Can I just say that, you sir, are grossly under-watched. You are one of the greatest original TH-camrs I have ever seen and I want to help support you. You're doing a great thing, and I hope you continue to do great things, because I share your videos with all of my musical/theatre oriented friends. Good job, and keep up the good work!
Also it's arguable that Hairspray falls under the category of having the I Want song as the opening number with "Good Morning Baltimore" : And some day when i take to the floor The world's gonna wake up and see Baltimore and me ... The rats on the street All dance around my feet They seem to say Tracy, it's up to you It all sounds very "I Want" -y to me.
This video really got me thinking about Great Comet and where its I Want songs factor onto the pyramid. At first I thought it was funny that Dust and Ashes, Pierre's I Want song, happened about halfway through the show, fairly far after the main inciting incident, which was Natasha meeting Anatole. And then I remembered that Pierre and Natasha are both protagonists with their own separate but adjacent stories, and really, Pierre's inciting incident happens at the end of the show, during Pierre and Natasha, and after his I Want song. Meanwhile, Natasha's I Want song is No One Else, which also happens before her inciting incident. I just found it interesting that both characters follow the same story structure, even though their main plot points happen at wildly different times. Just another cool thing that I kind of just wanna applaud Dave Malloy on. This might've been pretty obvious to some but my analysis just made me happy and I thought I'd share it, lol.
I disagree on Hairspray. I Can Hear the Bells is AN I Want Song, but THE I Want Song, for me at least, is Good Morning Baltimore - it demonstrates Tracy's desire for fame and dancing.
+Angela .Rajic Great point. This is actually what I thought when I first watched the video. However, I think "I Can Hear the Bells" is supposed to be *the* "I Want" song, because the main function of "Good Morning Baltimore" is supposed to be an "establishing" song - it establishes the setting, introduces audiences to the main character, and gives just enough "need to know" information about her to understand key motivations and mindsets. It's not till "I Hear the Bells" that the audience really gets to know (song-form) Tracy's wants/motivations in greater depth. (shrug) I dunno. Maybe that interpretation isn't helpful.
Tom Leonard Thank you! And personally, "Skid Row (Downtown)" is, like, one of the greatest ensemble songs in musical theatre history. LOVE IT!! (especially the "background"/"arrangement"
Angela .Rajic I think songs can be both! GM Baltimore is both the setting the scene song and the I Want song, like Beautiful in Heathers, or Skid Row in Little Shop. I guess I see where you're coming from with the whole "I can Hear The Bells" being the I want song, my only problem is that it only gives part of her wants, and not the most important part. Link is an important want for her, but her main driving want is the need to be on the corny Collins show and overcome how society perceives people who are different.
I think the inciting incident is actually her meeting JD and "Fight For Me." Actually, I don't even know if Beautiful is the I Want song. It's definitely AN I Want song, but what she wants in Beautiful (to be popular and not treated badly by the other students) is accomplished and wrapped up by the end of the song. Fight For Me could very easily be considered the I Want song instead, seeing as the rest of the musical centers on Veronica wanting JD's honest love and protection, as opposed to her wishing for continued popularity.
No, see, she wants two things in beautiful. One of them, to not be picked on herself, she accomplishes during the song. The other, for all of her classmates to get along and be nice to each other like they did when they were kids, isn't wrapped up until the finale. The conflict between those two desires informs her entire character arc, while her relationship with JD is only part of it Also she never wants to be popular, it's a means to an end (safety), just like her relationship with JD initially is, and she gives up on both of those things when she realizes that she has to hurt people to keep them (she tries significantly harder with JD than with Heather Chandler, granted) Her character arc is finalized when she decides that it's not enough for her to not participate in hurting people, she has to stop JD and Heather Duke, and in doing so, she accomplishes her initial goal of a kinder, more beautiful school environment (this got very long, I'm sorry)
The plot of Heathers the Musical is about JD enrapturing Veronica to take part in murdering people with him and Veronica falling in Love with JD though also trying to get out of the hold he has her in. In which case, Fight For Me would be the inciting incident. It's when she first notices JD and begins to like him.
In dear evan hansen, the i want song is most likely "Waving through a window" talking about how Evan wants to be seen and wants friends. The inciting incident is connor's suicide which happens after. this is a VERY modern musical and i feel like it makes Evan a stronger character and gets the audience engaged and connected to Evan which makes it easier for us to stick with him through all the problematic stuff he does like faking the friendship. I love these videos and you have earned a new sub!
Hello I'm two years late to this channel but my god am I loving all your videos! My favorite musical is Phantom of the Opera, and I am not sure if I'm right but I think that the "I Want" song is "All I Ask of You", since Christine explicitly states "All I want is freedom/A world with no more night/And you always beside me". This happens well after the inciting incident, and arguable sparks the climax (Phantom kidnapping her after hearing she plans to run away with Raoul), so I guess it's a little outside the mold.
Disney's classic "I want"- song, "Part of THAT world," set immediately before "the inciting incident, " the ship and shipwreck: However, it has a reprise "Part of YOUR world" is AFTER the inciting incidence when what she wants has changed, not just the surface, but Eric too! She even tells you the inciting incident has occurred and that the plot will happen and what the resolution will be "I don't when, I don't know how, but I know something's starting right now! Watch and you'll see. Someday I'll be, part of your world," thank you, Disney, for teaching children foreshadowing!
In a way, Hamilton has 2 I want songs! Hamilton has My Shot and Burr (in true wait for it fashion) has The Room Where it Happens as his own I want song in Act 2
I feel like Hamilton has a lot of "I want" songs. For example, Angelica has "Satisfied" (and, to a lesser degree, "The Schuyler Sisters") and Eliza has "That Would Be Enough".
It could also be argued that act one and two of Hamilton are two different climactic arcs all together. Alexander is unquestionably the protagonist of the first ("My Shot" occurring with the inciting incident), while an arguement can be made for Burr and "Room" in Act II.
Thank you for making this series! It's cool learning some things on stories in musicals and such with plot. Would love to see more educational theatre videos!
What about shows with non-linear chronology? In Merrily We Roll Along, is 'Our Time' the 'I Want' song - placed right at the end? And in The Last Five Years, yes Jamie has 'Shiksa Goddess' as his first song, but if we treat him and Kathy with equal weight, then is her 'I Want' song 'I Can Do Better Than That' - only two songs from the end of the musical? If so, do you think it negatively impacts our understanding of the characters - they haven't laid bare their intentions for us to follow throughout the story - or do you think it actually enhances our understanding because we've had to piece together their motivations for ourselves? I'd be interested to know what you think! (Sorry for all the questions! Also, I'm aware that because these shows have non-linear chronology they don't necessarily follow a standard story structure and so don't necessarily fit into a typical Climactic Arc... And maybe Merrily's I Want song IS in the right place, because the arc is just inverted... I dunno.)
because cathy is going backwards, it would make sense that her i want song is near the end, while jeremy's is at the beginning. also, i could see moving to fast as jeremy's i want song, but also he gets what he wants in that song, so idk.
