musical theater moments that live rent free in my mind

Would you believe I made this as an editing exercise? It’s also an accurate compilation of musical theater moments that have been stuck in my head at all times recently. Obviously this is just a blatant violation of copyright law, but I’ve done my best to cite performances below and I feel like the musical theater community is pretty loose about this kind of thing (except Lin Manuel Miranda, no one tell him I made this please).
“Minstrel March / Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey!” from The Scottsboro Boys by John Kander and Fred Ebb, performed at the 2011 Tony Awards by the Original Broadway Cast.
“Why We Tell The Story” from Once On This Island by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, performed for Project Sing Out! by Lea Salonga, Saycon Sengbloh, Jordan Fischer, LaChanze, and others.
“Who I’d Be” from Shrek: The Musical by Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire, performed by Sutton Foster, Brian d’Arcy James, and Daniel Breaker on Broadway (filmed by RadicalMedia, currently available on Netflix).
“Bad Idea” from Waitress by Sara Bareilles, performed by Shoshana Bean and Jeremy Jordan.
“Andy’s Song” by Joe Iconis, performed by George Salazar on April 13th, 2018 for Two Player Game, their cabaret show at 54 Below.
“I’m Breaking Down” from Falsettos by William Finn, performed by Stephanie J. Block in 2017 at Lincoln Center, filmed for PBS (and available to watch legitimately on BroadwayHD).
“You Could Drive A Person Crazy” from Company by Stephen Sondheim, performed by Susan Browning, Pamela Myers, and Donna McKechnie. (Filmed by D.A. Pennebaker for Original Cast Album: Company, a documentary which is only available for purchase on Amazon as a DVD that costs $90.65.)
“What Do You Know About Love?” from Frozen by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, performed by Jelani Alladin and Aisha Jackson for the October 7th, 2019 Broadway Princess Party at 54 Below.
“Fine” from Ordinary Days by Adam Gwon, performed by Santino Fontana and Jessica Fontana on April 8th, 2013 at 54 Below.
“Legally Blonde (Remix)” from Legally Blonde by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin, performed by the Original Broadway Cast in September 2007 for broadcast by MTV.
“I Can Do Better Than That” from The Last Five Years by Jason Robert Brown, performed by Cynthia Erivo at Elsie Fest 2016.
“Chant” from Hadestown by Anaïs Mitchell, performed by the Original Broadway Cast (I think?).
“The Ladies Who Lunch” from Company, performed by Audra McDonald for Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration.
“You Gotta Die Sometime” from Falsettos, performed by Andrew Rannells in 2017 at Lincoln Center, filmed for PBS.
“Maybe (Next to Normal)” from Next to Normal by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, performed by Jennifer Damiano on Broadway, July 18th, 2010.
“Absolution” from Bare: The Musical by Damon Intrabartolo and Jon Hartmere, performed by Taylor Trensch in 2012 at New World Stages.
“What The Heck I Gotta Do” from 21 Chump Street by Lin Manuel Miranda, performed by Anthony Ramos on June 7th, 2014 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Filmed for This American Life.
“A Day in Falsettoland” from Falsettos, performed by Tracie Thoms in 2017 at Lincoln Center, filmed for PBS.
“Forget About It” from Hercules by Alan Menken and David Zippel, performed by Krysta Rodriguez and Jelani Alladin in September of 2019 at 54 Below.
“Find My Way (Finale)” from Legally Blonde, performed by the Original Broadway Cast in September 2007 for broadcast by MTV.
“Agony” from Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim, performed by Laura Osnes, Corey Cott, and Jeremy Jordan for the June 25th, 2018 Broadway Princess Party at 54 Below. Arrangement by Jason Howland.
“The Lady Is A Tramp” from Babes in Arms by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, performed by Ethan Slater for Broadway Backwards 2018.
“Commencing In Chattanooga” from The Scottsboro Boys, performed at the 2011 Tony Awards by the Original Broadway Cast.
“Head Over Heels” from Head Over Heels by The Go-Go’s, performed by the Original Broadway Cast at some point during its Broadway run (2018? 2019?).
“I Could Be Jewish For You” by Nikko Benson, performed by Barrett Wilbert Weed for Freilich & Benson Split The Keys at the 2013 New York Musical Theater Festival.
“Who’s Crazy / My Psychopharmacologist And I” from Next to Normal, performed by Brian d’Arcy James on Broadway, July 18th, 2010.
“The Ballad of Czolgosz” from Assassins by Stephen Sondheim, performed by Neil Patrick Harris on Broadway in 2004.
“Mama Will Provide” from Once On This Island, performed by Alex Newell for the Broadway revival cast recording in 2017.
Note: there are two clips from "Forget About It" because that song slaps from start to finish, and the tag is "I'm Breaking Down" from Falsettos again.

