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Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?

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Bob30
#1Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:07pm

I always look forward to how a show will end Act 1 and my favourite endings to Act 1 are

Wicked - Defying Gravity
Anything Goes - The large scale tap routine and Title Song
Avenue Q - The heart wrenching A fine fine line

I cant think of worst

yours?


Westend: Lion King,WWRY, Blood Brothers, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Woman In Black, Crazy For You, Wicked, Sweeney Todd, Much Ado About Nothing, A Chorus Line, Book Of Mormon, Merrily We Roll Along, Cripple of Inishmaan
Tours: Avenue Qx2, Grease, Sister Act,WWRY,Hairsprayx2, Never Forget, Blood Brothers x2, Singin' in the Rain, Legally Blonde,American Idiot x2, Phantom of the Opera, Beautiful Burnout, Our Countrys Good, The Ladykillers, Joseph,9-5, Rocky Horror, CATS
Regional: She Loves Me, Sweeney Todd, Kiss Me Kate, The Pajama Game, Barnum (Chichester) Metamorphosis (Lyric Hammersmith)Tristan and Yseult (Bristol Old Vic)
Tickets: Nevilles Island, Much Ado About Nothing

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madbrian
#2Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:09pm

Everything's Coming Up Roses
And I Am Telling You
Mame


"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg." -- Thomas Jefferson

Wynbish Profile Photo
Wynbish
#2Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:10pm

Best

Gypsy
Urinetown
Spamalot
Les Miz
POTO (if only because it is one of the most iconic Act 1 closers)

Worst

Godspell
Fiddler Updated On: 7/16/12 at 03:10 PM

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TheLadyoftheWood
#3Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:14pm

Wynbish, when you say Spamalot do you mean the song Find Your Grail which is right before the last scene or Run Away? Because I always thought that they should have cut that part and just ended on a high note of Find Your Grail.

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little_sally
#4Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:15pm

The Catch Me If You Can act 1 closer was awful.


A little swash, a bit of buckle - you'll love it more than bread.

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bwayphreak234
#5Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:18pm

BEST:
Evita
The Book of Mormon
Anything Goes
Spider-Man
Phantom
Jersey Boys
Any of Wildhorn's show's finales

WORST:
Fiddler on the Roof
Lion King
Cats


"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "

Wynbish Profile Photo
Wynbish
#6Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:19pm

Find Your Grail is a better song, but the French taunters would not have made sense in Act 2. If there was a way to put them before Find Your Grail, it would have been great, as well.

I just love the "Have a drink and a pee, we'll be back for Act 3!" "Two, sir" "Two!" And the use of the cartoon on the screen.

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staunchcharacter
#7Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:28pm

My personal favorite Act 1 closer will always be "A Little Priest."

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TheLadyoftheWood
#8Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:31pm

Just noticed I didn't put my thoughts

Best:
Little Mermaid (Show was awful but ending the act with PUF was smart)
Miss Saigon (One of the most emotional Act 1 closers for me)
Ragtime (Another tear-jerker)
Titanic (Just because I love the song No Moon/Autumn)
WOTV (Cute song and good scene)
9 to 5 (About the only thing I like about the show besides Megan Hilty)

Worst:
Tarzan (WHAT?)
Wedding Singer (Like the scene but the song annoys me)
Wonderland (Just no!)
My Favorite Year (Only thing I liked about that show was the Act 1 Opening, the rest was torture.)


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booth0882
#9Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:36pm

Best:
Anything Goes (You have to love that tap number)
Gypsy
Wicked
Billy Elliot
Cabaret (if it is done well, it is chilling)
Company

Worst:
Lion King
Catch Me if You Can
Damn Yankees (Love the musical, but the intermission could be better placed)
Love Never Dies
Hairspray
Into the Woods

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dreaming
#10Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:39pm

Best:

Everything's Coming Up Roses
All I Ask of You Reprise-Say what you will about the show (I happen to enjoy it), it's a rousing end to the first act (and Masquerade is a terrific opener to act 2).
One Day More-another rousing closer
Ragtime-I cried and cried during the revival
South Pacific-Loved how they did it in the revival-it really left a sense of turmoil
Miss Saigon-(I want a revival!!) I really had goosebumps during this one
Wicked-this is a very iconic closer to act 1 by now, I'd guess (and for good reason)

Worst:
I've been lucky as I can't really think of too many right now-but I agree Find Your Grail should have been Spamalot's act 1 closer.

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booth0882
#11Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:39pm

Wow how could I forget Ragtime! Definitely in my "best list"

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hyperbole_and_a_half
#12Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 3:55pm

11 posts and no one has mentioned "Sunday"??? FOR.SHAME.

Kad Profile Photo
Kad
#13Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 4:01pm

For best, I'll add in Little Shop's creepy reprise of its title song.


"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."

mar6411
#14Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 4:03pm

I Am What I Am - La Cage

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Wynbish
#15Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 4:14pm

In Aida, "The Gods Love Nubia" is a thrilling song.

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Mister Matt
#16Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 4:18pm

Best: Les Miserables and Urinetown

Worst: Der Glöckner von Notre Dame


"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian

AwesomeDanny
#17Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 4:24pm

Some of my favorites that haven't been mentioned:
A Little Night Music
Chess
Merrily We Roll Along
Parade

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Rumpelstiltskin
#18Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 4:32pm

Nothing beats "Sunday". The entire song is visually and vocally stunning, the final moments breathtaking. There's never a dry eye on my face.

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ggersten
#19Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 5:01pm

The Act I ending in Oliver is really awkward. And see the discussion of Pippin about where to put an intermission if at all. (Same discussion for A Chorus Line).

What's people's gripes with Fiddler's Act I closing? I think it's pretty emotional - yes, it's a downer - but doesn't it make you want to come back and see what happens next - how the jews in the village respond (if at all).

I don't know whether Into The Woods is good or bad - since people initially think it's the end of the show despite the "to be continued" statement by the Narrator.



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jamiekennywicked
#20Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 5:10pm

I quite like the Act 1 ending to Fiddler On The Roof. And of course Ragtime is one of my favorites as well as Side Show and Evita. The King and I is quite good too


''With the number of people I ignore, I'm lucky I work at all in this town'' - Helena Bonham Carter

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IdinaBellFoster
#21Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 5:45pm

Best:

URINETOWN
RAGTIME
SIDE SHOW
LES MISERABLES
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES
ANYTHING GOES
THE BOOK OF MORMON
GYPSY
DREAMGIRLS
EVITA
SWEENEY TODD
WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
and the final minute or so of WICKED and AIDA

Worst:

GODSPELL
HAIRSPRAY (only part of the show I don't love musically)
WONDERLAND
THE WEDDING SINGER
DAMN YANKEES



"Oh look at the time, three more intelligent plays just closed and THE ADDAMS FAMILY made another million dollars" -Jackie Hoffman, Broadway.com Audience Awards

Jon
#22Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 6:02pm

With the original Stroman choreography, CRAZY FOR YOU's "I Got Rhythm" had the audience cheering, stamping whistling, and virtually floating out to the lobby on a cloud of tap dancing euphoria.

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adam.peterson44
#23Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 6:39pm

Best act 1 closers:

Wicked
Anything Goes (specifically with Kathleen Marshall's tap choreography)
Gypsy
Les Miserables
Next to Normal
Chess
Newsies

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bwayrose7
#24Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?
Posted: 7/16/12 at 6:43pm

My faves;
Les Mis- epic and weaves everyone together
Wicked
Anything Goes- as others said, with Marshall's choreography
Aida
Newsies- so emotional

Worst:
Oliver
Hairspray (much as I love the show)


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