11 o'clock number is a theatre term for a big, show-stopping song that occurs late in the second act of a two-act
musical
Musical is the adjective of music.
Musical may also refer to:
* Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance
* Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...
, in which a major character, often the protagonist, comes to an important realization. Examples include "So Long Dearie" from ''
Hello, Dolly!'', "If He Walked Into My Life" from ''
Mame'', "
Rose's Turn" from ''
Gypsy'', "Work the Wound" from ''
Passing Strange'', and "''
Cabaret''" from ''
Cabaret''. It was so named because in the days when musical performances would start at 8:30 p.m., this song would occur around 11:00 p.m.
[Ben Rimalower (19 July 2014)]
"'This Time For Me': The Essential 11 O'Clock Numbers"
''Playbill.com''. Accessed 2015-02-02.
Archived
2015-03-28.
Among the theatre community, there is some debate as to the characteristics of an 11 o'clock number. It often signifies a moment of revelation or change in heart of a lead character, although there are exceptions to this.
["'Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ The Boat:' An Unusual 11 o’clock Number"](_blank)
''The Marquee, News and Views from MTI''. Retrieved 23 June 2011. The 11 o'clock number is also differentiated from the finale in that it is not the final number in the show, but even this is not considered a requirement by some commenters.
[Michael Musto (29 April 2011)]
"The Five Best 11 O'Clock Numbers in Broadway History"
. ''The Village Voice'' theater blog. Broadway producer Jack Viertel defines an 11 o'clock number as "a final star turn".
Other notable 11 o'clock numbers include "
Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" from ''
Guys and Dolls'',
"
Memory" from ''
Cats
The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of t ...
'', "Brotherhood of Man" from ''
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'', “
No Good Deed” from ''
Wicked'', "Gimme Gimme" from ''
Thoroughly Modern Millie
''Thoroughly Modern Millie'' is a 1967 American musical-romantic comedy film directed by George Roy Hill and starring Julie Andrews. The screenplay, by Richard Morris based on the 1956 British musical ''Chrysanthemum'', follows a naïve young ...
'',
"Another National Anthem" from ''
Assassins
An assassin is a person who commits targeted murder.
Assassin may also refer to:
Origin of term
* Someone belonging to the medieval Persian Ismaili order of Assassins
Animals and insects
* Assassin bugs, a genus in the family ''Reduviida ...
'', "The American Dream" from ''
Miss Saigon'', "Goodbye" from ''
Catch Me If You Can'', "
Revolting Children
"Revolting Children" is a song from the 2010 musical ''Matilda''.
Synopsis
The children stand up and revolt against the cruel principal Miss Trunchbull. ''Financial Times'' said "in atilda'sultimate uprising with chums at school, he childrenre-de ...
" from ''
Matilda The Musical'', "I'm Here" from ''
The Color Purple'', and "Always Starting Over" from ''
If/Then''.
[Peter Marks (25 November 2013), "I Believe" from The Book of Mormon]
"Eagerly awaited musical ‘If/Then’ is a winning blob, with many kinks to be worked out"
''The Washington Post''.
References
{{Reflist
Theatre