Line #56 Main/TheSongBeforeTheStorm


1	->''"Tomorrow we'll discover what our God in Heaven has in store!\
2	One more dawn; one more day; one day more!"''
3	-->-- ''Theatre/LesMiserables'', "One Day More"
4
5	So TheClimax of the musical is about to begin. It's the CalmBeforeTheStorm. Something may happen {{At The Opera Tonight}}, or fate and destiny could be working to bring the characters together for some sort of final showdown. Either way, the writers find it that it's important to remind us just how important what is happening is. So they introduce a song to bring everything dramatically together. A classic example of this type of song seems to be cutting between the heroes doing a Hero Song and the villains doing their VillainSong, as they each do their own particular preparations.
6
7	Frequently overlaps with MassiveMultiplayerEnsembleNumber, which can be about a wider range of subjects, but must include counterpoint and various character perspectives. Not to be confused with TheElevenOClockNumber, which is sung near the end of a musical to initiate the climax. Thematically related to AStormIsComing.
8	----
9	!!Examples:
10
11	[[foldercontrol]]
12
13	[[folder:Film -- Animated]]
14	* "Better Life", the IAmSong of Ansel Beauregard from ''WesternAnimation/ArloTheAlligatorBoy'', which is performed just moments before Arlo undergoes a HeroicBSOD which segues into the film's DarkestHour.
15	* By nature, virtually every film in the Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon will have its own;
16	** ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967'' has "What Friends Are For" sung by UsefulNotes/TheBritishInvasion vultures leading up to the battle with Shere Khan.
17	** "Savages" from ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}''. Even overlaps with MassiveMultiplayerEnsembleNumber.
18	* The title song aka "Helping Twilight Win the Crown" from ''WesternAnimation/EquestriaGirls''.
19	* "We Got This Together" from ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie2017'', as the mane cast prepare for the friendship festival just mere moments before the Storm King's army invades Canterlot.
20	* "Making Christmas" is this for ''WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas''. All the cast save for Sally, are preparing creepy Christmas presents right before Jack's takeoff as Skeleton Claus.
21	* "La Resistance" from ''WesternAnimation/SouthParkBiggerLongerAndUncut'', which is itself a take-off on "One Day More". This trope is even {{lampshade\|Hanging}}d within the song:
22	-->''Why did our mothers start this war?''\
23	''What the fuck are they fighting for?''\
24	''When did this song become a marathon?''
25	[[/folder]]
26
27	[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
28	* The song "At the Opera Tonight" from ''Film/RepoTheGeneticOpera'' is a pretty clear-cut example.
29	* ''Film/MoulinRouge'' has [[Music/{{Queen}} "The Show Must Go On".]]
30	* ''Film/NotAnotherTeenMovie'' parodies this trope with the song "Prom Tonight".
31	[[/folder]]
32
33	[[folder:Literature]]
34	* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKEqKDvRdo4 Battle Dawn]]'', depicting Queen Selenay at the final confrontation of Creator/MercedesLackey's [[Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar Arrows trilogy]].
35	[[/folder]]
36
37	[[folder:Live-Action Television]]
38	* "Walk Through the Fire" from the ''Series/{{Buffy\|the Vampire Slayer}}'' musical episode "Once More, With Feeling".
39	* In the MusicalEpisode of ''Series/EvenStevens'', there's "Sixth Period", in which the two lead characters of the show express their fears about their upcoming classes.
40	* ''Series/{{Galavant}}'' has "A Good Day to Die" and its reprise. Though the title sounds tough and militaristic, all the lines other than the TitleDrop discuss how everyone would rather this day ''not'' before dying in the Battle of the Three Armies.
41	* ''Brigadoom'' from ''Series/{{Lexx}}''. It's really almost more of a Backstory Musical, but it does also fill this role because it sort of pumps them up as well, by showing them the history of how Kai fought so hard in the past and how he shouldn't let that go to waste, and that they all must once again struggle valiantly to defeat new Big Bad Mantrid rather than running.
42	* "Teardrop" by Massive Attack at the end of the first season of ''Series/PrisonBreak'', a night before the breakout.
43	[[/folder]]
44
45	[[folder:Music]]
46	* "Welcome to my Realm" from ''Music/FoodForTheGods'' by Music/{{Fireaxe}}. Sung by the Devil, right before he and his army of demons and damned souls [[RageAgainstTheHeavens storm the walls of Heaven]].
47	* ''Music/JeffWaynesMusicalVersionOfTheWarOfTheWorlds'' has "Eve Of The War" and the first part of "Horsell Common And The Heat Ray", covering the lead-up to the violent first contact with the Martians.
