5 Broadway Tunes for Belting

How ridiculously entertaining would life be as a musical? Imagine yourself arising every morning to sing the Door County equivalent of “Good Morning, Baltimore” from Hairspray. How fabulous! Imagine returning from your winter hiatus in Florida or Arizona, waltzing down Highway 42 in Fish Creek while dancing shopkeepers, town officials, and tourists welcome your return with “Hello, Dolly,” well, “Hello, [insert your name here].” How epic! Who has not had the urge to wander familiar haunts singing “Memories?” Guilty.

Unfortunately, chaos and confusion may ensue should we sing our thoughts and attempt songful conversations. Thank goodness for Broadway musicals, and car rides lasting at least seven minutes. Note: the best Broadway songs more often than not are seven minutes or more.

Here are the top five Broadway tunes for belting:

5. “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from Funny Girl. Barbara Streisand aka Babs explodes the speakers with this powerhouse number. This tune is perfect for overcoming adversity: “Don’t tell me not to live just sit and putter. Life’s candy and the sun’s a ball of butter. Don’t bring around a cloud to rain on my parade!” Inspiring.

4. “I, Don Quixote” from Man of La Mancha. An honorable man sings about his honorable qualities: “My destiny calls and I go, and the wild winds of fortune will carry me onward…Onward to glory I go!” Great pick-me-upper on your way to work.

3. “The Phantom of the Opera” from The Phantom of the Opera. You don’t have to be a soprano to rock this ditty about being entranced with a grotesque psychopath living in the dungeon of an opera house. Totally relatable.

2. “One Day More” from Les Miserables. War is about to begin in France and everyone’s lives are getting really complicated at once, which makes for a busy, powerful song. Hint: stick with one character throughout the song – I recommend Javier.

1. “Defying Gravity” from Wicked. This song will shake your soul. Warm up your vocal cords and pretend you are a green witch who is tired of “playing by the rules of someone else’s game.” As you fly into the air on your magic broom belt/scream the following: “If I’m flying solo, at least I’m flying free…I’m defying gravity, and you can’t pull me down!” Very therapeutic after a job loss or break up.