Image: Producer Circle Co. / Zadan/Meron Production
About This Quiz
Did you know that Broadway shows didn't even start out on Broadway? It's true! The first theater performances (think, lots of Shakespeare) took place on Nassau Street and musicals, as we know them today, didn't start finding their way to Broadway until theaters were erected there in the mid- to late-1800s. Why? Because real estate was cheaper, if you can imagine that ... in the heart of New York City! The very first Broadway musical, titled "The Elves," culminated in more than four dozen performances in the year 1850.
Near the start of the 20th century, musicals began competing with films, prompting many to wonder if theater would be able to keep up. Then, along came "Oklahoma!" in the 1940s and the start of what many still consider the golden age of musicals. "Guys and Dolls," "Singin' in the Rain" and "The King and I" were born a short time later. Thirty years on, we got "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Les Misérables." Today, we have "Hamilton" and "Wicked" and – of all things – "Beetlejuice."
We've come a long way since those fledgling days of theater, and now have a rich history of musicals to look back on and admire. And, that includes a slew of popular songs from "The Surrey With the Fringe on Top" to "Aaron Burr, Sir." How well do you know your musical ... music? Can you identify "Castle on a Cloud" from "Defying Gravity?" Give it your best shot in this tune-focused trivia from some of the world's top musicals!
"Anything Goes"
"Sweet Charity"
"Chicago"
"Cabaret"
The song, "Cabaret," from the musical of the same name, comes during the musical's climax and is sung by lead character Sally Bowles (portrayed in the film version by Liza Minnelli). The song itself is an ode to carefree living.
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"She Loves Me"
"Chicago"
The opening song for "Chicago," "All That Jazz" is an ironic tune with a party-like atmosphere that leads off a musical about a woman killing her boyfriend and sister who were having an affair. But, hey "Slick your hair/And wear your buckle shoes ... and all that jazz."
"Fosse"
"Nine"
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"Singin' in the Rain"
"I'm singin' in the rain/Just singin' in the rain" is the start of the song, "Singin' in the Rain," from the movie and musical of the same name. Gene Kelly made the song famous in the film, which was later adapted for the stage.
"An American in Paris"
"Brigadoon"
"A Chorus Line"
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"The Fully Monty"
"Hair"
Can you guess the title from these lyrics, "This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius/The Age of Aquarius/Aquarius! Aquarius!?" (Hint: It's "Aquarius.") The song is featured in the 1960s production of the rock musical, "Hair."
"Anything Goes"
"The Drowsy Chaperone"
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"Anything Goes"
"The Sound of Music"
"My Favorite Things" is a song featured in "The Sound of Music." You've probably heard the Julie Andrews version from the movie, released in 1965, but it was also featured onstage in 1959 Broadway production.
"Wonderful Town"
"Adding Machine"
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"The Pajama Game"
"Follies"
"Les Misérables"
Fantine sings the mournful song, "I Dreamed a Dream," in the musical production of "Les Misérables." When the song occurs, Fantine has just lost her job and is remembering days when things were better.
"Pippin"
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"Bye Bye Birdie"
"Sweeney Todd"
"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," frequently referred to as just "Sweeney Todd," got its start as a book by Hugh Wheeler. Featuring the song, "Not While I'm Around," it was turned into a musical for the first time in 1979.
"Mame"
"Violet"
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"Chicago"
"Fiddler on the Roof"
The song, "Matchmaker," is from the 1964 production, "Fiddler on the Roof." The story, set in Russia, follows a dad and his strong-willed daughters who are on the hunt for loving relationships.
"The King and I"
"Beauty and the Beast"
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"Mary Poppins"
"Dreamgirls"
"Evita"
"Cats"
Perhaps the most popular song from the musical, "Cats," "Memory" is sung by Grizabella to her fellow cats. The song is about remembering what was and how things could be in the future.
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"Nine"
"Guys and Dolls"
"Luck Be A Lady" is from the musical "Guys and Dolls," but as a standalone song, it was popularized by Frank Sinatra. It debuted on the Broadway stage in 1950 and ran for more than 1,200 performances, earning a Tony Award.
"Kiss Me, Kate"
"A Little Night Music"
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"Oklahoma!"
The opening song from "Oklahoma!," "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin,'" is sung by the musical's leading man, Curly. It was written by musical heavy-hitters Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II.
"Ragtime"
"Sweeney Todd"
"The Scottsboro Boys"
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"110 in the Shade"
"How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying"
"1776"
"Hamilton"
George Washington enters the musical, "Hamilton," with those lyrics from the song, "Right Hand Man." It goes on to say, "Here comes the general/The moment you've been waiting for/Here comes the general/The pride of Mount Vernon."
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"Promises, Promises"
"West Side Story"
"West Side Story's" Maria sang the tune, "I Feel Pretty," a tribute to beauty and happiness in the 1957 Broadway musical. The original role of Maria was played by Carol Lawrence, who received a Tony Award nomination for the part.
"Flower Drum Song"
"Bye Bye Birdie"
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"Follies"
"The Music Man"
"The Fantasticks"
"Show Boat"
Makes sense that "Ol' Man River" and a musical with a name like "Show Boat" would go together, doesn't it? "Show Boat" is about workers on a Mississippi show boat and is adapted from a book of the same name written by Edna Ferber.
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"Promises, Promises"
"Jersey Boys"
"December, 1963 (Oh What A Night!)" was originally written by the Four Seasons, but was included in the musical, "Jersey Boys." That musical, in fact, is a retelling of the story behind that group from the 1960s.
"Hairspray"
"Bye Bye Birdie"
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"Book of Mormon"
"I Believe" is a song from the production of "The Book of Mormon," which first ran on Broadway in 2011. The musical is a comedic glance at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, produced by the men behind "South Park."
