Encore! Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most memorable reprises from musicals. We’re going to be discussing some major plot points, so here’s a spoiler alert.
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00:00 "Do I really have to mention, she is one of a kind, she is one of a kind."
00:12 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most memorable reprises
00:16 from musicals.
00:17 We're going to be discussing some major plot points, so here is a spoiler alert.
00:23 "Then a new life will begin."
00:32 Number 20.
00:33 Dulcinea Reprise, The Impossible Dream Reprise, Man of La Mancha Reprise, Man of La Mancha.
00:39 "Won't you please bring back the dream of Dulcinea?"
00:49 It's kind of genius to have a reprise of your best songs at the end of a show.
00:53 The audience will certainly leave the theater humming one of them.
00:57 Man of La Mancha ends with the Mad Knight errant, who has been mocked and laughed at
01:01 by virtually everyone he meets, on his deathbed.
01:04 "To right the unrightable wrong."
01:10 "Yes."
01:11 He's surrounded by his faithful servant and the lowly scullery maid he's treated as a
01:15 lady of honor.
01:16 They sing reprises of his songs to remind the depressed and dying man of his quest to
01:20 bring chivalry back to the world.
01:22 Despite his death, his belief in goodness and honor has clearly rubbed off on his companions.
01:27 "Onward to glory!"
01:30 "No!"
01:31 "I...
01:32 Go."
01:33 Number 19.
01:39 Stay Alive Reprise, Hamilton.
01:49 As in many musicals, the characters in Hamilton are often associated with specific songs.
01:54 The story of Tonight and its reprise deal with Alexander Hamilton's disagreements with
01:58 Aaron Burr.
01:59 What Comes Next features a brief reprise of King George III's song about American independence.
02:04 "You're on your own.
02:07 Awesome.
02:08 Wow.
02:09 Do you have a clue what happens now?"
02:13 But Stay Alive is a special case.
02:15 Though the actor is the same, he plays two different characters to whom Hamilton gives
02:19 advice before a duel.
02:20 His son dies as a result of his duel, and the words he spoke to his good friend come
02:24 back to haunt him as he and his wife watch their son take his last breaths.
02:28 "Good.
02:29 Good.
02:30 Don't worry.
02:31 Send...
02:32 Send to me.
02:33 Send to me.
02:34 Send to me."
02:35 Number 18.
02:42 The Song That Goes Like This Reprise, Spamalot.
02:56 Given that it's a Monty Python musical, it's safe to expect that it's gonna be pretty nutty.
03:00 The Song That Goes Like This takes aim at the kind of sentimental, inspirational songs
03:05 you'd hear in other typical musicals.
03:07 "Oh, where is the song that goes like this?
03:14 Where is it?
03:16 Where, where?"
03:17 "The sentimental song that casts a magic spell."
03:24 The Lady of the Lake returns to sing the song again in the middle of the celebratory Nights
03:28 of the Round Table number.
03:29 She pulls out every trick she knows.
03:32 She does her runs.
03:33 She rushes the tempo.
03:35 She slows it down to a crawl.
03:37 You're practically dizzy by the end of it.
03:39 And then the scatting starts.
03:50 Her liberties with the melody, along with her glitzy and revealing ensemble, take the
03:54 number to unexpected heights of complete lunacy.
04:08 Number 17.
04:09 38 Planes Reprise, Come From Away.
04:19 38 Planes follows the dozens of commercial airplanes that had to descend on the unassuming
04:24 town of Gander in Newfoundland and Labrador after being diverted from their flight paths
04:28 by the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
04:30 The company of Come From Away chants the lyrics as the number of planes touching down only
04:34 grows.
04:35 When the song reappears at the end of the show, it sounds much the same, but is filled
04:39 with even more meaning as passengers finally return home.
04:43 It's not just an emotional bookend to the characters' brief but profound time together.
04:47 It's also a reminder of how each of those planes carried someone with the story, even
05:06 if the show only tells a handful of them.
05:16 Number 16.
