I Want Songs (Part 3) - The Songs

[@MadameChristie]

how about an episode on thematic reoccurrence? When composers reuse or reuse melodies from earlier in the show like Les Mis or Sweeney Todd.

[@AbraminWonderland]

That's a really great idea

[@thechoripankiller]

yeah those are motifs, they come from the opera. basically they represent something on a play (a character, a feeling) and composers uses them to enhance that. for example in Rent each time mimi or roger need to say somesomro but decide not to, they sing the "I should tell you motif" which is used a lot. then the motif gets resolved at the very end when she finally says "I love you". regarding how to write and use them, that requires musical theory

[@icepickramone4699]

KZbinr Make Stuff has a great video on this subject, specifically in relation to Hamilton, and I'd like to see someone go in depth with this subject in relation to other shows.

[@newsiesforever208]

@Barbra Bear And during Meek Shall Inherit, at the very beginning, you can hear a bit of Mushnik and Son.

[@katie3603]

Leitmotifs!

[@midgetwthahacksaw]

For me, the best "I want" song is "Out There" from the Disney version of "Hunchback of Notre-Dame". It's a song about wanting a Thing: social acceptance. To be apart of the bigger world and to walk freely within that world. It's probably one of the LEAST selfish "wants" in all of Disney. There are other good ones too but, there is something so pure and heartfelt about "Out there" that I just find so . . . simple but grand. I really love it!

[@michaelbeaudoin1518]

This might be a stretch, but maybe you could look into villain songs? I find villains incredibly interesting, especially when they have compelling motivations for why they are so evil.

[@annadau8612]

+Michael Beaudoin Hard question but who is your favorite villain? :)

[@michaelbeaudoin1518]

+Anna Hanson hmmmmm I would have to say Ursula the Sea Witch... Followed closely by Maleficent.They just love being evil so much! Lol How about you?

[@annadau8612]

Monsieur and Madame Thénardier from Les Miserables are at the top of my list. What other musicals do you like? :)

[@tomleonard830]

+Anna Hanson Does Judas count? from Jesus Christ Superstar? Because his arc in that movie is WAY more interesting than Jesus' arc.

[@michaelbeaudoin1518]

+Anna Hanson my top five are Pippin, Les Miserables, Wicked, Matilda and Next to Normal. Pretty much obsessed with these ones.. Lol I take it you enjoy Les Miserables too. What's your top five?

[@softmoxymuffin2351]

conclusion:: sondhiem writesthe best problematic fave 'i want' songs

[@AbbyGirlJ]

Something interesting to analyze could be the end of act one songs and how certain shows do a traditional big end of act one number and others subvert that with a smaller song for just one character or a few characters, and how that relates to the show as a whole?

[@DaveyJonesPewbacca]

I think it would be fun for someone to deconstruct how The Room Where It Happens from Hamilton (arguably Burr's I Want song) fits into this analysis. The "Room Where It Happens" while framed literally with Ham, Jefferson, and Madison making big decisions, is also a concept in Burr's mind. I don't know, just something to think about

[@newsiesforever208]

I want songs in tragedies are interesting, because they go in 3 ways. And the best way I'm going to cover this is with my favorite musical, Little Shop of Horrors. 1. It goes wrong. Grow For Me, as mentioned earlier, is an I want song. But the plant growing ends in him doing numerous crimes, and losing "the only thing I ever loved," as well as his own life. 2. It comes true in a twisted way. Somewhere That's Green may not be the main characters I want song, but it's close (considering Audrey's the deuteragonist). She does go somewhere that's green, just that it's the stomach of a plant. 3. It doesn't come true. Part of Skid Row is an I want song (the please won't somebody say I'll get out of here segment), and they certainly don't get out of there.

[@MattVargas]

You got what you wanted. That closer had me shed a tear.

[@silverwolf365]

What makes a hit musical a hit? There are so many underrated musicals out there that deserve recognition but don't and so many hits that you question why they're even popular. So what are the commonalities and differences between hit shows and flops?

[@montsegrsm5]

Oh I forgot to say in my last comment that I LOVED this 3-part series!! Thanks so much for making it, your channel is so special, keep at it! And as for suggestions for future videos, I've always wondered about musical adaptations, from books, movies, or TV shows. How do composers, or anybody involved, know where a song fits? Or which part of the story would make a great musical number? 'Cause I found that sometimes these choices are brilliant! But some other times, they're terrible, so I guess I'd like to hear your take on it :)

[@rockabyebyebaby21]

+montsegrsm5 I was actually just considering this recently! The whole concept of watching a movie or reading a book or what have you and just deciding what's important enough to be sung is very interesting to me.