"Grey Gardens"
"Rent"
"Hairspray"
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"Les Misérables"
"Cats"
"Phantom of the Opera"
"All I Ask of You" is a haunting duet from "Phantom of the Opera," which was adapted from a book of the same name written by Gaston Leroux. The song continues, "Say you love me every waking moment/Turn my head with talk of summertime/Say you need me with you now and always/Promise me that all you say is true/That's all I ask of you."
"Evita"
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"Annie"
"Grease"
"Hairspray"
Tracy Turnblad and the cast of "Hairspray" open the musical with this number. "Good Morning Baltimore" is a musical journey through the early part of Tracy's day before she gets to school.
"The Producers"
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"Jesus Christ Superstar"
Mary Magdalene's character in "Jesus Christ Superstar," sings, "I Don’t Know How To Love Him," a reference to her relationship with Jesus himself. "Jesus Christ Superstar" has been a musical on Broadway, an international tour, a film and a live TV concert, among other adaptations.
"South Pacific"
"Hamilton"
"Into the Woods"
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"Ragtime"
"The Producers"
"The Producers" is the musical where you'll find an unusually named tune by the moniker, "Springtime for Hitler." "The Producers" went to Broadway in 2001 and famously featured actors Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick.
"Brigadoon"
"Avenue Q"
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"The Cradle Will Rock"
"Rent"
The musical, "Rent," features the song, "Take Me or Leave Me," which was sung by Idina Menzel (of "Wicked" fame) in the 1996 Broadway production. The musical won a Tony Award for "Best Musical" the same year.
"Little Shop of Horrors"
"She Loves Me"
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"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum"
"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" is a farcical romp through the work of an ancient Roman playwright, which doesn't immediately seem like it would be humorous, but it is. It first appeared on Broadway in the early 1960s.
"Hello, Dolly!"
"42nd Street"
"The Cradle Will Rock"
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"City of Angels"
"Godspell"
"Godspell" is a trip through many of the parables of the Bible and includes the song, "Day by Day," with the lyrics mentioned above. The song itself is closely modeled after a song in a hymnal from the 1940s.
"Bat Boy"
"On the Town"
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"Sweet Charity"
"Mame"
"Man of La Mancha"
"Carousel"
"If I Loved You" is a sweet duet featuring characters Billy Bigelow and Julie from the musical "Carousel." "Carousel" was first produced on Broadway way back in 1945 and has gone through numerous revivals including the latest in 2018.
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"Wonderful Town"
"Ain't Misbehavin'"
"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"
"Any Dream Will Do" is a song from "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," which first appeared on Broadway in 1982. This story was the first co-created by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber to be performed publicly.
"The Scottsboro Boys"
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"A Man of No Importance"
"Caroline, or Change"
"Falsettos"
"Camelot"
The song, "If Ever I Would Leave You," is a ballad featured in the romantic musical, "Camelot." This musical won four Tony Awards and was performing on Broadway nearly 900 times before its first run ended.
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"Into the Woods"
"Wicked"
In 2016, "Wicked" joined elite company when it surpassed $1 billion in revenue. The only other musicals to do so are "The Phantom of the Opera" and "The Lion King." The song, "Defying Gravity," is from that show.
"Mame"
"The Secret Garden"
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"A Chorus Line"
"A Chorus Line" first appeared on Broadway in 1975 and tells the story of dancers seeking out a spot in a Broadway production. Before "Cats" came along, it was Broadway's longest-running show and features the song, "I Hope I Get It."
"The Light in the Piazza"
"Finian's Rainbow"
"Annie Get Your Gun"
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"The Fantasticks"
"Evita"
"Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" is a song from the musical, "Evita," which is sung by Eva Perón, a real-life person who was in Argentinian politics for a while. It appeared on Broadway for the first time in the late 1970s.
"Lady in the Dark"
"Assassins"
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"West Side Story"
"Hairspray"
"Grease"
Did you guess "Grease?" This song, titled "Greased Lightnin,'" is one of the most popular songs from this musical that first appeared on Broadway in 1972. It has been performed all over the world and even made into a movie.
"Sunday in the Park With George"
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"Dreamgirls"
"She Loves Me"
"Ragtime"
"Newsies"
"Newsies," which hit stages in 2012, was adapted from a movie of the same name. The song, "Carrying the Banner," is sung as the newsies (or newsboys) are getting ready for another day of work.
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"The King and I"
In "The King and I," the song, "Getting to Know You," is sung to the king's children. This 1951 musical is based on a book of real experiences called, "Anna and the King of Siam," written by Margaret London.
"Beauty and the Beast"
"Cinderella"
"South Pacific"
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"Showgirls"
"Dreamgirls"
"And I Am Telling You (I’m Not Going)" is a staple of the "Dreamgirls" world, both on stage and in theaters. Jennifer Holliday was its original singer, with Jennifer Hudson doing a mean job of singing it for the movie, released in 2006.
"The Cradle Will Rock"
"Man of La Mancha"
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"Company"
"La Cage aux Folles"
"The Sound of Music"
"Annie"
The musical and movie, "Annie," features the song, "Maybe," where the orphan Annie is fantasizing about the family she came from. The song continues, "Betcha they're good/(Why shouldn't they be?)/Their one mistake/Was giving up me!"
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"My Fair Lady"
"I Could Have Danced All Night" is a song from "My Fair Lady," sung by Eliza Doolittle and Mrs. Pearce. When it was first produced, it was the longest-running Broadway musical of its time period.
"Romance/Romance"
"Godspell"
"The Secret Garden"
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You Got:
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