[@Gemaryl23]

Falsettos being in this multiple times but Christian borle being in this only through legally blonde is really funny

[@nicolecada9997]

i agrée

[@paulamusik2509]

What is with Something rotten? He got a TONY for it!

[@Eveoriginalsinner]

@@nicolecada9997 lmaooo

[@uploxy5341]

I’m a simple person. I see Andrew Rannells, *I click.*

[@emmalane4482]

Your a simple person I relate to

[@MusicAsMission]

Saaaaame.

[@jane_wants_to_feel]

that's why i'm here

[@h3arts..4morg]

literally me though

[@the-amazing-karnak]

Same

[@rainlmao]

why on god's green earth would you put falsettos, next to normal & bare right after one another? are you trying to kill me?

[@Jackie-Frac]

hahah I figured better to group the sad songs but in hindsight I see how that was cruel!

[@drpigglesnuudelworte5209]

@@Jackie-Frac it was pure evil :(

[@chanceanding4284]

Bare got to me

[@Oli.V]

Followed IMMEDIATELY by 21 chump street, iconic behavior

[@HappilyAfterEver]

I unapologetically love Shrek the Musical and nothing can stop me. edit: Did you really just put George Salazar directly following Jeremy Jordan? I'm hyperventilating.

[@nkjmeh]

SHREK THE MUSICAL FOREVER 😂👑

[@sincewhen9752]

THE EDIT 😭 SAME-

[@katie-kb6qd]

shrek the musical is so unnecessarily amazing i love it sm

[@kalynnharrington6541]

It’s FANTASTIC!! The harmonies are just..... *cry*

[@barrymcmullen3339]

Shrek the musical is brilliant! If you're British it actually plays like a high budget Panto! Who I'd Be and When Words Fail are all time ballads for me and Lord Farquards tiny leg dance number is fantastic! I wouldn't even lump it in with the guilty pleasures, it's just a total joy!

[@aspenadams1633]

Just out here to say shrek is underrated as a musical. So much of the music is great and I feel like it’s overlooked because it’s a meme. Alternatively it had a fandom and I’m just late

[@swagwanhyung8413]

My class went to a small production of Shrek the Musical and it was so good!!! After that, i saw that it was on Netflix and j fell in love with it more!! It is so underrated! But for some reason I prefer the small prod i saw (it was so funny!!)

[@aspenadams1633]

@@swagwanhyung8413 it was the first big show I saw and I saw the U.K. tour and I wish I’d known to appreciate it more

[@lordoftheducks332]

Shrek was the first Musical i ever saw, so it has a special place in my heart

[@minaisfab17]

thank yoooooooouuuuuuu. Sick of people bashing it ;-;

[@mrtompinney]

THANK YOU FOR SAYING IT. Shrek is so easily one of the most underrated musicals in modern Broadway. My go-to audition song as of late has been “Who I’d Be.”