I would say that while chronologically Cathy would have her "I Want" song toward the end of the show her actual "I Want" song would be Still Hurting. The obvious "I Want" song is I Can do Better Than That and I think it was written that way. I think the musical as a whole is so layered and complex than most people think.
If we are going with the statement that there con only be 1 single protagonist then consider "Frozen", which of the sisters would be the more protagonistic protagonist? Ana's I want song (For the first time in forever) is just before the inciting incident of Elsa freezing the town, but Elsa's song (Let it go. duh!) is right after that. Each one falls into one of the two sides, does that affects the merits of their leading ladyship?
Manuel Vega See, this is why Frozen is problematic in so many storytelling ways. Of course this isn't an exact science, otherwise every show would be the same and life would be boring BUT Frozen breaks almost too many of these rules so therefore it fails on many storytelling levels and at many points, makes no sense. Anna is for sure THE lead in terms of, she's the primary heroine, she has more screen time, lines, and songs, BUT it's Elsa who causes the inciting incident :/ its difficult to say WHO is the character of first importance aka the protagonist for that reason. I'd only give Anna the title of protagonist at this point only because she's the one who is the one trying to "fix shit" and call Elsa the deuteragonist/secondary lead, because really, apart from her being the one creating the inciting incident, she's doesn't do all that much after words except run off and sing "THE song". Anna is the one more or less doing everything to make change while Elsa is the mostly having everything happen TO her or around her. Which usually indicates ingenue...but she's not that either...Anna in terms of her personality and belief in love is more the ingenue even thought she MAKES thing happen. I've been calling her ingenue with a twist. Frozen doesn't follow any sort of pattern so it gets nonsensical.
Manuel Vega I wouldn't call Let it Go an I want song, it's more of like a "defying grivity" or even a "No good deed goes unpunished" type of number(ahhhh how I love the frozen/wicked parallels), something has changed within the protagonist, the inciting incident (elsa freezing everything) has already occured, In the words of Bobby lopez it's more of an "I am" song, nowhere in let it go does elsa express her desire for something, she is already free and she is expressing that feeling. I'd say for the first time in forever is totally the I want song but even if you think elsa is the protagonist it still works, "conceal, dont feel, put on a show, make one wrong move an everyone will know" that bit right there introduces us to elsas way of thinking and her desire at the begining of the movie is to keep the secret and fulfill her role, she doesn't want freedom on the contrary the mere concept of her powers scares her.
When dual-protagonists, it can be difficult to determine which is THE I Want song. In cases like these, it purely depends on which is given more importance by the director of the production. So, in Frozen's case, it would be Elsa and Let It Go.
That's not always true either. Like "12345" said, LiG is more like Defying Gravity, more like an "I Am" song. Elsa wasn't necessarily given more importance by any creatives, because let's be honest, Anna is WAY more important here and that was the original intention. It only just so happened that Elsa became the much more popular character. LiG is the "decision making" song and it reveals a small portion of how she' been taught to think, but it doesn't reveal anything about what Elsa WANTS. Defying Gravity is the same. It's a big decision maker, not a character want reveal. FTIF actually reveals what Anna wants, so there's the "I Want" song. But yes, with two leads sometimes determining who has the I Want song can be weird, and yes there are pieces in which the "supporting lead" so to speak, has the I Want song, but that's not the case here. Anna is THE lead and has the I Want song. Elsa is more deuteragonist. She's a lead but, still slightly secondary to Anna.
Wow! Now I'm doughting, I don't know if you are familiar with the "The Last Five Years" musicals (I have only seen the movie version as I live in Spain and I loove it), anyway, which would be that musical's " I want song"? I guess for Jaimie it would be "Moving too fast" wich is (at least in the movie) his very first song, and the second one in the movie; but what about Kathy's? I can't pick just one, she has so many song about what she wants. If anyone has seen either the movie or the musical wants to take part and try to answer I'll be very pleased. Excuse my english if it's not very accurate. I love your videos and bye. That's all ;)
AstridLana That's a good point. Each of them is always wanting something along the storyline....different things depending on where they are in their careers (or absence of a career in case of Cathy's). If I had to pick one for her, it would probably be I Can Do Better Than That.
LetMeDreamPlease The trouble with The Last Five Years lies in both its non-chronological structure and the fact that there's really not that much plot. Well, not that there's no plot (there's plenty of that) but that we rarely see the plot. We mostly only see reactions (except in See I'm Smiling, The Schmuel Song, The Next Ten Minutes, If I Didn't Believe In You, and I Can Do Better Than That). For the most part, something happens to them, and afterward they monologue (musically) and reflect on how they feel about it. My point is that for most of the show we don't really know the characters very well until near the end and (more importantly) the characters don't know themselves, either. They both think that the other character is what they want, but throughout the musical they learn that they want things that the other can't give them. So I would say that every song is an "I Want" song - their wants are constantly changing and they sing new songs to reflect that.
I would say Cathy's "I want" song is I Can Do Better, because it's positively saying what she wants from life. Most of her other songs are complaining about something/someone e.g. her career/her relationship. But I suppose in a more negative sense they are wanting her current problems to end. I just don't think it's very plausible - what does she want in Still Hurting. It'd be really pushing it to say it's an I want song. I'd say it's more of a lamentation.
Parade: Leo's "I Want Song" is "How Can I Call This Home?". It is the 3rd sung song in the show, AND happens prior to the inciting incident (Mary's murder). [I also feel this is the show's I WANT song] Lucielle's I WANT is ( I think) "What am I Waiting For?". This is the 5th song in the show. It happens just before the incident. Frankie has technically 2. The first one is "Picture Show", but I think his main one is "It Don't Make Sense", where he blames Leo and wants to avenge Mary. This is his shift. Am I correct in those? Obsessed with the show (and in it) right now.
