What are some actors who have had standing ovations? — Page 2

The only time I started a standing ovation was for Christopher Plummer in Othello in 1982-3 (?).

Stephen Sondheim had an interesting theory about the standing ovation in the Broadway: The Golden Age documentary (or was Broadway: the American Musical). He thinks that with the prices so high, people need the standing ovation to make themselves feel it was worth paying the price to see the show. To make them part of the theatrical experience.

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I can remember a few times where I started the standing ovation at a live theatrical event:

The matinee performance of SWEENEY (Nov. 19, 2005), I remember getting up at the VERY moment the final note in the final reprise of the ballad was played ... Just then, I felt *this jolt* and I stood and just started cheering. I was TOTALLY 'taken' by the performance. I couldn't keep my eyes off of Michael Cerveris' performance ... It was a first for me, being so enveloped my one sole performance. Another time was the evening of Dec. 5, 2006, seeing COMPANY. I started the applause after Raul's "Marry Me A Little" and of course, "Being Alive" (by which I was also taken by, as expected). Standing-O's should be EARNED, the audience needs to be MOVED enough. Tourists can't seem to grasp it, though I am quite thankful they have a budding appreciation for what's up there.

Hugh Jackman got a standing ovation after singing "Once Before I Go" in THE BOY FROM OZ -- it happened at all three performances I attended, but from what I've read, I think it happened just about every time. This was the song before the finale. I had never seen an ovation before the curtain call before.

Also, Yul Brynner got standing ovations for his portrayal of the King in THE KING AND I. I saw the revival several times, and the ovation was amazing. He came out, the audience stood and applauded. He looked around at the theatre with an almost stern look on his face, then smiled and raised his arms. That seemed to be a signal for the cheers to start. It was a spine-tingling moment that I will never forget.

I've stood a few times - it's difficult to be in the first few rows of early 'Wicked' previews and not end up on your feet - but there's only one time I've spontaneously risen to my feet without even having to think about it, and that was David Hyde Pierce in 'Curtains'. I try to only stand if I consider a performance is worth it, but I didn't really have a choice that day. ^_^

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I think more interesting is who gets these ovations DURING the show. That is a far better gauge for the subject. Lately, I have seen people stand for Raúl as he finishes "Being Alive," Ebersole's in-show ovations for "Revolutionary Costume" have been widely discussed, Jersey Boys practically begs for one every night after "Can't Take My Eyes After You" and often gets it.

As far as plays go I still think the ovation during curtain means something, because the nature and energy of the show doesn't compel people to give one as automatically as a musical. That said they still come far too often and aren't reserved for truly special performances. Deserving one's of late: Julie White, Vanessa Redgreave, Liev Schreiber, and Eve Best all come to mind.

Edit to clarify: I don't appreciate the way that Jersey Boys has that ovation built in, I find it arrogant and phony.

Updated On: 4/12/07 at 10:48 AM

Mary Tyler Moore in Whose Life Is It, Anyway
Eartha Kitt following I'm Still Here in the London Follies
The ensemble of The Wiz following Brand New Day
The twins in Blood Brothers (except when played by The Cassidy's)

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I don't appreciate the way that Jersey Boys has that ovation built in, I find it arrogant and phony.

It is not arrogant or phony at all.

Jersey Boys practically begs for one every night after "Can't Take My Eyes After You" and often gets it.

I have been to the show, and they dont not beg for standing ovations, they get them because they deserve them, and I am not just saying that because I am a fan, they all do an amazing job. They deserve them just as much as anyone else on Broadway does.

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Look I enjoy Jersey Boys. Though I don't think the book is very good and the score is obviously "jukebox in nature," I think the cast is phenomonal. Additionally the material gives Des McAnuff turnips and he makes lemonade. Without his gorgeous direction this show will be playing dinner theatres in fifteen years and people won't understand what the big deal was.

That said the show is designed for a standing ovation after "Can't take my eyes off of you". They do this in a few ways. First they never mention the name of the song while hyping it in the preceding scenes. This is actually a very clever technique because it gives the audience a moment of revelation when the song begins. Also the way that they hype it is designed to cause one. By posing the problem of the audiences going crazy for it every night but deejays being unaware and not playing it, they allow the audience to feel the need to "help out". So when Crew lays out the plan of inviting the deejays to see the conert where the fans go crazy for the song every night, the show casts the audience in the role of Frankie's fans. So when the song starts and he is playing it in concert in front of those deejays, it's as if the standing ovation is simply the audience's "line" in response to the song. That alone is just clever writing and staging, and I have no problem with it. My real problem comes after the song when Young or Longoria stands there soaking in the applause with his arms out for an extended period of time. This is where they BEG for the Standing O. The more time they give the audience to applaud the more the audience is going to feel "a part of something" and will be more inclined to stand. I find that to be arrogant and unnecessary.

Look if Grief and Doyle in GG and Company respectively told their actors to just allow the applauses after "Revolutionary..." and "Being alive" to continue as long as they can as Ebersole and Esparza outstretch their arms and soak it in, they would get more ovations too. Guaranteed. I think that alone shows that it has less to do with the song or the performance, and more to do with the way that the show's design (and I will use the word again) BEGS for one.

p.s. I want to point out that I think that JLY or Longoria could get an ovation after that song without this, they are that good. I am just saying as it is now, they get alot of help.

I saw DRS in its final weeks and at the end of "Dirty Rotten Number," Brian D'arcy James and Keith Carradine got a standing ovation that lasted at least three minutes. I didn't stand, instead I was grumbling under my breath that there was another number and that Keith Carradine didn't deserve a standing ovation. God, I hated him.

Wait, the end of Defying Gravity gets a standing o? For what, A crane and some lasers?

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"That's good that standing ovations are the norm now for broadway shows. They really should be, those actor/singers work really hard putting on a live show and deserve to see the audience appreciate their work live and in realtime. "

Actors don't work nearly as hard as most other professions. A performer really has to grab me (and probably literally) for me to stand. I don't generally give a standing ovation for someone who is doing what they are paid to do...i.e., their job.

Hi, Kec! I'm a fellow Ozalot, and at every performance of TBFO that I attended, (14 times!) Hugh indeed received a standing ovation after "Once Before I Go"! However, at some performances, such as the very first one I saw, some people thought that was the finale, and got up to leave the theatre! I tried whispering to them, "It's not over yet!!" but they left anyway, and of course, missed "Rio"!

That's actually a pet peeve of mine, and I'm sure some people will agree that it is so rude when people leave the theatre during the curtain call!

Cheryl