Favorite Book Scenes
Favorite Book Scenes
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#1Favorite Book Scenes
Posted: 10/19/09 at 8:46pm
What's your favorite book scene from a musical?
Some of my favorites are the scene between Robert, Amy, and Paul in COMPANY, right before Marry Me A Little, the short but sweet scene betweem Rod and Christmas Eve in AVENUE Q, right before I Wish I Could Go Back To College, and the scene where they reveal the big secret in BAT BOY.
<-----Bernadette Peters and Alexander Hanson in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC.
Send in the clowns...Send in the crowds!
"I prefer neurotic people. I like to hear rumblings beneath the surface."-Stephen Sondheim
Send in the clowns...Send in the crowds!
"I prefer neurotic people. I like to hear rumblings beneath the surface."-Stephen Sondheim
#2re: Favorite Book Scenes
Posted: 10/19/09 at 9:20pmAlmost every scene from COMPANY. That book is brilliant. But my absolute favorites would have to be the scene between "Getting Married Today" and "Marry Me A Little" (mentioned above), the scene where April tells the butterfly story, and the scenes placed throughout "Another Hundred People".
#3re: Favorite Book Scenes
Posted: 10/19/09 at 9:21pmI love the dressing room scene in Gypsy right before Rose's Turn.
#4re: Favorite Book Scenes
Posted: 10/19/09 at 9:26pmThe final scene in Cabaret, beginning when Cliff gets on the train, right through the show's final, absolutely chilling moments.
#5re: Favorite Book Scenes
Posted: 10/19/09 at 9:28pm
The house scene in Ragtime where Younger Brother and Father argue and Younger Brother storms out.
The scene in Gypsy in Tessie Tura's dressing room and also the scene that precedes Rose's Turn.
The last scene in West Side Story.
"You drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!" - Betty Parris to Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller's The Crucible
Updated On: 10/19/09 at 09:28 PM
#7re: Favorite Book Scenes
Posted: 10/19/09 at 9:34pmThe scene in South Pacific where Nellie is crying and Luthor is standing behind her. You can really sense his feelings for her and see that it hurts him so not only see her cry but see her cry over another man.
"All our dreams can come true -- if we have the courage to pursue them." -- Walt Disney
We must have different Gods. My God said "do to others what you would have them do to you". Your God seems to have said "My Way or the Highway".
#8re: Favorite Book Scenes
Posted: 10/20/09 at 1:15amI second the scene in Gypsy where Herbie leaves Rose for good as well as the dressing room scene before Rose's Turn
#9re: Favorite Book Scenes
Posted: 10/20/09 at 10:09am
I love the scene from "The King and I" where the King tells Anna that no one's head must be above the King's.
"Ok ok ok ok ok ok ok. Have you guys heard about fidget spinners!?" ~Patti LuPone
Updated On: 10/20/09 at 10:09 AM
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#10re: Favorite Book Scenes
Posted: 10/20/09 at 10:29am
Definitely, the Gyspy Rose Lee/Mama Rose dressing room confrontation scene in GYPSY.
Every thing in CRAZY FOR YOU.
Every thing in THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE.
WOSQ
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/18/03
#11re: Favorite Book Scenes
Posted: 10/20/09 at 2:30pm
The set-up is the end of Act One and the show was the vehicle of all vehicles, Coco starring none other than Kate Hepburn. To music the scenery revolves showing the audience the frenzied preparations for Chanel's first collection in decades. We see in the work room, the dressing room and the showroom as they repeatedly whirl past us. Virtually the entire cast is working around the clock to be ready.
Finally the models are ready and are waiting, visible to the audience in the finished dresses and as the music builds, Coco walks up the circular staircase in her showroom and takes her place at the top where she always stood for her shows. She strikes a pose. Curtain.
Act Two. Curtain up and the show is over. The essentially empty showroom is the worse for wear with the debris that accompanies any major event. Coco is still at the top of the staircase however. What has happened? How successful was the collection?
Coco slowly but deliberately walks down the staircase and slowly comes to down center. Her face is a mask. She has picked up a small piece of fabric that has fallen from somewhere. She absently fiddles with it, and the theatre is dead quiet.
A long pause.
"Sh*t!" says Chanel.
She turns and exits.
With one word, the audience has been told everthing it needs to know.
THAT'S book writing.
