Swing Joined: 4/20/10
Or how about, a standing ovation before the song even starts.
example.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhshJfGBJ2s
I absolutely love this video. The look of appreciation and shock on her face that the applause just keeps on going and going.
Anyone know, if this is the closing night or something special as to why the audience thanked her so much?
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/07
when I saw Billy Elliot I figured Billy came out again after Angry Dance because it's treated like a Ballet performance where almost after every Solo Peice they are given a curtain call also some gave him a Standing Ovation when he made his final exit through the aisles which I thought was a very special moment. I haven't been to a show where there wasn't a standing Ovation but I have seen only a small number of the audience were standing I always give one as Respect and a Thanks to the actors.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
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When Carol stepped off the trolley
When Carol finished "Before The Parade Passes By"
When Carol appeared at the top of the stairs at the Harmonia Gardens.
When Carol finished the title number
Curtain calls
Either Charles Loewe or myself (or both of us) started 'em and the audience followed suit.
Thank you very much.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
There are a lot of stupid threads on this board but this is the worst. You're upset because people enjoyed the show too much? Or they showed their enthusiasm too much? Why in the world do you care? Why not stand up and yell "SIT DOWN! THIS SHOW DOESN'T DESERVE IT!" Or better, yet, show the amount of enthusiasm you feel and STFU about what other people do?
The standing ovation thing in NYC is pretty interesting.
The final performance of AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, with the original steppenwolf cast (Deanna Dunagan, Amy Morton et al. [Rondi Reed's understudy was on but still] and production couldn't command a standing ovation in Sydney, AU.
Why not stand up and yell "SIT DOWN! THIS SHOW DOESN'T DESERVE IT!"
I dis this!
The show was the 1995 Toronto production of SUNSET BLVD starring Ms. Diahann Carroll and Mr. Rex Smith. She was obviously bored (and, I heard, very troubled that the show wasn't selling on her name alone) and basically was slepwalking through the entire show. Trying to make up for it he was hilariously over-acting each scene. The whole show (book, score, concept) is dreadful to begin with but (or so I am told) some convincing star performances can help compensate. This wasn't happening at all, and when the people around me stood up when Ms. Carroll appeared for her curtain call I yelled at them to sit down. (I was not even joining in the applause.)
To reward a bad show with a standing ovation is only to encourage more of the same, but I will not stand up to applaud a lacklustre performance. Many times I have remained seated while others around me applaud and scream like mad...it happened at THE ADDAMS FAMILY - another lousy show that is trying to coast on star performances - and I refuse to be coerced.
(This is not intended to upset or open discussion with those of you who are fans of these two particular musicals.)
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/20/05
Toward the end of Rain when there are about three songs left, the wouldbe Beatles (these guys were in Beatlemania) order everyone in the audience to stand and start clapping. And of course they demand singing. Blah.
They have already done this once earlier in the show which was less offensive, but I thought the second one was very bad manners, demanding a standing ovation instead of letting the audience decide if it were deserved. Ruined the end of the show for me (which isn't that great anyway as mainly their concert rendition of a bunch of the Beatles songs) and the demand to stand especially made me think they were boors.
I've seen shows have blatant tricks at the end to grab an unearned standing ovation. A common one is telling everyone to get up and dance along at their seat--ugh.
Recently, I've felt that people haven't been giving enough standing ovations. Sutton and cast barely got one at Anything Goes when I saw it...
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/20/05
I've seen casts looking expectant for one, and some in them almost hostile when they don't get one or not everyone stands. Very strange.
I've seen this both on and off Broadway.
Videos