[@NickSquaredTV]

I like to picture you watching Whizzer die and then say, "well, that was catchy"

[@justalana7676]

Me: a non theatre kid who just loves musicals reading the comments and wondering who Saladbar is

[@celialouisseee2168]

:')

[@saoirsecollins2712]

George? Salazar?

[@wormrights883]

Same lmao

[@theironichipstersarehere]

Same here lmao

[@ryleespencer212]

I'm very glad that this video is Rent free

[@Jackie-Frac]

i always know god is punishing me if a song from rent gets stuck in my head

[@amarijackson9270]

um tf rents amazing

[@Jackie-Frac]

@@amarijackson9270 'tis mostly a joke! (the title of this video says "rent free") tbh i personally am not a huge fan of rent - i find the story to be kinda frustrating and the lyrics to be cringy at points. lindsay ellis has a good video essay about rent that i mostly agree with! but also, i know all the words to most of the songs so take my endorsement of criticisms with a grain of salt lol

[@amarijackson9270]

Jackie Ferro i’ll watch it i just love it so much for the lesbianism but i’ll watch the video essay!

[@Jackie-Frac]

@@amarijackson9270 hahah that's extremely valid!

[@flynnspencer5513]

21 chump street AND hadestown AAAAAAAND the last 5 years! you have taste!

[@flynnspencer5513]

AND JEREMY JORDAN AHHHH

[@Jackie-Frac]

​@@flynnspencer5513 Jeremy and Jelani Alladin have the smoothest voices, I would like to listen to them until I die

[@psiamnotdrunk]

Oh, L5Y. I retract my earlier comment. I was distracted by ARMS

[@the-amazing-karnak]

And Falsettos

[@mars-nf9cj]

You’re right, you gotta die sometime is catchy, if by catchy you mean rips your heart out and runs it through a paper shredder right in front of you

[@fallinallinval]

ELLE WOODS PROPOSING IS WHAT I LIVE FOR THANK U FOR INCLUDING IT

[@nicolecada9997]

LITERALLY SAME

[@yee-raplantar-maximoff4318]

I live for Elle Woods in general 🤣

[@syworld82]

That moment when Audra realizes she wasn’t supposed to go that high is iconic.

[@agreenpar]

Okay, say what you will about Shrek, but like, that score is a complete bop through and through.

[@Grace-my6vu]

I love George Salazar so much. He is good at everything he does. And sounds amazing singing everything.

[@adriannawelch7670]

I know right

[@thedramaclub2198]

100% correct

[@teller1229]

I actually saw that live! He was amazing and super nice. He came over and talked to my friend and I because he saw the “Apocalypse of the Damned” shirt my bud had designed.

[@jackickingandsobbing1742]

He looks like a middle aged woman

[@conEH3ad]

Was George Salazar in these clips??

[@meggypeggy9142]

That ending song in Legally Blonde makes me cry so much it's not even funny

[@Linmanuelwellwell]

Christian Borle is literally the cutest human on the planet. He was such a perfect and amazing Emmett

[@chiara.i]

i very much agree😌

[@nicolecada9997]

YESSS

[@spoopy3963]

7:43 I love when women prepose in opposite sex relationships. It’s a nice switch of gender roles

[@laurelheck5774]

He has the best reaction to it too

[@alstronomer]

whats this show called

[@spoopy3963]

@@alstronomer Legally Blonde, i think

[@milliemilsom1199]

the amount of falsettos in here is *chefs kiss*

[@charleydowson5747]

honestly seeing barrett in here for something OTHER than heathers or mean girls is amazing

[@cocoisme4668]

Hadestown, falsettos, frozen, ordinary days, aNd BROADWAY PRINCESS PARTY?? i love you.

[@EpsilonA789]

the audible sobs during next to normal is sending me

[@MLOB96]

The way Jeremy Jordan's eyebrows always slope up just makes me so happy.