05:17 Not A Day Goes By Reprise, Merrily We Roll Along.
05:35 Although it was almost universally panned by critics when it opened, this Stephen Sondheim
05:39 musical offers an unconventional narrative structure.
05:42 Telling the story of a damaged friendship in reverse, the score of Merrily We Roll Along
05:46 relies on callbacks and reprises throughout the show.
05:50 Not A Day Goes By returns during the scene set at Frank and Beth's wedding, as Merri
05:54 watches a friend marry another woman.
06:06 Given the context of Merri's tempestuous relationship with Frank in the first act, it allows us
06:11 to see the root of her disappointment in him.
06:13 It's an aching song, full of bitterness and longing made all the more urgent in its second
06:18 appearance in the score.
06:34 Number 15.
06:35 Epilogue, Ragtime Reprise, Wheels of a Dream Reprise, Ragtime.
06:47 This historical epic begins with a fittingly ragtime-inspired prologue that introduces
06:51 each of its colorful turn-of-the-century characters to the audience.
06:55 After much tragedy and growth, the ending mirrors its beginning, but closes out with
06:59 a sweeping reprise of Wheels of a Dream.
07:15 Sung by two lovers who died at the hands of a prejudiced society, the song represents
07:19 their dream of the better America they hope their son will grow up in.
07:23 The soaring tune closes the show, which is as much about how flawed America is as a nation
07:28 as it is about how it has the potential to be better.
07:43 Number 14.
07:44 Wicked Little Town Reprise, Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
07:56 Originally workshopped in grungy rock venues in New York City, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
08:01 is a vibrant show about trauma and transformation.
08:04 Hedwig Robinson is a drag artist whose songs have been stolen by the man she loves.
08:08 He becomes famous, while she falls into bitter obscurity.
08:12 At the end of the show, the performer playing Hedwig transforms into the rock star she loves
08:16 before our eyes.
08:34 The character offers Hedwig the closure she needs, turning the song she wrote about him
08:39 into a stunning number about searching for meaning in yourself and not others.
08:43 By the end, Hedwig is exhausted but free.
08:55 Number 13.
08:56 Finale, The Old Red Hills of Home, Parade.
09:07 Jason Robert Brown's score for Parade is a dramatization of the unfair trial and devastating
09:12 murder of Leo Frank, a Jewish factory superintendent wrongfully accused of a heinous crime.
09:17 The show opens and closes with the song The Old Red Hills of Home, a Civil War pastiche.
09:30 Its description of the pre-Civil War South is a resounding and chilling reminder that
09:34 not much had changed in the years between the war and the anti-Semitic campaign against
09:38 Leo Frank.
09:39 It's practically impossible not to feel goosebumps when the opening song comes back
09:43 around to haunt us in the end.
09:58 Number 12.
09:59 Somewhere That's Green Reprise, Little Shop of Horrors.
10:16 Seymour the timid flower shop employee is traded in his morals for fame and the girl
10:20 of his dreams, all thanks to an exotic, man-eating plant.
10:24 But the tables turn in the last act when the plant ends up mortally wounding Audrey, his
10:28 now-fiancé.
10:30 As she dies, Audrey reprises her tender and beloved song about the perfectly ordinary
10:34 suburban life she's always longed for.
10:37 Her realization that she and Seymour can still have that if he feeds her to his plant is
10:41 absurd and poetic.
10:52 Even the most ordinary life is out of her reach.
11:19 Number 11.
11:20 I'm Not That Girl Reprise, Wicked.
11:26 The complicated friendship at the heart of Wicked is tested by a few challenging circumstances.
11:32 Apart from their clashing wardrobes and political extremism, Glinda and Elphaba have feelings
11:37 for the same guy.
11:42 But when it becomes clear that Elphaba is the one he loves, Glinda's take on her song
11:53 "I'm Not That Girl" becomes a short but poignant emotional counterpoint.
12:00 It's the tipping point for her.
12:10 Glinda's come a long way from being the popular girl at Shiz Academy who was sure to have
12:14 a happy ending.
