When is it appropriate to start applauding for a song? — Page 3

"I hate when, prior to the last moment of a ballad or dramatic moment, some clod has to applaud first to show that they know that the song is over. It completely destroys the moment and upsets that beautiful intangible energy in the air. That being said, if a performer is whipping the audience into a frenzy with an unbelievably exciting, big, loud moment -- being moved to applaud on the way to the button is okay in my book."

The problem is you are describing the exact same moment based on your subjective interpretation of the show.

I was listening to Tom Kitt/Brian Yorkey's IF/THEN "track by track" interview on SiriusXM (ch.72), and one part stood out to me in relation to this topic because this is a creator's perspective.

Tom Kitt: "And we now come to a song called 'You Learn to Live Without', which is another one of those songs that Brian crafted a beautiful lyric for me to set. And in the show, it's a moment where both realities collide, and I was struck right away with how Brian came up with a hook that so eloquently put their life into words at that moment. It's a hook that they both respond to, that they both feel in different ways. And we actually see both worlds play out against each other in back of Idina's character, and there was a question I remember about whether they were going to stagger, whether one world would happen in the other and what () happens with Michael's direction is that they kind of happen at the same time. You really get a sense of things colliding.

"And on top of all that is a song that, for me personally I'm very, very proud of. And I get such a thrill seeing Idina sing it in the theatre, and like Next to Normal, we wanted IF/THEN to move a certain way and for there not to be applause buttons in certain times, and this was a moment where we didn't want there to be applause. We wanted the story to move on. But Idina's performance of the song is so powerful, and on many nights the audience can't help themselves, and they rightfully so applaud her, so here is 'You Learn to Live Without'."

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And then there is this posted Saturday on twitter by Ricky S. in the Kinky Boots tour...

"The most incredible thing happened today at our matinee of Kinky Boots on Broadway in Des Moines, Iowa. As the factory workers came out on the runway in Milan in the boots, the entire audience stood up and clapped along with the music for the entire rest of the number and through the curtain call. All of us onstage were so taken aback and barely singing through our tears. One of those moments when you know you are exactly where you are supposed to be. Such an incredible feeling knowing what you are doing is truly touching people's lives."

I always wait until the song is finished.
In the case of If/Then, I can understand the early applauding as the music
is so banal,most people would want those songs to be over a lot earlier than they are.

While not commenting on the quality of IF/THEN, it always behooves one to remember that quality is different than popularity. To justify and say "people love it, so it is great" is a falsehood. "People love it, so it must be enjoyable to many'" is accurate.

As far as when to applaud, for all that is holy in the theatre, if you as an audience member are moved to applaud, genuinely moved, at the end of a song or the build to a button, or a particular line, then APPLAUD. That is what an audience is there for. Genuine, human response.

Now, on the flip side we can discuss "more hearses" audience response which is a different matter... The "forced" standing O contrasted against a genuine standing O.. Or, in the days of Rent, how you could always nail the Rentheads in the audience because they always gave a mechanical "woo" when Mimi would shake the glitter from her hair during "Out Tonight".. THAT one makes me role my eyes.