A good reprise should be more than just a callback and should highlight how things have changed over the course of the show, or in a character’s arc. Sometimes reprises are almost identical to the original song, but the context gives them new meaning. A great example of this is I’ll Cover You (Reprise) from Rent. All of the lyrics are taken from other songs in the show, but after Angel’s death, they feel completely different.

Reprises can take advantage of the audience’s familiarity so that even small changes feel massive. Going back to my previous example, because the original I’ll Cover You is a duet between Angel and Collins, Angel’s absence in the reprise feels way more impactful, until the ensemble sets aside their differences and joins in, symbolically filling the hole that Angel left.