[@DramaQueenD]

+montsegrsm5 If you watch his Into the Woods film review it covers a few things about the difference in media forms like the musical and the film. It's very interesting and incredibly eloquent

[@waterbender2000]

This series was great! Can you comment on where my favorite musical Into the Woods fits into this? For "Into the Woods" I think there are actually 20 or so I want songs mashed together in the first act- like 7 in the intro (Jack, Jack's mom, Baker, Baker's Wife, witch, Cinderella, & Little Red Riding Hood); 1 for the wolf & 1 for Litte Red Riding Hood each in "Hello Little Girl"; 2 for Jack with cow & "Giants in the Sky" (Maybe); 3 for Cinderella with the tree, "A Very Nice Prince", and "Steps on the Palace;" 1 for the baker and 1 for his wife with "Maybe they're magic," 1 more for the wife with "A Very Nice prince,"; 1 for the witch and 1 more for Rapunzel in "Stay With Me,"; 1 and 1 for each prince in "Agony," --> 20-21 I want songs in the first act. Then in the second act, there is- 6 in "So Happy," again; 2 more in "Agony (Reprise); 1 and 1 for the baker's wife and prince in their song together and her own song; 1 for the witch in Last Midnight (I think); 1 for the baker in "No More"; and than that ending which is a song about accepting the need of wanting and wishing and journeying and ends with Cinderella's "I wish" --> 12 + finale. No other musical I've heard even comes close with this, and it definitely comments about wishing by portraying the journey and result as well as acknowledging the necessity to go into the woods- "You have to every now and then."

[@cutypie12]

I think it would be interesting to do a video on the phenomena of the "triple-threat" performer, and it came to be that an actor needs to be one to survive in the musical theatre world of today. :)

[@jenniferhiemstra5228]

cutypie12 I want (hahaha!) this...actually NEED this. Because it's kinda getting ridiculous how much ONE person is expected to do these days.

[@Samklein]

To my mind the most perfect example of everything you’ve talked about in 'I Want Songs' videos is the entire bench scene (as it’s known) in "Carousel". Here Julie and Billy meet almost for the first real time. Neither knows why except something is drawing them to each other. Then, first through "I’m Never Gonna Marry" and on to "If I Loved You", we see and hear them not only discover their desires, but begin to understand their wants and finally consummate their love with a kiss so passionate it propels the rest of the show. Is there any real equal in the musical theater cannon?

[@Beeevaaa]

Hey! Huge fan :) I would love to watch you talk about: I don't what what to call these but like, all those pre-climax songs like Quintet (West Side Story), One Day More (Les Mis), Walk Through The Fire (Once More, With Feeling), At The Opera Tonight (Repo), Savage (Pocaohntas), Hellfire (Hunchback), The Mob Song (BatB), Dead Girl Walking Reprise (Heathers), etc...

[@elizabethorley1049]

You had me at the Doctor Who reference. I love what you do!

[@enjolidesiree6804]

I'd like a video about drawbacks and advantages of narration in Musical Theatre; like the Narrator in Into the Woods, the Leading Player in Pippin, Che in Evita, etc

[@irenesacendoncillo3203]

The transitions are HILARIOUS!

[@jenniferhiemstra5228]

I watched EVERY single part and it's was fascinating as heck and how each specific song works for each specific character and how each KIND of song fits into the larger narrative of each show!

[@ReubsWalsh]

Here's what I want. I want to use musical theatre to make science more approachable. I love them both so much and I really think that the job of a scientist is first and foremost to inform and we do that very badly, whereas when I write music, the listener gets an insight that most 'normal' people don't gain by reading my more hard-science papers. Can we do that? Science-the musical on KZbin?

[@singingtheawesomenes]

history of belting!

[@GoddessOfWhim2003]

don't forget about Skid Row and Somewhere That's Green from Little Shop. Skid Row is Audrey and Seymour wanting to get out of their crumby lives. Seymour then has Grow For Me and Audrey has Somewhere That's Green, where she dreams of a perfect little house "far from Skid Row" where she and Seymour can be happy together. have you looked into animated musicals? that's how I got here, trying to find Belle from Beauty and the Beast's I Want Song. Howard Ashman said that the I Want song is also the "root for her" moment, where we fall in love with the leading lady and root for her to get what she wants. in over 20 years, I can't pin point that moment for Belle. is her reprise of the song Belle where she sings "I want adventure in the great, wide somewhere. I want it more than I can tell." or is it Something More where she starts to develop feelings for Beast.

