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What are your favourite opening numbers?#3
Posted: 1/9/17 at 4:12pm

Another Openin' from Kiss Me, Kate

Wilkommen from Cabaret

Magic to Do from Pippin

Mice! from Mice (act 1 of 3hree)

Give Them What They Want from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Queenie was a Blonde from The Wild Party (Lippa)

Updated On: 1/9/17 at 04:12 PM

Ballad Boy

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Swing
joined:1/9/17

Swing
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1/9/17

What are your favourite opening numbers?#4
Posted: 1/9/17 at 4:21pm

Ragtime

canadian fan

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Featured Actor
joined:8/15/16

Featured Actor
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What are your favourite opening numbers?#5
Posted: 1/9/17 at 4:31pm

Of the shows I have seen, I would agree with Hello from Book of Mormon......

Also maybe Look down (I think that's what its called) from Les Miz, very dark and intense which set the tone for the rest of the show.

whizzer_wins

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Understudy
joined:10/24/16

Understudy
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10/24/16

What are your favourite opening numbers?#6
Posted: 1/9/17 at 4:34pm

Four Jews In A Room Bitching - Falsettos

Marvin's Giddy Seizures - In Trousers

Hello - Book of Mormon

Seasons Of Love - RENT

Blue_Lotus

Understudy
joined:8/23/16

Understudy
joined:
8/23/16

What are your favourite opening numbers?#7
Posted: 1/9/17 at 4:42pm

"Seasons of Love" wasn't the opening number in "Rent".

...i am an infinite soul in a human body who is in the process of never ending growth...

ggersten

Broadway Legend
joined:5/11/06

Broadway Legend
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5/11/06

What are your favourite opening numbers?#8
Posted: 1/9/17 at 4:58pm

Fiddler

A Chorus Line

"Hello" is, technically, the opening number for Book of Mormon, but there is a prologue, so the show doesn't open with "Hello".

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

agree with Pippin and Cabaret.

bwayobsessed

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joined:5/28/13

Featured Actor
joined:
5/28/13

What are your favourite opening numbers?#9
Posted: 1/9/17 at 5:21pm

The Bells of Notre Dame movie and play. When the bells came down during the final note of the papermill production I couldn't breathe.

Also Sweeney should be here.

Valentina3

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Broadway Legend
joined:2/26/16

Broadway Legend
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2/26/16

What are your favourite opening numbers?#10
Posted: 1/9/17 at 5:29pm

Agreed with A Chorus Line. It's pure adrenaline rush. I really like Wicked and Into The Woods' opening numbers too - really gets you in the mood.

Call_me_jorge

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joined:1/9/15

Broadway Legend
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What are your favourite opening numbers?#11
Posted: 1/9/17 at 5:50pm

Miracle

And I remember this musical I remember their brilliance And I might never sleep again...

Alex Kulak2

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joined:9/11/16

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What are your favourite opening numbers?#12
Posted: 1/9/17 at 6:20pm

More Than Survive - Be More Chill

Be The Hero - Big Fish

Rainah

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joined:11/24/16

Broadway Star
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11/24/16

What are your favourite opening numbers?#13
Posted: 1/9/17 at 6:48pm

No One Mourns The Wicked - fits the show so well in terms of tone and spectacle, and sets the plot up really well

Alexander Hamilton - likewise, immediately sets the stage for what the show is going to look like, gorgeous lyrics, the overall tone of being hushed in the face of greatness... I get chills every time the chorus does that slow walk forward at the end to "There's a million things I haven't done..."

The Lion King - God, still probably my favourite opening number ever. Stunning music, lyrics, the costumed actors coming in through the audience. I love it

Ado Annie D'Ysquith

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joined:12/1/14

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What are your favourite opening numbers?#14
Posted: 1/10/17 at 9:19am

"Tradition" from Fiddler on the Roof

"Comedy Tonight" from A Funny Thing...Forum

"Magic to Do" from Pippin

"Sweet and Lowdown" from Nice Work was fun, especially when they did the big reveal of Matthew Broderick and the crowd went nuts.

I agree with the OP in that I'm crazy about "Another Day of Sun!"

http://puccinischronicles.wordpress.com

AC126748

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Broadway Legend
joined:7/15/06

Broadway Legend
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What are your favourite opening numbers?#15
Posted: 1/10/17 at 9:22am

"Life Is" from Zorba. It immediately sets the tone and sets the show in motion.

"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe." -John Guare, Landscape of the Body

PerfidiousRaoul

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joined:9/29/15

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What are your favourite opening numbers?#16
Posted: 1/10/17 at 10:38am

Prologue from the Great Comet! It's fun, light, catchy, and genuinely helpful for those who struggle with remembering whos who.

Fluffy 2

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Chorus Member
joined:4/16/16

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What are your favourite opening numbers?#17
Posted: 1/10/17 at 10:40am

More Than Survive - Be More Chill

Willkommen - Cabaret

Security Meltdown - Calvin Berger

Awful/Awesome - Clinton the Musical

Everybody's Got the Right - Assassins

thirtythirtyninety

Leading Actor
joined:5/30/05

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What are your favourite opening numbers?#18
Posted: 1/10/17 at 11:20am

The Grand Parade/Some Have Some Have Not/As It Should Be from Grand Hotel

Updated On: 1/10/17 at 11:20 AM

Vectorbabe

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joined:10/14/12

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What are your favourite opening numbers?#19
Posted: 1/10/17 at 11:23am

Chorus Line

Carousel Waltz

Oklahoma (Oh What a Beautiful Morning)

Guys and Dolls

JudyDenmark

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joined:2/22/08

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What are your favourite opening numbers?#20
Posted: 1/10/17 at 11:29am

Ragtime for sure. And "The Old Red Hills of Home" from Parade for the same reason... give me a giant chorus with 37-part harmony and a key change and I'm done.

nealb1

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Broadway Legend
joined:8/1/05

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What are your favourite opening numbers?#21
Posted: 1/10/17 at 11:42am

"It's Today" from "Mame." It sets the style and tone for the show right from the start.

Granted "St. Bridget" opens the show, sort of a prologue, but "It's Today" is the official start of the show!

Demitri2

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joined:3/25/05

Broadway Legend
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What are your favourite opening numbers?#22
Posted: 1/10/17 at 11:51am

"C'est Le Ballet" from LITTLE DANCER

"Christopher Street" from WONDERFUL TOWN

bryan2

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joined:12/19/06

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What are your favourite opening numbers?#23
Posted: 1/10/17 at 12:10pm

Willomania-Will Rodgers Follies....upbeat and fun

All That Jazz-Chicago

Magic to do-Pippin

Opening to Titanic