Favorite 11 o'clock number? (showstopper)- Page 2

[MattieIce2018]

Posted: 10/11/19 at 12:34pm

MyLife said: "yankeefan7 said: "I would say "Hello Dolly" fits the bill as a showstopper. I would also add "King Of NY" from "Newsies" and "Totally F***** from "Spring Awakening"."

King of New York is the Act 2 opener... more like a 9:30 number"

Keeping with Newsies, I'd say Once and For All is a pretty great 11:00 number

[magictodo123]

Posted: 10/11/19 at 1:02pm

MyLife said: "yankeefan7 said: "I would say "Hello Dolly" fits the bill as a showstopper. I would also add "King Of NY" from "Newsies" and "Totally F***** from "Spring Awakening"."

King of New York is the Act 2 opener... more like a 9:30 number"

9:30...haha that made me giggle. 

[OhHiii]

Posted: 10/11/19 at 1:08pm

Get Out and Stay Out. Stephanie J Block catapulted herself with that song. In an otherwise just 'fine' musical.

[magictodo123]

Posted: 10/11/19 at 1:10pm

I'm embarrassed. I can't BELIEVE after all the times I've watched Cynthia Erivo sing "I'm Here" at...what was it, the Kennedy Center? that I forgot that. *Face palm*

I've never seen a production in person, only the movie, but in stage adaptations of The Sound of Music is "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" in the second act? Or towards the end of the first? I'd define that as a show stopper but I'm not sure if it qualifies as an 11 o'clock number...

[MyLife]

Posted: 10/11/19 at 1:49pm

yankeefan7 said: ""King of New York is the Act 2 opener... more like a 9:30 number"

I understand your point but when I saw"Newsies", this song literally stopped the show. The actors had to wait for about 15-30seconds for the standing ovation to stop before they could go to the next part of the show."

I'm not saying that it's not a great number but that it doesn't constitute an 11 o'clock number.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 10/11/19 at 2:26pm

Some of you are missing the mark on what an 11 O'Clock number is:

We all know the famous ones, but it's rare to find excellent ones in modern musical theatre. There are a few that stick out to me:

"Lot's Wife" - CAROLINE, OR CHANGE

"I'm Here" - THE COLOR PURPLE

"Back to Before" - RAGTIME

"She Used to Be Mine" - WAITRESS

"Pink" - WAR PAINT

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/11/19 at 7:18pm

Lot's Wife

Believe In Yourself

Home

For Good

[Highland Guy]

Posted: 10/11/19 at 8:48pm

In 1968, I was a 21-year-old sailor stationed onboard a U.S. Navy ship in Holy Loch, Scotland.  On leave in London, I had the happy experience of seeing Judi Dench's superb performance in Cabaret.  But what made me sit straight in my seat, and brought the tears flowing, was this heartbreaking rendition of What Would You Do? by the incomparable Lila Kedrova.  More than half a century later, I still remember the emotional impact that song had for me.  And now that I am a 72-year-old gentleman, the impact is even more meaningful.

 

[msmp]

Posted: 10/11/19 at 8:52pm

OhHiii said: "Get Out and Stay Out. Stephanie J Block catapulted herselfwith that song. In an otherwise just 'fine' musical."

Came here thinking I'd be the only one to mention it. 9-to-5 was meh overall, but that song deserves more recognition than it gets for being a powerhouse in terms of scoring, lyrics, and delivery (especially in SJB's capable hands).

[Jarethan]

Posted: 10/11/19 at 9:36pm

MyLife said: "yankeefan7 said: "I would say "Hello Dolly" fits the bill as a showstopper. I would also add "King Of NY" from "Newsies" and "Totally F***** from "Spring Awakening"."

King of New York is the Act 2 opener... more like a 9:30 number"

No be of those is an 11:00 number.  The am pretty sure Totally F is in the first Act. Hello Dolly is a great production number; So Long, Dearie the the 11:00 number, whether you love it or not (I do).  Do t remember the Newsies number.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 10/11/19 at 9:38pm

BWAY Baby2 said: "Don't Rain On My Parade."

Great number that closes Act 1.  Definitely not an 11:00

number.

[jo]

Posted: 10/11/19 at 10:18pm

What would consider as the 11 o'clock number for the musical LES MISERABLES?

The recitative/song Valjean's Death precedes the finale song Do You Hear the People Sing? Same is true for the movie adaptation.

 

 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/11/19 at 10:34pm

That song where the lady in the red dress walks down a staircase.

[MattieIce2018]

Posted: 10/11/19 at 11:00pm

uncageg said: "Lot's Wife

Believe In Yourself

Home

For Good"

To be honest, I’d think of No Good Deed as Wicked’s 11:00 number rather than For Good in terms of being a showstopper

[IHeartNY2]

Posted: 10/11/19 at 11:08pm

Definitely "She Used to Be Mine" for me!

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/11/19 at 11:16pm

MattieIce2018 said: "uncageg said: "Lot's Wife

Believe In Yourself

Home

For Good"

To be honest, I’d think of No Good Deed as Wicked’s 11:00 number rather than For Good in terms of being a showstopper"

That's ok. For me, For Good is the 11:00 show stopper.

 

[green waver]

Posted: 10/12/19 at 12:13pm

musicaltheatrechick said: "I think The Ladies Who Lunch from Company is a great one."