"If my life weren't funny, it would just be true. And that would be unacceptable."
--Carrie Fisher
#12re: Favorite Book Scenes
Posted: 10/20/09 at 3:44pm
Company - the scene after The Ladies Who Lunch
Spring Awakening - the scene where Wendla and her mother argue over the pregnancy
Hair - when Berger makes fun of Sheila after she gets back from the rally
I know you.
I know you.
I know you.
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#13re: Favorite Book Scenes
Posted: 10/20/09 at 4:36pm
WOSQ -- I love you.
That description eclipses anything we previously wrote before your post.
I'm now going to go thru my COCO material and rediscover this show. A perfect way to prepare for the upcoming film COCO BEFORE CHANEL.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Mattbrain
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/23/05
#14re: Favorite Book Scenes
Posted: 10/20/09 at 4:56pm
My picks are:
The dressing room scene right before Rose's Turn and the scene where Herbie leaves Rose in Gypsy, especially when seeing those scenes acted out by Laura Benanti, Patti LuPone and Boyd Gaines.
I'm gonna come right out and say the cornfield scene in Wicked
Mr. Franklin's monologue and the phone call scene in Act Two of Passing Strange
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ATTENTION FANS: I will be played by James Barbour in the upcoming musical, "BroadwayWorld: The Musical."
#15re: Favorite Book Scenes
Posted: 10/20/09 at 5:16pm
As others have already mentioned, the two scenes which take place in Tessie Tura's dressing room, from GYPSY, are among my favorites. The first scene includes the comic--Tessie reacting to Rose and Louise by saying, "I don't like sharing my dressing room anymore than you do, particularly with a troupe of professional virgins." The second scene in the dressing room contains the deadly serious, when Rose decides that Louise will "strip" and when Herbie walks out on Rose, despite Rose's holding onto his hand on her shoulder, lamenting that everyone walks out on her.
Another favorite scene of mine is from the little known 1963 musical THE GIRL WHO CAME TO SUPPER starring Florence Henderson
and Jose Ferrer. The scene takes place in Westminster Abbey during a coronation. The royals are bored to death and sing/speak their critical thoughts, whereas the invited guest, the chorus girl played by Florence Henderson, is in seventh heaven, singing her rapturous thoughts with a single spotlight on her, the others in darkness. Toward the end of the scene, the royals, all in a semicircle, are whisked off stage, leaving Henderson all alone, reminiscing of her experience in the Abbey. This is actually a cleverly staged choral number, but it has always struck me as being a scene unto itself.
I loved this scene so much that I second acted the show six times. This was back in my drinking days. I have long since given up second acting. It was easy to do for THE GIRL WHO CAME TO SUPPER because the show was never sold out. Do people still second act?
"Madam Rose...and her daughter...Gypsy!"
Updated On: 10/20/09 at 05:16 PM
#16re: Favorite Book Scenes
Posted: 10/20/09 at 5:48pm
Company may be the best written musical ever. The book is brilliant and the score is Sondheim's best.
My favorite scene is probably the Butterfly/Motel/Barcelona scene. April I think is a great character, as is Marta.
#17re: Favorite Book Scenes
Posted: 10/20/09 at 6:10pm
For my money, the "miscegenation scene" from SHOW BOAT is not only the best scene ever written for musical theatre, but probably the most important scene ever written in musical theatre.
Without the success of that scene SHOW BOAT is just a soap-operetta. That scene alone took musical theatre to the next level which allowed for dangerous topics to be explored.
Almost a century later it is still packs a punch that nothing the "so-called" shocking shows (from WEST SIDE STORY to SPRING AWAKENING) can touch.
Seeing that scene will stay with you for the rest of your life.
#18re: Favorite Book Scenes
Posted: 10/20/09 at 6:18pm
I'm on the Company bandwagon too. My personal favorite is definitely the Joanne/Bobby scene toward the end though. There is so much nuance in the dialogue and I think it is a scene that can by interpreted so many ways. It's kind of an actor's dream.
George Furth was a genius.
#19re: Favorite Book Scenes
Posted: 10/20/09 at 9:35pmPlease don't kill me (I hear dying isn't very fun) but I really like the "catfight" scene before No Good Deed in Wicked. With good actresses, it's intense, hilarious, and very well done.
"That was the most offensive thing I've seen in 20 years of teaching. And that includes an elementary school production of Hair." -Glee
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