One of my all-time favorites is "My Fair Lady" because it pointedly doesn't start with what they knew would become one of the hit songs from the how. instead, they start with several bars of an exposition song, "You Did It," played in an especially up-tempo arrangement, which generates so much excitement right away--it's such a bold choice to start the show.

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by Anonymous

reply 71

April 11, 2024 11:40 AM

My mom and dad went to see My Fair Lady when it first opened on screen. They went on a Saturday night with a group of other couples, and they were all dressed to the nines. Mom brought home a large commemorative picture book that was sold at the theater. I just saw a copy of it on sale on eBay.

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by Anonymous

reply 1

April 7, 2024 11:11 PM

For me, the overture to 'Phantom of the Opera' is my favorite.

by Anonymous

reply 2

April 7, 2024 11:19 PM

OP what a fabulous overture. Imagine opening night on B'way in 1956 and hearing those tunes for the first time. And you're right, "You Did It" was the perfect choice to open with.

Every Rodgers and Hammerstein musical had a great overture too.

But for me the best overture is "Gypsy".

How EXCITING is this:

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by Anonymous

reply 3

April 7, 2024 11:27 PM

Try telling anyone born after the Boomers were about overtures. They don't know what they are.

by Anonymous

reply 4

April 7, 2024 11:46 PM

I'm a Gen-Xer and I know that I love the overture to Doctor Zhivago, R4.

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by Anonymous

reply 5

April 8, 2024 12:33 AM

This overture always gave me wood!

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by Anonymous

reply 8

April 8, 2024 12:48 AM

Agreed R3. Gypsy for the win.

by Anonymous

reply 9

April 8, 2024 12:51 AM

Op it is also my favorite overture. R5 is my second favorite!

by Anonymous

reply 10

April 8, 2024 12:52 AM

Watched it last night. Had forgotten how lovely the overture was.

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by Anonymous

reply 15

April 8, 2024 1:10 AM

Is this considered an overture?

At any rate, it plays at the start of the show.

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by Anonymous

reply 17

April 8, 2024 1:18 AM

When one knows one knows.

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by Anonymous

reply 20

April 8, 2024 1:30 AM

Musical overtures comprise the music from the musical theatre piece, not the movie.

by Anonymous

reply 24

April 8, 2024 1:39 AM

True. The intro to a dramatic film isn't an overture.

Overture: "the orchestral introduction to a musical dramatic work"

by Anonymous

reply 25

April 8, 2024 1:49 AM

The source of my high culture

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by Anonymous

reply 26

April 8, 2024 1:50 AM

I have a soft spot for Wildcat.

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by Anonymous

reply 27

April 8, 2024 1:50 AM

There are movie musicals with the exact same overtures as the theater piece. Though SOM is not one of them. And I don't know if it can be considered for it underscores the opening credits. But it is very beautiful.

Funny Girl has a great overture.

by Anonymous

reply 28

April 8, 2024 1:54 AM

I think Gypsy and Funny Girl are widely regarded as the two best.

by Anonymous

reply 29

April 8, 2024 2:00 AM

Not an overture, but a theme: Ennio Morricone's music for Good Bad and the Ugly . "The Ecstasy of Gold." It is wild.

by Anonymous

reply 30

April 8, 2024 2:05 AM

MFL has one of my favorite title sequences. Just starting with Beaton's photos(I Believe they're his) and the title appearing just as we hear And oh that towering feeling. The guy who did it was wonderful. I forget his name but he also did the great title sequence of Days of Heaven utilizing Saint Saens The Aquarium an inspired choice.

by Anonymous

reply 31

April 8, 2024 2:05 AM

The King and I, Oklahoma, South Pacific and Flower Drum Song have amazing overtures. It really annoys me when some productions decide to cut the overture and go right into the 1st scene. I saw a production of "The Kind and I" and "My Fair Lady" in London in 2001 and in both cases, the overture was cut. You wouldn't perform "The Marriage of Figaro" without the iconic overture, so why cut an overture in a classic musical?

by Anonymous

reply 32

April 8, 2024 2:10 AM

There was a poster who hated the opening title sequence of MFL and then he hated the movie. But I believe he had seen the original Broadway cast so the movie for him was a huge let down. Understandable. I love the movie but if I were in his shoes I'd probably feel the same way.

by Anonymous

reply 34

April 8, 2024 2:12 AM

The overture to My Fair Lady starts with 8 Gs, borrowed from "The Major General's Song" in The Pirates of Penzance, music by Arthur Sullivan.

by Anonymous

reply 35

April 8, 2024 2:13 AM

R24 Explains it all for us..

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by Anonymous

reply 38

April 8, 2024 2:16 AM

R32 - did you storm the stage in protest?

by Anonymous

reply 40

April 8, 2024 2:19 AM

I was just watching the 4k tonight of Oliver! and I've always thought the title sequence music was great from when I saw the film as a boy. Very exciting. Johnny Green also did the great title sequence music for Bye Bye Birdie.