Not to split hairs, but "Being Alive" is Company's 11;00 number. Ladies Who Lunch, an indisputably great song, could be called the 10;45 number.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 10/12/19 at 12:29pm

Dollypop said: "That song where the lady in the red dress walks down a staircase."

You of all people should know: HD is one of the all-time great production numbers, but ‘So Long, Dearie’ is the 11:00 number.  After seeing Dolly probably 15 (not 95) times, I find that I enjoy SLD more if it is a great star turn, but that is a matter of taste.  (Recently, I was disappointed with Bette’s, but loved Donna Murphy’s.  IMO Pearl Bailey’s was the best).  Carol Channing's HD number still remains in the memory bank as my favorite, but that is probably because it was the first I saw AND I could probably sing the song backwards by that time.

My closest friend has always liked Sunday Clothes more than either.

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 10/12/19 at 1:30pm

How could I forget "Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat" from Guys and Dolls?

"Twelve Days of Christmas" is also a big  number at around 11:00 before George and Amalia discover who the other is.

 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 10/12/19 at 1:45pm

magictodo123 said: "I'm embarrassed. I can't BELIEVE after all the times I've watched Cynthia Erivo sing "I'm Here" at...what was it, the Kennedy Center? that I forgot that. *Face palm*

I've never seen a production in person, only the movie, but in stage adaptations of The Sound of Music is "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" in the second act? Or towards the end of the first? I'd define that as a show stopper but I'm not sure if it qualifies as an 11 o'clock number..."

IMO not an 11:00 o’clock number...she’s a secondary character, I seem to think the song occurs in the first act; could be wrong, but it is definitely not close to the earlier definition.

  A great number, nevertheless.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 10/12/19 at 2:34pm

Jarethan said: "magictodo123 said: "I'm embarrassed. I can't BELIEVE after all the times I've watched Cynthia Erivo sing "I'm Here" at...what was it, the Kennedy Center? that I forgot that. *Face palm*

I've never seen a production in person, only the movie, but in stage adaptations of The Sound of Music is "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" in the second act? Or towards the end of the first? I'd define that as a show stopper but I'm not sure if it qualifies as an 11 o'clock number..."

IMO not an 11:00 o’clock number...she’s a secondary character, I seem to think the song occurs in the first act; could be wrong, but it is definitely not close to the earlier definition.

A great number, nevertheless."

"Climb Every Mountain" is the Act 1 finale in The Sound of Music, and even in the movie it is the opening of "Act Two." Obviously there's a bit of a reprise of it as the finale, but it's a choral arrangement at that point and not a powerhouse solo for the Mother Superior.

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 10/12/19 at 4:31pm

I tend to think that 11 o'clock numbers have to extremely emotional and heartfelt. And usually they close the loop of the I Want song. If we use these standards:

"She Used to Be Mine" - a classic number, where Jenna's dreams of winning that pie contest are over. She sings about all the ways she's failed. That closes the loop of "What Baking Can Do" where Jenna dreamed that baking would free her from her life.

"Hold Me in Your Heart" - Lola makes one last plea to his/her father who is dying in a nursing home to accept her before father dies of lung cancer. 

"Rose's Turn" - I did it for me! FOR ME! 'Nuff said. Closes the loop of "Some People."

"It's Quiet Uptown" - Hamilton, Eliza, and Angelica grieve for Philip. Also foreshadows Hamilton's fate. Closes the loop of "My Shot" as Hamilton's naked ambition has indeed given him "shots" - one to Philip and one eventually to himself.

"Shall We Dance" - a great moment where the King and Anna acknowledge their feelings for each other, albeit sublimated through dance. Also closes the loop from "A Puzzlement" where the King was perplexed by Anna.

"Being Alive" - Bobby finally realizes what he wants.

"Move On" - bridges together George and Dot with the second act plot.

"Words Fail" - Dear Evan Hansen admits his lie. Closes the loop of "Waving Through the Window" where Evan simply wants to be noticed. 

"What I Did For Love" - closes the loop for "I Hope I Get It," as the dancers start to acknowledge that their career could end any day, any time.

"The Great Comet of 1812" - Pierre finally finds a measure of peace and happiness, which closes the loop of his miserable I Want song "Pierre."

So those are the songs I think of as 11 o'clock numbers because they sort of finish the story of what the characters Wanted at 8:00.

 

[green waver]

Posted: 10/12/19 at 7:15pm

Excellent post, poison! while I don't agree with all of your choices, your reasoning and your expression of it are truly eloquent. Yours should be the final word on the subject.

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 10/12/19 at 7:43pm

green waver said: "Excellent post, poison! while I don't agree with all of your choices, your reasoning and your expression of it are truly eloquent. Yours should be the final word on the subject."

Thanks! I was just thinking that not all 11 o'clock numbers have to be downbeat/sad though.

For instance "Joseph Smith American Moses" in Book of Mormon closes the loop of "You and Me (but Mostly Me) as Elder Cunningham becomes the dominant figure now. He's no longer Price's lapdog. Cunningham has gotten what he Wanted at 8:00.

 

[The Other One]

Posted: 10/12/19 at 7:46pm

Frank Loesser wrote the book on these.  I will add Brotherhood of Man (How To Succeed) to the aforementioned Sit Down, You're Rocking The Boat (Guys and Dolls).