Standing O's?- Page 2

[ken8631]

Posted: 3/31/06 at 3:11pm

I agree about Sweeney. Also full SO at the performance I was at. Deserved it.

[uncageg]

Posted: 3/31/06 at 3:18pm

I think I was on my feet for Sweeney right after the final note!

[mikem]

Posted: 3/31/06 at 3:25pm

I agree that standing o's seem to be dying down. Of the last 5 shows I've seen, 3 never got standing o's, and Sweeney only did halfway through the curtain call. (This was shocking to me -- I was up as soon as the lights went out.) The only shows I've seen that have gotten full standing O's from the beginning of the curtain call are Wicked and Jersey Boys. (Read into that what you will...)

[sciguy]

Posted: 3/31/06 at 3:34pm

Attnded the first preview of The Wedding Singer. The crowd was on their feet, when the show ended. A much deserved SO IMHO.

[sadiem100]

Posted: 3/31/06 at 4:04pm

sciguy - Was that the general feeling? Did most people like it???

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 3/31/06 at 4:47pm

not to change the subject but the two shows I distinctively remember jumping up after the curtain went down was Gyspy and Sweeney Todd.
On topic, for me its entirly based on if the story, actors or music has moved me in a profound way. I don't stand up for the sake of it. For instance, I gave a SO when I saw DRS last April but this time, as much as I enjoyed it, it just didn't do it for me (specifically Jonathan Pryce. Eh either way, if they deserve it in my opinion, they will get a SO.

[sciguy]

Posted: 3/31/06 at 5:07pm

The crowd last night was very enthusiastic. It isn't often I see people jump to their feet that quickly. The show is awesome. Believe me, no one was more suprised than me how great the show was.

[Sings_in_the_Rain]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 2:31am

I think the only show that I've seen that I felt didn't merit a standing ovation was Awake and Sing!-- the show just didn't do it for me. I only saw the second preview, though, so I'm sure the show will improve by the time it opens.
I give a standing ovation if I think that the performers were really talented and worked really hard, even if the show is a little weak-- the book-writer, composer, director etc. aren't there to see the crowd's reaction-- just the actors.

[PalaceRent06]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 9:44am

when i was in gypsy at my regional theatre, we got a standing ovation about every night, which was pretty cool. the show was put on pretty well...but our mama rose was amazing, and almost the whole house would wait until she came out, and it seemed like they couldnt get to their feet fast enough, and the roar odf the crowd doubled. and she deserved it,

**id thought id share that with you...

[Horton]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 10:18am

When I saw Ring of Fire it got a standing O. The bar has been lowered!

[slimandslam]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 1:41pm

I share what seems to be the general feeling on this thread... standing o's have become devalued through overuse, and a correction is welcome.

I guess I might ask the flip side (and this perhaps should go in its own thread): has anyone ever withheld his or her applause at the end? I have, once or twice.

[keatonbynumbers]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 2:04pm

I would never withhold applause. Applause is my way of saying, "Whether I liked this or not, you performed a service and deserve recognition for it." I also don't think I've ever seen a performance where something wasn't worthy of an applause. I mean, maybe the music, book, and acting sucked, but man, that was some great lighting. I'll applaud the lighting. Yay for lighting.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 2:14pm

There have been many times that I stand up for an ensemble and am the only one, soon the rest follow.

It drives me crazy that people only stand for the leads; i mean, the ensemble in some shows works harder!

[slimandslam]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 2:40pm

Yeah, it's tricky if you think the ensemble was more standing-O-worthy than the leads. You find yourself in the uncomfortable position of standing up, and then wanting to sit down.

This is one of the reasons I stand infrequently: it's irreversible. If I thought a particular cast member was outstanding, I give an extra-loud cheer at the appropriate time. (If I knew how to do that loud-whistle-through-the-teeth thing, I would.)

[QMAN03]

Posted: 4/1/06 at 3:41pm

Yeah, I usually feel very awkward when I'm the only one standing, but the performers deserve it, so I feel better.

[teebz]

Posted: 5/22/06 at 5:37pm

When I saw Awake and Sing! it didn't really get too much of a SO.

And it was pretty clear the cast (particularly Lauren Ambrose) was pissed.

I think you should stand only when you feel it's touched you enough to stand.

What I think is out right rude is when people get up and leave in the middle of the curtain call.

When I saw Piazza there was a bunch of people just getting up and walking out right in the cast's clear view.

[Kevo711]

Posted: 5/22/06 at 5:58pm

When I saw Sweeney I was disappointed to not see a complete standing ovation... Only about a third of the Mezz stood up (I was one of the first to stand)I really thought it deserved a complete standing ovation! But people have different opinions...

[Katurian2]

Posted: 5/22/06 at 6:04pm

It's been the same throughout history that plays never receive standing O's near as much as musicals do. Especially crowd-pleasing big-spectacle shows. I went to The Pillowman last summer, and was floored that only about 10 people (Including me) were on their feet.

[BluCat500]

Posted: 5/22/06 at 6:22pm

Lestat received a standing O the other day...

*sigh*

[James885]

Posted: 5/22/06 at 6:49pm

I also agree with the majority of you. I think that SO's have become way too common today. I'm glad that it seems like more and more people are giving SO's only to show's that deserve it. I haven't seen Lestat, but judging from the reviews on this board and the critic's reviews, it doesn't seem like the type of show that would warrant a standing ovation.

I think the last few times that been at a performance that had a standing ovation, it truly deserved. When I saw Wicked in D.C. the entire audience gave Stephanie Block and Kendra Kassebaum a SO, which I think was deserved because of their superb performances.

On the other hand, when I saw Beauty and The Beast two years ago with Christy Carlson Romano, the audience gave her a SO, which I didn't think was deserved because her performance, at least to me, was just ok, and not great. Unfortunatly, I ended up standing too, because we were in the rear orchestra, and I couldn't see.

[SpellRENT777]

Posted: 5/22/06 at 6:52pm

I personally always try to stand up, because these people are on stage giving it there all and I want them to see it doesnt go unappreciated. You can judge if I like the show on how long it takes me to stand up. The quicker the better.
When I saw Tarzan , still in previews, more than half of the orchestra didnt stand up. I chuckled a bit and kept on clapping.
I saw Dirty Rotten Scoundrels on friday, and no one stood up until Norbert Leo Butz came out. But, thankfully, by the end of the curtain call, everyone in the theater was standing up.
Just some recent observations of mine.

[Joshua488]

Posted: 5/22/06 at 6:54pm

I refuse to ever give a standing ovation unless I feel it is truly deserved. Standing ovations are given so freely lately and it upsets me.

I recently saw an awful regional production with a friend. The audience gave a standing ovation and my friend stood as well, even though we had already discussed how awful it was. She nudged me and whispered, "Stand up!" and I refused. Once the house lights came up, I explained my philosophy.

Why do people give standing ovations when they aren't warranted? Just some applause is good enough. I believe applause is a way to say, "I appreciate the work you've done," and a standing ovation is a way to say, "I thoroughly enjoyed and was mesmerized by your performance." If I didn't thoroughly enjoy it and wasn't mesmerized, I won't stand. Updated On: 5/22/06 at 06:54 PM