That Reminds Me of a Song: Difference between revisions
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Frequent [[Justified Trope|justifications]] include having some or all of the characters be actors or actresses, or setting one of the scenes at a nightclub or similar. A small-scale variation on the [[Show Within a Show]].
It still shows up here and there, often as the [[Breakout Pop Hit]], but is mostly a [[Discredited Trope]]. Modern musicals are specifically ''not'' supposed to do this anymore, except as a parody. For a more advanced version of this trope, one that is so out-of-nowhere that it borders on a [[Mind Screw]], yet is never treated as anything the least bit weird by the characters and never mentioned again, see [[
See also [[Silly Song]], where the characters don't even try to justify the singing.
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* ''[[Dancer in the Dark]]'' uses an elaborate excuse for squeezing song-and-dance numbers into a miserable social realist film filmed under the Dogma95 rules of hand-held camera and no artificial lighting, sets: All the song and dance numbers were inside her head. Later on in the film she really performed song and dance numbers to the bemusement of everyone else.
* In an infamous scene in ''[[Beetlejuice]]'', several dinner guests are possessed, and forced to perform Harry Belafonte's "Banana Boat Song" - which they rather enjoy.
* The dreaded "Lets Go To The Movies" song from the '80s film version of ''[[Annie]]''. It has ''[[
* There's a particularly tedious song in ''[[Newsies]]'' that seems to be included (Roger Ebert said it best) "just so that they could say there's an Ann-Margret number in the movie."
** Actually, there are ''two'' such songs ("My Lovey-Dovey Baby" and "High Times, Hard Times"). For some reason it was the catchy "High Times, Hard Times" and not the utterly pointless "My Lovey-Dovey Baby" that got the Razzie for "Worst Song".
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** In ''[[Spamalot]]'', the musical based on the movie, King Brian is substantially less successful. In fact, several songs in ''Spamalot'' fit in this trope: the Finland song and "Diva's Lament (What Ever Happened to My Part?)" most notably.
* Used to great effect in the film ''Cabaret,'' where the only off-stage song is a young boy who just begins to sing a capella in a cafe's garden, "Tomorrow Belongs To Me."
* This one would be a borderline [[
* Even [[Alfred Hitchcock]] succumbed to this: the 1956 remake of ''[[The Man Who Knew Too Much]]'', which showcases Doris Day singing "Que Sera, Sera" ''multiple times'', ultimately using it {{spoiler|in a game of Marco Polo so our protagonists can locate their kidnapped offspring}}.
* In several ''[[Marx Brothers]]'' movies, Harpo and/or Chico would get one of these as an excuse to play their characteristic instrument—the harp for Harpo, or the piano for Chico.
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* ''[[The Pirates of Penzance]]'' had a short bit where everyone stops to sing a little song extolling the virtues of poetry. This is right in the middle of a rather dramatic bit where the Major-General is attempting to deceive the pirates about being an orphan, so that they won't marry all his daughters and take them away.
** G&S get away with this one, though, on the account of said little song being [[Crowning Music of Awesome|fucking awesome]].
* Parodied in ''[[Drood (theatre)|Drood]]'' with "Off To The Races". A character says something like "we can't jump to conclusions, or we'll all be [[Title Drop|off to the races]]!" The chairman steps to center and announces that no production at the Music Hall Royale would be complete without their signature song, "Off To The Races". The song is performed quite randomly, with one member of the cast passed-out drunk. After the song ends, we immediately return to the murder-mystery at hand, and it is [[
* ''[[Spamalot]]'' parodies this with "The Diva's Lament", which has the female lead singing about how she's been offstage for most of the second act. Of course this is also playing it straight since without it she would be off-stage for most of the second act.
** Though this one is not a [[
** The song [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UM1W-40n4Q "Finland"], however, is a [[
* [[Bertolt Brecht]] made this into an art form, having That Reminds Me of a Song moment at least once in every play to alienate the audience. "[[Pirate Jenny]]" from ''[[The Threepenny Opera]]'' is probably the most famous example.
* The protagonist of the musical ''Seesaw'', studying obscure passages of New York State law, is advised to read it in rhythm to make it easier to remember. In short order, "Chapter 54, Number 1909" has turned into a big production number.
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[[Category:Theater Tropes]]
[[Category:Discredited Trope]]
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