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Sunday, October 08, 2006
Attack of the standing ovaters: Vol. 2
Houston Chronicle: "No longer content to give standing ovations to performances that don't warrant them, the ovaters have begun to question why others aren't standing too."
standing ovations either go two ways... 1. the people in the front stand up and the people behind see and just follow along or 2. people in the back stand up and people in the front dont notice and dont stand up
i have been to many performances in my life and there are very few that i can remember that really made me want to jump out of my seat and stand up. i think a lot of times, especially is more local venues, standing ovations are started by family or friends that just want to show their support.
i dont think audience members today really know the meaning of a standing ovation, i think it has just become a part of clapping.
maybe we should invent a new higher form or appreciation...like standing on your chair...or maybe not standing should be the new standing ovation....
Though I do agree that standing ovations are earned, there are certainly times that ovations should be rewarded, evenwhen not deserving. High school productions I have been to, for example should get the standing "O." I have watched my high school's productions at times ad said, "this is really bad." At the end of the day, you must applaud them though. They have put effort forward and they are not at the time when they're talents have completely emerged.
So perhaps the standing ovation has multiple levels. One thing we do if we paid good money to be very well entertained, and we are, versus the ovation for effort and heart where a lesser level of presentation is expected, but getting through it was hard enough. I can agree that high school performances weren't always the best, but they deserved the ovation regardless. On the other hand, if I pay $75 to see a professional artist in concert and they do a crappy job, i am NOT giving them the standing ovation, and it would piss me off if they just expect it regardless of their performance quality.
I applaud this guy for "sticking to his guns" when it comes to his choice of applause. I am an avid believer in only giving standing ovations when they are earned. While it can be awkward to be one of only a few 'sitters' in an otherwise sea of standing 'o'ers, saving the stand for a a truly moving performace makes it something special, something earned and not just expected. Besides, there is a certain solidarity formed among those who refuse to follow the crowd and keep to their seats while others freely stand.
I couldn't agree more. It's incredibly rare that a professional performance moves me to the point that i want to give a standing ovation. however, before judging others who stand, non-standers must understand that other people in the audience may have higher stakes in a given performance (they may be related to a performer, they might have designed an aspect of the show, etc.). The more attached to a show, the more likely someone will give it a standing ovation. So stand or not, it's your choice, but there's really no way to judge the impact of a performance on any given person. - Maddie Regan
I hate standing when the show doesn't deserve it. Recently, curtain calls have become a whole extra scene with new props, new costumes, fully choreographed, and music, etc. Then the people start to stand up, and you can't see the stage, so you have to (if you want to see it). I have certainly been to productions where the standing ovation was deserved. And as soon as the curtain went down, I lept out of my seat clapping/screaming/crying/whatever. For the rest of the time (that other 98%) you just have to be silent and let them be.
As a man of true genius (Mr. Scott Lee Denier) told me, you can't blame them for their ignorance. He brought up the good point that they probably paid some highschool babysitter to come watch their children, got all dressed up and cracked out the nice shoes/hat/etc, went out to and paid for a nice dinner, and spent $250 on a pair of tickets to whatever this production is. So they are going to want to stand up as their rather expensive evening has revolved around this show (no matter how good or bad it was). So they are mentally predisposed to and can't really help their undeserved standing ovation.
It seems to me that every Broadway show I have seen has gotten a standing ovation. I think that the show has to be a culmination of a lot of great people, i.e. the designs have to fit the show, and be stunning and the orchestra has to be on point, and the actors have to be on their game. There have been times where I haven't felt like clapping, I think that if you don't feel like clapping, if the show didn't move you enough to clap, then you don't have to clap. I think the same goes for standing ovations.
7 comments:
standing ovations either go two ways...
1. the people in the front stand up and the people behind see and just follow along or
2. people in the back stand up and people in the front dont notice and dont stand up
i have been to many performances in my life and there are very few that i can remember that really made me want to jump out of my seat and stand up.
i think a lot of times, especially is more local venues, standing ovations are started by family or friends that just want to show their support.
i dont think audience members today really know the meaning of a standing ovation, i think it has just become a part of clapping.
maybe we should invent a new higher form or appreciation...like standing on your chair...or maybe not standing should be the new standing ovation....
Though I do agree that standing ovations are earned, there are certainly times that ovations should be rewarded, evenwhen not deserving. High school productions I have been to, for example should get the standing "O." I have watched my high school's productions at times ad said, "this is really bad." At the end of the day, you must applaud them though. They have put effort forward and they are not at the time when they're talents have completely emerged.
So perhaps the standing ovation has multiple levels. One thing we do if we paid good money to be very well entertained, and we are, versus the ovation for effort and heart where a lesser level of presentation is expected, but getting through it was hard enough. I can agree that high school performances weren't always the best, but they deserved the ovation regardless. On the other hand, if I pay $75 to see a professional artist in concert and they do a crappy job, i am NOT giving them the standing ovation, and it would piss me off if they just expect it regardless of their performance quality.
I applaud this guy for "sticking to his guns" when it comes to his choice of applause. I am an avid believer in only giving standing ovations when they are earned. While it can be awkward to be one of only a few 'sitters' in an otherwise sea of standing 'o'ers, saving the stand for a a truly moving performace makes it something special, something earned and not just expected. Besides, there is a certain solidarity formed among those who refuse to follow the crowd and keep to their seats while others freely stand.
-Samantha Englender
I couldn't agree more. It's incredibly rare that a professional performance moves me to the point that i want to give a standing ovation. however, before judging others who stand, non-standers must understand that other people in the audience may have higher stakes in a given performance (they may be related to a performer, they might have designed an aspect of the show, etc.). The more attached to a show, the more likely someone will give it a standing ovation. So stand or not, it's your choice, but there's really no way to judge the impact of a performance on any given person. - Maddie Regan
I hate standing when the show doesn't deserve it.
Recently, curtain calls have become a whole extra scene with new props, new costumes, fully choreographed, and music, etc. Then the people start to stand up, and you can't see the stage, so you have to (if you want to see it).
I have certainly been to productions where the standing ovation was deserved. And as soon as the curtain went down, I lept out of my seat clapping/screaming/crying/whatever.
For the rest of the time (that other 98%) you just have to be silent and let them be.
As a man of true genius (Mr. Scott Lee Denier) told me, you can't blame them for their ignorance. He brought up the good point that they probably paid some highschool babysitter to come watch their children, got all dressed up and cracked out the nice shoes/hat/etc, went out to and paid for a nice dinner, and spent $250 on a pair of tickets to whatever this production is. So they are going to want to stand up as their rather expensive evening has revolved around this show (no matter how good or bad it was).
So they are mentally predisposed to and can't really help their undeserved standing ovation.
It seems to me that every Broadway show I have seen has gotten a standing ovation. I think that the show has to be a culmination of a lot of great people, i.e. the designs have to fit the show, and be stunning and the orchestra has to be on point, and the actors have to be on their game. There have been times where I haven't felt like clapping, I think that if you don't feel like clapping, if the show didn't move you enough to clap, then you don't have to clap. I think the same goes for standing ovations.
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