16 Spectacular Musical Numbers From The 2013-2014 Broadway Season

Give them the old razzle dazzle, indeed.

16. "What the Fuck," If/Then

AP Photo/Polk and Co., Joan Marcus

This aptly-named song blends conflict, humor, and star Idina Menzel’s vocal power to sum up the inner turmoil Menzel feels as a woman navigating two possible life paths in this Sliding Doors musical you never knew you wanted but so totally did. Listen to it on Spotify.

15. "Natural Woman," Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Jessie Mueller came into her own this season starring as Carole King; this is the song during which King came into her own in the show and in her real life as a solo artist.

14. "Money," Cabaret

AP Photo/Polk & Co., Joan Marcus

Alan Cumming kills it as the emcee again, pairing cheeky sexuality with a traditional show tune melody in this twisted number.

13. "Seventeen," Heathers: The Musical

The most anticipated off-Broadway musical of the season find its heart among the bloodshed in this sweet ballad.

12. "Let's Misbehave," Bullets Over Broadway

All of Bullets' offbeat insanity comes together during this number, when Helene York and Brooks Ashmanskas literally bounce all over the stage. Get a taste of the action during this live performance above.

11. "No One Else," Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812

Natasha (Phillipa Soo) reflects on her love of the absent Prince Andrey in this delicate number from the off-Broadway musical based on a slice of War & Peace. The majority of the musical featured rambunctious staging around the tent that served as the opera house for the show; here Natasha stood in a mostly dark space with sparse spotlight. A beautiful moment.

10. "Diga Diga Doo," After Midnight

Matthew Murphy

This effortlessly entertaining revue celebrating the heyday of Harlem's Cotton Club is basically one stand-out moment after another, with quartet performance "Diga Diga Doo" exemplifying the spirit of the show. Listen here.

9. "I've Decided to Marry You," A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

When he's not plotting to kill the eight people ahead of him in line to inherit the D'Ysquith family earldom, Monty Navarro (Bryce Pinkham) is juggling the adoration of two women (Lisa O'Hare and Lauren Worsham), and it all comes to a head in this perfectly choreographed and comedically timed number.

8. "I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone," Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill

The lights go down at the Circle in the Square theater and you watch Audra McDonald saunter out to the stage, physically channeling Billie Holiday, and it's impressive enough. But then her mouth opens to sing the first few notes of "I Wonder...," and your jaw drops open in awe. This song isn't available yet, but take a sneak peek at McDonald's performance as Holiday above.

7. "Let It Sing," Violet

Sutton Foster stars as Violet in this folk-country musical about a woman on a physical and emotional journey to healing, but it's Josh Henry's solo that steals the show. Let him sing everything, everywhere, always, please.

6. "Bring Him Home," Les Miserables

West End star Ramin Karimloo finally made his Broadway debut this season, where he emotionally slays audiences on a nightly basis as Jean Valjean. Peak devastation is reached during "Bring Him Home" (watch Karimloo sing it on Katie above).

5. "Be With You," Love's Labour's Lost

It's hard to pick just one moment in this hilariously insane musical production of Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost, which ran last summer at the Delacorte Theater as part of Shakespeare in the Park. Helmed by Alex Timbers and Michael Friedman, who were behind the excellent Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, LLL reaches its pinnacle of delirium with a fully choreographed boy band rendition of "Be With You" as performed by the four male leads.

4. "The Origin of Love," Hedwig and the Angry Inch

AP Photo/Boneau/Bryan-Brown, Joan Marcus, File

It's the most mesmerizing moment of the season, and a tender moment in this raucous musical, marrying beautiful imagery with Hedwig (Neil Patrick Harris)'s idea that all humans have soul mates.

3. The Fight Sequence, Rocky

Every single penny you spend on your ticket to Rocky is worth it for the last 20 minutes alone, when innovative director Alex Timbers (yes, again!) orchestrates the transformation of the Winter Garden theater into an immersive boxing ring. It's a spectacular reminder of what live theater can accomplish. Watch the production team break down the scene above.

2. "One Second and A Million Miles, " The Bridges of Madison County

The most beautifully gutwrenching number in the most beautifully gutwrenching musical of this season, performed by stars Kelli O'hara and Steven Pasquale.

1. "Friend Like Me," Aladdin

Disney

The year's best musical number takes place midway through the first act of Aladdin, Disney's latest screen-to-stage adaptation, when the Genie proves his worth to Aladdin in a seven-and-a-half minute genre-bending blitz of glamour, glitter, tap dancing, magic tricks, comedy bits, and pop culture homages that is most definitely worthy of the mid-show standing ovation it gets. Disney has understandably kept this visual trick under lock and key, but you can take a listen to the audio here.