Second Act Opening Show-Stoppers
Eagle
stopping number. I know what one would consider to be a "show-
stopper" is a subjective judgment, but I would not consider something
like "I Feel Pretty" from WEST SIDE STORY to be among them, much as
it's a fine and famous song from the show (Sondheim's reservations
about his lyrics notwithstanding). "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina"
perhaps? Not sure about that one. It's certainly the most famous
song from the show, but even so -- I can't quite think of it as a show-
stopper either (I'm most familiar with the original album that the
show is based on, and "Argentina" always sounded to me like the end of
Act I, with "High Flying, Adored" as the Act II opener, though I know
that's not how the show breaks it up). Here's some that I do think
qualify as show-stoppers:
"Hey There, Good Times" -- I LOVE MY WIFE
"Too Darn Hot" -- KISS ME, KATE
"Side By Side By Side" -- COMPANY
"It's an Art" -- WORKING
"Please Hello" -- PACIFIC OVERTURES
"Steam Heat" -- THE PAJAMA GAME
Harlett O'Dowd
Subjective indeed. It's been a while, but I thought there was a fair
amount of scenage before "Please Hello." I would consider that more a
ten o'clock number than an act two opener. And if you consider "High
Flying, Adored" an act two opener, the same could also be said for the
title tune in DOLLY! with the first fifteen or so minutes of the
second act more like Dolly's personal intermission. Ditto "Bosom
Buddies" in MAME (which is the first *new* song of that act.) I can't
recall if the dance for "Masculinity" in the original LA CAGE stopped
the show, but it certainly received one of the stronger hands of the
night.
And is the Tea Party now the act two opener in DEAR WORLD?
In short, I think the who idea of the ten o'clock number was to get
everyone settled back in their seats and THEN go for the big number.
The question remains how long do you allow your audinece to settle
before you thrust a number on them. very few second acts bring up the
curtain and start with a new, show-stopping number.
Stephen Farrow
> And if you consider "High
> Flying, Adored" an act two opener,
...you've clearly never seen the show it comes from!
--
Stephen
I am cipher, cipher....wrapped in an enigma, smothered in secret sauce...
Harlett O'Dowd
> Harlett O'Dowd wrote:
> > And if you consider "High
> > Flying, Adored" an act two opener,
>
> ...you've clearly never seen the show it comes from!
This is a bad thing?
Robert Bouton
> qualify as show-stoppers:
>
> "Hey There, Good Times" -- I LOVE MY WIFE
> "Too Darn Hot" -- KISS ME, KATE
> "Side By Side By Side" -- COMPANY
> "It's an Art" -- WORKING
> "Please Hello" -- PACIFIC OVERTURES
> "Steam Heat" -- THE PAJAMA GAME
I think you've hit on something: It's rare that Act Two begins with a
show-stopper. Perhaps the creators figure the show has stopped too
recently, for the interval.
Oom-Pah-Pah from Oliver
Side By Side By Side from Company
The Revolutionary Costume for Today from Grey Gardens
This Plum Is Too Ripe from The Fantasticks, if the close harmonies in
the bridge sound as they should
Also, if it's performed as the authors intended:
This Is a Real Nice Clambake from Carousel
Harlett O'Dowd
> Also, if it's performed as the authors intended:
> This Is a Real Nice Clambake from Carousel
Both times I did it it got just about the biggest hand of the night. I
know a lot of muiscal theatre snobs hate this song but it really does
play like gangbusters.
"The Farmer & The Cowman" ain't so bad either.
Stephen Farrow
Depends on your individual tastes. I'd much rather sit through "Evita"
than some of Lloyd Webber's other shows ("Whistle Down the Wind" being
one that leaps particularly unattractively to mind).
--
Stephen
MASTER: You were destined to die. It was written.
BUFFY: What can I say? I flunked the written.
Harlett O'Dowd
> Depends on your individual tastes. I'd much rather sit through "Evita"
> than some of Lloyd Webber's other shows ("Whistle Down the Wind" being
> one that leaps particularly unattractively to mind).
Well, there's stupidity and then there's maschocism.
Harlett O'Dowd
wrote:
At least in the London version of CHESS - "One Night in Bangkok" - at
least it was a hit single on both sides of the pond.
Steve Newport
From: chris.c...@worldspan.com (Harlett O'Dowd) "The Farmer & The
Cowman" ain't so bad either.
One of my favorite Musical Theatre songs. It has a better lyric than
"Clambake"
Stephen Farrow
And "One Night in Bangkok" had a showstopping, spectacular staging in
London.
