11 o'clock number

11 o'clock number is a theatre term for a big, show-stopping song that occurs at the climax of a two-act musical, late in the second act. It is so named because in the days when musical performances started at 8:30 p.m., this song would occur around 11.[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, often the protagonist, 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, an impression of New York City's dangers caused some of the public to shy from staying out late in fear of their safety. As a result, the Shubert Organization pushed all of their show times to 7:30.[6] The 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, then playing The Phantom of the Opera.[8] Eventually, showtimes would shift earlier to 7:00, which is the current standard.

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. 1 2 "'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. 1 2 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.
  7. ↑ Calta, Louis (23 March 975). "Shows Shift to 8 for Curtain Time". The New York Times.
  8. ↑ "New Merrick Campaign To Promote '42d Street'". The New York Times. 29 December 1987.
  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.
  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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