[@ilovemydogapollo]

I was down in the comment section to say the same thing! ^_^

[@bubblesdraws7]

I was thinking the same thing about Little Shop! It's a struggle to dissect when a show has more than one I want song, especially when one character has more than one I want song about different things.

[@alexluber1832]

I always saw "Someone is Waiting" as Bobby's I want song in "Company." It fits your description of being after the inciting incident as, to me, the inciting incident of Company is Bobby's birthday party (the one that opens the show) as it causes him to examine himself and explore marriage for the entirety of the rest of the show. "Marry me a little" could be seen as a continuation of that "I want" song as "Someone is Waiting" shows that Bobby wants something more, Marry Me a Little shows that he wants marriage but none of the bad parts and finally "Being Alive" concludes that he wants the good and the bad parts of marriage. So, I guess Bobby has three "I want" songs throughout the show but "Someone is Waiting" fits into the traditional mold the best.

[@iliherr1417]

so glad you finally got around to the last part of these. I've loved seeing your take on these kind of songs.

[@Aivydluu]

I would love to see a series talking about key differences in structure between musicals from different time periods. You mentioned it a little in part 1 and I think it's definitely worth talking about at length.

[@rilayareads]

By golly, I was waiting for Being Alive, and I swear I screamed when you showed it. I totally agree. Thank you so much for posting these! They are so educational, and I love watching them. Thank you!!!

[@montsegrsm5]

I would also argue that 'One Song Glory' is not a comparative but a concrete I Want Song, even if it doesn't drive the whole story, or even Roger's individual story, he is expressing a concrete 'thing', everything else I wholeheartedly agree with, oh and thank you for using Shoshana Bean and Raul Esparza clips :D

[@aseasyash]

This video made me think of two songs and I went back and watched Parts 1 and 2 to check they weren't mentioned. 'I want to break free' and 'Wouldn't it be loverly'. I'd never given much thought to the trope before and I enjoyed doing so very much. Thanks for the opportunity!

[@28nickrogers]

As I write, I've been finding this series really helpful in deciding the trajectory I want my show to take. So, seriously, thank you!! It's helped a freaking ton!!

[@faethropp8194]

I have really enjoyed these I Want Song videos, they are really well put! the only thing I would say is that I don't really consider Grow for Me Seymour's I want song (or certainly not his most I Want Song). Maybe you were just including it to bolster your second category with more examples but Seymour's part in Skid Row is way more an I Want Song than Grow for Me. In it he says that he wants out of poverty and that he's willing to do anything to get it which includes, although he doesn't know it at the time, murder.

[@CoriSchimko]

You are like a walking textbook. I love this!

[@taylorbrett39]

Happy too see you used Imelda Staunton as Rose for an example. I was lucky to see her live!

[@laralovesbooks6833]

I loved this three part series and i would love to see a video about your top 10 most favorite and least favorite musicals and why that would be awesome!

[@lp8458]

I was just waiting for being alive! lol it's such a complicatedly beautiful I want Song! Definitely one of my favorites!

[@BrianFilmCo]

This was excellent! Really enjoyed this series! You should do an episode on the evolution and appeal of the Jukebox musical, and whether that is stifling creative new works. Thanks so much for these videos! I really enjoy theme

[@MSTe98]

It's what you wanted, a clever line for you, good sir.

[@MnMsandOreos]

Another weird I want song is Jesus's part in What's the Buzz from JC Superstar. Everyone else is telling him what they want, but what he wants is for them to just calm down. So his want is for everyone else to stop wanting. He also kind of has an I want song, or at least moment, at the end of the Temple when he tells everyone his temple should be a house of prayer rather than a den of thieves. Actually because it's the story of Jesus, a man who is famous for changing the world, the whole musical is like a giant I want song. Jesus spends a lot of time telling his disciples what he wants of them. Yeah. Idk just some food for thought

[@susanalopez5052]

MnMsandOreos also the weird thing with Jesus Christ superstar is that Judas arguably is the main character, even if it's Jesus' story we see Judas' point of view and his I want song could be heaven on their minds, but that is also the intruduction song, and it's also about wanting Jesus to calm down, It can get confusing but I think this just shows how complex the story is and how amazing of a musical webber and rice made

[@MnMsandOreos]

Oh absolutely! Typically when a musical or movie or whatever starts, the first character we see tends to be the main, so it's possible to consider Judas the main. I think it was smart to focus on Judas's point of view since everyone knows the story of Jesus and his basic point of view

[@albertolarios5240]

I love this kind of videos but my favorite video from you was the one where you compared all the Mrs. Lovetts by analyzing their way of acting the song, I don't know, maybe more vessels of this kind would be nice, maybe one comparing Raul Esparza, NPH and Dean Jones, Company is my favorite musical and as complicated as the songs are, trying to understand each actors interpretation of the character would be a challenge.