48	* ''Music/TheMegas'': "History Repeating, Part 1," the first song on ''History Repeating - Blue'', is a relatively slow and melancholy song that ramps up ''hard'' into the much more energetic "History Repeating, Part 2 (One More Time)", as a reluctant Franchise/MegaMan commits to winning one last fight and moves onto a war footing. Then, in ''History Repeating - Red'', "I'm Not the Breakman" has Proto Man lamenting his abandonment by Dr Light and resultant loss of purpose, just before the climax of the album as he and his brother fight in "Make Your Choice" and Mega Man saves the day in "I Refuse (To Believe)".
49	[[/folder]]
50
51	[[folder:Theatre]]
52	* ''Theatre/{{Anastasia}}'':
53	** In act 1, "We'll Go From There" has Anya, Dmitry, and Vlad each muse on what awaits them and what they wish to happen most once they get to Paris.
54	** Act 2 has "Quartet at the Ballet" where Anya, Dmitri, and Grandmama prepare to meet each other, and Gleb prepares to confront Anya for the last time.
55	* "Comfort and Joy" from ''Theatre/BatBoyTheMusical''
56	* The reprise of "Checkmate" in ''Manga/BlackButler Musical II: A Thousand Souls and a Fallen {{Shinigami}}''. All of the characters sing about what will happen AtTheOperaTonight, ending with a dramatic [[CharacterCatchphrase "Yes, My Lord"]] from Sebastian.
57	* "I Hope I Get It" from ''Theatre/AChorusLine''.
58	* "Welcome to the Rock", the opening song of ''Theatre/ComeFromAway'' follows the residents of Gander, Newfoundland as they begin the [[SarcasmMode completely normal]] day of September 11, 2001.
59	* "No Good Can Come From Bad" from ''Theatre/{{Drood}}'' has all the major players (and Edwin) get together for dinner during a storm, and all leave some incriminating thought or action about themselves that could prove that they were the one to murder Edwin that night.
60	* "It's Time" from ''Theatre/EvilDeadTheMusical''. The gist of the song is that Ash has decided it's time to man-up and kick a whole mess of ass. In the next few scenes, he kills things that are immortal.
61	* "A New Argentina" from ''Theatre/{{Evita}}'', depicting the build-up to the 1946 Argentinian presidential election. It closes the first act, while the second act picks up right after the election, with Juan and Eva giving their victory speeches from the balcony of the Casa Rosada.
62	* "Soon It's Gonna Rain" from ''Theatre/TheFantasticks''.
63	* ''Theatre/{{Godspell}}'' subverts it with "On the Willows"[[note]]Based on Psalm 137[[/note]], which is light and soft, but the lyrics talk about the coming sacrifice as one by one the apostles say goodbye to Jesus after Judas has been exposed. Heartwrenching if done properly.
64	* "Luck Be A Lady" from ''Theatre/GuysAndDolls''.
65	* In ''Theatre/{{Hairspray}}'', before the main characters crash the set of The Corny Collins Show, Motormouth Maybelle sings "I Know Where I've Been" as a reminder of how much is at stake.
66	* Appropriately enough, the song in ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}'' just before the Reynolds Pamphlet is released is called "Hurricane" and perfectly fits this.
67	* ''Theatre/JekyllAndHyde'': "This is the Moment", sung right before Jekyll's first transformation into Hyde, and "Confrontation", sung right before the show's finale [[spoiler: where Hyde comes out at Jekyll's wedding, leading to his death]].
68	* In the stage version of ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989'', "Fathoms Below" is a literal example, with the bridge section telling of the storms that occur when King Triton gets mad, which happens shortly afterwards.
69	* A light-hearted, waltzy version appears in ''Theatre/ALittleNightMusic'': "A Weekend in the Country".'
70	* ''Theatre/LittleShopOfHorrors '':
71	** Though it was a CutSong, "We'll Have Tomorrow" would have been a perfect example of this.
72	** The start of "Suppertime Reprise (Sominex)" could count, but the storm sort of starts in the middle of it.
73	* "One Day More" from ''Theatre/LesMiserables'', in which one of Enjolras' lines is literally: "One more day before the storm"
74	* ''Theatre/NatashaPierreAndTheGreatCometOf1812'':
75	** "The Opera", where Natasha meets [[AltoVillainess Hélène]] and sees Anatole for the first time, as well as making her first official appearance in Moscow society.
76	** "Preparations", where Anatole and Dolokhov prepare for Natasha's abduction.
77	* ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'':
78	** "Prima Donna" qualifies, certainly in the stage production.
79	** "Notes (Reprise) - Twisted Every Way" could apply as well (this song is called "We Have All Been Blind - Twisted Every Way in the movie version, as "Notes (Reprise)" was cut from this version).
80	* ''Theatre/SeraMyu: Transylvania no Mori'' and it's revised version have "We'll Be The Last Victory" which is basically both the heroes and villains declaring what they're fighting for and end with what "group" they belong to, even if that group is themselves.
81	* ''Theatre/TheSpongeBobMusical'' has "Tomorrow Is" where the citizens of Bikini Bottom sing about what they hope to accomplish before Mt. Humongus erupts.
