Musical Numbers

4. usually a medley of song themes or motives from the show played by the orchestra before the curtain rises, the purpose of which is to capture the audience's attention and to set the mood;
6. a comic song in which the lyrics are delivered rapidly in more of a spoken style than a singing style [similar to recitative].
7. as its name suggests, the musical staging of the show stopper causes such an enthusiastic audience reaction that it stops the show.
8. the first song of the show that serves to introduce the characters and their relationships, set the time and place of the show, and explain the plot.
11. song a song in which the chorus represents a particular group of characters reacting to a situation such as narrating the story, bridging a series of events, declaiming or celebrating.
12. a vocal trio, quartet, quintet and so on in which the singers react polyphonically to a dramatic situation, as in opera.

1. an orchestral section that is used to link scenes and maintain dramatic flow;
2. a song for two people, usually a love song between the leading male and female characters
3. song a song that serves no dramatic purpose and is only included to hide a scene change or costume change, or cover up a technical defect.
5. fragments or sections of music played in the background of spoken dialogue to heighten the emotional impact of the words.
9. literally: between act, an overture to the second act;
10. a short repetition of a song, often with new lyrics.