What is the Greatest Broadway Love Song Ever?

If I think about this too long - it's nearly impossible to answer simply. Too many lists, qualifications and memories. But - the immediate response: "In a Very Unusual Way" from NINE. I saw the original cast of NINE when I was in my (very) early 20's - but had no recording, only a memory. When I saw the revival of NINE - which to my mind - is the romantic musical for adults who've been through any kind of romance - I just cried through Laura Benanti's performance. The song and her performance so revived and enhanced my memory of the first, so matched how I feel about romance now, as an adult, that it still musically haunts and fills my heart. I'm listening to it now, as I type.

This one has a personal history for me. I actually sang it to my the first serious girlfriend I ever had. The most romantic love song that jumped into my head when I read this question is "Fallin'," by Marvin Hamlisch, from the musical THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG. Why? The song is a confession of love from someone who has a real fear of intimacy and vulnerability, but is finally ready to take a chance with someone and risk being hurt. To me, that is the essence of falling in love and allowing yourself to be in love with someone -- that feeling of someone bringing you such utter joy that you are willing to confront whatever fears you have about life and love to be with him or her.

How to Handle a Woman" from CAMELOT is my all time favorite. It's exactly how my sweetie treats me.

My favorite romantic song is Richard Rodgers and Larry Hart's "Spring Is Here." Hart understood romance, which is to say he knew it doesn't last and for many lonely souls doesn't exist at all. "Spring is Here" contains the most poignant last line I know: "Spring is here, I hear!"

I love "UNFORGETTABLE" by Nat King Cole because not only is it sophisticated musically and lyrically, but my sweet husband Tom, who is not a performer, often out of the blue, sweeps me in his arms, waltzes me around humming that song gentle into my ear. Talk about romantic-I swoon every time.

I'm very partial to "Out of my Dreams", from OKLAHOMA, even though people are usually watching a ballet while it's being sung. The melody is transporting and the lyric is about a fantasy love affair, which is the most romantic kind. In fact, the only kind, lately.

Without a doubt, for me, it's Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Some Enchanted Evening", from their musical, SOUTH PACIFIC. Growing up, I remembered my parents trying to explain to me the passion everyone remembered - seeing Ezio Pinza and Mary Martin sing this song together, on the stage. People SWORE they were having an affair. Do I know? Of course not. The song itself is a magical love song because it's FULL of POSSIBILITY. Just what you want when "chemistry" is at play. When Bernadette Peters and I first faced the R&H songs, to begin making choices for the BERNADETTE PETERS LOVES RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN recording ... all she had to do was sing it once, in her apt. w/ just the piano, and I was a mess!

I'm a sucker for the obvious standards, the ones that I'm sure are going to be mentioned a zillion times. I love "My Romance" because it's a perfect blend of lyric and melody and it expresses the idea that simplicity is best. And "All The Things You Are" is a bit more harmonically complex but is also a simple statement of honor and romance. But the most romantic songs are the silly songs that people write and sing to each other to make them laugh. My husband wrote a song for me about how corny it was that I like Barry Manilow, and it's far and away the most romantic (if completely stupid) song I've ever heard.

"Timeless to Me", of course. That song celebrates the depth of love for the long haul. (would you expect me to say anything else!) A close second is "I Could Have Danced All Night". It captures the exhilaration and promise of the very first moment of falling in love.

My choice for the greatest love song ever heard on Broadway is simple: IF I LOVED YOU. The idea that the 20 minute scene following the unsung prologue contains three songs... two charmingly setting up the two main female characters.... then building to the rapturous duet between Julie and Billy remains, to me, the masterpiece of modern musical theater writing. Hammerstein's simple lyric, set to Rodgers' broad, Puccini-esque melody, wherein the they declare their love, all qualified by the word 'IF'.....dazzles me as it first did to me as a child. (I must add that 'Carousel' was the first show I ever saw...and remains my favorite.)

"If Ever I Would Leave You". I haven't experienced it yet, but I would like to be loved like that. Beautiful.

"Do That to Me One More Time" by The Captain and Tennille.

We just can't choose one. Our favorites are: "It Only Takes a Moment" from HELLO DOLLY!, "What More Can I Say" from Falsettos, and "I Have Dreamed" from THE KING AND I.

The most romantic song written for a musical in my opinion is "I Never Loved You' from Cyrano de Bergerac starring Christopher Plummer. The song not only has beautiful emotional lyrics but a soaring melody that tears your heart out given the context of the piece. The song is placed in the final scene when Roxane finally realizes that it was Cyrano who had written the love letters to her and not Christian but Cyrano still tries to deny it by singing the incredibly moving line "I never loved you, My Dear love, not I" and it just breaks your heart ! Try it !