[@maxfischel7174]

I love how in the Next To Normal clip you can hear the people in the theatre crying. It really sums up the vibe of that scene fjshgfhjdsf

[@lucyrose2381]

hearing the audience crying with you in next to normal is my favourite pass time

[@Leah-ch3ji]

Me patiently waiting for hadestown: Then realizing you’d have to post the full bootleg to capture the beauty

[@maehadid9504]

Don’t lie at one point in your life you admitted you were a theater kid but said “I’m not a weird theater kid”

[@IWillBeHers]

I'd listen to Audra, Meryl, and Christine sing the dictionary.

[@tattie.b8594]

The holy trinity of powerful theatre women

[@yee-raplantar-maximoff4318]

I’d listen to any theatre singer sing the dictionary.

[@ampersandcastle1091]

I see Andrew Rannells/Falsettos, I click

[@live4beauty1]

The line that gets me from my psychopharmacologist and I is “they say love is blind, but believe me...love is insane.” Chills.

[@milo7431]

in the Agony trio at 8:25 , the “woe”s always kill me. it’s wonderful and I can’t get enough of that performance, it’s just so good

[@readaholic12]

Honestly I'm so here for the un-ironic love of Shrek the Musical

[@Caitlin409]

4:22 was literally about to comment about cynthia's arms gOOD LORD

[@wittyblonde6728]

They are magnificent 🥲 I want arms like that tbh.

[@qelizabeth_i_5013]

k i haven't watched yet but... i can't be the only one who saw "rent free" and was like "hah... RENT"

[@bcboik_luigi]

Shrek the Musical might be a meme, but I really love it 👌🏻 Edit: Ethan Slater is also so INCREDIBLE

[@9206156175]

Meme musicals get a bad rep but like consider the fact that they're ridiculous and still made it to broadway. If they were truly bad and irredeemable they would have been panned long before they made it there.

[@adriannawelch7670]

@@9206156175 agreed

[@emmajensen6548]

ETHAN SLATER FAN CLUB RISE UP

[@TigerPrawn_]

I swear the best stuff happens at 54 below

[@julie-annoudshoorn5300]

Faxxxx

[@desaravladasi2062]

IM BREAKING DOWN SCARES ME WITH HOW GOOD IT IS

[@artofava]

since when was shrek the musical a meme give shrek the musical the respect it deserves

[@summer_the_rae]

the fact that you started off with scottsboro boys (a hella underrated show) made me like immediately

[@libby0512]

ok shrek the musical literally changed my life and i will always love it so much even tho it’s crazy

[@thepinkus27]

I'm a simple person. I see Falsettos in the thumbnail, and I click.

[@maddieB2023]

Shrek the Musical is my guilty pleasure. It's a banger soundtrack full of talented people.

[@9206156175]

Bdj is a gem. I think him and james monroe-eglehart would the greatest duet of all time

[@kiarramay9220]

THE WAY MY EYES LIT UP WHEN SHOSHANA BEAN CAME ON MY SCREEN. SHOSHANA BEAN BEST JENNA

[@gianagrace5262]

LOVING the Jeremy Jordan representation in here

[@jaspersmith4835]

what musical is the ‘ i don’t need a girlfriend i’ve got a goldfish’ part from?

[@Jackie-Frac]

It's called "Andy's Song" - it was written by Joe Iconis for a musical adaptation of The 40 Year Old Virgin that never happened, but he and George Salazar performed it (and recorded a studio version!) for their cabaret show 2 Player Game.

[@emmagill6237]

@@katrealz it was my most listened song of 2021 lol

[@Yourl0calvillain]

I'll buy a pizza to whomever can time stamp all these musicals thankkk youuu

[@renaerolley5670]

I'll chip in if they'll tell me what they are as well! Love some of them but I have no idea how to find them.

[@ajaxoan]

THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING SCOTTSBORO BOYS NO ONE LOVES THAT SHOW ENOUGH

[@kenziebritton3580]

I unironically LOVE the Shrek musical. Some of my favorite vocal moments and acting moments come from that musical

[@pridmoreproductions3622]

Who I’d Be is one of my favorite songs of all time, and the fact that BDJ is in it makes it so amazing!

