Showtunes Playlist
April 11, 2012 1:02 PM   Subscribe

Can someone help me build a Broadway-themed playlist for a party?

I've been charged with making the music playlist for a party for a co-worker, who happens to be a fan of showtunes. We thought it would be fun to mix in a large quantity of showtunes into this background music and I am just totally blanking on some great Broadway songs for parties. His is a huge fan of Les Miserables, so there will be a bit of that, but that's not music I want to have a good time with.

Oh, and there will be some young children there, so nothing bawdy, racy or with swearing, which eliminated literally half of my favorite showtunes and explains my difficulty coming up with good ones.

And any suggestions about ordering the list (I want to aspire past simply putting it on shuffle :-D ) would be appreciated. I used to be good at making playlists and mixtapes but I'm having a bit of trouble with this one.
posted by Holygrail2 to Media & Arts (13 answers total) 6 users marked this as a favorite
 
It's Today! - Mame

I'm drawing a blank on any others right now too, but, this is a good one!
posted by Hanuman1960 at 1:09 PM on April 11, 2012


Your child-friendly requirement probably disallows Hedwig, but Chess and Little Shop of Horrors are often forgotten, for some reason.

Not the usuals.
posted by rokusan at 1:10 PM on April 11, 2012


Practically anything from Sound Of Music or Cats.
Cabaret.
I Could Have Danced All Night.
One. ("Singular sensation, ev'ry little step she takes...")
Seventy-Six Trombones.
Comedy Tonight.
Put On Your Sunday Clothes.
Ease On Down The Road.
Corner Of The Sky.
(That's from "Pippin," and it's so kid-friendly my grade school music teacher taught it to my 5th-grade choir.)

posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:22 PM on April 11, 2012 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Here are some fun classic Big Splashy numbers:

Cabaret - Cabaret
I've Got Rhythm - Crazy for You
Our Favorite Sun - Will Rogers Follies
Masquerade - Phantom of the Opera
Everything's Coming Up Roses - Gypsy
One - A Chorus Line
Before the Parade Passes By - Hello, Dolly!
I Want To Be Happy - No, No, Nanette
America or The Dance at the Gym - West Side Story
We're In The Money - 42nd Street
posted by mynameisluka at 1:28 PM on April 11, 2012


Our Favorite SON. Sheesh.
posted by mynameisluka at 1:29 PM on April 11, 2012


All That Jazz - Chicago
Don't Rain on my Parade - Funny Girl
Happy Talk - South Pacific
I Got Plenty of Nuttin - Porgy and Bess
I Believe In You - How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying
I Feel Pretty - West Side Story
Hair - Hair
There's No Business Like Show Business - Annie Get Your Gun
posted by Wordwoman at 1:49 PM on April 11, 2012


"It's your wedding day" - the wedding singer musical.
"Brotherhood of man" - how to succeed in business without trying (i'm partial to the original)
"aquarius" and "good morning starshine" - hair
"defying gravity" "what is this feeling" "popular" and "dancing through life" - wicked
"whatever happened to saturday night" and "rose tint my world" - rocky horror show
"under separate cover" - a class act
"good morning baltimore" and "you can't stop the beat" - hairspray
(good morning baltimore does have a slight moment of racy as she's talking about drunks and flashers, but it's very brief and not integral to the song so easily ignored)
if religious themes are okay, "day by day", "we beseech thee", and "bless the lord my soul" - godspell
"Run freedom run" - urinetown (I *think* there's nothing objectionable in that song)
"into the woods", "giants in the sky", "agony", "on the steps of the palace" - into the woods
"by the sea" - sweeney todd (very slight innuendo in the lyrics, and a vague reference to killing someone)
posted by rmd1023 at 1:51 PM on April 11, 2012


Here would be maybe some of my broadway/off-broadway playlist:

Our Time, Merrily We Roll Along
Saturday Night, Saturday Night
My Body, The Life (may not be kid appropriate, but isn't explicit)
Running In Place, Steel Pier
Life of the Party, Wild Party
A Wild, Wild Party, Wild Party
Next, Pacific Overtures
Louder than Words, Tick Tick Boom
The Air is Free, 3hree
Color and Light, Sunday in the Park with George
Big Spender, Sweet Charity
The Riddle Song, Floyd Collins
Great Big Stuff, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
A Girl Could Use A Dog, Lucky Stiff
Out Tonight, RENT
Moving Too Fast, The Last Five Years
King of the World, Songs for a New World
Let the Sunshine In, Hair
Popular, Wicked
Heart, Damn Yankees
Seventy Six Trombones, Music Man
A Lot of Livin' to Do, Bye Bye Birdie
Somethin's Comin', West Side Story
Rock n Roll is Here To Stay, Grease
Without Love, Hairspray
Fame, Fame
Suddenly Seymour, Little Shop
How the Other Half Lives, Thoroughly Modern Millie
Seize the Day, Newsies
Corner of the Sky, Pippin
Bosom Buddies, Mame
Overture, Gypsy
96,000, In the Heights
posted by Lutoslawski at 2:01 PM on April 11, 2012


Anything Can Happen - Mary Poppins
Mamma Mia, Super Trooper - Mamma Mia
The Best of All Possible Worlds - Candide
Hand Me the Wine and the Dice - Aspects of Love
posted by BrianJ at 2:32 PM on April 11, 2012


Anything from the soundtrack to Kiss Me Kate is great. Especially It's Too Darn Hot.
posted by kettleoffish at 7:23 PM on April 11, 2012


Best answer: You could consider adding:
"Wouldn't It Be Loverly" from My Fair Lady
"Ya Got Trouble" from The Music Man
"I Get a Kick Out of You", "Anything Goes", or "You're the Top" from Anything Goes
posted by Bufo_periglenes at 10:51 PM on April 11, 2012


There are some great upbeat numbers on the Sondheim's Follies album - the 2011 "new" Broadway cast recording has splendid renditions of Broadway Baby and The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues.
posted by dirm at 5:18 PM on April 12, 2012


From "South Pacific," the all-guys-please-sing-as-loud-as-you-can "There is Nothing Like a Dame."
posted by wenestvedt at 11:05 AM on April 13, 2012


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