I definitely agree with all the Spelling Bee mentions! Having seen both the Broadway and Australian productions, the audience is just in hysterics for the majority of the show. A fabulous evening out!
Also, having seen both the Australian and Broadway productions of Urinetown, "Run, Freedom, Run" always bought the house down. The second time I saw it in Aus, there was a two or three minute standing ovation mid show at the completion of the number (led by yours truly with no shame at all!) The fabulous cast held their final positins for the entire ovation, only moving slightly to catch their breath and stifle their laughter. Ah - it was GREAT. But perhaps I am a little biased, as i am a true Urinetown fan.
And the other show that springs to mind immediately is the Lion King, namely the Circle of Life. Having been lucky enough to see the show here, in Aus and on the West End, the Circle of Life often receives applause from the moment the giraffes come out until Rafiki holds Simba over the heads of the animals atop Pride Rock. Pity the show goes completely down hill from that amazing moment...
Defying Gravity also often garners a lot of applause both during and at the end of the number.
:)
"...But Kungurtseva reels off multiple fouettes and the tape is stopped so she can take a bow. The Jester, an abomination introduced to Swan Lake in Soviet times, extorts applause from the audience. The cuts don't help the storytelling, the production is bare bones and they go for the '50s-style happy ending.
The audience cheers like mad at the end. It's the Russian ballet, after all..."