Most overwhelming audience reaction?- Page 2

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 1:01am

I agree with the reaction to Eden's "Once Upon a Time" I seem to remember giving a standing ovation after that song (it's been awhile though).

While it's not a traditional Broadway show, the reception to Seasons of Love and Today 4 U were pretty insane during the RENT reunion. Poor Wilson had to stand in those heels and wait while we all calmed down! The sheer energy in that theatre was amazing.

[starletta8]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 1:13am

Piazza today.

Take your pick on the moments... I've never seen anything like it (the pre-show announcement getting applause), the opening number literally stopping the show, losing a bunch of the lines because the audience was applauding so wildly.

ETA: My hands are still sore.
Updated On: 7/3/06 at 01:13 AM

[ActingAndy]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 1:18am

Simone singing Dance of the Robe in Aida on Broadway... standing ovation after her high note was truly incredible...

[WheelsofaDream]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 1:48am

Without a doubt when I saw Jersey Boys early into the run before the hype started to build up. The first time JLY hit that high note the theatre went wild. By the end of "Sherry", I thought the audience would become so excited that they'd tear the theatre down. Similar reactions occurred two or three other times during the show. You could tell the actors just didn't know how to respond.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 1:52am

Closing night of the sit-down production of The Phantom of the Opera in San Francisco. It was insanity!

[kec]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 2:17am

Hugh Jackman's "Once Before I Go." When I saw BFO the first time (in previews), that song gave me chills. Then as we clapped at the end, people began standing up until everyone in the orchestra were on their feet. It was the first time I'd ever seen a standing ovation before the curtain call.
Updated On: 7/3/06 at 02:17 AM

[lvpblues]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 2:31am

The final performance of Gypsy had one of the greatest audiences I have ever seen, multiple standing ovations (overture, Bernadette's entrance and Rose's Turn, among others) and a palpability that elicits an excitement unlike any other you can feel in a theatre.

Also, Piazza opening night received a huge ovation, the curtain call continuing until the authors were brought onstage for a bow.
And the closing? Lots of love going on, you could tell most of the audience were the more die-hard Piazza fans.

~Kev

[WickedOne2]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 2:40am

1) After Idina Menzel finished Defying Gravity there was thunderous applause and cheering
2) John Lloyd Young getting a standing ovation after Can't Take My Eyes Off of You
3) Norbert Leo Butz getting a thunderous applause and a few standing audience members after Great Big Stuff
4) When I saw the national tour of Hairspray at the Pantages here in LA Bruce Vilanch was playing Edna and while he was dancing with Wilbur during You're Timeless to Me, Wilbur (sorry forgot who was Wilbur) moved his hand near Bruce's butt and Bruce said "Oh no Mr. Govenor" -- I live in Los Angeles and it was right after the allegations came out that Arnold Schwartzenagger had fondled some women. The audience roared.

[TomMonster]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 3:04am

I was involved with the original production of "Dreamgirls" (behind the scenes) and can't say enough about Jennifer. That ovation some nights would go on for 5 minutes or more.

WheelsofaDream regarding "Jersey Boys"--You are correct!!

Not since "Dreamgirls" had I seen such an ovation for a song. In previews, before the hype, the build up to 'Sherry' caused one of the most exciting spontaneous standing ovations I've ever witnessed. And then the second act created another standing ovation with '...Eyes...'

It seemed to me that the actors truly didn't know what to make of the responses in previews. JLY smiled in character assuming it was for Valli, then, after the applause continued, he seemed to realize it was also for himself portraying Valli. All of the four boys looked visibly shaken and excited. You could smell the hit!

People were on their cel phones during the exit music telling their friends to buy tickets.

Again we witness History, Boys...and Girls.

Updated On: 7/3/06 at 03:04 AM

[Derek2]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 3:12am

On January 5th 2005, I saw Wicked with Idina. It was a few nights before the end of her run. She sang Defying Gravity (like she usually does lol). Anyway, when she sang "It's meeee!" the audience went wild. Not only that, on her first "ever gonna bring meeee down", she held out the "me" forever. The audience stood up then and there and began clapping. It was great. She started crying then. I loved it. Also, at the end of The Color Purple the audience went pretty wild as well.