[@davidfathom3051]

I love that idea. One for the Roses of Gypsy would be amazing, too.

[@Laura-cv8rj]

YOU DESERVE A MILLION SUBSCRIBERS

[@hello99127]

I definitely *want* to second the requests for videos on villain songs and leitmotifs.

[@15acesplz15]

Super cool analysis, all of it!

[@margaret.rose.staedler]

As a person who loves analysis and is passionate about musical theater, I would just like to say THANK YOU! These are truly wonderful and I am never going to see "I want songs" the same ever again. Also, have you thought of looking into the double meanings within shows? Like when analyzing lyrics you find that a plot point is more than what the story says? For example, in "Seussical" Jojo is thought to be dead but is then resurrected by the cat. In "Solla Sollew" Jojo's verse/chorus talks about a better place, somewhere like "heaven", so what if Jojo actually died and the rest of the show is his "Solla Sollew"? How everything miraculously turns right in the end? It's just a thought.

[@rachaelmcintyre2686]

When you talked about existential comparison IWS "Valentine Candy or Boxing Gloves" from The Happiest Millionaire came to mind.

[@MechBlank]

I loved this series so much, A+ 10/10 would watch again As for suggestions for another series: something about movie adaptations of musicals - what makes them good, what makes them successful, what makes them neither of those things, how they've changed over the years, etc. There's a lot of potential there!

[@josephsecker402]

Great job! Loved all three. Keep it up. I just happen to find one of your videos and loved it.

[@petehill7280]

+Musical Theatre Mash Ever considered doing I Am Songs? Here I Have A Few Suggestions: A Wand'ring Minstrel I / I Am So Proud / Three Little Maids -- The Mikado I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major General -- The Pirates Of Penzance Jack's Lament -- The Nightmare Before Christmas I'm Not Smart / I Speak Six Languages -- The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Naughty -- Matilda

[@tomleonard830]

+Pete Hill "I am I, Don Quixote" - Man of Lamancha"I am Africa" - Book of Mormon

[@eduardocucick3334]

+Pete Hill would you say that Matilda's Naughty could be an example of simultaneously I Want and I Am song? She is not an expositive character, and she is in fact exposing herself through the stories and what she thinks. But it seems to me that the final verse could be interpreted as a "I want to change my story" kind of thing. Does it make any sense?

[@petehill7280]

Eduardo Pereira Most definitely.

[@benjaminwambeke9458]

Pete Hill I would also say that Jack's Lament is the I Want song for NBC. He's telling us who he is, but also what he wants, which is the unknown

[@FidesAla]

I Want songs and I Am songs are essentially the same thing, since, as he says, motivation is character. You can actually consider any "I Am" song that isn't an "I Want" song to be a song about "wanting" to stay the same...

[@meghanhayes17]

So glad this is up!!!

[@Maxride268]

Where do you guys think Heathers falls with this? I think the true I Want song is Seventeen, and it follows the pattern of coming after the inciting event- although it feels later in the arc of the story than the other examples of this category, but that might be because of how intense Heathers gets so quickly. The other song that might be the I Want is Fight For Me- taking place during the inciting incident and being a Humanist Convincing song

[@andrejnawoj8471]

(Company rant) I never noticed before, Amy's line in Being Alive that bridges her to her scene when she tells him to want SOMEbody, not just someBODY, transfers into her telling him to want SOMEthing. The amount of thoughtfulness in this show, you'd have to study each individual character and map out their lives if you wanted a proper grip and even then it'd be impossible to fully and utterly comprehend. This is the reason I can't understand high schools doing this show, it's too much to think about.

[@anthonyassadourian3604]

Great series

[@mattymariah]

One of the most amazing ‘I Want’ songs is Part of Your World. The song proper is Ariel longing to be human. The reprise is Ariel longing for Eric. The song progresses from one sort to another. And sets up the entire film.

[@erinwallace1029]

"Free" in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is probably my favorite "I want" song!