12:15 Now she's not sure who she is.
12:24 Number 10.
12:25 Joanna Quartet, Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
12:40 With the murderous barber's deadly revenge plot in motion, the eerie love song performed
12:45 by Anthony in the first act reappears.
12:47 The various plot lines in the musical unfold in this reprise.
12:51 Characterized by starts and stops as the perspective shifts, Sweeney expresses his grief over his
12:56 lost wife and daughter, who he doesn't realize is living in the sadistic Judge Turpin's
13:01 house.
13:07 He also doesn't realize the woman Anthony is in love with is his daughter Joanna, who
13:11 in turn is being driven mad by her captivity in an asylum.
13:25 The beggar woman shouting that the city's on fire just adds to the suspense.
13:29 If everyone could talk to each other, the whole thing could be figured out.
13:32 But that's what makes good drama.
13:51 Number 9.
13:52 We do hear the people sing reprise, Les Miserables.
14:07 Jean Valjean's journey from a lowly prisoner to a fugitive from the law to a noble and
14:12 honest Christian is finally complete.
14:14 On his deathbed, he's guided to the afterlife by every character who died during the show.
14:19 In Les Miserables, that's about the population of a small country.
14:34 The song's revolutionary anthem, "Do You Hear the People Sing?"
14:37 rings through the rafters as Valjean joins them on the other side.
14:41 Though the lyrics originally described a better world for the poor and destitute of France,
14:45 it takes on a new and haunting meaning in the finale.
14:48 The better world, it turns out, would not be found on Earth, but in the afterlife.
15:04 Number 8.
15:05 "I Ask of You Reprise," "The Phantom of the Opera."
15:22 Terrorized once again by the Phantom who is obsessed with her, Christine flees to the
15:26 roof of the Paris Opera and her admirer Raoul pursues her.
15:30 But the Phantom appears after they profess their love to one another and exit.
15:34 Heartbroken, then burning with rage, the Phantom swears bloody revenge on both.
15:46 This culminates with the Phantom's sabotage of the huge chandelier in the theater.
15:50 The tone of the show changes completely in this one moment.
15:54 What starts out as a gothic mystery about an obsessive romance becomes a game of cat
15:58 and mouse between the Phantom, Raoul, and Christine.
16:21 Number 7.
16:28 "Climb Every Mountain Reprise," "The Sound of Music."
16:32 Maria does what any of us would do if we thought we were in love with someone.
16:36 She flees the scene.
16:37 But the novice's nun mentor, the Mother Abbas, convinces her to face her feelings with a
16:41 rousing song about reaching your dreams.
16:44 "Climb Every Mountain" reappears at the triumphant finale as Maria and the von Trapp family escape
16:49 from the Nazis and cross the Alps into Switzerland.
16:59 In the show, the nuns form a chorus and reprise the Mother Abbas' song.
17:03 In the 1965 film, it's sung by a chorus of singers in voiceover.
17:08 But no matter who sings it, the tune that scores the family's triumph is a profoundly
17:12 moving and uplifting note to leave on.
17:28 Number 6.
17:29 "Tonight Quintet," "West Side Story."
17:36 Tony and Maria's driving song after their romantic meeting on the fire escape comes
17:40 back at the end of the first act, when all the characters' destinies are colliding.
17:50 "West Side Story" is a musical all about competing desires.
17:53 The Jets and the Sharks want nothing more than to obliterate the other.
17:57 Tony and Maria want to be together despite their differing backgrounds.
18:01 Maria's brother Bernardo and his girlfriend Anita want to protect his sister.
18:20 The "Tonight Quintet" dramatizes these competing forces in this explosive reprise,
18:24 with five timelines converging on the potentially deadly rumble between the gangs.
18:40 Number 5.
18:41 "Memory Reprise," "Cats."
18:42 If you're only familiar with this long-running musical's biggest number, you might be shocked
19:00 to learn the most popular version of it is technically the reprise.
