Best(or worst) Act 1 closers?

[Bob30]

I always look forward to how a show will end Act 1 and my favourite endings to Act 1 are

Wicked - Defying Gravity
Anything Goes - The large scale tap routine and Title Song
Avenue Q - The heart wrenching A fine fine line

I cant think of worst

yours?

[madbrian]

Everything's Coming Up Roses
And I Am Telling You
Mame

[Wynbish]

Best

Gypsy
Urinetown
Spamalot
Les Miz
POTO (if only because it is one of the most iconic Act 1 closers)

Worst

Godspell
Fiddler

[TheLadyoftheWood]

Wynbish, when you say Spamalot do you mean the song Find Your Grail which is right before the last scene or Run Away? Because I always thought that they should have cut that part and just ended on a high note of Find Your Grail.

[little_sally]

The Catch Me If You Can act 1 closer was awful.

[bwayphreak234]

BEST:
Evita
The Book of Mormon
Anything Goes
Spider-Man
Phantom
Jersey Boys
Any of Wildhorn's show's finales

WORST:
Fiddler on the Roof
Lion King
Cats

[Wynbish]

Find Your Grail is a better song, but the French taunters would not have made sense in Act 2. If there was a way to put them before Find Your Grail, it would have been great, as well.

I just love the "Have a drink and a pee, we'll be back for Act 3!" "Two, sir" "Two!" And the use of the cartoon on the screen.

[staunchcharacter]

My personal favorite Act 1 closer will always be "A Little Priest."

[TheLadyoftheWood]

Just noticed I didn't put my thoughts

Best:
Little Mermaid (Show was awful but ending the act with PUF was smart)
Miss Saigon (One of the most emotional Act 1 closers for me)
Ragtime (Another tear-jerker)
Titanic (Just because I love the song No Moon/Autumn)
WOTV (Cute song and good scene)
9 to 5 (About the only thing I like about the show besides Megan Hilty)

Worst:
Tarzan (WHAT?)
Wedding Singer (Like the scene but the song annoys me)
Wonderland (Just no!)
My Favorite Year (Only thing I liked about that show was the Act 1 Opening, the rest was torture.)

[booth0882]

Best:
Anything Goes (You have to love that tap number)
Gypsy
Wicked
Billy Elliot
Cabaret (if it is done well, it is chilling)
Company

Worst:
Lion King
Catch Me if You Can
Damn Yankees (Love the musical, but the intermission could be better placed)
Love Never Dies
Hairspray
Into the Woods

[dreaming]

Best:

Everything's Coming Up Roses
All I Ask of You Reprise-Say what you will about the show (I happen to enjoy it), it's a rousing end to the first act (and Masquerade is a terrific opener to act 2).
One Day More-another rousing closer
Ragtime-I cried and cried during the revival
South Pacific-Loved how they did it in the revival-it really left a sense of turmoil
Miss Saigon-(I want a revival!!) I really had goosebumps during this one
Wicked-this is a very iconic closer to act 1 by now, I'd guess (and for good reason)

Worst:
I've been lucky as I can't really think of too many right now-but I agree Find Your Grail should have been Spamalot's act 1 closer.

[booth0882]

Wow how could I forget Ragtime! Definitely in my "best list"

[hyperbole_and_a_half]

11 posts and no one has mentioned "Sunday"??? FOR.SHAME.

[Kad]

For best, I'll add in Little Shop's creepy reprise of its title song.

[mar6411]

I Am What I Am - La Cage

[Wynbish]

In Aida, "The Gods Love Nubia" is a thrilling song.

[Mister Matt]

Best: Les Miserables and Urinetown

Worst: Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

[AwesomeDanny]

Some of my favorites that haven't been mentioned:
A Little Night Music
Chess
Merrily We Roll Along
Parade

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Nothing beats "Sunday". The entire song is visually and vocally stunning, the final moments breathtaking. There's never a dry eye on my face.

[ggersten]

The Act I ending in Oliver is really awkward. And see the discussion of Pippin about where to put an intermission if at all. (Same discussion for A Chorus Line).

What's people's gripes with Fiddler's Act I closing? I think it's pretty emotional - yes, it's a downer - but doesn't it make you want to come back and see what happens next - how the jews in the village respond (if at all).

I don't know whether Into The Woods is good or bad - since people initially think it's the end of the show despite the "to be continued" statement by the Narrator.

[jamiekennywicked]

I quite like the Act 1 ending to Fiddler On The Roof. And of course Ragtime is one of my favorites as well as Side Show and Evita. The King and I is quite good too

[IdinaBellFoster]

Best:

URINETOWN
RAGTIME
SIDE SHOW
LES MISERABLES
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES
ANYTHING GOES
THE BOOK OF MORMON
GYPSY
DREAMGIRLS
EVITA
SWEENEY TODD
WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
and the final minute or so of WICKED and AIDA

Worst:

GODSPELL
HAIRSPRAY (only part of the show I don't love musically)
WONDERLAND
THE WEDDING SINGER
DAMN YANKEES

[Jon]

With the original Stroman choreography, CRAZY FOR YOU's "I Got Rhythm" had the audience cheering, stamping whistling, and virtually floating out to the lobby on a cloud of tap dancing euphoria.

[adam.peterson44]

Best act 1 closers:

Wicked
Anything Goes (specifically with Kathleen Marshall's tap choreography)
Gypsy
Les Miserables
Next to Normal
Chess
Newsies

[bwayrose7]

My faves;
Les Mis- epic and weaves everyone together
Wicked
Anything Goes- as others said, with Marshall's choreography
Aida
Newsies- so emotional

Worst:
Oliver
Hairspray (much as I love the show)

[trentsketch]

Worst: Aida

Let me explain. With the right cast of singers, it's stunning. If anyone is not up to the vocal challenge, it sounds terrible. If the tempo is just slightly too slow, it's a dirge; too fast, it's silly. The Gods Love Nubia requires such precision that the slightest mistake makes it a hohum affair.