Musical Theater | Showstoppers
What’s an Eleven O’Clock Number?
And, hey. Why do they call it that?
Have you ever wondered what people are talking about when they mention “eleven o’clock numbers?” If they’re talking about musical theater, they’re referring to a show-stopping song (aka number) that signifies a lead character’s realization, change of heart, or another big moment. The song gives the character time to work through his or her transformation and leads us into the finale, which should bring some sort of closure to the world of the play.
Why do we call these songs eleven o’clock numbers? As it happens, plays used to start later (especially on Broadway), so the song traditionally appeared along about eleven o’clock. Hopefully, if you were falling asleep, the eleven o’clock number woke you up; and to do that, songwriting gods (whoever they are) say it should have at least three of the following traits:
1. A monumental showcase for the star’s voice and talent
2. The second-to-last segment of the show
3. A dramatic revelation that illuminates and likely changes the journey of the leading character
4. The most climactic part of the musical
5. A song that could also be performed away from the show by artists in other venues
While eleven o’clock songs usually occur toward the end of the evening (which I still think of as “midnight” whether or not that’s when it happens), composers and lyricists are also placing them elsewhere. That means you may see an eleven o’clock number in the middle of a musical — but you then have to figure out how to make the rest of the journey exciting enough to keep your audience tuned in until the end of the show.
If I were teaching a class on this idea, I’d say one way to do that is add a reprise in a moment you ratchet up later — and keep building to that moment, for as long as you can. If you succeed, you’ll have broken the rules of traditional theater — which can be a really good thing, as far as I’m concerned!
Speaking of breaking rules, there are also writers who don’t want show-stopping, torchy songs toward the end of any given show. Instead, they opt for sad or gentle ballads or fast-paced patter songs.
In working on a show of my own last year, the composer and I decided to create a ballad that showed the audience how broken the two main characters were without each other. It was sung very simply and threaded with sorrow throughout; and it seemed almost to lead to an ending where the couple would break up.
We chose this idea to pump up suspense and keep the audience guessing — and were then able to bring the couple back together in a scene with a shorter version of the title song at the end. Because sometimes dialogue is a better way of bringing your story home — whatever it may be.
What the eleven o’clock number ultimately needs, though, no matter how you treat it, is emotion — which is what we look for in every artistic work on the planet. The emotion can be upsetting, ironic, funny, scary, tragic, or whatever — as long as an audience hearing it is moved. Whether or not you remember every word of a song or scene doesn’t matter if you remember how it makes you feel.
Does that mean eleven o’clock numbers need to be written next-to-last, because they typically appear so late in any given show? Absolutely NOT, though there are no rigid rules about this. I’ve known composer-lyricist teams who wrote the eleven o’clock songs first, and then built their shows around them. (Truth? I’ve done it too).
Still, you can hold off on writing that show-stopper if you want to. But no matter when you write it, you are going to want some sort of eleven o’clock moment in your musical. If you’re looking for examples, I chose a few songs to illustrate the ideas we’re talking about.
Move On from Sundays in the Park with George by Stephen Sondheim
Hold Me In Your Heart from Kinky Boots by Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper
Back to Before from Ragtime by Terrence McNally, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty
If you’re just starting out with writing a song like this, you’ll want to ask yourself just a few questions:
1. What does the character want that isn’t happening before the song begins?
2. What did he or she miss out on, or what is she or he not seeing?
3. Is there a realization that needs to happen before things can turn around? What is it?
Format, rhymes, pace, and everything else you need will come from answering questions like these before you start writing.
I wish I could share my very favorite 11 o’clock number, but I don’t have permission, so all I can do is tell you about it. It came from a musical about the Brooklyn Bridge and the people who built it, and I met the musical at a backer’s audition at The Dramatists Guild. The first thing I can share is that I remembered the songs really easily and was actually able to sing them a few days later after not hearing them at all.
The song that impressed me the most was sung after the lead character contracted a disease called the “bends” while diving into the Hudson River during the construction of the bridge. The character’s wife sings a song to him about wanting; knowing she wanted him long ago, and hoping he will transcend the horrors he’s experiencing to want his life back.
I can still sing the chorus of this song and hope it can get produced one of these days. Hearing it inspired me to try to write a musical of my own — and I also think of it when I’m having trouble finding my way through a song or a scene that isn’t working.
If your writing has anything to do with musical theater, you may find listening to songs that made a deep impression on you really help when you get stuck. If you use some other method, I’d love to hear about it in your comments.
My last thought comes in the form of yet another question. Sometimes the most important communication we have with each other involves what we don’t say as much as what we do. In a non-musical play or movie, a lot of that happens in “stage business,” which means some sort of action or pause in the action. What does it mean in musicals and how does it relate to eleven o’clock numbers?
If the eleven o’clock number is about realization or revelation, then it has to be about something that hasn’t been said or articulated yet. So maybe that’s our answer.
I’d love to hear what you think, though.
So, if you like musicals, or if you write them, or want to write them, or grew up watching them, I would love to hear your thoughts on why and what appeal they have for you.
Thanks for reading this!
