00:00Suddenly Seymour! Suddenly Seymour!
00:04Show me right now! Yes, you can!
00:09Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the show tunes that are peak romance.
00:15Take this sinking boat, and point it home.
00:24Number 10. So In Love, Kiss Me Kate
00:27Even without you, my arms fold about you.
00:39On stage, actress Lily Vanessie in the role of Kate may hate men.
00:43But don't forget, tis he who'll have the fun, and thee the baby. Oh, I hate men!
00:56Backstage, it's a whole different story. This backstage musical about a madcap production
01:02of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew finds Lily still in love with her ex.
01:06This is complicated for many, many reasons.
01:09So in love with you am I. In love with the night mysterious.
01:21The least of these reasons is he just happens to be her director and co-star in the show.
01:26In So In Love, Lily tells us how she's still in deep anguished love with him.
01:31You want drama? You want passion? You want undying devotion?
01:44Here it is. The great thing about adding this to your Valentine's playlist is that it works
01:48whether you're coupled or single. So that's something at least.
01:52Broadway musicals are big fans of love at first sight. After all, there's only so much time and
02:12only so much you can communicate from a distance. My Fair Lady has one of the best tunes about that
02:18very thing. People stop and stare, they don't bother me. Oh, there's no wealth on earth that
02:30I would rather be. The wealthy Freddie Einsford Hill is so enamored with Eliza Doolittle,
02:36he's just thrilled to be on the sidewalk outside the house where she's staying.
02:40It's less stalkerish than it sounds. Actually, there's something incredibly adorable and goofy
02:45about the character's innocence. On the street where you live is a testament to the timelessness
02:49of meeting someone and instantly feeling like you're meant to be with them. Let the time go by,
02:57I won't care if I... Number eight, As Long As You're Mine, Wicked. My wildest dreams could not
03:10foresee lying beside you. For those couples who like their romance with a dash of gloom,
03:19this one's for you. From its foreboding opening notes, you know this isn't your average romantic
03:24duet. If you go into the show knowing anything about The Wizard of Oz, you know Elphaba and
03:29Fiyero's pairing is the definition of doomed. As Long As You're Mine is when they finally connect.
03:34Somehow I fall in under your spell, and somehow I'm feeling the same that I have found.
03:49Though it's touching, it's also got a touch of darkness. This is a song about two lost people
03:54expressing their love even though it might be over before it begins. Their connection is
03:59undeniable. That's also what makes it passionate, raw, and dramatic.
04:09As Long As You're Mine.
04:21Number seven, If I Loved You, Carousel. If I loved you time and again I would try to stay.
04:34In one of the defining duets of Rodgers and Hammerstein's legendary catalog,
04:38Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan contemplate what it might be like if they loved each other.
04:42But of course, they do. They're just the last to know.
05:02If I Loved You is a long, somewhat meandering song that follows them through that realization,
05:06and only when they confront their feelings does the song's melody kick in for real.
05:22It's a sweeping and deeply heartfelt classic from the early days of Broadway,
05:26and when you hear a truly gifted singer take it on,
05:28it's a haunting and beautiful addition to any romantic playlist.
05:37If I Loved You.
05:44Number six, Somewhere, West Side Story. Peace and quiet and open air, wait for us somewhere.
05:59Tony and Maria are lovers from two different worlds, so naturally there's always an extra
06:03element of longing in the songs they share. Somewhere is the big tearjerker. Although its
06:08placement in the score of the show has shifted over the years, it's a powerful distillation
06:12of West Side Story's themes. If only there were a place where their ethnicities and
06:17social positions didn't matter. Somewhere has been covered by many
06:33artists of many different genres and eras. Barbara Streisand, the Supremes,
06:38and even the Pet Shop Boys have recorded it. It really just depends on what kind of
06:47Valentine's Day vibes you're going for.
06:49Number five, Suddenly Seymour, Little Shop of Horrors.