I've been trying to figure out what Waitress' I Want song is and I was torn between What Baking Can Do and The Negative, but after this, I'm leaning towards What Baking Can Do. It happens right after the inciting incident (Jenna discovering she's pregnant) and establishes that she wants to keep her baby despite the abusive marriage she is in.
yeah and with the negative i think it's just the inciting incident and not also the i want song, i honestly can't think of anything she really wants that kickstarts the show, besides the obvious "i want not to be pregnant"
In Rent, I would argue there are many I want songs: Roger wants his song, Mimi wants to go out tonight, Collins wants to open up a restaurant in Santa Fe, Benny wants to set up a recording studio. In fact pretty much the whole first act is I want songs for the different characters. Almost nothing happens. But this makes me wonder whether there is a different inciting incident for each character. For Roger, like you say, it's when Mimi arrives. Maybe that's Mimi's inciting incident too. Perhaps for Collins, it's the moment he and Angel kiss. And for Benny it's something else (up for debate). Thoughts? I'd like to hear your opinion.
NelSpringrose It's the same with into the woods as mentioned into the video. Rent for me has a mesh of mountains, one for each person. However all the mountains peak at Angels death. I think I would have to draw it out for each one...
NelSpringrose I've thought that too, but for Les Mis. that has so many characters and so many "I Want" songs (Valjean wants to change his life AND THEN wants to save Marius, Fantine dreamed a dream, Javert has stars, Eponine is on her own etc etc) - it's hard to follow isn't it?
Ahh that's great! I've just found your channel and went on a bit of a binge watch - I subscribed instantly and love your stuff and your variety of taste in musicals (not just Wicked like a lot of people) :)
This omits the I-want song of "Carousel," i.e., Billy's "Soliloquy" which does not occur until near the end of Act 1. A seven-and-a-half-minute sung monologue which undergoes multiple changes of melody, rhythm and tempo, includes an extended recitative portion and two identifiable songs: "My Boy Bill" and "My Little Girl."
Howard Ashman said that the "I Want" song is usually the third song of the show where a character sits on something and pours out their heart in song about what they want. and then we're rooting for them to get it the rest of the show. this is my problem with Beauty and the Beast, I don't know what Belle wants other than "adventure in the great, wide somewhere" and "to have someone understand."
GoddessOfWhim2003 actually, to me, Belle's I Want song, Belle (Reprise), is a lot like Somewhere over the Rainbow. These are characters that aren't too particularly sure what they want with their life, only that it's something more than what they've been handed. They want to escape their provincial lives, and we're given reasons earlier on to why they would feel this why, Dorothy because she feels she's in the way and she's often bored, and Belle because her town is close minded and shallow, and she has to deal with Gaston and pre perceived views from society.
5:26 NO THAT IS NOT CORRECT technically, in the stage musical, I Can Hear The Bells takes place """"during"""" the auditions. Tracy is there when she sees Link and time stops so she can go into her little song. the movie changed that around because film is a different medium, which I understand. it's just that the movie is different from the musical, which came first, so I see it as the "source material". sorry for blowing up; I was in Hairspray and will defend its honor every chance I get.
I'm glad you mentioned Spelling Bee because unlike most musicals, it doesn't really have much of a plot. It's literally just about 6 kids who want to win a spelling bee. What makes the show interesting is all of the character development (but that's another conversation). The point is that the reason why the opening number is like a good exposition/"I want" song blend is because that's really all there is to the whole show plot-wise
Great video! God, I don't know how you know so much about musicals! I want to hear your opinion on something. Bobby's I Want Song in Company. All three of his solos in the show can be considered I want songs, but do you agree with me that Being Alive is truly THE I want song for him? And where does that leave the song on the mountain? Can it be argued that the Inciting Incident is Joanne saying that she will take of him? Sorry if I asked too much stuff!
My favourite musical would be Ragtime and you could say the protagonists are - Tateh (Journey On? - Before the inciting incident of being in poverty on the streets of America), - Mother (Goodbye, My Love - before inciting incident of discovering the baby) and - Coalhouse (Wheels of Dream before the inciting incident of his car being wrecked which is granted quite close to the end of act one). I'd love to be told whether this sounds right or not because I'm learning about this concept for the first time because of this video and it's exciting to realise that's it's been within all these shows that I know and love all along.
So in Bare the I Want song is Role of a Lifetime, but there isn't really an inciting incident of the show?? Unless you count You and I but that works as more of an exposition. #1 Epiphany and #2 You and I are exposition, and #4 is definitely rising action so thinking about it, Role of A Lifetime functions the same way the Put On Your Sunday clothes works, in that it shows Peter's desire to come out, and it's also is the turning point for him to start chasing his desire. These are just my thoughts though, any other ideas?
idk i kinda thought you and i was pretty close to being an i want song, peter wants jason [to join the play] and jason wants to be the straight guy, but then we have plain jane fat ass if you consider nadia as a main character and portrait of a girl for ivy. i think the inciting incident is 911 emergency, despite how late it is in the show, because it sparks jason to turn away from peter which ends up going...badly.
My favorite musical: Assassins I Want Song: Everybody's Got the Right. They want to kill the president Inciting incident: Either the Assassins receiving their guns in EBGTR or Ballad of Booth where Booth "Paves the way for other madmen to make us pay"
My favourite musical is My Fair Lady and the "I Want" song is "Wouldn't it be Loverly". However, what I can't figure out is whether the inciting incident is her choosing to ask Professor Higgins for lessons or if it's when Professor Higgins makes her realize how bad her speech is. So, it either happens right after or right before the incident.
In Something Rotten, Nick's "I Want" song is God I Hate Shakespeare (Reprise), which happens right before the inciting incident (Nick deciding to write the first musical).
Technically, the inciting incident for Falsettos would be the preceding act In Trousers but their isn’t an i want song during that act. Marvin’s I want song is the second song of March of the Falsettos and the next inviting incident would be Mendel asking about Trina. Then in Falsettoland the I want song is the opening number with another one placed a couple minutes later with A Miracle of Judaism, directly followed by the inciting incident. AMJ is reprised right before the climax and the opening is reprised in the finale.
What is the I Want song in Company? Being Alive? If it is it is at the end of the show so it's past the climax. Although concept musicals seem to askew or ignore Freytag, so perhaps it's less important where it goes. I suppose the inciting incident of Company is Bobby's surprise birthday party but it's kind of the exposition too. The rising action would be the get togethers and dates he has and the climax would be... uhh... I guess it's Being Alive? Then I suppose the falling action and resolution is Bobby not responding to his friends for his next surprise birthday party but you could argue these don't qualify. That's as close as I could find.
I think your observation about I want songs happening after inciting incidents in contemporary musicals is indicative of the fact that in all contemporary theater the inciting incident happens earlier and earlier in the story. As a high school teacher of beginning playwriting, I don't focus on aristotelean structure, I teach them to reveal exposition through conflict. Modern audiences are savvy at picking up exposition through dramatic context and have such short attention spans, some shows even have a false or miniature inciting incident just so they can get through the exposition without changing the channel, so to speak.
