Drama Dictionary: The Button

 

Welcome back to the Drama Dictionary, a place to learn the definitions for the most obscure terms relating to theater, so you can be in the know and slang like a pro!

This is one of the most satisfying musical theater terms I have ever learned, because it solved a mystery that has plagued me for a long time. (Thank you to SA of Viva Vocalists for bringing this term to light!)

Go to Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you listen to your tunes, and click on a song from a musical. Seriously, go do it. 

Are you there? Good. Now skip to the end and listen to it. I can almost guarantee you the song will end with a determined WOMP. That, my friends, is the button. /bŭt′n/

The button comes in many forms. Sometimes it’s a quiet piano chord, other times it's a loud crash of the drums, but it's always at the end of the song.

It's the rare Broadway song that doesn't close with a button. I’m not gonna lie, it's a great way to end a number, because for one thing, it clearly tells you when the song is over. A good button can give you chills, or make you feel sad that the characters have to stop singing and go back to talking like normal people. *Scoff* 

The button has also been around forever. My favourite show I’ve ever been in was Bye Bye Birdie, and several songs from that classic show end with a button, including the famous “Honestly Sincere”, which ends with a shrill guitar moment, or "Telephone Hour", which arguably has four buttons.  

(As a side note, I recently had the chance to see Bye Bye Birdie at the 5th Avenue Theater - pictured above - and it was fire. 🔥🔥🔥 Such a fun show, and they did it beautifully!)

The button is a classic Broadway musical tool, but in my opinion, a slightly overused one. There’s a time and a place for a button, for example, after a high energy number like “Partner in Crime” from Tuck Everlasting, one of my all-time favourite shows. That song ends with a prominent button from a bright-sounding trumpet, and it's a great way to finish out a cheerful ensemble number. 

However, on softer numbers, I often feel like the button is out of place. “Part of Your World” from the Broadway The Little Mermaid ends with a quiet button, and every time I hear it I feel a little annoyed because such a pretty, soft song ends with a slightly disgruntled womp. 

But even though I may not always be pro-button, some people really and truly are, and I respect that. And like I said, a good button can make a song. 

Whenever I discover a Broadway song that doesn’t end with a button, I ask myself if this real? and make sure I’m not in another dimension, because it's so unique. If you know of any, feel free to comment below and enlighten me. :)

I hope this has helped, and that you’ve learned something new about Broadway today. If you have any questions, or you have come across a theater word that you don’t understand, please comment below and ask me about it! I would love to hear from you. 

Make sure to stop and smell the roses! Curtain up!

Rosie