11 o'clock number

English

Etymology

So called because, in the days when musical performances began at 8:30 p.m., such a song would occur around 11 p.m.

Noun

11 o'clock number (plural 11 o'clock numbers)

1. (theater) A showstopping song that occurs late in the second act of a two-act musical, often signifying a moment of revelation or change of heart of a lead character.