19:04 The mournful ballad is first heard at the end of Act 1, but reappears at the end of
19:08 the show when Grizabella the Glamour Cat makes her last plea to be accepted by the other
19:12 Jellicle cats.
19:21 Her song is so moving that she's chosen among all her fellow cats to journey to the mystical
19:26 Heaviside lair.
19:28 Memory's lyrics of woe and faded youth are stirring, and they leave plenty of room for
19:32 interpretation from performer to performer.
19:35 It's also one of the few songs in the show that allows for real depth of feeling.
19:59 Number 4.
20:05 "One Reprise," "A Chorus Line."
20:08 Throughout the classic Tony-winning musical, we meet several dancers auditioning for a
20:11 chance to be in the ensemble of a new show.
20:14 Their stories of what they sacrifice for their dancing are funny and heartbreaking.
20:18 However, it's hard to say how happy the ending is for those who are cast.
20:33 At the end, as the reprise of "One" plays out, each individual dancer becomes swallowed
20:37 up by the whole.
20:39 Their bodies and identities become lost on stage.
20:42 Despite being such distinctive personalities before, we realize they've been fighting
20:46 for a chance to become a part of one indiscernible mass.
21:04 Number 3.
21:05 "You'll Never Walk Alone" reprise, "Carousel."
21:18 One of this controversial musical's most memorable songs, "You'll Never Walk Alone,"
21:22 is a tearful reminder of hope, compassion, and connection in troubled times.
21:27 Its first appearance in the show is effective, sung when the callous carnival barker Billy
21:31 Bigelow dies in a robbery attempt.
21:34 But the reprise at the end of the show tugs even harder at the heartstrings.
21:48 Forced to watch his child grow up in a shadow of shame, Billy's spirit is only able to find
21:53 peace when he helps his daughter see that she can depend on others.
21:56 This emotional reprise is a big reason why the song is still a standard today.
22:13 Number 2.
22:14 "I'll Cover You" reprise, "Rent."
22:25 Originally presented as a touching love song between Collins and Angel, "I'll Cover You"
22:29 is essentially their vows to each other.
22:32 Once Angel dies in the second act, the song comes around again as Collins grieves the
22:36 life they might have had.
22:51 Though he's surrounded by the rest of their friends during the scene, he still somehow
22:55 seems so alone as he repeats the promises they made to each other.
22:59 What was once an upbeat pop song turns into a down-tempo, soulful ballad, nested inside
23:03 a reprise of the show's signature number, "Seasons of Love."
23:22 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
23:26 "Everybody's Got the Right" reprise, "Assassins."
23:29 A group of malcontents explains their reasons for turning to political violence.
23:33 "Everybody's got the right to some sunshine.
23:39 Not the sun, but maybe one of its beams, one of its beams."
23:45 "As Long as He Needs Me" reprise, "Oliver."
23:48 The hopelessly devoted Nancy makes a sacrifice.
23:53 "As Long as He Needs Me, I know where I must be."
24:02 "How to Wash a Check" reprise, "Kimberly Akimbo."
24:05 A group of unlikely teenage criminals go over their scheme.
24:18 The "Beauty Is" reprise, "The Light in the Piazza."
24:21 An overbearing mother has a change of heart.
24:39 "Road to Hell" reprise, "Hadestown."
24:41 This song ends the show back where it started, telling the same story forever.
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25:12 "Sunday" reprise, "Sunday in the Park with George."
25:16 "So much love in his words, forever with his cars."
25:29 The song "Sunday" first appears at the end of Act 1, as the painter Georges Seurat
25:33 arranges the ensemble into a tableau of the famous painting that inspired the show.
25:51 It's a haunting, echoing piece of music that ranks among composer Stephen Sondheim's best.
25:56 Staging the show's themes of immortality through art, the final number sees the characters
26:00 from the first act return to resume their positions in the painting.
26:19 Once again, the artist creates harmony and perfect balance in the world through his painting,
26:23 as the song echoes through the theater, seeming to go on forever.
26:43 Let us know which reprise made you most emotional in the comments below.
26:56 [music]