Shut Up and Sit Down: The “Best Overtures” Playlist

by Sean Havrilla on December 31, 2013

Many musicals nowadays don’t utilize overtures. I miss them. Originally used to alert an audience that the performance was starting and that they should go ahead and sit the hell down, the orchestra would breeze through some of the musical themes of the show, usually completely at the leisure of whomever the orchestrator was. (Note that orchestrators and arrangers are some of the hardest working and most talented people in the musical theatre business. I’m constantly amazed by the work they do.) Some shows don’t need them, I’m sure, and musical theatre has evolved in a way that almost makes them obsolete at this point, but a great overture can be one of the best moments in a show. On top of that, they make for fantastic easy listening for when I want to listen to musical theatre (literally all of the time) and I’m not sure I want to get involved in a story or become emotionally destroyed by the entire cast recording as I actively listen to every word. Overtures are like a quick roller coaster ride through the musical basics of a show. You get the idea, it’s fun, and you have your moment, but then it’s over and you can enjoy the next one. This is why I created a “Best Overtures” playlist on my iPod. It was one of the best ideas I’ve ever had. Here are my absolute favorites.

1. How to Succeed and Business Without Really Trying (the 1996 revival)
Orchestrator: Danny Troob