Definitely "How Could I Ever Know", from THE SECRET GARDEN. Such a heart wrenchingly beautiful song of undying love, truly romantic.

My favorite Broadway love song would have to be "Tits and Ass" from A CHORUS LINE for obvious reasons. But a close second is "Dancing Queen" from MAMMA MIA!. it always gets me "that mood" if you know what I mean...

My pick for most romantic Broadway love song ever written is "Is It Really Me?" from 110 IN THE SHADE. To me it speaks so beautifully of how being in love can change someone. It can change the way you see yourself, making you suddenly feel beautiful and special.

Unquestionably "Blame It on the Summer Night" from RAGS.

I'm giving you my top 3 because there are different kinds of romantic songs: Melancholy: Unusual Way from NINE- The melody is really lush and haunting and the lyric perfectly describes what it's like to not be able to explain the angst that comes from love. Warm & Tingly: What More Can I Say? from FALSETTOS- sweet and very simple and was the first song in musical theatre that personally spoke to me as a young gay kid who loved showtunes. Uplifting: Listen to My Heart by David Friedman as sung by Nancy LaMott. The most celebratory love song I can think of-you can't help but smile ear-to-ear when you hear Nancy sing it.

"Somewhere That's Green (reprise)" - It slays me when Audrey tells Seymour to feed her to the plant so that it will grow and bring him all the wonderful things that he desires. Ah, love. It just doesn't get any more romantic than that.

For me, the most beautiful love song from a Broadway show has to be "My Heart Is So Full Of You" from The Most Happy Fella. I first heard this song sung by the incredible Liz Callaway on the recording "Sibling Revelry", (which, if you don't own, you should go out and buy right now!). I was so taken by the songs' simplistic beauty (and Liz's breathtaking rendition). The song puts forth the notion of loving someone so much that there is no room left in your heart "for anything more...". It's an outrageous concept to anyone with common sense, until they themselves fall in love, and suddenly understand ever word of this beautiful Frank Loesser lullaby.

There are soooo many beautiful romantic Broadway songs that I don't know where to begin! It's a toss up between "I Enjoy Being a Girl," "The Cowman and the Farmer Should be Friends," and "Blow Gabriel Blow." I'm kidding, I'd have to go with "I Got Lost in His Arms". Happy Valentine's Day to all young and old lovers whoever you are.

Oh so many wonderful songs. "Embraceable You," "I Got Lost in His Arms" (Annie Get Your Gun), "My Romance," but the favorite would have to be Irving Berlins "Always." It was sung at Thom and my wedding reception.

"Bill" with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and Music by Jerome Kern from SHOWBOAT. This song beautifully demonstrates how love can be inexplicable - beyond words, beyond rationale. Sure, the singer can't list one good reason (looks, skills, smarts) why she loves Bill; yes, it may be unfounded on paper, but that's what makes this particular love all the more selfless and generous.

My favorite choice would be ~ "(His Is The Only) Music That Makes Me Dance" from FUNNY GIRL. Why? ~ I had the chance to play Fanny in "FUNNY GIRL" 2 times in my life, and whenever I sang this song I hoped one day to have a love in my life that made me feel this way. My second choice would be.............."Shadow Dancing" by Andy Gibb. :o)

So I've been thinking about this question and I keep going back to one song.......The Next Ten Minutes from The Last Five Years by the wonderful JRB.....Now I don't necessarily think of that as a love song.....Its not the classic "I love you" bs that is so often selected for the Broadway Love Songs books at Colony! However, this is what people talk about when they are in love! The lyrics are so real!....They touch on the real world issues of How do we make this work and I want to make this work. Theyre open about their problems but talk about the dreams they want to share! Opening up to someone is the hardest thing to do until you are truly in love! That to me is the most romantic thing EVER!

The most romantic Broadway Love song of all time is of course "ONE HAND, ONE HEART"..it always makes the little hairs on my neck stand up. As to why, well the ideal of perfect love overcoming all obstacles is the most romantic dream I could imagine.

Although my reasons are personal, my favorite song is "He Was Too Good To Me" by Rodgers and Hart.

"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from DREAMGIRLS. Emotional, powerful, desperate, broken-hearted.

In my opinion, the most romantic song I have ever heard on Broadway would be "Big Shot" by Billy Joel...you really have to love someone immensely to have that much anger towards them.