[jo]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 8:02am

John Heilpern of THE NEW YORK OBSERVER wrote this of the closing show of THE BOY FROM OZ --


"Farewell, Hugh and Caroline: Closing-Night Hysteria and Tears
by John Heilpern

If you want to understand the nature of public hysteria, go to the last performance of a successful Broadway show. These emotional, fond farewells—expressions of love and communion—are unique to New York.

In London, nobody bothers much about closing nights. In London, nobody bothers much about anything. But here, where enthusiasm is innate, people want to see their favorite show one last time. In their sentiment, they want to give thanks and say, "I was there!"

You should have been there for Hugh Jackman’s final performance in The Boy From Oz. Never seen anything like it. His first entrance is immediately after the overture, when he comes on in darkness to sit at a piano. Lights up! But, of course, the packed house has seen the show before and knows every move. They can see him strolling onstage in the shadows.

It’s him! It’s him! It’s Hugh! Hysteria. Everyone’s on their feet cheering and screaming. The lights go up. He starts to sing. More hysteria!

They stopped the show before it began. He just stood there grinning from ear to ear. Well, wouldn’t you?

A good friend of mine, who was happy to pay 700 smackeroos for her tickets, was seeing the show for the eighth time. I’m embarrassed to know her, actually. But that’s nothing. She told me the Japanese couple seated in front of her were seeing the show for the 100th time. But that’s nothing, either. Midway through the show, Mr. Jackman introduced a lady to the audience who’s seen it 200 times. The spotlight found her in one of the best seats, and she stood up proudly to take a well-deserved bow.

As I joined in the hearty applause for her, I did a quick, mean little calculation: At $100 dollars a ticket, she’d spent $20,000 going to see The Boy from Oz four times a week for a year.

Don’t tell me people don’t love the theater.

The whole farewell performance was fun and touching and camp—rather like Peter Allen, or the somewhat maligned production itself. I see my review was displayed in the foyer, blown up and reprinted in full. But then, it was the only rave review the show got, more or less. Why did those eunuchs called critics dislike The Boy from Oz so much? It was as if they were trying their best to gun it down. But what’s the use of wondering? This I know: They called it wrong! The show became a hit.

True, it wasn’t Threepenny Opera. It wasn’t meant to be. True, it had a bona fide superstar in Hugh Jackman, who gave the best performance in a razzmatazz Broadway musical many of us have seen. But no performer can go it alone. Mr. Jackman needed the kindling wood that ignites the fire—the show itself, all the other fine artists, the popular songs of Peter Allen, the life story simply told.

The sour critics—sophisticates, all—missed the essential point. They should have listened to the audience. The best seat for a musical isn’t always a seat. If you stand at the back of the house, as I did for the farewell Boy from Oz, you experience a show differently, and it tells you something. You can actually feel an entire audience responding to what’s happening onstage, as if a tidal wave of emotion, or love, is rolling back and forth through the auditorium. If you want to know how a show is really doing, don’t listen to critics. Listen to the audience instead.

But what could beat Mr. Jackman’s own farewell at the end of the show? It came at the start of his last song, sung for the last time:

Once before I go—

The collective groan from the house was so palpable we laughed.

"Don’t go!" came the response. "We love you!" "Stay!" "We love you, Hugh!"

"And I love you, darlin’," Hugh replied in his Aussie accent. He’s a good sort. The band was still playing the opening chords. He began the last song again:

Once before I go

I want you to know—

That I would do it all again.

Hysteria! The song was tailor-made for the occasion. Then the curtain descended. And all stood and cheered and cheered and cheered to the rafters. And life was good..."


****************************


I was there and it was all true!

Jo

[SNLMedia]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 8:40am

When I saw DRS for the first time, the audience cheered and applauded wildly after "Dirty Rotten Number". This slowly turned into a full-out standing ovation which lasted close to two minutes, and John and Norbert just sat there on the beach chairs smiling big and not knowing what to do. Eventually John waved his hand as if to say "Please, sit down, there's more!"