[@chris_rasmussen]

yes!

[@isabelpenn4887]

Thats like the only moment in Shrek I truly enjoy every time! As someone who's done that show the arrangements and vocals really shine

[@isabelpenn4887]

Also pointing out Erivo's arms like I wasn't already distracted by her incredible physique

[@LilithGrace13]

Once on this Island is so underrated! My school performed it my senior year (I was head costumer) and I loved every song! The people who were cast were so amazing and our leads sounded just like the original revival cast. It needs more recognition and I see no one really talk about it. I'm so glad you put momma will provide on this list. 😊

[@ilahlundgren]

Which one of these songs is from that musical? I just wanna know if I would I like the music or watch it lol

[@josephmartin8148]

@@ilahlundgren ik this is late, but that second song “and I hope that you will tell this tale tomorrow...” is from the show. Mama will provide is also from the show. “Walk with me little girl and I’ll take you far...”

[@ThePrincessImari]

The person you don't recognize in the clip of Once On This Island is Saycon Sengbloh, the first Black Elphaba, and bonafied Broadway and TV star in her own right

[@Jackie-Frac]

updated accordingly! thank you!

[@LatinFratGuy1]

She was INCREDIBLE as elphaba!

[@candyzombiee]

we really gonna be out here appreciating how legally blonde lets the girl propose 😌

[@the_air_is_thick_with_magi6880]

Finally someone talking about Once on this Island!!!!

[@ZaharaGamez]

Yesssss. My current musical theatre was obc for the 2017 revival cast! She was mama Euralie.

[@m1ssw1z61]

7:15 Legit thought you were going to show the next line, as it's amazing. "You save lives and I save chicken fat, I CAN'T FUCKING DEAL WITH THAT!"

[@pineapplesongs]

george salazar is a literal angel

[@NickofMusic]

Best bdj performance goes to him returning as Dan in next to normal .... ICONIC

[@Jackie-Frac]

Absolutely agree, Dan is an iconic role! As someone who has never seen a live performance of N2N and came to love it mostly through the cast recording, I do really like J. Robert Spencer's performance too. Shrek to me feels a little more uniquely BdJ's!

[@victoriagalante6615]

Yesss Once on This Island!! I had the honor of seeing the OBC and omg Head Over Heels yes yes thank you for this

[@ZaharaGamez]

My current musical theatre teacher was OBC in 2017!!!!

[@Obby004]

I just wanna say thank you so much for listing the clips and crediting them in the description. It’s really helpful for a new theater nerd and not a lot of people do it.💗💗💗

[@alenaharper3765]

Those Broadway kiss scenes are on a whole other level than my high school’s musicals 🤭😳

[@IfIHadMyTimeAgain]

Finally some love for Andy's Song!

[@SusieRed]

Now these have moved into my mind and I'm never evicting them!! Thank you!!!

[@ginny1857]

Okay but the sound mixing on this video is insanely good! So smoooooooth!!!

[@Jackie-Frac]

Oh thank you!

[@elizabethbryce9882]

Shrek may be a meme but i feel like it’s one of the best movie to stage musicals there is

[@AF-ie5mk]

Commencing in Chattanooga always makes me cry so thank you for that Also I've been weirdly obsessed with Czolgosz' song and the harmony at the end of the Legally Blonde finale for ages so thank you for this compilation which caters directly to me Also also thank you for including a Nikko Benson song!!

[@katestensrud7902]

FINALLY someone puts ordinary days in

[@juliatrojan9889]

Thank you for The Scottsboro Boys!

[@b3z3jm3nny]

Thank you for being so detailed in citing where each clip came from!

[@Jackie-Frac]

Of course! Glad it was appreciated!