So... would the "I want" song in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat be Any Dream Will Do, during the prologue, or Joseph's Dreams, during the first "chapter" of the show? Either way, it's before the inciting incident, which is the brothers selling him off to slavery...
Did the placement of "I Want" songs right around the beginning of rising action start to be viewed as a cliche? I think the other most famous example (besides The Wizard of Oz) is probably West Side Story ("Something's Coming"), but that song's title alone gave away that s**t was about to get interesting. So are audiences responding better to this new trend because it works against the traditional expectation?
Daniel Nesmith That's a really good question! There is certainly a modern trend towards avoiding (or poking fun at) the traditional tropes of musical theatre. I think it may even have something to do with modern audiences being more worldly and able to quickly comprehend a more complex or nuanced plot.
If I learned anything from the Rocky Horror Show, it's that if you're singing an I-Want song ("I'm Going Home") in the third act, it's already too late.
I wonder what you think about how Next to Normal works. I would argue that there isn't really an inciting incident - or rather that it happened years before the show picks up the story. Everything Else is an I Want Song (but Natalie isn't the protagonist, is she?) and the opening number contains the line "and you wish that you were going but you stay." I guess It's Gonna Be Good could maybe be an I Want Song for Dan and it's immediately followed by a revelation that could possibly be considered the inciting incident... You can probably tell I'm not convinced though. I'm really curious about this one... Does Next to Normal somehow follow a different pattern or are it's I Want Song(s) and inciting incident just a lot less obvious than usual?
What would you consider to be Grease's "I Want" song? I want to say "Hopelessly Devoted", but in the version we're doing at our school, Sandy doesn't sing that song until Act 2. Thoughts?
Hedwig has an interesting structure when looking at it through these lenses, especially since most of the first act is in flashback. so by looking at the sequence of events as we see them the i want song (origin of love) if before the infighting incident (meeting Luther) but in the sequence of her life, the i want song is wayyyy later.
oh and while i'm on the thought process of flashback, there's fun home. the show itself is easy enough (I want to know what's true, dig deep into who and what and why and when) and the incident being her fathers death. but if you look at the sequence of the show itself.... it's a bit more complicated
Newsies is strange. “Carrying the Banner” could be an I Want song, and it happens before the inciting incident - and sure enough, those Newsies singing that song cause the action of the plot. They’re active protagonists. But they’re not *the* protagonist, and Jack Kelly doesn’t get his I Want song until well into the action. Well after the inciting incident. And yet he’s the one who (mostly) leads the strike, and he’s thus a driving force in the plot’s action. Like I said, strange. Even Kate doesn’t get her I Want song (if Watch What Happens can be classified as such) until after the strike starts. Hmm.
Personally, I find Olive's "My Friend The Dictionary" to be THE I Want song of Spelling Bee. Now, protest if you must, but I believe that Olive is the protagonist of the musical (by a veeeeery small gap). She has the most story surrounding her and the musical kind of "revolves" around her getting what she wants and her relationships.
Is it me or the I want song in Company is right before the entr'acte? Hey, you ask me to find the I want song in my favorite musical, i'm just telling you :P
"Chess" seems to be a weird show to apply this to, depending on who you say the protagonist is. One character has their I want song at the beginning, one well after the incident, and one halfway through act 2!
Forgive me if I’m wrong. I haven’t watched Calamity Jane for a long time but I think the I want song is Secret Love which comes right near the end. Am I right?
For Cabaret: Couldn't you also say that the Moment when Sally meats Maximilian (the Rich dude) is the "Inciting Incident"? Because with him all the problems start, the Problems with her relationship with Brian, the pregnancy... And with that, her I Want Song "Mabye this Time" would be before the "Inciting Incident".
For Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Depends on who is the main protagonist For Lawrence, Give them what they want is before the incident And for Freddy, great big stuff is just before/right on the incident
I can't think of the "I Want" song in Matilda... possibly "When I Grow Up", which only occurs in Act 2. Or perhaps "Naughty", which is sung by the protagonist at least...
I've gotta admit, through this lense, some of my favourite musicals become very problematic. I love Calamity Jane (the movie), but neither her nor Katie get an I want song. The closest Rocky Horror seems to get to an I Want song is Sword Of Damocles, but Rocky's hardly the protagonist, and Frank's I Want Song (Fanfare/Don't Dream It, Be It/I'm Going Home) comes completely after his arc has finished. Even in CATS, I guess Memory could be an I Want song, she is dreaming of a place in the heaviside lair even if she doesn' mention it explicity, but it still doesn't fit the bill exactly. I don't know, it's interesting man.
Can I just say that, you sir, are grossly under-watched. You are one of the greatest original TH-camrs I have ever seen and I want to help support you. You're doing a great thing, and I hope you continue to do great things, because I share your videos with all of my musical/theatre oriented friends. Good job, and keep up the good work!
Also it's arguable that Hairspray falls under the category of having the I Want song as the opening number with "Good Morning Baltimore" :
And some day when i take to the floor
The world's gonna wake up and see
Baltimore and me
...
The rats on the street
All dance around my feet
They seem to say Tracy, it's up to you
It all sounds very "I Want" -y to me.
This video really got me thinking about Great Comet and where its I Want songs factor onto the pyramid. At first I thought it was funny that Dust and Ashes, Pierre's I Want song, happened about halfway through the show, fairly far after the main inciting incident, which was Natasha meeting Anatole. And then I remembered that Pierre and Natasha are both protagonists with their own separate but adjacent stories, and really, Pierre's inciting incident happens at the end of the show, during Pierre and Natasha, and after his I Want song. Meanwhile, Natasha's I Want song is No One Else, which also happens before her inciting incident. I just found it interesting that both characters follow the same story structure, even though their main plot points happen at wildly different times. Just another cool thing that I kind of just wanna applaud Dave Malloy on. This might've been pretty obvious to some but my analysis just made me happy and I thought I'd share it, lol.
I disagree on Hairspray. I Can Hear the Bells is AN I Want Song, but THE I Want Song, for me at least, is Good Morning Baltimore - it demonstrates Tracy's desire for fame and dancing.
+Angela .Rajic Great point. This is actually what I thought when I first watched the video. However, I think "I Can Hear the Bells" is supposed to be *the* "I Want" song, because the main function of "Good Morning Baltimore" is supposed to be an "establishing" song - it establishes the setting, introduces audiences to the main character, and gives just enough "need to know" information about her to understand key motivations and mindsets. It's not till "I Hear the Bells" that the audience really gets to know (song-form) Tracy's wants/motivations in greater depth.
