Best Opening Numbers from Broadway

The opening ten minutes of a Broadway Musical are critical. 

Every great show has a great opening. Even if a musical gets the opening correct, the show can still fall apart.

But, get the opening wrong and the show surely will fail. The audience’s expectations are sent in the wrong

direction and once they realize that they have been misled, they will feel cheated.

The most important question that the opening number must answer is:  What is the show about?

Since a musical play is a coalescence of book, music and lyrics, orchestrations, choreography,

set design and lighting, if the creative team can’t agree to the answer to that question,

odds are they won’t be able to persuade an audience.

Tom Williams

1. “Tradition” from Fiddler on the Roof

2. Prologue – “Ragtime” from Ragtime

3. “Another Op’nin’, Another Show” from Kiss Me Kate

4. “Comedy Tonight” from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

5. “Try To Remember” from The Fantasticks

6.  “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'” from Oklahoma

7. “I hope I Get It” from A Chorus Line

8. “Fugue for Tinhorns” from Guys and Dolls

9. “We Are What We Are” from La Cage aux Folles

10. “Willkommen” from Cabaret