[@chris_rasmussen]

i’ve been on a shrek the musical binge and specially really love ‘who i’d be’. i really did not expect to see it let alone any shrek the musical in this video. Bravo!

[@ImNotOdd]

FINALLY A COMPANY CLIP IN ONE OF THESE VIDEOS!!!

[@vidiaplays]

“Excuse me are those LESBIANS?!” Had me DYING 😭💛

[@laurynhylton3734]

your taste IMPECCABLE

[@leahs174]

i’m a simple theatre kid. i hear ordinary days, i like.

[@Totorh03]

A Santino Fontana moment that lives in my mind rent free is him sing "UTI" in "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend"

[@psiamnotdrunk]

You have ABOVE PAR taste, friend. And no LMM, which also means you have restraint. Well played.

[@wickedfan811]

Audra one has to be my favourite performance from Sondheim's birthday concert

[@katiee4396]

literally all of these moments are iconic

[@KeirstynSecord]

Seeing Shoshana and Jeremy in Waitress in NYC was and will always be my life’s biggest accomplishment.

[@taylorbarrett3767]

Shrek the musical is SO FREAKING GOOD and BDJ is one of my musical theatre heroes-he's so so good in this role!

[@LuckyWhat]

i can't believe a compilation actually included bare, literally one of the most amazing musicals and has been my favorite for YEARS but i've never seen it shown ANYWHERE, ughhh

[@sambelding9598]

you have incredible taste and I agree with all of these

[@2ndOfAKind]

That "anything" transition was very well done.

[@kitkatqueen321]

I want that moment when they all sing together at 8:27 played in a loop for the rest of my life, it's so good!

[@AARONSINGSBROADWAY]

This made my day xxx giving me lots of ideas for my musical theatre song every day challenge xxx

[@bkbk9825]

this show was out of this world good. so lucky to have caught it, Susan Stroman such a genius.

[@racismisntanopinion2591]

"Enough sad" and then u make me remember THAT?? That musical broke my heart

[@saskiamckenna2925]

LIVING for this Head over Heels rep

[@rici05]

Can we talk about the fact that Anthony freaking gorgeous Ramos is the only man on earth, who is allowed to make me cry twice a day. He is such a good actor and singer! His music is SO good and I can't watch Hamilton or anything else without fangirling so hard - it's not normal anymore

[@mychaelahuckaby4995]

Laura Osnes and Jeremy Jordan singing Agony is legit my favorite video of all time. its just AGHHHH SOOO GOODDDDD!!!!!!!!!!

[@RChaha]

the sniffling in Next to Normal is such a fucking mood.

[@shannonricker]

sometimes i forget i love musical theater and then i watch things like this and sob

[@depressedgay427]

I was just in shrek and the people who sang who I’d be are only 14,13 and 18 but they were absolutely amazing. Abby, Gabe and Joel, you guys are awesome

[@isabellecottam1037]

love the combination of THAT thumbnail with THAT title

[@crashvds777]

Just here to say that I love Jeremy Jordan and he is an amazing human. If I ever got to sing with him I’d probably just pass out. How do any of his singing partners concentrate? Also: THAT BLENDING

[@isabellevasquez7433]

The sobbing noises during the next to normal clip is my sole mood. Also where are the princess lesbians from

[@elweir9984]

Omgosh I was so excited to see Ordinary Days “Fine” on here! I’m in this show and it opens tomorrow!!

[@RoyalVibezOnly]

8:08 - "I love this woman...and down" killed me.

[@shireen2296]

The captions in this video, make the clips so much better! 😂🤣

[@linnycrocus6023]

Hi...I thought Andrew Rannelis was just Elijah from Girls and now I feel so ignorant for not knowing how incredible he was

[@LatinFratGuy1]

The Book of Mormon?

[@Chlo255]

He’s absolutely iconic, he was also Elder Price, Hedwig, and Link Larkin

[@lianatai]

AH breaking down is so GOOD falsettos is my fav musical and underappreciated