The Friday 5: 5 Title Songs: 1996 - 2002

Next up, we run the gamut from two turn of the century musical sensations to an outright flop from one of the greatest composing teams in Broadway history.  And there's one of the greatest opening numbers ever written for the stage, and a number that launched one of the biggest careers in years! Enjoy!

THE FRIDAY 5:

5 Broadway Title Songs

1996 - 2002

RENT (Opened April 29, 1996 at the Nederlander Theatre)



From the closing cast of the long-running, prize winning juggernaut that started 23 years ago (!) featuring, among others, The Band's Visit's Adam Kantor and Kiss Me, Kate's Will Chase.

STEEL PIER (Opened April 24, 1997 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre)



Hard pressed to find a performance of the whole title song, please enjoy this excerpt and another great number from the show, "Everybody Dance." A snippet from a great Kander and Ebb score is better than nothing!

RAGTIME (Opened January 29, 1998 at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts)



Here's the entire original cast on The Rosie O'Donnell Show, chosen specifically because it offers great close ups of Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Mark Jacoby, a very young Lea Michele, and a radiant Marin Mazzie. PLUS I love how the mics pick up the two biggest, greatest divas like they are the only two people on the stage!

MAMMA MIA! (Opened October 18, 2001 at the Winter Garden Theatre)



There are other versions of this infectious ABBA number from the musical, but I thought you'd rather have this 1:20 of the always amazing Beth Leavel kicking ass with a drill gun!

THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (Opened April 18, 2002 at the Marquis Theatre)



Here's the jazzy toe-tapper during a Today taping, hosted by Katie Couric, who interviews Tony-winner Sutton Foster (before she was a Tony-winner) after the number.

#1987