(shrug) I dunno. Maybe that interpretation isn't helpful.
+Amelia Doubleyou I agree with you on "GM, Baltimore." It feels like "Downtown" from Little shop - setting the scene.
Tom Leonard
Thank you! And personally, "Skid Row (Downtown)" is, like, one of the greatest ensemble songs in musical theatre history. LOVE IT!! (especially the "background"/"arrangement"
Angela .Rajic I think songs can be both! GM Baltimore is both the setting the scene song and the I Want song, like Beautiful in Heathers, or Skid Row in Little Shop. I guess I see where you're coming from with the whole "I can Hear The Bells" being the I want song, my only problem is that it only gives part of her wants, and not the most important part. Link is an important want for her, but her main driving want is the need to be on the corny Collins show and overcome how society perceives people who are different.
Benjamin Wambeke I listened to Heathers this weekend and that is such the hidden gem.
In Heathers the I want song, "Beautiful", is both the opening number, and contain the inciting incident (Veronica befriending the Heathers)
I think the inciting incident is actually her meeting JD and "Fight For Me." Actually, I don't even know if Beautiful is the I Want song. It's definitely AN I Want song, but what she wants in Beautiful (to be popular and not treated badly by the other students) is accomplished and wrapped up by the end of the song. Fight For Me could very easily be considered the I Want song instead, seeing as the rest of the musical centers on Veronica wanting JD's honest love and protection, as opposed to her wishing for continued popularity.
No, see, she wants two things in beautiful. One of them, to not be picked on herself, she accomplishes during the song. The other, for all of her classmates to get along and be nice to each other like they did when they were kids, isn't wrapped up until the finale. The conflict between those two desires informs her entire character arc, while her relationship with JD is only part of it
Also she never wants to be popular, it's a means to an end (safety), just like her relationship with JD initially is, and she gives up on both of those things when she realizes that she has to hurt people to keep them (she tries significantly harder with JD than with Heather Chandler, granted)
Her character arc is finalized when she decides that it's not enough for her to not participate in hurting people, she has to stop JD and Heather Duke, and in doing so, she accomplishes her initial goal of a kinder, more beautiful school environment
(this got very long, I'm sorry)
The plot of Heathers the Musical is about JD enrapturing Veronica to take part in murdering people with him and Veronica falling in Love with JD though also trying to get out of the hold he has her in. In which case, Fight For Me would be the inciting incident. It's when she first notices JD and begins to like him.
in Disney's The Little Mermaid, Part of Your World is before the inciting incident but after the incident she has a reprise of the song.
In dear evan hansen, the i want song is most likely "Waving through a window" talking about how Evan wants to be seen and wants friends. The inciting incident is connor's suicide which happens after. this is a VERY modern musical and i feel like it makes Evan a stronger character and gets the audience engaged and connected to Evan which makes it easier for us to stick with him through all the problematic stuff he does like faking the friendship. I love these videos and you have earned a new sub!
Hello I'm two years late to this channel but my god am I loving all your videos!
My favorite musical is Phantom of the Opera, and I am not sure if I'm right but I think that the "I Want" song is "All I Ask of You", since Christine explicitly states "All I want is freedom/A world with no more night/And you always beside me". This happens well after the inciting incident, and arguable sparks the climax (Phantom kidnapping her after hearing she plans to run away with Raoul), so I guess it's a little outside the mold.
Bobby's I want song from company is at the very very end of the show. Being Alive.
I would say it's more like Marry me a little. Both are I want songs though.
I thought that was "someone is waiting"
Disney's classic "I want"- song, "Part of THAT world," set immediately before "the inciting incident, " the ship and shipwreck: However, it has a reprise "Part of YOUR world" is AFTER the inciting incidence when what she wants has changed, not just the surface, but Eric too! She even tells you the inciting incident has occurred and that the plot will happen and what the resolution will be "I don't when, I don't know how, but I know something's starting right now! Watch and you'll see. Someday I'll be, part of your world," thank you, Disney, for teaching children foreshadowing!
In a way, Hamilton has 2 I want songs! Hamilton has My Shot and Burr (in true wait for it fashion) has The Room Where it Happens as his own I want song in Act 2
I feel like Hamilton has a lot of "I want" songs. For example, Angelica has "Satisfied" (and, to a lesser degree, "The Schuyler Sisters") and Eliza has "That Would Be Enough".
It could also be argued that act one and two of Hamilton are two different climactic arcs all together. Alexander is unquestionably the protagonist of the first ("My Shot" occurring with the inciting incident), while an arguement can be made for Burr and "Room" in Act II.
Thank you for making this series! It's cool learning some things on stories in musicals and such with plot. Would love to see more educational theatre videos!
As always, love your work. But where's the flannel?!
That's only guaranteed for Show of the Week
What about shows with non-linear chronology? In Merrily We Roll Along, is 'Our Time' the 'I Want' song - placed right at the end? And in The Last Five Years, yes Jamie has 'Shiksa Goddess' as his first song, but if we treat him and Kathy with equal weight, then is her 'I Want' song 'I Can Do Better Than That' - only two songs from the end of the musical? If so, do you think it negatively impacts our understanding of the characters - they haven't laid bare their intentions for us to follow throughout the story - or do you think it actually enhances our understanding because we've had to piece together their motivations for ourselves? I'd be interested to know what you think!
(Sorry for all the questions! Also, I'm aware that because these shows have non-linear chronology they don't necessarily follow a standard story structure and so don't necessarily fit into a typical Climactic Arc... And maybe Merrily's I Want song IS in the right place, because the arc is just inverted... I dunno.)
because cathy is going backwards, it would make sense that her i want song is near the end, while jeremy's is at the beginning. also, i could see moving to fast as jeremy's i want song, but also he gets what he wants in that song, so idk.
I would say that while chronologically Cathy would have her "I Want" song toward the end of the show her actual "I Want" song would be Still Hurting. The obvious "I Want" song is I Can do Better Than That and I think it was written that way. I think the musical as a whole is so layered and complex than most people think.
If we are going with the statement that there con only be 1 single protagonist then consider "Frozen", which of the sisters would be the more protagonistic protagonist? Ana's I want song (For the first time in forever) is just before the inciting incident of Elsa freezing the town, but Elsa's song (Let it go. duh!) is right after that. Each one falls into one of the two sides, does that affects the merits of their leading ladyship?