--
Stephen
And we’ll have more needlework hints next week, when Philippa will be
showing us how to stitch up the mouth of a talkative friend or relative.
Marcia
Eagle wrote:
It's been a long time since I saw it, but I think the second act of BARNUM
opened with "Come Follow the Band."
Marcia
AndrewJ
wise...@verizon.net
You are absolutely correct! Some members of the brass section
actually marched down the aisle at the St. James during this
tune.................thank goodness, I never had to do this part in
the show. I subbed there a lot and I met my wife, the cellist in the
orchestra, during the Broadway run.
Peter Howard was the conductor of the orchestra.
Wilmer
Steve Newport
ajmi...@cavtel.net (AndrewJ)
There's that little French piece first.
Harlett O'Dowd
> ajmil...@cavtel.net (AndrewJ)
> Would "If Ever I Would Leave You" (CAMELOT) qualify?
> ----------------------------------
> There's that little French piece first.
which is more like an introductory verse than its own piece. And it's
often cut.
Steve Newport
From: chris.c...@worldspan.com
<<<"If Ever I Would Leave You" (CAMELOT) There's that little French
piece first.>>>
-------------------------------------
which is more like an introductory verse. And it's often cut.
-------------------------------------
Yes, although it was included in last night's broadcast, followed by the
re-slotted (which didn't work) "Before I Gaze at You Again."
wise...@verizon.net
> From: chris.conne...@worldspan.com
"God That's Good" from Sweeney Todd fits the bill.
Wilmer
atsar...@hotmail.com
wrote:
There's been a rousing curtain-ender and then a pause while everyone
winds down, and Act II MUST begin with a blazing show-stopper to rev
everyone up for the rest of the show. So you need "Gentleman Jimmy" in
Fiorello or "You Did It" in MFL or "Take Back Your Mink" in Guys &
Dolls or at least something adorable like "The Late, Late Show" from
Do-Re-Mi and "Try Me" from "She Loves Me" and "He Had Refinement" in
"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" (which I just saw yesterday staged by
something called Peccadillo Theater, with Emily Skinner as Aunt
Cissy). Or a surprise like "I Feel Pretty" (which is a shock,
remembering that you just watched a couple of murders.)
You have to remind the audience who these characters are and what
they're worried about, so we can worry about it too. The momentum has
been broken; it's not so easy to rebuild it. Something clever but not
too plot-important (like Too Darn Hot, Oom-Pa-Pa, Steam Heat, Please
Hello, This Plum Is Too Ripe, Clambake -- all splendid examples,
mentioned above) is ideal here: how to revive the apparently dying
engine.
Then you get serious: "Ice Cream" and the title song from "She Loves
Me," "Adelaide's Lament," "Eldorado" from the original "Candide." (The
loveliest song in the show, dropped from the original revisal.) Or you
have a serious non-musical scene, like the Henry-Eliza confrontation
in MFL which any traditional musical writers would have set to music,
and AJL let stand in Shaw's matchless text.
Jean Coeur de Lapin
Steve Newport
From: atsar...@hotmail.com
"He Had Refinement" in "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" (which I just saw
yesterday staged by something called Peccadillo Theater, with Emily
Skinner as Aunt Cissy).
---------------------------------------
K.T. Sullivan wasn't available? I saw her in BY THE BEAUTIFUL SEA.
Harlett O'Dowd
> From: chris.conne...@worldspan.com
re-slotted where (I tremble to ask)?
Steve Newport
From: chris.c...@worldspan.com (Harlett O'Dowd) <<< SN: "If Ever I
Would Leave You" (CAMELOT) There's that little French piece first.>>>
-------------------------------------
which is more like an introductory verse. And it's often cut.
-------------------------------------
the re-slotted (which didn't work) "Before I Gaze at You Again."
re-slotted where (I tremble to ask)?
SN: Instead of in its usual slot, very late in Act One, it was done
early in Act 2, between Lancelot's opening and "If Ever I Would Leave
You." If they were trying to create a "bench scene" it didn't work.
Moreover, there was a *very* awkward transition in the first act where
the song used to be.
remys...@yahoo.com
thinking about anything else?
atsar...@hotmail.com
> From: atsarisb...@hotmail.com
Yes, and wasn't she DREADFUL?
Not as bad as she was in Gents Prefer Blondes but still ...
Jean Coeur de Lapin
Steve Newport
From: atsar...@hotmail.com
The late Jayne Mansfield was terrific in it. Playing opposite Patti
Karr.