Sometimes I think the best title sequence winner of all time is Flower Drum Song. Those gorgeously orchestrated songs with those images is so beautiful. Get the Blu-ray put the audio through your stereo system and be dazzled. Perfection.

by Anonymous

reply 41

April 8, 2024 2:25 AM

Thanks, OP! It was excellent. It is a time and place in the world we might never know again.

by Anonymous

reply 42

April 8, 2024 2:25 AM

Here's my absolute favorite. It's so lush!

I get tears in my eyes at how gorgeous the "Don't let it be forgot that there was once a spot" phrase in the first 30 seconds is.

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by Anonymous

reply 43

April 8, 2024 2:29 AM

Can somebody tell me who did the beautiful watercolors for the opening of Flower Drum Song? His name escapes me at the moment.

by Anonymous

reply 44

April 8, 2024 2:33 AM

My favorite would be Funny Girl, but if I had to pick one that few people know, it would be this one, mainly because of the great Jonathan Tunick orchestrations:

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by Anonymous

reply 45

April 8, 2024 2:36 AM

Might never know again? We will never know again. Heartbreaking but true.

I remember my mother talking to my aunt who went with my uncle to see the movie. They paid $4 a ticket. An insane price for a movie ticket back then.

by Anonymous

reply 46

April 8, 2024 2:39 AM

I saw Goodtime Charley. Not a good show but the music stayed with me. Some of those melodies from the show are absolute ear-worms.

[quote]Might never know again? We will never know again. Heartbreaking but true.

I was ready to post the same thing.

The beauty is gone. Today the arts have other concerns...

by Anonymous

reply 47

April 8, 2024 2:45 AM

Do you notice that everything posted here is over 50 years old.

by Anonymous

reply 49

April 8, 2024 2:49 AM

I love Follies but it's not really an overture. At least not the original.

by Anonymous

reply 50

April 8, 2024 2:50 AM

49 here, raging cunt r49.

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by Anonymous

reply 51

April 8, 2024 2:52 AM

[quote] Do you notice that everything posted here is over 50 years old.

And?

by Anonymous

reply 52

April 8, 2024 2:55 AM

R52 it tells us something about the times we're living in.

by Anonymous

reply 53

April 8, 2024 2:57 AM

The artist Dong Kingman did the paintings for "Flower Drum Song" R44.

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by Anonymous

reply 54

April 8, 2024 2:59 AM

The overture from Bizet’s “Carmen.”

by Anonymous

reply 55

April 8, 2024 3:00 AM

Annie

After Annie few musicals came along with melodies instantly recognized.

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by Anonymous

reply 56

April 8, 2024 3:00 AM

Threads like this is why I keep coming back to The DL.

by Anonymous

reply 57

April 8, 2024 3:02 AM

But it is and was, r50. The music underscoring the guests arriving goes from All Things Bright and Beautiful (which was originally a song for Sally) into themes that would come later in the show. The Broadway Baby part should be when Hattie enters. There's a bit of Can That Boy Fox Trot because I'm Still Here wasn't written yet. Anyway, I think of it as an overture.

by Anonymous

reply 58

April 8, 2024 3:05 AM

Uh-oh. A disagreement over the finer points of Follies.

Any minute now, people are going to start throwing chairs.

by Anonymous

reply 59

April 8, 2024 3:25 AM

[quote]Any minute now, people are going to start throwing chairs.

Sweet baby Jesus...no.

by Anonymous

reply 60

April 8, 2024 3:36 AM

A while back John Mauceri and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra did an album of R&H overtures.

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by Anonymous

reply 61

April 8, 2024 5:16 AM

There are still surviving pockets of Opera Queens! Gives one hope for the Woolly Mammoth.

by Anonymous

reply 62

April 8, 2024 5:32 AM

Kubrick knew his classical music, as opposed to most of the slobs here.

by Anonymous

reply 64

April 8, 2024 9:57 AM

Third vote for Candide.

Any questions?

Ask without fear, I’ve all the answers here.

by Anonymous

reply 65

April 8, 2024 10:00 PM

What is it telling you, R53?

by Anonymous

reply 67

April 10, 2024 11:42 PM

Not one of you cunth has pothted the Muthic Man?

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by Anonymous

reply 68

April 11, 2024 8:16 AM

R3, that recording is superb. Great clarity and an excellent stereo soundstage makes you feel like you're right in front of the orchestra. Kudos to the engineers.

by Anonymous

reply 69

April 11, 2024 10:46 AM

"It's Showtime, Folks".

'On Broadway' from 'All That Jazz'. Not sure it's considered an overture, but it's the beginning of the movie.

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by Anonymous

reply 70

April 11, 2024 11:29 AM

'West Side Story' and 'Candide'.

Can't choose just one.

by Anonymous

reply 71

April 11, 2024 11:40 AM