Manuel Vega See, this is why Frozen is problematic in so many storytelling ways. Of course this isn't an exact science, otherwise every show would be the same and life would be boring BUT Frozen breaks almost too many of these rules so therefore it fails on many storytelling levels and at many points, makes no sense. Anna is for sure THE lead in terms of, she's the primary heroine, she has more screen time, lines, and songs, BUT it's Elsa who causes the inciting incident :/ its difficult to say WHO is the character of first importance aka the protagonist for that reason. I'd only give Anna the title of protagonist at this point only because she's the one who is the one trying to "fix shit" and call Elsa the deuteragonist/secondary lead, because really, apart from her being the one creating the inciting incident, she's doesn't do all that much after words except run off and sing "THE song". Anna is the one more or less doing everything to make change while Elsa is the mostly having everything happen TO her or around her. Which usually indicates ingenue...but she's not that either...Anna in terms of her personality and belief in love is more the ingenue even thought she MAKES thing happen. I've been calling her ingenue with a twist. Frozen doesn't follow any sort of pattern so it gets nonsensical.
Manuel Vega I wouldn't call Let it Go an I want song, it's more of like a "defying grivity" or even a "No good deed goes unpunished" type of number(ahhhh how I love the frozen/wicked parallels), something has changed within the protagonist, the inciting incident (elsa freezing everything) has already occured, In the words of Bobby lopez it's more of an "I am" song, nowhere in let it go does elsa express her desire for something, she is already free and she is expressing that feeling. I'd say for the first time in forever is totally the I want song but even if you think elsa is the protagonist it still works, "conceal, dont feel, put on a show, make one wrong move an everyone will know" that bit right there introduces us to elsas way of thinking and her desire at the begining of the movie is to keep the secret and fulfill her role, she doesn't want freedom on the contrary the mere concept of her powers scares her.
When dual-protagonists, it can be difficult to determine which is THE I Want song. In cases like these, it purely depends on which is given more importance by the director of the production. So, in Frozen's case, it would be Elsa and Let It Go.
That's not always true either. Like "12345" said, LiG is more like Defying Gravity, more like an "I Am" song. Elsa wasn't necessarily given more importance by any creatives, because let's be honest, Anna is WAY more important here and that was the original intention. It only just so happened that Elsa became the much more popular character. LiG is the "decision making" song and it reveals a small portion of how she' been taught to think, but it doesn't reveal anything about what Elsa WANTS. Defying Gravity is the same. It's a big decision maker, not a character want reveal. FTIF actually reveals what Anna wants, so there's the "I Want" song. But yes, with two leads sometimes determining who has the I Want song can be weird, and yes there are pieces in which the "supporting lead" so to speak, has the I Want song, but that's not the case here. Anna is THE lead and has the I Want song. Elsa is more deuteragonist. She's a lead but, still slightly secondary to Anna.
Wow! Now I'm doughting, I don't know if you are familiar with the "The Last Five Years" musicals (I have only seen the movie version as I live in Spain and I loove it), anyway, which would be that musical's " I want song"? I guess for Jaimie it would be "Moving too fast" wich is (at least in the movie) his very first song, and the second one in the movie; but what about Kathy's? I can't pick just one, she has so many song about what she wants. If anyone has seen either the movie or the musical wants to take part and try to answer I'll be very pleased.
Excuse my english if it's not very accurate. I love your videos and bye.
That's all ;)
I feel like every song in that is an "I want" song
AstridLana That's a good point. Each of them is always wanting something along the storyline....different things depending on where they are in their careers (or absence of a career in case of Cathy's). If I had to pick one for her, it would probably be I Can Do Better Than That.
LetMeDreamPlease The trouble with The Last Five Years lies in both its non-chronological structure and the fact that there's really not that much plot. Well, not that there's no plot (there's plenty of that) but that we rarely see the plot. We mostly only see reactions (except in See I'm Smiling, The Schmuel Song, The Next Ten Minutes, If I Didn't Believe In You, and I Can Do Better Than That). For the most part, something happens to them, and afterward they monologue (musically) and reflect on how they feel about it.
My point is that for most of the show we don't really know the characters very well until near the end and (more importantly) the characters don't know themselves, either. They both think that the other character is what they want, but throughout the musical they learn that they want things that the other can't give them. So I would say that every song is an "I Want" song - their wants are constantly changing and they sing new songs to reflect that.
I would say Cathy's "I want" song is I Can Do Better, because it's positively saying what she wants from life. Most of her other songs are complaining about something/someone e.g. her career/her relationship. But I suppose in a more negative sense they are wanting her current problems to end. I just don't think it's very plausible - what does she want in Still Hurting. It'd be really pushing it to say it's an I want song. I'd say it's more of a lamentation.
In 25th Annual, Olive (if you count her as the protagonist) has her I Want Song near the end, The I Love You Song.
How have I only just now discovered your channel? Love your analyses and discussions!
Parade:
Leo's "I Want Song" is "How Can I Call This Home?". It is the 3rd sung song in the show, AND happens prior to the inciting incident (Mary's murder). [I also feel this is the show's I WANT song]
Lucielle's I WANT is ( I think) "What am I Waiting For?". This is the 5th song in the show. It happens just before the incident.
Frankie has technically 2. The first one is "Picture Show", but I think his main one is "It Don't Make Sense", where he blames Leo and wants to avenge Mary. This is his shift.
Am I correct in those? Obsessed with the show (and in it) right now.
That opening few seconds made me smile. Tommy is a wonderful human being
I've been trying to figure out what Waitress' I Want song is and I was torn between What Baking Can Do and The Negative, but after this, I'm leaning towards What Baking Can Do. It happens right after the inciting incident (Jenna discovering she's pregnant) and establishes that she wants to keep her baby despite the abusive marriage she is in.
yeah and with the negative i think it's just the inciting incident and not also the i want song, i honestly can't think of anything she really wants that kickstarts the show, besides the obvious "i want not to be pregnant"
Jenna doesn’t really want anything, it’s more about them what she doesn’t want (her marriage, the baby etc)
Scout Forbes i think that jenna’s want is a fresh start and a desire to start over without her husband/baby in that point in the show
Parade is my favorite musical and I love his "I want" song, "How can I call this home?" which happens before the exciting incident ! Interesting :-)
In Rent, I would argue there are many I want songs: Roger wants his song, Mimi wants to go out tonight, Collins wants to open up a restaurant in Santa Fe, Benny wants to set up a recording studio. In fact pretty much the whole first act is I want songs for the different characters. Almost nothing happens. But this makes me wonder whether there is a different inciting incident for each character. For Roger, like you say, it's when Mimi arrives. Maybe that's Mimi's inciting incident too. Perhaps for Collins, it's the moment he and Angel kiss. And for Benny it's something else (up for debate).
