"Cell Block Tango" Question/Confusion

[quizking101]

Posted: 7/30/11 at 3:31pm

Is there any sort of significance to Velma to being 5th in the lineup to tell her story, as opposed to being last? I figured that her placement in the next-to-last position renders the story of the last murderess to be pointless (for lack of a better word).

Thoughts?

[jdrye222]

Posted: 7/30/11 at 3:33pm

I think the intention is that they are "all in the same boat" so to speak, but ultimately it is "who you know", etc that helps you. Or I could be reading into it too much. I've always really liked that she is just one of the mix in that number.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/30/11 at 5:02pm

I agree. She is one of many and has to finagle her way to the top -- which is why she's in conflict with Roxy for the top spot.

[PattyO'Furniture]

Posted: 7/30/11 at 5:31pm

I dunno', either, but very good question! Think I've wondered this myself at one point or another.

[nygrl232]

Posted: 7/30/11 at 9:48pm

I've wondered that, too, and I got the same impression as you guys.

The song gives Cicero a pause after it, and it also has the most syllables, so she gets a little more time in the rattling off of words at the beginning.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 7/31/11 at 10:23am

I think it is more a matter of good musical construction to fashion a showstopper. The "Cicero" section builds for the star and has one peak when Velma and the girls sing the two furioso verses of "he had it coming". By then following it with the "Lip****z" section, the number gets a chance to pull back and then build a second time for the "the dirty bum" section through the end. I suppose they could have gone from "Cicero" directly into the "dirty bum" build-up for the wind up of the number, but this way, the song peaks once and then tops it.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 7/31/11 at 10:43am

What Smaxie said...also, if Velma's story is first, and is actually important to the plot, the meat of it might get lost/forgotten after hearing five other stories that are essentially used for laughs.