Longest Broadway dance number?

[RAgness2]

Posted: 5/24/20 at 3:22pm

What is the longest Broadway dance number? Bonus points if it includes tap! (I think Anything Goes clocks in at 8m45s.) Double bonus points if you were in it!

Updated On: 5/24/20 at 03:22 PM

[JBroadway]

Posted: 5/24/20 at 3:27pm

Well, back in the day, it wasn't uncommon to see musicals with extended ballet sequences used for storytelling purposes. Off the top of my head, Oklahoma and Carousel both have sequences like this. I couldn't tell you exactly how long any of them are, but many of them definitely lasted at LEAST 10 minutes. More likely around 15 minutes, and I wouldn't be surprised if some of them lasted more like 20-25 minutes. 

EDIT: Regarding Oklahoma and Carousel, I looked into it a bit. It probably varies from production to production, but this record of the original Agnes de Mille choreography in Carousel clocks the ballet in at 12:26. And in the film version of Oklahoma, the Dream Ballet lasts just under 15 minutes

Updated On: 5/24/20 at 03:27 PM

[DiscoCrows]

Posted: 5/24/20 at 3:33pm

Doesn't Tuck Everlasting have a super long ballet sequence?

[Tag]

Posted: 5/24/20 at 3:39pm

Jellicle Ball has to be up there (and also one of the hardest!)

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 5/24/20 at 3:40pm

"Too Darn Hot" is long, and it has tap in it. From the beginning of the song until the end, it clocked in at around 9 minutes in the recent revival.

[Huss417]

Posted: 5/24/20 at 3:50pm

I would think one of the longest would be Slaughter on 10th Avenue from On Your Toes. 

[Alessio2]

Posted: 5/24/20 at 3:59pm

An American in Paris had a super long ballet sequence in the second act if memory serves correctly

[bowtie7]

Posted: 5/24/20 at 5:19pm

High Button Shoes Sunday ballet about 11 minutes.

On Your Toes Slaughter on 10th Avenue ballet about 13 minutes

Sing Sing Sing Dancin' and Fosse about 14 1/2 minutes

Updated On: 5/24/20 at 05:19 PM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 5/24/20 at 5:26pm

A friend of mine was in an original musical at the now defunct Airport Playhouse on Long Island. The name of the show escapes me...with good reason. My friend, Jack, had a big dance number called "Cooking With Gas" in the 2nd act. Something went wrong the night I saw it and Jack couldn't remember the words of the song as written so he made up words as he went along; always ending with the tag phrase "cooking with gas". The dancers behind him didn't know what to do, the musical director couldn't help and the musicians couldn't figure out what was happening but the number went on and on for a good 15 minutes with the phrase "cooking with gas" repeated on and on. Finally, a character who was off stage walked on applauding and thanking everyone on stage so the show could continue. To me--and Jack--that was the longest musical number EVER!

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 5/24/20 at 6:53pm

"Will-a-Mania," the opening of The Will Rogers Follies, clocks in at almost exactly 10 minutes with the Indian dance section included (a lot of productions do cut that part of it now which brings it down to about 7 minutes).

[cliffordbradshaw2]

Posted: 5/24/20 at 6:59pm

"Small House of Uncle Thomas" from the second act of "The King and I" can run as long as 17 minutes.

[raddersons]

Posted: 5/24/20 at 7:32pm

Just because I feel it needs to be mentioned: Contact

[DooWahDiddy]

Posted: 5/26/20 at 2:59pm

Movin' Out is like two hours long.

 

[David10086]

Posted: 5/27/20 at 10:45pm

First thought that came to my mind was “ The Waiters Gallop” in “ Hello Dolly!” Not sure how long it is.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 2:14am

David10086 said: "First thought that came to my mind was “ The Waiters Gallop” in “ Hello Dolly!” Not sure how long it is."

IMO it just seemed that long.  I am just so sick of that number.

Interesting that most of them are ballets.  I am not the biggest fan of ballets in musicals, although I love the ballet.  Probably because I remember being bored with Agnes DeMille's choreography for Carousel and Oklahoma every time I saw productions of either), being bored with Slaughter on 10th Avenue, even with Makarova dancing it, and bored by (I guess) the American in Paris ballet.  

Loved Will-o-mania!!  

[Dollypop]

Posted: 5/29/20 at 1:14pm

Jarethan said: "David10086 said: "First thought that came to my mind was “ The Waiters Gallop” in “ Hello Dolly!” Not sure how long it is."

IMO it just seemed that long. I am just so sick of that number.

Interesting that most of them are ballets. I am not the biggest fan of ballets in musicals, although I love the ballet. Probably because I remember being bored with Agnes DeMille's choreography for Carousel and Oklahoma every time I saw productions of either), being bored with Slaughter on 10th Avenue, even with Makarova dancing it, and bored by (I guess) the American in Paris ballet.

Loved Will-o-mania!! "

 

 

I don't know how anyone could grow sick of "The Waiters' Gallop". It's always a moment I look forward to.

Anyhow, it clocks in at 9;02.

 

[Highland Guy]

Posted: 6/4/20 at 4:39pm

Alessio2 said: "An American in Paris had a super long ballet sequence in the second act if memory serves correctly"

 

Really quite wonderful.  One of the best evenings my husband and I have spent in a theater.