82	* ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'' has the Fogg's Asylum sequence. As the final confrontation looms, the chorus asks "Who could see how the road would twist?" as the lunatics escape to echo the Beggar Woman's CassandraTruth across the city.
83	* The Act One finale of ''Theatre/{{Urinetown}}''. Just for extra emphasis, it goes into slow motion. "Why Did I Listen To That Man?" features no less than four alternating, then simultaneous takes on the collapsing situation... [[spoiler: then TheHeroDies and things truly explode two songs later]].
84	* ''Theatre/{{Vanities}}'': "I Can't Imagine" plays this straight, but its reprise, "The Argument" is a song ''during'' the storm (the breakdown of the characters' friendship).
85	* ''Theatre/AVeryPotterMusical''
86	** "Voldemort is Going Down".
87	** "No Way" in the Sequel, in which [[spoiler:Draco finally gets to be a part of a 4 part harmony]].
88	* "Tonight" (the "Quintet" version with Tony/Maria/Anita/The Jets/The Sharks, even though the last two are actually groups) from ''Theatre/WestSideStory'' is one of the classics, setting up for the big rumble that changes everything.
89	[[/folder]]
90
91	[[folder:Video Games]]
92	* A rarity in video games: ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'' has "That's the Way It Is", which is played near the end of Chapter 6 [[spoiler:when Arthur Morgan, riddled with tuberculosis, goes on his final ride to camp, where he will face the Pinkertons before meeting up with [[ClimaxBoss Micah Bell]] for one final showdown in which he may or may not survive depending on his honor]].
93	[[/folder]]
94
95	[[folder:Web Original]]
96	* "So They Say" from ''WebVideo/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog''. Dr. Horrible prepares his [[spoiler:Death Ray]], Captain Hammer sings about [[spoiler:doing the weird stuff]] and Penny sings about her future.
97	* The fanmade [[http://www.pwmusical.com/ Phoenix Wright - The Musical]] features a song called Tomorrow's Trial, taking place the night before the final faceoff between Phoenix and Von Karma.
98	[[/folder]]
99
100	[[folder:Western Animation]]
101	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'' has "No Big Deal" for the second-to-last episode of its second season, giving the viewers one last time to chill and have fun before things go [[DarkerAndEdgier off the rails]] [[WhamEpisode in the finale]].
102	* On ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}},'' "What If the Town Blew Away" is {{literal\|Minded}}ly this--the characters are singing about the hurricane that's about to hit Lawndale.
103	* "Where is the Fun?" from ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents: WesternAnimation/SchoolsOutTheMusical''
104	* ''WesternAnimation/IHeartArlo'': "Back To You", Arlo's SettingOffSong from the S1 finale sung just before arriving at the swamp to find it turned into TheHedgeOfThorns by the BigBad. It is then followed by the WarningSong sung by Ruff and Stucky just before Arlo encounters the Bog Lady which in turn leads to the episode's DarkestHour.
105	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
106	** "This Day Aria" from the Season 2 finale, sung by Princess Cadance and the imposter Cadance (Queen Chrysalis in disguise) just before the big confrontation.
107	** "The Ballad of the Crystal Empire" from the Season 3 premiere, as the Mane Six prepare the Crystal Fair prior to learning the truth of the Crystal Heart.
108	** "You'll Play Your Part" from the Season 4 finale, sung by the four Princesses [[MoodWhiplash just before]] [[BigBad Tirek]] makes his appearance.
109	* The TriumphantReprise of "Royal Prep" from the ''WesternAnimation/SofiaTheFirst'' GrandFinale, "Forever Royal", just before Vor's attack.
110	* "For Just One Day Let's Only Think About (Love)" from the ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' episode "Reunited" has Steven prepping for [[spoiler: Ruby and Sapphire's wedding]] and also references events throughout the series that still haven't been resolved and will come to a head soon like [[spoiler: the Cluster still yet to have emerged, that Rose Quartz was really Pink Diamond, and that the other Diamonds are still unaware of this and want revenge]].
111	* ''WesternAnimation/TangledTheSeries'':
112	** "I've Got This" from "Queen For a Day", as Rapunzel struggles to adjust to her ShortLivedLeadership just before Zhan Tiri's blizzard hits.
113	** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-PYYaoq0fY Ready As I'll Ever Be]]" from "Secret of the Sundrop", with both the villain, [[spoiler:Varian]], and the heroes preparing for the first season's big finale battle.
114	** "Through it All" from the GrandFinale, as Rapunzel rallies up all of Corona to take down Cassandra and Zhan Tiri once and for all.
115	* "You're the Greatest" from the ''WesternAnimation/WanderOverYonder'' episode "My Fair Hatey", just before Lord Dominator reveals her true motives.
116	[[/folder]]
117

Context Main / TheSongBeforeTheStorm