Most Wonderful Sound / Theatre

• "DUUUUNNNNNNNNNNN... DUNDUNDUNDUNDUUUUUUUUUUNNN... DUNDUNDUNDUNDUUUUUUUUUUUNNN..."
  • The five-chord progression that closes "Music of the Night" is made of awesome and gorgeous and sex. As is the song that precedes it, for that matter—especially when sung by Michael Crawford.
• The opening of No One Mourns the Wicked, at the beginning of the production of Wicked.
  • Elphaba's iconic belt at the end of "Defying Gravity," which varies between actresses but always sounds awesome.
• The opening line and musical vamp of each act of Sondheim's Into the Woods: "Once upon a time! *BA-dit, dit, dit, dit, dit...*" Try playing that vamp in a room full of theatre people. See how many pipe up with "I wish..."
• And while we're on the subject of Sondheim, the eerie organ music and piercing steam whistle that open Sweeney Todd are scary as Hell, but they also bring a giddy thrill of anticipation when you know they herald the awesome opening number of one of the greatest music theater scores ever composed.
• Highly conditional, but — for the actors, the sound of one lone person reacting to something onstage is SWEEEEET.
• The "drrrrrrrrr-brum-brum-brum" before the beginning of "Der Holle Rache" from Mozart's The Magic Flute sends chills down the spine if one knows what fury and high notes are coming.
• The ending to Les Misérables is a reprise of "Do You Hear the People Sing" and it is the very definition of a crescendo. Goosebumps every single time.
  • John Owen-Jones as Jean Valjean.
  • The opening trumpets of both the Overture and "Red and Black."
  • "One Day More". Really the whole song counts, but especially the last minute or so, with a five-part counterpoint harmony that all goes in sync for the end. Chills, every time.
• Ba-da, da-da-da-da! AGAIN! Step-kick-kick-leap-kick-touch...
• "This is Control! This is Control!"
• From Heathers, the original Veronica, Barret Wilbert Weed, gave Veronica a very Adorkable, very distinctive, and very infectious laugh. It's hard not to smile every time you hear it.
  • "September 1st, 1989. Dear Diary..."
  • The harmonies in "Seventeen."
• For a tech person, the sound of the music cue or sound effects hitting at just the right moment and getting that perfect scene is not only an incredible relief (as it's part timing on the techie's part, part praying to God the actors hit their cues, and half sheer luck), but a major "Hell, Yes!" Moment.
• Several examples from Hamilton:
  • The entire cast singing, "Why do you fight like history has its eyes — on — you?" at the end of "Non-Stop".
  • "BUM-BUM-BUMPA-BUMP-BUM-BUM, dooowooodoowoo!"
  • "EVERYONE GIVE IT UP FOR AMERICA'S FIGHTIN' FRENCHMAN!" "Lafayette!"
  • "Who tells your story?" "Who tells your story?" "Eliza..."
• The contest of "who can sing the show's name most beautifully" in the opening number, "Alle tanzten mit dem Tod". "Elisabeth..." "ELISABETH, ELISABETH!" In between Death's crooning, Lucheni's rock-ish screeching, and the chorus's haunting menace, there's something for everyone.
  • For the actors who choose to do it, Death's riffs in "Der letzte Tanz" as he's standing on the platform. Both of them. Here's Mark Seibert in performance for reference. There's a reason a fan transcript described it as "Death vocalizes like a champ HELLA."
  • "Elisabeth... Elisabeth... Ich liebe dich..." Try and tell us German isn't a musical language, we dare you.
• The opening lines of any play by William Shakespeare. His best plays are stellar; his off days merely great.
• "We're one of a kind, no category! Too many years lost in his story, we're free to take our crowning glory for five more minutes--we're Six!!!"
• For performers, the sound of character shoes clicking onstage in the exact moment you exit the "real world" and enter the "show world".
• "Curtain in five!"
• 35MM: A Musical Exhibition:
  • The guitar riff that opens "On Monday".
  • The ending of "Leave Luanne," in which an abused, murdered wife returns from beyond the grave to give her husband some Laser-Guided Karma, dragging him into Hell, and the narrator declares the tale, "A warning to the cruelest of men... God loves Luanne. PRAISED BE, AMEN!"
  • "The Ballad of Sara Berry" is Awesome Music in general, but the moment when the entire chorus practically screams "DOWN ON YOUR KNEES BEFORE THE QUEEN!" is exhiliarating.
  • The ending of "The Party Goes with You" "IT'S TRUE, THE PARTY GOES WITH YOU-OU-OU-OU-OU-OU" as well as the music at the beginning
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame:
  • Just like the movie, the "Hellfire" leitmotif is glorious, as is any time you actually hear the bells of Notre Dame.
  • Related to the above, the ending of the Act One closer, "Esmeralda," which is a gorgeous multipart harmony between the entire cast, with the bells ringing out as Paris burns.
  • "God Help the Outcasts" is as beautiful as ever, but the whole church service singing, "I ask for God as His angels to bless me..." might drive you to tears.
  • Is it possible for Most Wonderful Sound to be crossed with Hell Is That Noise? If so, Frollo pleading with Quasi, "You don't want to hurt me!" and the entire chorus hissing, "Yes, you do..." in response definitely qualifies.
• The harmonies in "Revolting Children" from Matilda. The fact that they're performed by actual children just makes it all the more Awesome.
• "Don't dream it, be it... Don't dream it, be it..."
• "Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812":
  • Anatole's theme music, used at the beginning of "Letters" and during "The Ball"
  • That one part of "Charming": "OHHH, HOW SHE BLUSHES, HOW SHE BLUSHES MY PRETTY"
  • In "Sonya Alone" where she sings "And I remember this family, I remember their kindness, and if I never sleep again..." the way she says remember
  • "Pierre and Andrey" specifically the Off-Broadway version with Blake DeLong where he says "But I didn't say that I could forgive! I can't..."
  • The frantic Breakcore-esque drumming during "Pierre and Anatole" when Pierre lashes out at Anatole for not answering if he tried to get Natasha to ruin her life to elope with him. In the individual spotify playlists that Dave Malloy made to show the inspirations for every single song in the show, there's a song by Squarepusher in the playlist made for this song.

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