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Valentine's Day is here and love is all around us. At this most romantic time of the year, we can't help but wonder... what is the greatest Broadway love song ever? BroadwayWorld continues our great tradition of finding that consensus- and this year we have more answers than ever! We've gathered responses from over 1500 performers, composers, industry professionals, and entertainment personalities from all over the world.
This year's list is presented by The Notebook, now in previews on Broadway. Based on the best selling novel that inspired the iconic film, this new musical follows Allie and Noah, both from different worlds, as they share a lifetime of love despite the forces that threaten to pull them apart, in a deeply moving portrait of the enduring power of love.
Performer
The Notebook | Hamilton | Waitress | Wicked | The Wrong Man
I’m going go with “Heart of Stone” from Six. What’s love without self-love? And there are few loves truer than the love I have for the pick-up to the chorus, I’m going to ask it to go to see a movie with me for Valentine’s Day. “Forever” from The Notebook is up there, too.
Performer
The Notebook | Six | Little Shop of Horrors
Well, I can't tell you which just yet... but most of them are in The Notebook!
Performer
The Notebook
My favorite Broadway love song has to be “Say it Somehow” from The Light in the Piazza. It’s the idea that love can and must surmount any barrier, articulated in such a poetic way and woven into a gorgeous melody that moves me every time.
Performer
The Notebook
My favorite Broadway love song is "Dulcinea" from Man of La Mancha. Music by Mitch Leigh, lyrics, by Joe Darion. One of the most beautiful pairings of music and lyrics that I have ever heard in a Broadway musical.
Performer
The Notebook
Other than something from The Notebook (obviously), I think my favorite Broadway love song is “Falling Into You” from The Bridges of Madison County. The restraint used in the composition is so satisfying, and then you have these two iconic Broadway voices telling the story. I mean, sonically and lyrically it’s just so delicious— it’s a sophisticated duet that perfectly captures that ‘Aha! I’ve found my person’ moment! Chefs' kiss!
Performer
The Notebook | In The Heights | The Full Monty | Beauty and the Beast | West Side Story Tour
I am currently obsessed with "Say it Somehow" from The Light in the Piazza. A perfect use of the old musical theater rule... "when words can no longer express..."
Clara and Fabrizio's love scene is romantic and emotional despite the language barrier between them. The way the voices find each other in the music without lyrics is sexy, haunting and just beautiful.
Performer
Frozen | If/Then | Wicked | Rent
"One Hand, One Heart" from West Side Story. That's my favorite!
Performer
Old Friends | Hello Dolly! | Follies | A Little Night Music | Gypsy | Annie Get Your Gun | Into The Woods | Song and Dance | Sunday in the Park with George | Broadway Legend
When I was in Hello, Dolly!, I was so amazed at how beautifully constructed that show is. I think "It Only Takes a Moment" is quite a beautiful love song for Valentine's Day.
Performer
Kinky Boots | Angels in America | Ghetto Superstar | Grease | Five Guys Named Moe | Miss Saigon
My choice is: "A Quiet Thing" by Kander & Ebb, I think from Flora The Red Menace. Because when we grow up and allow ourselves to embrace an adult concept of love - it's complex but simple, terrifying but empowering, focused, awesome, quiet...
Performer
Sweeney Todd | Moulin Rouge! | Wicked | Next to Normal | Catch Me If You Can
My favorite Broadway love song is “If I Loved You”. An old one. They don’t call them classics for nothing, folks.
Performer
Nobody Cares | My Fair Lady | Meteor Shower | She Loves Me | Gypsy | The Wedding Singer | The Secret Garden
Well, it's funny because my dad, Sal, his birthday is on Valentine's Day, so we call it "Sal-entine's Day," and his favorite song is "The Impossible Dream."
Performer
Into the Woods | The Cher Show | The Mystery of Edwin Drood | Anything Goes | 9 To 5 | The Pirate Queen | Wicked Tour | The Boy From Oz
From the musical theatre canon? It's "If I Loved You" from Carousel. I love it because it's not definite. The actor is thinking of the 'whys' and when the audience listens, they get to be in on the though process... all of the doubts, hope, and possibility of the song. It touches me in a beautiful way.
Performer
The Queen of Versailles | On the Twentieth Century | Promises | Promises | The Apple Tree | Wicked | You're a Good Man Charlie Brown
There are many by Rodgers and Hart that I love. I was in Babes In Arms at the Guthrie and I loved "Everything I've Got Belongs to You." I think it says a lot about who I am. With all of the fights, the good times, bad times, fun times, throwing plates, and crying fits...everything I have is yours. To me, that's true love, though maybe in my twenties I would have chosen a differnt song!
Performer
Kimberly Akimbo | Gigi | Cinderella | Sister Act | The Light in the Piazza
I have two! "Love to Me" from The Light in the Piazza. That gorgeous lush romantic music by Adam Guettel! The confidence and stillness of Fabrizio as he declares his love for Clara in the early hours of their wedding day! As sung so deliciously by Matthew Morrison, this one is a tear-jerker! Good tears! Also, "Anagram" from Kimberly Akimbo, The surprise of David Lindsay-Abaire’s lyric as Kim and Seth both solve their own puzzles: Seth finds a delightful anagram for Kim’s name, and Kim discovers her true feelings for Seth, as their tender friendship unfolds. The vitality and delight of Jeanine Tesori’s music is so refreshing and real. This song is A JOY to sing every night!
