"Giants in the Sky" - Since the giants never appear onstage, we don't see Jack's adventure up the beanstalk. Rather, we hear about it in this lively number tinged with exuberance and amazement. In the span of a few minutes, we see how Jack's entire world has opened up.
Best lyric: "And you think of all of the things you've seen, / And you wish that you could live in between, / And you're back again, / Only different than before, / After the sky."
"On the Steps of the Palace" - Cinderella's prince leaves pitch on the stairs to keep his dream girl from running out of the ball. Stuck fast, Cinderella considers her options - whether she really has it in her to step into a new, unknown life and become a princess. the melody is enchanting, and the conundrum is excellent.
Best lyric: "So then which do you pick: / Where you're safe, out of sight, / And yourself, but where everything's wrong? / Or where everything's right / And you know that you'll never belong?"
"Agony (Reprise)" - "Agony" first appears in Act I, as a pair of princes mourns their lot to be in love with seemingly unattainable maidens Cinderella and Rapunzel. Their self-absorbed theatrics are funny the first time, but it's even better when they come back in Act II pining for Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, naturally with no thought of the wives they were so desperate for earlier.
Best lyric: (it doesn't really capture the humor of the number, but it's hard to take it out of the context of their back-and-forth) "Agony! / Such that princes must weep! / Always in thrall most / To anything almost, / Or something asleep."
"Moments in the Woods" - In what is perhaps the most interesting song in the show, the Baker's Wife talks through a recent imprudent decision, wondering why we can't get what we want all the time. It's fascinating and, when well-delivered, a real standout moment for the actress.
Best lyric: "Let the moment go... / Don't forget it for a moment, though. / Just remembering you've had an 'and', / When you're back to 'or' , / Makes the 'or' mean more / Than it did before."
"No More" - This gorgeous, plaintive duet, sung by the Baker and the Mysterious Man, might be my favorite of them all. The Baker is disheartened, wrung out, and angry, and he wants to give up everything he's been working toward. The Mysterious Man encourages the Baker not to make his mistakes. The song always makes me think how much it'd really suck to live in a fairytale, your safety forever at the mercy of witches and monsters.
Best lyric: "No more riddles. / No more jests. / No more curses you can't undo, left by fathers you never knew. / No more quests."
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