Also, during every performance of Hairspray I've been seen, the audience went nuts after the Dynamites' reprise of "Welcome to the 60's" and after the final verse of "Timeless". In the case of the latter, the ad-libs always help.

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 8:50am

I have personally seen and been a part of the following crazy-love audience responses:

Idina's DEFYING GRAVITY- 2xs

Nathan Lane's BETRAYED- 2xs as well

Norbert's GREAT BIG STUFF... John Lithgow's "The bushes of Tex were nervous wrecks because their son was dim. But look what happened to him!" and their DIRTY ROTTEN NUMBER.

Bernadette's ROSE'S TURN

The reaction to the helicopter in MISS SAIGON

Hugh's entire performance in BOY FROM OZ got reaction

Updated On: 7/3/06 at 08:50 AM

[EganFan2]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 9:15am

Haven't been to Broadway yet. But the first time I ever saw a literally show stopping moment was in "Children of Eden". After "Ain't It Good?" the audience stood for a standing ovation. That show SHOULD come to Broadway.
Updated On: 7/3/06 at 09:15 AM

[Marguerite Chauvelin]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 9:23am

Yeah, "Dirty Rotten Number" got a huge reaction when I was there. People never seem to understand that there is more show after that song.

[SNLMedia]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 9:28am

I agree, Marguerite. I was actually one of those people my first time! I was not familiar with the cast recording at all, so for a few moments, I thought that was actually the end of the show.

I've seen DRS several times since then, and no reaction has even come close to that.

[Katecab99]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 9:32am

Piazza yesterday.

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 9:36am

"And I'm Telling You..."

It felt like I was at a Gospel church.

One of the biggest reactions I recall in the last 10 years was the "rock star roar" that greeted Lilias White at the end of The Brotherhood of Man in the recent How To Succeed revival.

I'm not joking. It was a monstrous ovation the night I went.

[Barihunk]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 9:39am

At an early preview of "The Life" I attended, Lilias White floored us with "The Oldest Profession" - the response was phenomenal - completely stopped the show dead in its tracks (unfortunately, it never revived).

If you think audience reactions on Broadway are overwhelming you should head uptown to a "demented" night at the Metropolitan Opera. I attended Leonie Rysanek's farewell performance of "Queen of Spades" - the curtain call lasted nearly 20 minutes. A performance of several years back of "Marriage of Figaro" with Renee Fleming - after a truly transcendent "Dove Sono" - I thought the applause would never end. I also remember a performance of "Dialogues of the Carmelites" in around 1987 with Jessye Norman and Regine Crespin - the curtain call lasted at least 15 minutes - I missed my train back to CT!

As rabid as Broadway audiences may be - they pale in comparison to opera fanatics IMO...

[luvtheatre11]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 9:58am

the second time I went to DRS, the Dirty Rotten number got a standing O.. At the same performance, Lithgow was teasing Norbert alot..withholding lines until the audience started laughing, etc..every # got a huge reaction.
Afriend of mine said when she saw Spamalot DHP got a standing O for You won't Succeed..and the audience did the "wave"

[TabooWickedFan]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 10:03am

Aida's Gods Love Nubia on Simone's last day. She wasn't even done with the song and she had the whole theater on their feet. It was amazing to witness.

[quintia]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 10:16am

"Once Before I Go" from The Boy From Oz. I saw it during previews, and there was a standing ovation. I had never seen a standing ovation before a show ended. It was a great moment. Gotta love Hugh Jackman...

[wickedobsessed]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 10:20am

I saw "Wicked" one week before Idina Menzel left, when she rushed on right before "Dear Old Shiz" everyone went insane! There must have been a good three minuets of applause.

[kidmanboy]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 10:26am

I have to say the most overwhelming reaction that i understood the least was the audience's reaction to "can't take my eyes off of you" in Jersey Boys. There was insane applause every time the chorus started and at the end, a partial standing ovation. JLY did an okay job of covering someone else's song. There wasn't a story, no emotion to the song, all the people in the audience have heard the song a thousand times. I'll simply never understand. I felt like I was on another universe.

[coolphantom919]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 10:27am

In Man OF La Mancha, Brian Stokes Mitchell singing THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM!