11 O'clock, Tour de force Broadway Numbers

Although there are different interpretations of what an 11 o'clock Broadway number is, it is generally considered to be a song that comes near the end of a Broadway musical when a leading character has a fit of emotion and pours it out in music. In a nutshell, it's the star's final tour de force. Join host Robert Hammond as he showcases 11 o’clock numbers on this week’s Stage Notes.

The term is a holdover from the days when all musicals started at 8:30 p.m. and had to have a climactic song around 11:00, because it was desirable to have audiences leave with a catchy and memorable song they would sing or hum on their way home.