Laura Benanti chides people for not applauding- Page 7

[backwoodsbarbie]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 12:23pm

This does not surprise me. She has always come across as extremely arrogant to me. 

[aaaaaa15]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 12:23pm

lovebwy said: "I totally understand what you're saying here. I just think the context of the comment is just not classy or befitting a great Broadway star like Laura Benanti.

Merman and Martin would never say something like that. Nor Angela Lansbury or Dotty Loudon. 

It just really did not sit well with me. Obviously. haha."

Those people are of a different generation than Laura, she grew up in a very different time and environment where this kind of humor is more accepted. 

 

[aaaaaa15]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 12:24pm

ShoesForRent said: "So is it a joke or an actual discussion? Maybe there is a reason that tweet is deleted..."

It's an amusing way to take on a discussion. She deleted all her responses to people last night, not just that one.

 

[EthelMae]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 12:25pm

Maybe it wasn't phrased in the best way, but, for me, as an audience member, I can't stand being seated next to someone who doesn't applaud after a musical number. This happened recently at an Off-Broadway musical and it was such a downer. I mean, yeah, no one is making you come to the theatre. You're not in prison. After this particular great musical number this audience member sat there lifeless. Not saying they have to love the show, etc., but polite applause? Not too hard.

BTW, Ms. Benanti appeared at the Easter Bonnet Competition recently and she was very funny.

Updated On: 5/20/16 at 12:25 PM

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 12:25pm

lovebwy said: "Merman and Martin would never say something like that. Nor Angela Lansbury or Dotty Loudon."

She isn't Merman, nor Martin, nor Lansbury, nor Loudon. She's Benanti. 

[Kad]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 12:27pm

Ah, yes. Ethel Merman, that respectful and tactful lady.

[ShoesForRent]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 12:30pm

aaaaaa15 said: "ShoesForRent said: "So is it a joke or an actual discussion? Maybe there is a reason that tweet is deleted..."

It's an amusing way to take on a discussion. She deleted all her responses to people last night, not just that one.

 

 

"

I realise this- I wonder why she felt the need to delete them? I would assume she might retract her want for a discussion given the backlash (that the video was in poor taste), and now wants the video to be viewed as purely a joke? Im sure i could be worng though...

[AnnieBlack]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 12:30pm

Yeah, I'm sure if twitter was around in Mermans day, she would probably put up a scat video

[aaaaaa15]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 12:34pm

ShoesForRent said: "I realise this- I wonder why she felt the need to delete them? I would assume she might retract her want for a discussion given the backlash (that the video was in poor taste), and now wants the video to be viewed as purely a joke? Im sure i could be worng though..."

Something doesn't have to be 100% a joke or 100% serious. It's something she obviously believes in but she didn't put up a 5 minute serious talking video where she talked about why it makes performers feel bad when they see people not applausing, she put up a 15 second song with an amusing tone. 

[JM226]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 12:34pm

OMG. another poster already warned of something like this happening and now it actually is. YES WE GET IT -- you are either offended or don't care about the video. the two sides are clearly voiced in this thread. but you're not going to change someone else's view or opinion by finding unoriginal ways to restate it. quite repeating yourselves!!! This all comes down to personal preference. some people don't think it's appropriate and others support her ... or just don't care.  the other poster was right --- this has devolved into a circular argument. you're not going to get anywhere when there's no right or wrong way!!! 

[ShoesForRent]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 12:37pm

aaaaaa15 said: "ShoesForRent said: "I realise this- I wonder why she felt the need to delete them? I would assume she might retract her want for a discussion given the backlash (that the video was in poor taste), and now wants the video to be viewed as purely a joke? Im sure i could be worng though..."

Something doesn't have to be 100% a joke or 100% serious. It's something she obviously believes in but she didn't put up a 5 minute serious talking video where she talked about why it makes performers feel bad when they see people not applausing, she put up a 15 second song with an amusing tone. 

 

"

No it absolutely doesn't have to black and white, but then why would she feel the need to delete her subsequent tweets discussing it more seriously?

[aaaaaa15]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 12:40pm

I can't answer that as I am not her. Maybe she wanted to move on from it. Maybe she regretted the way she spoke to some people. Maybe she's one of those people who deletes tweets often. There's plenty of potential reasons.

[notsovirginmary]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 12:41pm

She almost always deletes tweets that are replies (after they have been up long enough for the person they are meant for to see). It's just a form of decluttering, and it isn't unique to this situation. 

 

 

Updated On: 5/20/16 at 12:41 PM

[ShoesForRent]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 12:41pm

JM226 said: "OMG. another poster already warned of something like this happening and now it actually is. YES WE GET IT -- you are either offended or don't care about the video. the two sides are clearly voiced in this thread. but you're not going to change someone else's view or opinion by finding unoriginal ways to restate it. quite repeating yourselves!!! This all comes down to personal preference. some people don't think it's appropriate and others support her ... or just don't care.  the other poster was right --- this has devolved into a circular argument. you're not going to get anywhere when there's no right or wrong way!!! 

 

"

I dont know who this is aimed at (maybe all posters) but maybe some aren't trying to ~get~ anywhere, I'm not trying to change anyone's thoughts, points or beliefs, just to have a conversation (granted abit late into the process)

Thats like asking why people talk/ argue at all...

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 12:43pm

All in all, I think it's just fair to say that Laura has different beliefs about theatre etiquette than many of you. As a performer, she thinks that it is polite for the audience to applaud after the conclusion of each number.