Thoughts? I'd like to hear your opinion.
NelSpringrose It's the same with into the woods as mentioned into the video. Rent for me has a mesh of mountains, one for each person. However all the mountains peak at Angels death. I think I would have to draw it out for each one...
NelSpringrose I've thought that too, but for Les Mis. that has so many characters and so many "I Want" songs (Valjean wants to change his life AND THEN wants to save Marius, Fantine dreamed a dream, Javert has stars, Eponine is on her own etc etc) - it's hard to follow isn't it?
I WANT A PART THREE SOON PLEASE!!!
DramaQueenD Bit by bit, putting it together! 😊
Ahh that's great! I've just found your channel and went on a bit of a binge watch - I subscribed instantly and love your stuff and your variety of taste in musicals (not just Wicked like a lot of people) :)
This omits the I-want song of "Carousel," i.e., Billy's "Soliloquy" which does not occur until near the end of Act 1. A seven-and-a-half-minute sung monologue which undergoes multiple changes of melody, rhythm and tempo, includes an extended recitative portion and two identifiable songs: "My Boy Bill" and "My Little Girl."
Howard Ashman said that the "I Want" song is usually the third song of the show where a character sits on something and pours out their heart in song about what they want. and then we're rooting for them to get it the rest of the show. this is my problem with Beauty and the Beast, I don't know what Belle wants other than "adventure in the great, wide somewhere" and "to have someone understand."
That's ironic, because in LSOH, "Grow For Me" is #4 😂😂
I think he would say Somewhere That's Green is the I Want song of the show, which is even later that the third song. it's not an exact science
GoddessOfWhim2003 actually, to me, Belle's I Want song, Belle (Reprise), is a lot like Somewhere over the Rainbow. These are characters that aren't too particularly sure what they want with their life, only that it's something more than what they've been handed. They want to escape their provincial lives, and we're given reasons earlier on to why they would feel this why, Dorothy because she feels she's in the way and she's often bored, and Belle because her town is close minded and shallow, and she has to deal with Gaston and pre perceived views from society.
5:26 NO
THAT IS NOT CORRECT
technically, in the stage musical, I Can Hear The Bells takes place """"during"""" the auditions. Tracy is there when she sees Link and time stops so she can go into her little song. the movie changed that around because film is a different medium, which I understand. it's just that the movie is different from the musical, which came first, so I see it as the "source material".
sorry for blowing up; I was in Hairspray and will defend its honor every chance I get.
chill, girl.
I'm glad you mentioned Spelling Bee because unlike most musicals, it doesn't really have much of a plot. It's literally just about 6 kids who want to win a spelling bee. What makes the show interesting is all of the character development (but that's another conversation). The point is that the reason why the opening number is like a good exposition/"I want" song blend is because that's really all there is to the whole show plot-wise
Great video! God, I don't know how you know so much about musicals!
I want to hear your opinion on something. Bobby's I Want Song in Company.
All three of his solos in the show can be considered I want songs, but do you agree with me that Being Alive is truly THE I want song for him? And where does that leave the song on the mountain? Can it be argued that the Inciting Incident is Joanne saying that she will take of him?
Sorry if I asked too much stuff!
My favourite musical would be Ragtime and you could say the protagonists are
- Tateh (Journey On? - Before the inciting incident of being in poverty on the streets of America),
- Mother (Goodbye, My Love - before inciting incident of discovering the baby) and
- Coalhouse (Wheels of Dream before the inciting incident of his car being wrecked which is granted quite close to the end of act one).
I'd love to be told whether this sounds right or not because I'm learning about this concept for the first time because of this video and it's exciting to realise that's it's been within all these shows that I know and love all along.
So in Bare the I Want song is Role of a Lifetime, but there isn't really an inciting incident of the show?? Unless you count You and I but that works as more of an exposition. #1 Epiphany and #2 You and I are exposition, and #4 is definitely rising action so thinking about it, Role of A Lifetime functions the same way the Put On Your Sunday clothes works, in that it shows Peter's desire to come out, and it's also is the turning point for him to start chasing his desire. These are just my thoughts though, any other ideas?
idk i kinda thought you and i was pretty close to being an i want song, peter wants jason [to join the play] and jason wants to be the straight guy, but then we have plain jane fat ass if you consider nadia as a main character and portrait of a girl for ivy. i think the inciting incident is 911 emergency, despite how late it is in the show, because it sparks jason to turn away from peter which ends up going...badly.
My favorite musical: Assassins
I Want Song: Everybody's Got the Right. They want to kill the president
Inciting incident: Either the Assassins receiving their guns in EBGTR or Ballad of Booth where Booth "Paves the way for other madmen to make us pay"
My favourite musical is My Fair Lady and the "I Want" song is "Wouldn't it be Loverly". However, what I can't figure out is whether the inciting incident is her choosing to ask Professor Higgins for lessons or if it's when Professor Higgins makes her realize how bad her speech is. So, it either happens right after or right before the incident.
In Something Rotten, Nick's "I Want" song is God I Hate Shakespeare (Reprise), which happens right before the inciting incident (Nick deciding to write the first musical).
Technically, the inciting incident for Falsettos would be the preceding act In Trousers but their isn’t an i want song during that act. Marvin’s I want song is the second song of March of the Falsettos and the next inviting incident would be Mendel asking about Trina. Then in Falsettoland the I want song is the opening number with another one placed a couple minutes later with A Miracle of Judaism, directly followed by the inciting incident. AMJ is reprised right before the climax and the opening is reprised in the finale.
What is the I Want song in Company? Being Alive? If it is it is at the end of the show so it's past the climax. Although concept musicals seem to askew or ignore Freytag, so perhaps it's less important where it goes. I suppose the inciting incident of Company is Bobby's surprise birthday party but it's kind of the exposition too. The rising action would be the get togethers and dates he has and the climax would be... uhh... I guess it's Being Alive? Then I suppose the falling action and resolution is Bobby not responding to his friends for his next surprise birthday party but you could argue these don't qualify. That's as close as I could find.
Another great video! Very informative and to the point.
I think your observation about I want songs happening after inciting incidents in contemporary musicals is indicative of the fact that in all contemporary theater the inciting incident happens earlier and earlier in the story. As a high school teacher of beginning playwriting, I don't focus on aristotelean structure, I teach them to reveal exposition through conflict. Modern audiences are savvy at picking up exposition through dramatic context and have such short attention spans, some shows even have a false or miniature inciting incident just so they can get through the exposition without changing the channel, so to speak.
