11 o'clock number

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, in which a major character, often the protagonist, comes to an important realization. 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.[1] Examples include "Rose's Turn" from Gypsy, "Cabaret" from Cabaret, "Memory" from Cats, and "What I Did for Love" from A Chorus Line.[2]

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 of heart of a lead character, although there are exceptions to this.[3] 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.[4] Broadway producer Jack Viertel defines an 11 o'clock number as "a final star turn".[5]

Origins

In the 1930s, the average start time of a Broadway production was 8:30, hence the musical revue titled Life Begins at 8:40. In the 1970s, however, New York City got more dangerous and people didn't want to stay out late in fear of their safety. As a result, the Shubert Organization pushed all of their show times to 7:30.[6] Producer David Merrick used this to his advantage by pushing his showtimes to 8:00, attracting anyone who didn't get tickets to shows at 7:30. By 1975, everyone else made their showtimes 8:00.[7] This didn't deter Merrick from pushing the showtime for 42nd Street, at the St. James Theatre, to 8:15, to entice anyone who was turned away at the Majestic Theatre, playing The Phantom of the Opera.[8] Eventually, showtimes would shift earlier to 7:00, which is the current standard time.

Notable 11 o'clock numbers

References

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ Scott Miller, "May I Have a Definition?", The Bad Boy of Musical Theatre blog, 2014
  3. ^ a b "'Sit Down, You're Rockin’ The Boat:' An Unusual 11 o’clock Number". The Marquee, News and Views from MTI. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  4. ^ a b Michael Musto (29 April 2011). "The Five Best 11 O'Clock Numbers in Broadway History" . The Village Voice theater blog.
  5. ^ Viertel, Jack (2016). The Secret Life of the American Musical. Sarah Crichton Books. p. 206.
  6. ^ Calta, Louis (21 September 1970). "Broadway Curtains to Go Up at 7:30". The New York Times.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ Calta, Louis (23 March 975). "SHOWS SHIFT TO 8 FOR CURTAIN TIME". The New York Times.
  8. ^ unknown (29 December 1987). "New Merrick Campaign To Promote '42d Street'". The New York Times.
  9. ^ Peter Marks (27 August 1999). "CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK; Theater's Thrill Rides". The New York Times.
  10. ^ Brendan Lemon (28 March 2011). "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Al Hirschfeld Theatre, New York". The Financial Times.
  11. ^ Gordon, Robert (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Sondheim Studies. Oxford University Press. p. 91. ISBN 9780199909278. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  12. ^ "Jekyll & Hyde". TV Tropes. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
  13. ^ Schulman, Michael (17 December 2015). "The Top Ten Showstoppers of 2015". The New Yorker. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  14. ^ 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.
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