And as a performer, she also goes out of her way to apologize to fans on Twitter for skipping out on interacting with them at the stage door for the sake of her health. On top of that, she even sends out pre-signed Playbills for them given that she must think it's the polite thing to do. That's yet another topic that many here would wildly disagree with her on.

She expressed her views in a video that was intended to be comical, and we discovered she has a different sense of humor than many of the posters here. Different strokes for different folks.

Updated On: 5/20/16 at 12:43 PM

Posted: 5/20/16 at 12:45pm

Good for her =).  I'm glad she has enough respect for the theater to stick up for it even when her views may be unpopular.  As I'm sure most people that post on here go to the theater regularly, I think we can attest to the disrespectful behavior of audiences getting worse and worse. It started with the way people dress (that doesn't bother me as much, I'm just glad people still pay to be there), but the use of cell phones is completely out of hand. When I saw the revival of Fiddler a few months ago the teenage girl next to me was filming it outright, no shame.  The ushers seemed so tired of saying, "put your cell phone away" that they just let her do it. She wasn't even watching the show. She was making sure she was getting it all on film....she missed the performance. 

There is a disconnected energy from the audience these days that transfers to the stage and it affects the actors in a negative way. I think a big part of this is because we spend less and less time watching things in front of audiences and more and more time on our phones and computers that we've sort of forgotten how to watch live events (if you are under 30 you probably don't know how to watch a live event at all). 

But I agree with Miss Benanti.  When you enter a theater to watch a performance you sign an unwritten contract with the performers to engage with them, and clapping is part of that. Laura is not being rude, she has respect for her chosen art form and she demands others have the same. In my opinion,  it would be like visiting a foreign country and deciding not to follow any of their customs that have been around for centuries. And have to say, If I wasn't moved by a show to the point where I didn't want to clap, I wouldn't sit there and pout with my arms crossed, I would leave.  We need more Laura Benanti's (I bet she learned all of this from Patti LuPone). I say Bravo!

[ShoesForRent]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 12:48pm

aaaaaa15 said: "I can't answer that as I am not her. Maybe she wanted to move on from it. Maybe she regretted the way she spoke to some people. Maybe she's one of those people who deletes tweets often. There's plenty of potential reasons.

 

"

Sure I accept all these reasons are valid (also the de-cluttering, though she did leave some "thank you's" up, and I can see plenty of @ on her feed)

I just disagree with her point (that applause are mandatory) and even more so with the way she chose to bring it up... but having followed her for years i recognize and accept this is her form of humor, and that this joke just failed...however I don't understand  the actors retweeting her (particularly Carrie Fletcher, a british 23 year old actress who generally comes off as entitled and this just strengthened that for me)

 

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 12:54pm

Kad said: "Ah, yes. Ethel Merman, that respectful and tactful lady."

Seriously- Ethel Merman had a widespread reputation for having a filthy mouth, and certainly wasn't some kind of wallflower. 

[lovebwy]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 12:55pm

haha good one, AnnieBlack!

[AnnieBlack]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 12:55pm

wonderfulwizard11 said: "Kad said: "Ah, yes. Ethel Merman, that respectful and tactful lady."

Seriously- Ethel Merman had a widespread reputation for having a filthy mouth, and certainly wasn't some kind of wallflower. 

 

But was she filthy at the stage door? I think thats what this is about, doing something in public that probably is best to be shared amongst friends. That is the problem with twitter- you're on stage at all times 

 

[brian1973]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 12:55pm

I'm rather glad to read this. 99% of Broadway audiences are too easily pleased.. Laughing at everything and giving every show a standing ovation. Occasionally I give very polite applause if a performer has put a song across well in a bad show- but if the show is terrible- I won't clap. A show should earn it. I think it's enough that audiences pay SO much money to see dross on Broadway- they don't owe the cast anything more. 

 

Having said thst- I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't clap during this great production she's in.

[ChiTheaterFan]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 12:59pm

Just to put that video in context, here are her two other tweets that followed that, which show (1) she was joking and (2) she is obviously irked by other poor audience behavior as well. 

 

https://twitter.com/laurabenanti/status/733519196328316928

 

https://twitter.com/laurabenanti/status/733665494134317056

 

I personally think applause is polite and should be given while I think standing ovations reflect a performance that goes above and beyond. I have no problem with people who feel differently, but I'm kind of surprised this has turned into such a big deal. I thought it was just funny.

 

I can't imagine being a performer up there with all these rude/oblivious people. At the King and I the other night I was sitting next to someone (in the front orchestra) eating M&Ms, rustling through her bag, and she turned to me and said at pretty much full volume "do you want some?"  We had chatted before the show and she was very excited and perfectly lovely. Which reinforces my belief that there is a mix of people who are totally oblivious to what is and is not ok at the theater, and others who know but just don't care. At any rate, I wouldn't put any of that on the same level as not clapping, but I sympathize with the performers who deal with all this every show and I guess I just don't know how it would affect me if I were in that position. 

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 1:01pm

What if the audience responds with what is usually called "polite applause." That would fulfill the audience's obligation to applaud, but would it make the company feel any better?

[AnnieBlack]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 1:05pm

I think everyone can agree that rude audience behavior (texting, eating candies, etc) is unacceptable, but when people are called out for not expressing enough gratitude for having sat through a show they paid for, I think it's rubbing a lot of people the wrong way. It's a very 'me me me' attitude. 

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 5/20/16 at 1:06pm

The only time I have not applauded at a show was Finding Neverland, because I felt like I had just been mugged. But it has never occured to me as rude not to applaud when you are not moved to, because it is not disruptive behavior.