Performer
Days of Wine and Roses | Into the Woods | The Ferryman | Something Rotten | Hamilton | Shrek
One of my favorites is "When I First Saw You from Dreamgirls. When I first saw you, I said Oh my, that's my dream! That sentiment is pure gold.
Performer
Sweeney Todd | The Music Man | Violet | Anything Goes | Shrek | Little Women | Thoroughly Modern Millie
I'm a big fan of "I Turned the Corner" from Thoroughly Modern Millie. That's a pretty good love song!
Performer
Into the Woods | Pretty Woman | Groundhog Day | Rocky | On The Twentieth Century
My favorite Broadway song, I'm choosing one from Groundhog Day, because it means so much to me, it's so important to me. It's called "Seeing You." It is about seeing someone maybe you've seen every day of your life over and over again but then taking a chance to see them for the first time, reset your brain, look through their eyes. It's beautiful and I can't wait to sing it.
Performer
Moulin Rouge! | Jagged Little Pill | Anastasia | Wicked | The Bridges of Madison County
One of my favorites is from Sunset Boulevard- "Too Much in Love to Care." It's a big, sweeping love ballad at the end of the show and it takes the audience out of the vibe that the rest of the show lives in. It's really beautiful
Performer
Company | War Paint | Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown | Gypsy | Sweeney Todd | Noises Off | Master Class | Anything Goes | Oliver! | Evita
It's not a musical theater song, but "A Case Of You" by Joni Mitchell because it's besotted, it's filled with sex, it's love goo.
Performer
Hamilton | Bring it On | In the Heights | Encores! Merrily We Roll Along
"So In Love" by Cole Porter is the correct answer. Everyone else is wrong.
Performer
Days of Wine and Roses | Kiss Me Kate | The King and I | The Bridges of Madison County | South Pacific | The Light in the Piazza
One of them has to be "Love to Me" from The Light in the Piazza. I love it because he didn't know how to say it to her, but he's saying 'I love you because you don't know you're lovable.' It's about deserving love, no matter who you are or what you are and that the person loves you BECAUSE of those things. Who doesn't want to be known for who they truly are?
Performer
Gutenberg! The Musical | Falsettos | The Book of Mormon | Jersey Boys
"If I Loved You" from Carousel. A perfect, perfect love song.
Or 'The Next Ten Minutes' from Last Five Years. Also pretty damn perfect.
Performer
Shuffle Along | Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown | Ragtime | Kiss Me Kate | Man of La Mancha | Mail
I love "How Long Has This Been Going On?" from FUNNY FACE. Slightly more than 100 words. Beautiful melody, great simple, spare lyric that says loads about truly falling in love for the first time. One of the most sensual songs ever written. Makes me want to have a cigarette after I sing it. And I don't even smoke!
Performer
Funny Girl | I Can Get It For You Wholesale | Nightclubs | Television | Films | Concerts | Recordings | Director | Activist
The first song that comes to mind is Rodgers & Hammerstein's "If I Loved You" from CAROUSEL. It's just about the most perfect love song written for the theater. I admire the intelligence of the lyric's premise -- two people each too shy to express their love, so they couch their true feelings in the form of a question, and then pretend it hardly matters...when of course they know it does. With its heart swelling melody, it never ceases to touch people. A few years ago during my last concert tour I loved singing Maury Yeston's "Unusual Way" from NINE. It's about those kinds of relationships where love isn't easily defined.
Performer
Tina | Shuffle Along | Dreamgirls National Tour | Bring it On
"Not While I'm Around" from Sweeney Todd. This song always makes me tear up. It makes me think of love on so many different levels. Everytime I hear this song it reminds me of my father and the unconditional love we share. If you ask me, nothing can beat unconditional love and the love of family!
Performer
The Great Gatsby | Little Shop of Horrors | American Son | The Last Five Years | Newsies | Bonnie & Clyde | Rock of Ages | West Side Story
The first one that comes to mind is "Falling Slowly" from Once. That was always one of my favorite movies and I loved the Broadway show.
Performer
The Minutes | Carousel | Waitress | Beautiful
The first love song that popped into my head is "It Takes Two" from Into the Woods because I can't think of a better, there's all kinds of sweeping love ballads, but that gets down to it, the nitty-gritty of what it is to be with somebody.
Performer
A Christmas Carol | The Color Puple | If/Then | Once on This Island
I love "What About Love" from The Color Purple. This song speaks of the surprise and exhilaration of love discovered between two unlikely hearts.
Performer
Heart of Rock and Roll | Bandstand | Newsies | Gigi
"You Matter to Me" from Waitress has been on me and my wife's playlist recently. It's so incredibly beautiful, and it has extra contextual beauty knowing we are going to have a baby in April!
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