The 12 Tickets

Broadway has been around for over a hundred years and has produced countless shows that have become classics in their own right. Among these shows are a few that stand out, not just because of their popularity or longevity, but for a unique connection they share: each show has something to do with the number 12.

Here are 12 shows (in no particular order) that have had a special relationship with the number 12:

1. "The Twelve Dancing Princesses": Based on a Grimm Brothers fairy tale, this musical was written by Frank Loesser in 1954. The princesses sneak off every night to dance with twelve princes in a magical world, and each morning their father finds their worn-out dancing slippers.

2. "12 Angry Men": Written by Reginald Rose in 1954 as a teleplay, this courtroom drama became a classic movie starring Henry Fonda in 12 jurors examine the evidence to determine if a man is guilty of murder.

3. "Twelve Dreams": A rock opera adaptation of the Jungian psychology work of art Brian Williams and Peggy Tolkien, this show explores 12 archetypes of the human psyche in a dreamscape.

4. "Shenandoah": This Tony Award-winning musical from 1975 features twelve members of a Virginia family who oppose a brutal war but eventually come together to fight to protect their home and loved ones.

5. "Little Shop of Horrors": In this off-beat comedy, the nerdy protagonist tends to his curious plant, named Audrey II after the girl he has a crush on, as it grows bigger and gains a downright sinister personality after eating human flesh, ultimately leading to a chorus singing "Feed Me Seymour" 12 times.

6. "The 12 Plays of Christmas": Launched in 2013 at the Public Theater in NYC, this annual festive production presented 12 original short plays, each lasting only about six minutes. They all took place on Christmas Eve, in varying settings and styles, but with a common theme of people searching for something during the most festive night of the year.

7. "The 12": A modern rock musical adaptation of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night," this 2015 production featured twelve actors playing all the characters in the play while performing original songs by Neil Berg and the Beatles.

8. "The Twelve-Pound Look": First performed in the early 1900s, this one-act play follows Harry Sims' discovery that his wife, who he left 12 years prior, has not only moved on but become quite successful without him.

9. "12 Incompetent Jurors": Another courtroom drama, but one with a more comedic twist. In this 2016 off-Broadway show, a supposed murder is investigated by an incredibly diverse jury, each with their own eccentricity; none of them seem to take the proceedings seriously, driving the court stenographer mad.

10. "The Baker's Wife": Premiered in 1976 with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, shows the titular baker's new wife disappears at a crucial moment; to help him heal and get back to baking, twelve townspeople band together to find her.

11. "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee": While this one might not actually include the number 12 in its title, it does feature one of the questions: contestant Olive (played by Jenni Barber) asks for it to be repeated so many times that the judges end up singing ("Our hearts are open, our eyes are wide! The dictionary is always by our side! Twelve, twelve, twelve, twelve – DO YOUR BEST!”).

12. "Seussical the Musical": Finally, a family-friendly option – here we explore the imaginative worlds of Dr. Seuss creations and characters, including Horton the Elephant (who famously saves the Whos of Whoville), Gertrude McFuzz, the Cat in the Hat, and others – twelve main characters in total!

Broadway has always been an industry fueled by innovation, creativity, and artistic expression; it's no surprise that the number 12 — with its myriad of particularities – has featured in some of these beloved productions.