The show must go on

"The show must go on" is a well-known phrase in show business, meaning that regardless of what happens, whatever show has been planned still has to be staged for the waiting patrons. There is no evidence to suggest that it is the abbreviation of a longer phrase. The saying and principle are traditional in the theater, but they both originated in the 19th century with circuses. If an animal got loose or a performer was injured, the ringmaster and the band tried to keep things going so that the crowd would not panic^[1] because "it is a point of honour not to let the other players down by deserting them when no understudy is available."^[2] Later on, the phrase was more broadly applied to the hotel business^[3] and show business in general.^[4] Eventually, the phrase was used to convey the idea that an event or activity must continue even if there are problems or difficulties, with or without regard to actual show business.^[5]

The Show Must Go On may also refer to:

Film, theatre, and television

The Show Must Go On (film), a 2007 Korean film directed by Jae-rim Han and starring Song Kang-ho
The Show Must Go On (2010 film), a Croatian film directed by Nevio Marasović
The Show Must Go On (play), a 1991 Japanese play by Koki Mitani
"The Show Must Go On" (ER), the final episode of the 11th season of the American drama ER
"The Show Must Go On" (The Nanny), an episode of the television series The Nanny
"The Show Must Go On" (McLeod's Daughters), a musical episode of the highly popular Australian drama, McLeod's Daughters
"The Show Must Go On", an episode of One Tree Hill
"The Show Must Go On", the final episode of the Japanese anime The Big O

Music

"The Show Must Go On" (Leo Sayer song), a song co-written and recorded by Leo Sayer and covered by Three Dog Night on their 1974 album Hard Labor
"Day After Day (The Show Must Go On)", a song from The Alan Parsons Project's 1977 album I Robot that was not released as a single
"The Show Must Go On" (Pink Floyd song), a song by Pink Floyd from their rock opera The Wall
"The Show Must Go On" (Queen song), a song by Queen from their 1991 album Innuendo
"The Show Must Go On", a song by Chicago from their album Stone of Sisyphus
"The Show Must Go On", a song by the French band Soldat Louis
"The Show Must Go On", a song by the English progressive band Nirvana from their 1968 album All of Us
"Why Must the Show Go On?", a song written by Noël Coward

References

^ Rogers, James T. (1985). The Dictionary of Cliches. New York: Facts on File Publications. ISBN 0-8160-1010-2.
^ Partridge, Eric (1977). Dictionary of Catch Phrases. London: Routledge & Paul. ISBN 0-8128-2321-4.
^ Holding, Elizabeth Sanxay (1941). Speak of the Devil. New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce. OCLC 9317974.
^ "The Show Must Go On". American Notes and Queries. Philadelphia: William Brotherhead. January 1943.
^ Cambridge Idioms dictionary. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2006. ISBN 0-521-86037-7.

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title The show must go on.
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[1] Rogers, James T. (1985). The Dictionary of Cliches. New York: Facts on File Publications. ISBN 0-8160-1010-2.

[2] Partridge, Eric (1977). Dictionary of Catch Phrases. London: Routledge & Paul. ISBN 0-8128-2321-4.

[3] Holding, Elizabeth Sanxay (1941). Speak of the Devil. New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce. OCLC 9317974.

[4] "The Show Must Go On". American Notes and Queries. Philadelphia: William Brotherhead. January 1943.

[5] Cambridge Idioms dictionary. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2006. ISBN 0-521-86037-7.

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