since Broadway isn’t coming back for a while, some of my favorite stage tropes that I will fall for regardless of the quality of the show:

stomping!! I LOVE STOMPING a song can be bad, but if the ensemble stomps?? I AM THRILLED

examples: Once, The Last Ship, Greatest Showman

Ghost Duets:

-a character sings a duet with an older version of themselves or someone who died!! Extra points if this brings back an emotional motif from the I Want song.

ex: All of Fun Home, Les Mis, MOANA

courtesy of @rachsyme:

when the entire company stands in a line and sings a moving anthem!!

Ex: Rent, A Chorus Line, Next To Normal, and a zillion others im forgetting

ROLLING SHUFFLES

if the entire ensemble does rolling shuffles together I will, in fact, LOSE MY SHIT

ex: any musical with tap numbers, ever

when the main character does a downstage cross holding a note!!

Wicked: all to do...with MEEEEE
Color Purple: I’m gonna....TAKE A DEEP BREATH
Dreamgirls: I https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👏🏻" title="Applaus-Zeichen (heller Hautton)" aria-label="Emoji: Applaus-Zeichen (heller Hautton)"> AM https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👏🏻" title="Applaus-Zeichen (heller Hautton)" aria-label="Emoji: Applaus-Zeichen (heller Hautton)"> CHA-A-A-Anging
OOTI: off we’ll DRIVEE...WE’LL DRIIIIVEEEEEEE

when a character that previously hasn’t danced suddenly reveals themselves to be a triple threat!!!

Ex: Newsies, Footloose, Bright Star and so many others I can’t remember

SNOW!!!!!

Ex: Great Comet, Frozen, and Men With Money (I would legit break character during the last 8 bars of the show every night because the snow would make me cry every single time lmao)

when someone starts a song acapella and comes in on a strong downbeat

Ex:
I Didnt Plan It in Waitress
TWICE in Bridges of Madison County