In my current favorite musical Be More Chill, the I Want song is actually the opening song. It's also an exposition song though.
So... would the "I want" song in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat be Any Dream Will Do, during the prologue, or Joseph's Dreams, during the first "chapter" of the show? Either way, it's before the inciting incident, which is the brothers selling him off to slavery...
Did the placement of "I Want" songs right around the beginning of rising action start to be viewed as a cliche? I think the other most famous example (besides The Wizard of Oz) is probably West Side Story ("Something's Coming"), but that song's title alone gave away that s**t was about to get interesting. So are audiences responding better to this new trend because it works against the traditional expectation?
Daniel Nesmith That's a really good question! There is certainly a modern trend towards avoiding (or poking fun at) the traditional tropes of musical theatre. I think it may even have something to do with modern audiences being more worldly and able to quickly comprehend a more complex or nuanced plot.
Fascinating, funny, and useful! “I’m just a video on the internet” LOLOL
If I learned anything from the Rocky Horror Show, it's that if you're singing an I-Want song ("I'm Going Home") in the third act, it's already too late.
I wonder what you think about how Next to Normal works. I would argue that there isn't really an inciting incident - or rather that it happened years before the show picks up the story.
Everything Else is an I Want Song (but Natalie isn't the protagonist, is she?) and the opening number contains the line "and you wish that you were going but you stay."
I guess It's Gonna Be Good could maybe be an I Want Song for Dan and it's immediately followed by a revelation that could possibly be considered the inciting incident... You can probably tell I'm not convinced though.
I'm really curious about this one... Does Next to Normal somehow follow a different pattern or are it's I Want Song(s) and inciting incident just a lot less obvious than usual?
I'm trying to apply this videos to "Spring awakening" but I fucking can't. I'm not able to find the inciting incident. Help.
What would you consider to be Grease's "I Want" song? I want to say "Hopelessly Devoted", but in the version we're doing at our school, Sandy doesn't sing that song until Act 2. Thoughts?
Hedwig has an interesting structure when looking at it through these lenses, especially since most of the first act is in flashback. so by looking at the sequence of events as we see them the i want song (origin of love) if before the infighting incident (meeting Luther) but in the sequence of her life, the i want song is wayyyy later.
oh and while i'm on the thought process of flashback, there's fun home. the show itself is easy enough (I want to know what's true, dig deep into who and what and why and when) and the incident being her fathers death. but if you look at the sequence of the show itself.... it's a bit more complicated
Newsies is strange. “Carrying the Banner” could be an I Want song, and it happens before the inciting incident - and sure enough, those Newsies singing that song cause the action of the plot. They’re active protagonists.
But they’re not *the* protagonist, and Jack Kelly doesn’t get his I Want song until well into the action. Well after the inciting incident. And yet he’s the one who (mostly) leads the strike, and he’s thus a driving force in the plot’s action.
Like I said, strange.
Even Kate doesn’t get her I Want song (if Watch What Happens can be classified as such) until after the strike starts. Hmm.
Personally, I find Olive's "My Friend The Dictionary" to be THE I Want song of Spelling Bee. Now, protest if you must, but I believe that Olive is the protagonist of the musical (by a veeeeery small gap). She has the most story surrounding her and the musical kind of "revolves" around her getting what she wants and her relationships.
How about Dr. Horrible? I'd probably go with the very first song, Freeze Ray, or if you don't want the most obvious 'Brand New Day'.
+ckat13 Definitely "Freeze Ray." He wants Penny.
Is it me or the I want song in Company is right before the entr'acte? Hey, you ask me to find the I want song in my favorite musical, i'm just telling you :P
In Newsies, the I want song, Santa Fe, happens immediatly after the overture starts playing, and well before the inciting incident, so...
Can two coexisting protagonists each have their own 'I Want' song leading up to or directly in reaction of their own separate inciting incidents?
How would you qualify "social commentary" musicals like Fiddler on the Roof or Porgy and Bess?
Could it be also the opening number of In the Heights? Or 96,000?
I was just thinking about that. It's so messy because a lot of characters could be considered "protagonists" and there are so many I Want songs!
"Chess" seems to be a weird show to apply this to, depending on who you say the protagonist is. One character has their I want song at the beginning, one well after the incident, and one halfway through act 2!
Forgive me if I’m wrong. I haven’t watched Calamity Jane for a long time but I think the I want song is Secret Love which comes right near the end. Am I right?
If beautiful is the I want song in heathers then it happens before and during the inciting incident (her asking for protection/becoming a heather)
For Cabaret: Couldn't you also say that the Moment when Sally meats Maximilian (the Rich dude) is the "Inciting Incident"? Because with him all the problems start, the Problems with her relationship with Brian, the pregnancy... And with that, her I Want Song "Mabye this Time" would be before the "Inciting Incident".
For Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Depends on who is the main protagonist
For Lawrence, Give them what they want is before the incident
And for Freddy, great big stuff is just before/right on the incident
In Throughly Modern Mille, couldn't "Gimmie Gimmie" also be an I want song?
Would you argue that waving through a window is an active I want song? Coming before the inciting incident of connors death?
Would THE I Want song for Beauty and the Beast (on Broadway) because Belle Reprise or Home?
I can't think of the "I Want" song in Matilda... possibly "When I Grow Up", which only occurs in Act 2. Or perhaps "Naughty", which is sung by the protagonist at least...
So, is this like This Is The Only Level? There is only part 1?
Hey, math is hard.
you crackle me tommy
Do you like next to normal? It's one of my favorites, what are your opinions on it?
Gah! I love next to normal, one of the best musicals in my opinion
I love Oliver the musical
I've gotta admit, through this lense, some of my favourite musicals become very problematic. I love Calamity Jane (the movie), but neither her nor Katie get an I want song. The closest Rocky Horror seems to get to an I Want song is Sword Of Damocles, but Rocky's hardly the protagonist, and Frank's I Want Song (Fanfare/Don't Dream It, Be It/I'm Going Home) comes completely after his arc has finished. Even in CATS, I guess Memory could be an I Want song, she is dreaming of a place in the heaviside lair even if she doesn' mention it explicity, but it still doesn't fit the bill exactly.
I don't know, it's interesting man.
Santa Fe in Newsies
What about Sweeney Todd?
when you realise that Sweeny Todd's I want song is in Act 2
You are too cute.
Once Upon a Matress. I want song: Opening for A Princess. AT THE VERY BEGINNING