[@FereldenRefugee]

what's your take on sweeney todd i want songs? i'd be interested to hear what you think because of course sweeney wants revenge but then epiphany is more like "i want everyone including me to die" so would you say there's multiple protagonist i want songs?

[@davidalejandrosmith7376]

loved that series, man! Cool theories and research :)

[@AnnoyingGhostBat]

I've been binge watching your videos and I've learned A LOT, but I need to sleep man D:

[@h193013]

I knew Into the Woods would come up

[@ianpcorbett]

I'm still working through your back catalogue, so I may have missed some earlier coverage on this topic... if so, feel free to ignore this, but... I am a huge fan of villain songs. I'd love to see you give musical theater antagonists some attention.

[@fangirlfortheages5940]

I think being alive is sort of a retroactive I want song. It’s self discovery a little late

[@orangeearth7494]

HAPPY NEW YEAR

[@gregorykollarus8190]

I love this guy :) it's so much fun watching these videos. I don't necessarily always agree with him, but that's what makes the videos so much fun. It's Always interesting to hear other peoples thoughts on shows especially when they're well thought out

[@softmoxymuffin2351]

i really love your videos. i hope you do more of them. love from the Philippines :)

[@tylertafolla8319]

Love these videos! Definitely love that these look further into what makes musical theatre great. No one on youtube is really doing that right now and I love that you are. Love to see more videos from you about the structure of a musical and what works and what doesn't. That kind of stuff is so interesting to me and I'd love to see how you go about talking about stuff like plot and character and how it works cuz you seem like you know a whole lot. Keep up the good work! Also, I subscribed!!!

[@photocub]

And then there was that time you threw in a Doctor Who shout-out. Geek. HAHA. Love it.

[@ajaxbird2348]

Existential I Want songs are my favorite.

[@finnwest4521]

By the sea is an amazing I Want song

[@raulillan9138]

Great video!

[@Tremeishere]

Great video ! Really interesting.

[@sophialotus6833]

This is great!!

[@happyMOO5]

amazing!

[@Jos7h]

How about the 11-o'clock number? Usually featured after the climax. The conclusion/moral/diva number? Sometimes it's the finale (ala Roses Turn) or more traditional placement (Gimmie, gimmie, TMM) and in nontraditional placements, like Divas Lament. Or male 11's. Luck be a lady, words fail, etc.... ????

[@StacyMoscotti]

You had a RIVER SONG reference in your musical theatre video??? I didn’t know there was another person who would do that!!

[@bradleygladley]

Maybe you could do some videos on the different types of love/love songs that can be found in musical theatre? Just vomiting out an idea

[@tomleonard830]

If you're looking for ideas, how about ones comparing the different songs of a great writer/composer/producer? So you can talk about how Sondheim, R&H or Webber evolved over their career.

[@oliverhetherington-page1925]

I would love to hear why you think Musical Film adaptations struggle to reflect the success of the original stage production

[@TheSharbear14]

I think it would be interesting if you talked about different musical adaptations and the changes they make that do and don't work.

[@ChuchoBros24]

Wow this was really interesting, great video :D keep up the good work :)

[@ML-di8lt]

Oh! Sweet, sweet Raul....

[@jeffwong2002]

can't decide which version of your hair is better.

[@susanalopez5052]

what I find funny about part of your world (the BEST disney I want song there is imo) is that when ariel first sings it her want is a thing, to explore the outside world and the reprise is an I want song but niw her want is a person. In some way frozen also fits that too, in for the first time in forever anna wants to meet new people and find true love ans in the reprise what anna wants is elsas love and to be there for here. okay I'll stop now before I make an essay about disney princess I want songs and their reprises

[@That_Ozian]

I WANT TO BE IN THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENS!!

[@spencerpruitt9491]

The time change between act one and act two of shows

[@diegojimenez8757]

It would be really interesting to see a video on what original works that have on Broadway or off Broadway have come from. Or to hear your thoughts on what exactly qualifies as an original musical

[@dogvom]

I'd say Robert's real I Want song in _Company_ is "Someone Is Waiting".

