Standing O's?

I've witnessed a very strange thing this week. In all of my past trips to NY, there have always been standing ovations. Always. But this week I have found there haven't been that many. Now granted, it may be because I am seeing more plays than musicals for the first time in my life, so that might be it. But it's still kind of dissapointing (or gratifying because people are finally showing their true feelings). Here's what I have witnessed:

Lieutenant of Inishmore - The show is so great, everybody stood. Pretty normal for me.

Altar Boyz - A standing O which I completely disagreed with. But whatever. I noticed alot of tweens there, so that might have been it.

Three days... - Suprisingly, no standing O which I loved to see. It didn't deserve one, so it didn't get one.

Festen - I stood, but not alot of people did. Maybe the subject matter and the intensity floored people.

Rabbit Hole - Would have gotten a complete standing if the actors didn't stop to ask for charity for aids. Still 3/4 with only one box.

Awake and sing - No standing O which I probably agree with. I didn't stand, so I guess people felt the way I did.

I don't know if this is a new thing for people not to stand when they don't like a show, but I think I like it. Has anybody else noticed this?

But it also has a down side. When I saw AWAKE AND SING last night, I think alot of the cast was mad about the lack of a standing O, so they didn't come out of the stage door.

Several things recently I have seen not resulted in SOs which is absolutely right when it is not deserved. I have overheard conversations at the stage door with actors who have moaned about the lack of one, while failing to grasp that is could be well down to them that they never delivered that night. Oh the egos!

I hate it when, as an audience member, there is an expectation sometime with those around who seem to almost take offence that you are not joining them in the SO. I had one person last year at Rent [I love this musical - one of my favourites] who said to me along the lines of "this is a work of genius - what's the matter with you? You have GOT to get up" to which I replied, "No dear, I do NOT - this might be a good musical but the cast really did not do it for me this time"

I get the impression a lot of folk are incapable of thinking for themselves and would give an SO because everyone else is, and not on their own terms. I guess they would stand if Bush got up and performed the National Anthem through his sphincter if if made them feel as though they belong with the crowd!

I don't give one either if I don't think it was deserved. And If I do, I usually now try to stand right away for the entire cast as opposed to standing when the leads come out for their curtain call. There are times I will not stand until supporting members of the cast come out that I really enjoyed. Also, If an audience is on their feet and I am not, I won't stand until the entire cast is onstage just so I can see them all (As my view is blocked by the standing audience).

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When I was in NY two weeks ago Sweeney Todd and Wicked both received well deserved full standing O's. Doubt, on the other hand, only had a handful of people stand. Local theater here in KC: everything gets a standing O because people start leaving the theater at the first bow and you have to let people out of the rows (rude!). Half are gone for the final bow.

When I saw Light In The Piazza, no one stood until Margaret came out, and I was surprised because I defintely thought Aaron Lazar's and Katie Clarke's performances deserved ovations.

See ... now, I'm the exact opposite. I'm always up -- right away. It's my opinion that any cast, no matter how imperfect, deserves the honor and respect of a standing ovation. *shrug* That's just me, I guess.

It's kinda like when there's an opening act at a concert -- you might not care for them at all, and didn't come to specifically see them, but they deserve your attention and applause for performing for you, regardless. Even more so in a smaller, theater setting ... because they can look right back at you hehe

Updated On: 3/31/06 at 01:15 PM

Certainly there is an expectation that you applaud and remain in the theater to show respect.
A standing ovation is supposed to be different, to indicate greatness, or a particularly moving experience.
It is simply not the case that every performance of every show "deserves" a standing ovation. If that were true the entire exercise is meaningless.

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Man, the idea behind standing ovations has always been awesome to me. Like, not only did I feel compelled to stand up and applaud this show, but the rest of the theatre does, too. It's such a great, unifying sort of feeling. (I imagine it's a pretty good feeling for the performers, too!) But yeah, in the last couple of years, I noticed people would stand at ANYTHING. I don't get it. Maybe you think it's polite or that, however bad a show is, it's nice to give the performers their due--but that's what regular applause is for. You should always applaud, IMO, but gving everything a standing O only lessens the impact when you see that something that really deserves it!

But I do hate when everyone around me is standing and I'm sitting and I can't even see the stage. I mean, it's really awkward for me to just be sitting there, applauding for a curtain call I can't even see.

I always give a standing ovation, mainly because I'm short, and if one person normally stands up, if they are somewhat ahead of me, I can't see.

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The last three or four shows I've seen did not have a standing ovation, which was refreshing.

The last standing ovation I did which I thought was deserved was Sweeney Todd.

As I said, If I am not standing, I am usually chatting or getting prepared to leave so there is no reason to yell at the people in front of me. I do worry about standing and blocking the view of people behind me if they are still seated but so far have not been yelled at. Now there are times I do want to see the stage and will just stand without applauding. Dr. Dolittle was just here in Denver and got a standing O the evening I saw it. It really did not deserve one. I stood just so I could see Tommy Tune. Because he is Tommy Tune.

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I've never been to a performance of "Sweeney Todd" that didn't result in an instant complete standing ovation. The show deserves it.

Other shows get some as well. I always stand up if the majority of the people around me do, even if I feel the show doesn't FULLY merit a standing ovation (like, for example, Wicked). It's rude to ask people to sit down, and I like to see the performers take the curtain bow. So I stand as well, why not? If everone stands, I'll only stay seated if I TRULY hated the show.

I've seen the standing ovation craze die down a bit, and it's a good thing. Giving one to EVERY SINGLE show diminishes the whole point.