07:13You might not expect a science fiction monster flick about a human eating plant to have one of
07:18the most touching love stories ever featured in a musical, but fans of Little Shop of Horrors
07:22have been pounding that drum for over four decades. During Suddenly Seymour, Seymour
07:38Crawlbourne declares his love to the beautiful, mistreated Audrey, and we see them truly connect
07:43for the first time. Full of glorious belting and rock and roll orchestrations, the beauty
07:48in this track can catch you off guard. If you're not careful, this one might get you all choked up.
08:13Number four, I'll Cover You, Rent.
08:33Of all the tragic love stories in the blockbusting musical, the relationship
08:36between Collins and Angel is the one with the highest highs and lowest lows.
08:41I'll Cover You isn't just their duet, it's their shared vow to love,
08:45protect, and support each other no matter what happens.
09:01But like any strong couple, the song showcases their ability to have fun and laugh with each
09:05other. It's a moment of lightness that captures what's really important when two people decide
09:10to share a life together. Don't talk to us about the reprise in the second act though,
09:25we are still not over it. Number three, You Matter to Me, Waitress.
09:40Sarah Bareilles composed the score to the heartbreaking show based on a 2007 film.
09:48Jenna is a diner waitress and accomplished baker of pies who finds out she's pregnant by a husband
09:53who mistreats her. Things get even more complicated when she falls in love with
09:57her caring and supportive ob-gyn. You Matter to Me sees Jenna and the doctor affirming their
10:15commitment to each other. Out of context, it's a sweet, tender, and plaintive love song that
10:20perfectly marries musical theater storytelling with Bareilles' pop sensibility.
10:36This is a duet just begging to be slow danced to. Number two, Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered,
10:43Pal Joey. He's a fool, and don't I know it, but a fool can have his charm.
10:53Sung by socialite Vera Simpson in the show, the song tells of a woman who's suddenly entranced
10:57by a new romance, despite her own wealth of experience in life and love. Its tongue-in-cheek
11:02lyrics spell out her utter devotion to, and maybe even her obsession with, her new younger lover.
11:08But I'm wild again, beguiled again, a simpering, whimpering child again,
11:17bewitched, bothered, and bewildered. I know you like this one.
11:22Written by Lawrence Hart and Richard Rogers, the song is considered a staple of the Great
11:26American Songbook, and has been recorded and referenced dozens of times since the 1940s.
11:32This is one of those compositions that's taken on a life of its own outside the Broadway score
11:36it's from.
11:37I lost my heart, but what of it? My mistake, I agree. He's a laugh, but I love it,
11:48because the laugh's on me.
11:54Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
11:58Till There Was You, The Music Man. A love song so good, the Beatles had to record it too.
12:03There was love all around, but I never heard it singing.
12:16All I Ask of You, The Phantom of the Opera.
12:18Andrew Lloyd Webber's sweeping duet might be its very best song.
12:22Thank you, love me. No, I do.
12:30Love me. That's all I ask of you.
12:38What About Love, The Color Purple. This one's all about those harmonies.
12:43That I can believe it forever. And what about, what about, what about love?
12:57It takes two. Into the Woods. The baker and his wife get to know each other again in the woods.
13:02Once we're past, let's hope the change is last.
13:08Beyond woods, beyond witches and slippers and hoods, just the two of us.
13:15Helpless, Hamilton. Love at first sight between a founding father and his future wife.
13:29Helpless.
13:35Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about
13:40our latest videos. You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
13:46If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
13:51Number 1. Some Enchanted Evening, South Pacific.
14:00You may see a stranger.
14:05Sometimes you just can't beat a classic. When it comes to romance,
14:09Rodgers and Hammerstein have the sauce, and Some Enchanted Evening is the height
14:13of musical theater love songs. Sung by Emile Debeck to Ensign Nellie Forbush,
14:18he sings of meeting a stranger that he immediately falls in love with.
14:22It's a spellbinding, lingering song about answering the door when fate knocks.
14:26As strange as it seems, the sound of her laughter will sing in your dreams.
14:40Some of the greatest singers of all time have been drawn to the song's greatness.
14:44Its most famous interpreters include Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Barbara Streisand,
14:49and famed bass Ezio Pinza, who originated the role of Emile on Broadway.
14:56What musical song is at the top of your Valentine's playlist? Sound off in the comments.
15:22Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
15:26And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
Comments