This is only my opinion, of course, but I would vote for an entire audience spontaneously and audibly experiencing a thrilling rush than to control that urge just to hear one lyric.
Live theater is called LIVE theater for a reason. Spontaneous reaction to a wonderful performance should be encouraged, as most audiences tend to just sit there. Listen to the cast recording when you get home to catch the lyric!
This opinion does not cover the inappropriate applause I mentioned earlier, of course.
"My dreams, watching me said, one to the other...this life has let us down."
justme - when I read your 'undeserved' example, I was reminded of seeing Denzel in CAESAR, and at his first entrance, 1/3 of the audience erupting like he had just stepped onto the Red Carpet. Sort of broke the mood.
Doesn't it though? In my humble opinion, that kind of adoration should be saved for someone who has actually devoted a CAREER to Broadway, not a "I'll do this for a change" actor.
"My dreams, watching me said, one to the other...this life has let us down."
What I don't like is when people clap along in time to a song, even at the curtain call. If the actors onstage are clapping along, thats a little different, but clapping along to a song just kills me! Especially if the song is totally un-clap-worthy. The audience is never in time, and it throws off the actors and musicians. I've even seen audiences clap along to classical music.
Applause does add to the experience but when it gets out of hand it can be annoying. For example, when I saw Wonderful Town there was a very enthusiastic audience that day and after a while it felt like they were clapping after EVERYTHING, whether it was a line someone said or any time Donna Murphy made an entrance. But you have to put yourself in the actor's position too and think how nice it would be if YOU were getting all that applause for something.
Applause does add to the experience but when it gets out of hand it can be annoying. For example, when I saw Wonderful Town there was a very enthusiastic audience that day and after a while it felt like they were clapping after EVERYTHING, whether it was a line someone said or any time Donna Murphy made an entrance. Also if it goes on too long or in the middle of the song it WOULD be nice to hear the actor sing it. But you have to put yourself in the actor's position too and think how nice it would be if YOU were getting all that applause for something.
Applause does add to the experience but when it gets out of hand it can be annoying. For example, when I saw Wonderful Town there was a very enthusiastic audience that day and after a while it felt like they were clapping after EVERYTHING, whether it was a line someone said or any time Donna Murphy made an entrance. Also if it goes on too long or in the middle of the song it WOULD be nice to hear the actor sing it. But you have to put yourself in the actor's position too and think how nice it would be if YOU were getting all that applause for something.
Applause does add to the experience but when it gets out of hand it can be annoying. For example, when I saw Wonderful Town there was a very enthusiastic audience that day and after a while it felt like they were clapping after EVERYTHING, whether it was a line someone said or any time Donna Murphy made an entrance. Also if it goes on too long or in the middle of the song it WOULD be nice to hear the actor sing it. But you have to put yourself in the actor's position too and think how nice it would be if YOU were getting all that applause for something.
Applause does add to the experience but when it gets out of hand it can be annoying. For example, when I saw Wonderful Town there was a very enthusiastic audience that day and after a while it felt like they were clapping after EVERYTHING, whether it was a line someone said or any time Donna Murphy made an entrance. Also if it goes on too long or in the middle of the song it WOULD be nice to hear the actor sing it. But you have to put yourself in the actor's position too and think how nice it would be if YOU were getting all that applause for something.
Applause does add to the experience but when it gets out of hand it can be annoying. For example, when I saw Wonderful Town there was a very enthusiastic audience that day and after a while it felt like they were clapping after EVERYTHING, whether it was a line someone said or any time Donna Murphy made an entrance. Also if it goes on too long or in the middle of the song it WOULD be nice to hear the actor sing it. But you have to put yourself in the actor's position too and think how nice it would be if YOU were getting all that applause for something.
Applause does add to the experience but when it gets out of hand it can be annoying. For example, when I saw Wonderful Town there was a very enthusiastic audience that day and after a while it felt like they were clapping after EVERYTHING, whether it was a line someone said or any time Donna Murphy made an entrance. Also if it goes on too long or in the middle of the song it WOULD be nice to hear the actor sing it. But you have to put yourself in the actor's position too and think how nice it would be if YOU were getting all that applause for something.
Applause does add to the experience but when it gets out of hand it can be annoying. For example, when I saw Wonderful Town there was a very enthusiastic audience that day and after a while it felt like they were clapping after EVERYTHING, whether it was a line someone said or any time Donna Murphy made an entrance. Also if it goes on too long or in the middle of the song it WOULD be nice to hear the actor sing it. But you have to put yourself in the actor's position too and think how nice it would be if YOU were getting all that applause for something.
What about clapping with the beat of the music? That happens a lot, like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, granted it doesn't bother me. Everyone should see The Musicals of Musicals, it spoofs that fact: "The audience claps even though she hasn't done anything yet" or "The Audience applauds the set change" HAHAHA I love it!
"Love the Art in Yourself. Not Yourself in the Art." -- Stanislavski
I loved though in The Boy From Oz when everyone clapped along to Quiet Please There's a Lady On Stage.. cause well, you can tell everyone was really feeling it if you know what I mean!
yes, I do know about the religious services that do that stuff and that's fine and as I said in another reply, mid show it is ok.
But as many other people have now said... if it's excessive and yelling and screaming and clapping for like what sounds like forever and interfers with the song, then wtf. I saw spamalot and felt at times it got out of control and it was annoying. So I was venting with this thread lol.
But yea, it's fine at times... exzcessive noise and cheering is annoying though because it's not a sports game, it's theatre. So I don't enjoy missing lyrics and not hearing the note they are clapping at!
Someone said this too... if you think the note is so good, why not listen to it?!!!?!?! lol, it's fine to clap a bit, but drowning out the noise for 15 seconds is annoying.
That's my take on it, can be annoying, and usually is fine if at a controllable amount. It just depends really...
And if the color purple is over the top with that ****, I wouldn't see if because I am not a fan of the excessive clapping that goes on forever.
my 2 cents, probably adding up to like 6 cents now.
thinking more about this, i've always felt bad for the second seasons of love soloist, since that audience almost always drowns him out applauding for the first soloist
"Grease," the fourth revival of the season, is the worst show in the history of theater and represents an unparalleled assault on Western civilization and its values. - Michael Reidel
