What is The Most Romantic Broadway Love Song Ever?
BroadwayWorld's 2010 Valentine's Day gift to you, the 5th Annual "What's the Most Romantic Broadway Love Song Ever?" brings you over 500 stars, industry professionals, and personalities from across the globe, and this year Barbra Streisand, Susan Boyle, Bernadette Peters, Cameron Mackintosh, HAIR, GLEE and many, many more!
The full list is at the source; a few are under the cut.
Barbra Streisand- The first song that comes to mind is Rodgers & Hammerstein's "If I Loved You" from CAROUSEL. It's just about the most perfect love song written for the theater. I admire the intelligence of the lyric's premise -- two people each too shy to express their love, so they couch their true feelings in the form of a question, and then pretend it hardly matters...when of course they know it does. With its heart swelling melody, it never ceases to touch people. A few years ago during my last concert tour I loved singing Maury Yeston's "Unusual Way" from NINE. It's about those kinds of relationships where love isn't easily defined.
Bernadette Peters- "Some Enchanted Evening" from SOUTH PACIFIC... well like the song says ....'fools give you reasons wise men never try.' Also, "Happiness" from PASSION is so in the moment when the love is happening.
Chita Rivera- "Only Love" from ZORBA by Kander & Ebb. I love it because of the simplicity of the lyrics and the beautiful melody.
Lin-Manuel Miranda- "So In Love" by Cole Porter is the correct answer. Everyone else is wrong. And know it's lame to name one of your own songs, but I had the rare opportunity to write "When You're Home" when I was ACTUALLY falling in love. My girlfriend and I had just started dating, and we'd grown up 15 blocks from each other all our lives and never known it. She gave me her tour of Washington Heights, I gave her my tour of Inwood, we were falling in love, and that's how When You're Home was born. When Benny sings, "Then can I say/I couldn't get my mind off you all day . . ." I lose it. Every time.
Matthew Morrison- Alright, this might sound weird coming from me, but I think the most romantic song in MT would have to be "As Long as He Needs Me" from Oliver. It is simply splendiferous!! Whenever someone gives me those little butterflies in my stomach, I usually sing this song ... except I just change the he to a she!
Jerry Herman- I picked five of my favorite songs, because each represents a different aspect of love. "My Heart Stood Still" (Rodgers and Hart) for the suddenness of love; "If I Loved You" (Rodgers and Hammerstein) for imagined love; "Here I'll Stay" (Lerner and Weill) for the solidity of love; "It Never Was You" (Kurt Weill) for the after love; "A Quiet Thing" (Kander and Ebb) for unexpected love and "Ill Be Seeing You" (Pop song) for the permanence of love."
Mandy Gonzalez- It would have to be "One Hand, One Heart" from WEST SIDE STORY. It fills my heart every time I hear it....
Norm Lewis- The Song "You Should Be Loved" is probably my most favorite "B'way" love song. It has such vulnerability and truth within it. My favorite love song happens to be my favorite song ever, and that is "We Live on Borrowed Time", written by David Friedman. The words in this song just make me truly appreciate life and the longing to share precious time with loved ones.
Sutton Foster- I bet others will say this as well, but "Maria" from WEST SIDE STORY. I think that this show is the most romantic Musical ever written, and that song just captures so many elements... rapture, passion, love, desire... truly beautiful.
Cheyenne Jackson- That was a hard question, but the first one that comes to mind is "Johanna" from SWEENEY TODD. The melody is just so lush and haunting....and I love how it is just so intense that it almost borders on stalking......."I'll steal you, Johanna......till I'm with you then I'm with you there, buried sweetly in your yellow hair." oh yeah.
Jason Robert Brown- I always get nervous about questions like this, because I know that my answers are just the same as everyone else's. Nonetheless, and I'm sure fifteen people already wrote this, I can't help but swoon when I hear "My anaconda don't want none unless you got buns, hon." We've all heard it at a million weddings, we've all celebrated our anniversaries with it, but there is just something about "She sweat, wet, got it goin' like a turbo 'Vette" that gets me all goosebumpy. Who could hear that strong, pulsating bass line and not be overcome with memories of their most ardent and innocent passions? I don't know who Sir Mixalot was thinking of when he wrote "Baby Got Back," but that was one lucky woman; you can hear the love in every syllable. "A word to the thick soul sistas ? I wanna get wit' ya!" Sorry, it doesn't get more romantic than that.
Patti LuPone- It's not a musical theater song, but "A Case Of You" by Joni Mitchell because it's besotted, it's filled with sex, it's love goo.
Andrea Burns- I am currently obsessed with "Say it Somehow" from THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA. A perfect use of the old musical theater rule... "when words can no longer express..." Clara and Fabrizio's love scene is romantic and emotional despite the language barrier between them. The way the voices find eachother in the music without lyrics is sexy, haunting and just beautiful.
Gavin Creel- My favorite lyric in a theatre song is from A WONDERFUL LIFE by Sheldon Harnick and Joe Raposo. It is called I COULDN'T BE WITH ANYONE BUT YOU and it is a remarkable song, with words by one of the greatest lyricists in our art-form. So honest, SIMPLE, pure, and joyfully universal through its specificity....beauty and heart that i find so rare in theatre music today. I'm guessing at some of these, but here is an example:
Anyone else would find me boring, Too (something) too serious, too square And who else could tolerate my snoring? You even claim to like it It tells you I'm still there You gallantry is just incredible Although I disappoint you You seldom let it show I serve you steak that's practically inedible How patiently you chew it I don't know how you do it For that alone, I'll never let you go. I must have been crazy to change the status quo.
So.... Come over here, you're still not near enough I see i haven't made it nearly clear enough. I feel safe with you, and complete with you I'm always finding money in the street with you You're the only one I care to be with The only one, I can be me with Oh, I've tried, and it's true, I COULDN'T BE WITH ANYONE BUT YOU
I mean WHO WRITES THAT!?!?!?!? Blessed, inspired, SIMPLE, heartfelt, moving, fantastic. Makes me want to be a better writer, singer, PERSON. Happy Valentines Day, Love Gavin
Charlotte D'Amboise- "Hey There" from THE PAJAMA GAME. The reason is because I did a production of that show in High School. I was in the chorus and I was madly in love with the guy...and I love the song!
Susan Blackwell- What More Can I Say" from Falsettos. This song captures the unbelievable wonder of being in love. Yum. And also "Fable" from The Light in the Piazza. There's a longing in that song that makes my heart swell. I told Victoria Clark that I like to listen to it when I'm doing housework--it elevates my mundane chores and even makes toilet-scrubbing a loving act. Sincerely.
Jeff Bowen- This was really hard so I have a 5-way tie. I've never listened to any of these without crying. I like them all for the same reason - they are unbearably honest. Simple, human words that manage to express the deepest love. The joyous pain that comes from the lyric in "The Light in the Piazza": "...and sad is happy. That's all I see" sums up why I like all of these songs of deep, true love.
"Will He Like Me?" from She Loves Me "This Nearly Was Mine" from South Pacific "The Light in the Piazza" from The Light in the Piazza "So in Love" from Kiss Me, Kate "They Were You" from The Fantasticks
Daisy Egan- "Sit On My Face and Tell Me That You Love Me"
source
Well, bwaydaily, what's your favorite broadway love song? I would have to say "Say it Somehow" from TLiTP and "One Hand, One Heart" from WSS.