WICKED - 8/13 matinee — Page 2

Not to take anything away from Shoshana or anyone else playing Elphaba, but this particular entrance invites applause from the audience.

It's the way the creative team wrote her initial appearance. There is a great set-up in the middle of a scene change, and she bursts through the upstage door during a musical key-change, runs down stage and holds, standing breathlessly center stage. And there she is in all her green-faced glory. I think it's as much applause for the character recognition as it is for the actress playing the part. Not to say that she will ALWAYS get applause, but it certainly invites an audience to recognize what they are seeing at that moment.

I saw it in L.A. and Stephanie Block got a nice round as well.

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Joshua, I totally agree.

Standing ovation is becoming a routine, which doesn't mean as much as it once did. The same goes with entrance applauds.

I just spent a week in NYC and saw 8 shows and 7 of them got a Standing Ovation.

edit: ...which some of those shows didn't deserve...

Updated On: 8/14/05 at 01:39 PM

Sondheim actually said something very interesting about that trend in an interview not long ago, and I've always remembered it. Paraphrasing (badly)... He said that people pay SO much now to go to the theatre. By the time they buy a ticket, pay for transportation to get there, a babysitter (if needed), dinner, programs, etc.... they have spent upwards of $500 for a single night out at the theatre!

They have so much financially invested, that they already decided the evening WILL be incredibly special and memorable, regardless of the actual outcome. They want so badly to enjoy themselves at such a high cost that they stand up, many times despite what they've seen on the stage, just to afirm what a brilliant night they've had at the theatre. It's more comforting to them that their money and time wasn't wasted or spent on something merely "ordinary" or just simply "good."

I think he's right.

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This is now at least 3rd time she saw it. she was there whne i saw it for my 3rd time on june 11th. she is very nice. yea sho doesn't deserve entrace appl. when an acotr is getting entrance applause its applauding what they did in the past, im sorry but shelley doesn't get entrance applause.

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I also think however that entrance applause is subjective. You can clap for the role or the person or decide not to clap at all, it appears to be a very subjective thing. You can say that you don't feel someone deserves to be applauded for, but that doesn't mean that everyone agrees with you. Sometimes for the bows you may feel compelled to stand up and clap along with everyone else due to your seats (lotto winners) even when you don't find the performances so amazing. However entrace applause to me designates that you're anxious to see the performer, at least in my case, when i do clap for someone on stage, it's not for the role, it's for the actual person.

ok this is really weird but last month i went to visit some freinds in the cast and get my ticket to see the show for the 6th time lol.And it was nearing the intermission on a wensday matinee and liza minelli was there,i dipd get a picture of her and everything.But she was rushing out before so no one would see her at intermission lol.I think she was seeing ben vereen in the role as the wizard cause it was the second day he was on.But i have noticed that liza really likes wicked,shes alwayz there lol.Just thought i would add that

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I think any Elphaba is going to get entrance applause. I love those first few notes when she comes in, regardless of who is playing Elphie. Its just the entrance of the character that everyone loves, I think. And if people get more into it by engaging in entrance applause, by all means, it riles everyone up.

OK

Before I begin, please keep in mind that i was at the January 8, 2005 evening performance of Wicked. I think that everyone that night was really riled up upon entering the theater door and seeing that big ugly understudy board. I mean there were some people there who obviously dropped multiple hundreds of dollars for that show, that were yelling at the program sellers saying "She ISNT SINGING TONIGHT???" Everyone else was simply shocked. When the show started, you could tell it was different than normal. Jennifer had emotional control issues, which i think worked well with the show. Shoshana got an outrageous entrance applause. I agree with everyone who says that this is, after all, the wicked witch of the west. But that night, the wicked fans were applauding like, "okay, this is my show. its taken a hit right now, and im going to support it, and show my enthusiasm, and im going to make the best of this, darnit." I think i got Wicked, a la wicked fans seeing the show that time (in case anyone doesnt know, that's the night idina got hurt, right before her last show)

thee applause got tedious. I hate it when the thirteen year olds whose parents bought them good seats scream and whistle every time something funny happens. I mean, it took away from the acting.

another note about elphaba's entrance applause, i think the whole green girl might be a motivator. These people are seeing something out of the ordinary, something they can only see on broadway, a girl running towards them whose skin is green. It happens in all shows with characters that come as no surprise, but are stunning all the same. ie edna turnblad (one of the most cleverly forced unveilings on broadway in my opion. Who isnt going to clap when a man dressed as a fat, ugly woman appears from behind a newspaper suddenly) and angel, just to name a few.

As far as standing ovations go, the fact is that they are pretty standard nowadays. People fear that a cast would be offended if they didnt get a standing ovation, it would be like not getting a toy in your happy meal. It doesnt mean very much, but i mean come on, everyone gets them. Its a shame too, because how else are you going to tell them that their performance was truly stunning? scream? no, the thirteen year olds have that covered. wave your arms? Climb on the person next to you's shoulders and mouth "i love you" to shoshana bean? no. you stand up. with everyone else.

Not to disagree with anyone, because I'm sure people do spend all that kind of money, but I'm all about subway, rush seats and the discount! I, personally, am not spending 500 bucks a night, therefore I don't feel forced to stand if I'm not motivated. I think the entrace applause thing has to do with both the characters and the actors. I mean, we're not applauding Madame Morrible because the character, we're applauding because it's Rue! Shoshana doesn't have the recognition, but the character does have a grand, stand there for a minute waiting for it, kind of entrance. However, during "Defying Gravity," I wish people wouldn't clap when she gets lifted. Yes, it's amazing, 'til this day it's one of the best things I've seen on stage. The music, the costumes, the lights, the way it's done, I really do think it's amazing. However, I want to hear the girl sing, and when people are clapping and I have to strain to hear those notes, it makes me mad. But, that's just me...hehe

-Vincent

when i saw wicked with shoshana no one clapped when she rose during DG and i was very happy because i wanted to hear her unbelievable singing voice.

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I thought I would add something to the entrance applause debate. I'm sure there is a bit of applause due to the fact that it's the Wicked Witch of the West. Everyone's happy to see her for the first time. But I think that's the tiniest portion of the entrance applause. Many people (mostly groupies) are happy to see whomever in that role. Whether they're a fan of Idina, Eden, Stephanie, Ana or Shoshana. When I saw the show in March 2004, Idina and Kristin had been it for about 6 months now. The nominations hadn't hit, but it was still pretty huge. She got applause before she even came on. About 10 seconds before she bursts through, some people around us started clapping and I had no idea why until that moment. Then everyone started clapping. But probably the biggest point is that a good majority of the people clap because the person next to them is clapping and next to them and so on and so on. Our first instinct as a human is to go along with the crowd. If we see other people clapping we're going to clap to so we don't seem out of place. It's human nature and I'm not saying it affects everyone, but a great deal. Just thought I'd throw in my 2 cents.