[@TheJennaRose]

Just a side petty note- when talking about Little Shop, he called it a "cannibalistic plant" But it was eating humans, and being a cannibal is eating your own kind, and he wasn't eating a salad. Lol sorry, just something I thought of

[@TheBabysittersReview]

Can you do a video series or vlog of: the concept musical (i.e. Company), why the Tony's matter, how can musicals lose value/staying power/quality by being translated to the big screen (Mame, Chorus Line, Into the Woods, Les Miserables, On the Town etc), the breakdown of the traveling song, the breakdown of the formulaic ballads of Andrew Lloyd Weber and Rodgers & Hammerstein, and/or a comparison of the two greats of contemporary Broadway: ALW and Stephen Sondheim. Is that enough ideas for you?

[@aFangirlsVideoMania]

I feel like Skid Row works more as an I Want song, which establishes what the entirety of Skid Row wants-something to save them from their poverty.

[@rile6073]

I think it would be interesting if you took a look at what is traditionally called, "The 11 o'clock Number" both history and use. If for no other reason than the fact that ,even after 15 years in the theatre, I'm still not totally sure what kind of number constitutes the aforementioned moniker.

[@rancidprince3133]

In my opinion, Changing My Major isn't really the main I want song in Fun Home. It is an I want song, but the main character is probably Big Allison, and I'd call It All Comes Back her i want song.

[@MattVargas]

OH can you do one about Medleys?! I spent so much time myself thinking about what makes medleys so powerful yet so few people talk about them. I would love to hear what you have to say! :D

[@dmnemaine]

In regards to "Something's Coming", I think that even though Tony isn't aware of what it is he wants, the audience just might be. Tony's in a stage where he's transitioning from the juvenile world of the Jets to becoming a responsible adult. He's quit the Jets, and has a steady job at Doc's. He's looking forward to the "something's coming" that his new life of adulthood is going to bring him. Although he doesn't know it, that "something" is meeting the right girl, falling in love with her, and raising a family together -- "The American Dream". In that respect, "West Side Story" is very much a product of its time. Love, marriage, and the perfect family were looked on as the ultimate goals of life in postwar America. Because Tony ends up meeting and falling in love with the "wrong" girl, his "something" is never fulfilled, and he meets a tragic end, the prejudice and bigotry surrounding them being far too strong even for true love.

[@michaeldaly2015]

Love your channel. I think being alive in company is not the I want song. It's either the climax or the denouement. It fells like the climax but it's so late. I think the I want song in company is the song where he picks and chooses the best qualities of his female friends. And the end he says wait for me. I'm ready. I think those 2 contradictory statements show he doesn't know what he wants and wants to stay that way for as long as he can. Then the critical point is either Amy laughing when he proposes or when the middle girlfriend tells him she's leaving to get married in another hundred people. Those 2 points make him question why he's single and what he wants. And then the second act build and builds until he admits that he want what everybody wants at the end of the day in being alive. So even though he doesn't get what he wants in his want song, to remain at status quo, he grows and develops into the person singing being alive.

[@shayminki]

Analysis on Stephen Sondheim's music and how his musicals' plots happen

[@Reidak12]

I'd love to see a video on the ever popular "darker"/"minimalistic" trend we're seeing now, i.e. Cabaret, Gypsy, Chicago, Sweeney Todd.

[@bridiekmusic6351]

Damn Sondheim and his confusing 'I Want' songs

[@StrangoFilm]

I reckon skid row is probably little shop of Horrors I want song and it fits more in the the first type

[@aFangirlsVideoMania]

Something’s Coming is an “I Feel” song

[@cahprincess09]

How would you classify "Astonishing", from Little Women? (I find listening to Sutton Foster a complete delight). By the way, congratulations on your channel! It's one of the best things on youtube ;) Keep it going! Best wishes from Brazil.

[@WilliamsonMusic]

How about something on act 1 finales and their corresponding act 2 openings? How do you let the audience go halfway through the narrative in such a way as to make them want to return, then bring them back into the middle of the drama after they've become distracted by drinks and snacks and chatter? Must act 1 end on a positive, upbeat note, as most shows do? Is it too dangerous to pull a West Side Story? What happens when a show breaks the 2 act structure conventions (for example, Sunday in the Park could be argued to be two 1 act shows)? And finally, how does the rise in popularity of the 1 act show affect the conventional structure of a musical? (Bonus question, how does this all relate to the now-extinct 3 act musical?)

[@pathays9853]

In your "Miscast" and "Who did it best", did you ever do Mama Rose from Gypsy? Rosalind Russell and Bette Midler and Bernadette Peters have all put their own inimitable spins on the role, but surely there are other noteworthy attempts that more should be made aware of.

[@maxhalle-podell6635]

11 o'clock hour songs?

[@c.w.r.794]

What about Falsettos or Les Miserables?