The Globe and Mail: As Alan Thicke and George Hamilton appear in two different Toronto theatres this fall, the veteran actors will be offered an instant measure of their fame: If they have still got it, audiences will applaud the moment they walk out on stage.
9 comments:
The only exception here is Fonzie.
I agree with Dale.
But in cases other than Fonzie, I am in total agreement with this article. I dislike the idea of someone being applauded before they've done anything in the context of that performance. When I go to see a play with a "famous" person, I'm going to see their performance, NOT the person itself. I know that's not the case with some people, and it's the reality in this industry now that a show has to have a star in order to succeed. You hear so many stories of famous film actors doing a show on Broadway, and the reviews for their performance are terrible (or the show is terrible in itself), but they sell out every night just because people want to see the celebrity in person. I know it's a product of our culture now, but I wish that theatre applause was reserved for talent on stage, and an appreciation of the performance, rather than admiration of fame.
When there is a famous person that enters onto a stage or even into a building and people feel the need to give them a huge round of applause, it becomes annoying. We idolize these people immensely, that I understand, but I hope we don't idolize them to the extent that there mere presence is earth-shattering. They have to do something other than existing to deserve our praise.
I think that in addition to the applause being annoying at the start of the show, it ruins the illusion of the rest of the show. I will be distracted throughout the entire show if the audience has recognized and identified them as someone other than the character they are playing at that moment. It won't be Blanche walking around on stage, it will be Cate Blanchett, award winning actress who played was in "Elizabeth", "Lord of the Rings" etc... What is more disappointing is if an actor acknowledges that praise and stops the action of the show. It must be kind of annoying or distracting for his or her fellow actor to try to work with. Showing love and praise at the end of the show and outside the stage door will still get the message across that you appreciate what they do and how they do it.
I actually saw the production of La Cage aux Folles Ms. Taylor references. When George Hamilton entered, the audience immediately applauded him, praising him solely for his glorious, fake-tanned presence. Unfortunately, George Hamilton did not provide the "superior performance" Ms. Taylor promised he would.
Even so, I didn't mind the pre-emptive applause because it helped me feel connected to the audience. It was as though we were all connected by some small inside joke, the joke being our knowledge of who George Hamilton was. I think applauding an actor's entrance is much more for the sake of the audience than the sake of the actor. We applaud actors' entrances for the same reason we applaud at jabs at popular culture icons or political figures; it makes us feel like we know something.
I am in complete agreement with the author on this one. It is quite annoying to applaud for someone for simply taking two steps into view on a stage. Over the summer I worked with an actress that says that the reason she loves audiences and their reaction is because every night she had to work for it. I agree. Every night slight changes in timing or tone, changes a performance. A truly amazing actor or actress can judge the audience reaction, determine what works for a given night, and give the audience what they want. For me this is what makes an actor great. While the actors' hard work always deserves approcoation at the end, I only applaud mid show when they truly deserve it. And just because your a celebrity doesn't mean you deserve it.
I think that the author hits the nail on the head with this article/blog post/whatever. It's really not about the illusion or etiquette, but the celebrity status. By applauding you before you've even done anything except for walk on stage, I'm giving applause to your reputation and fame instead of your performance in tonight's play. That applause should be saved for the end, assuming that their performance lives up to the hype (because honestly, the actors who get an audience's applause on an entrance rarely get MY applause at curtain call). Actors who get applause are often the ones cast as a gimmick, and by applauding, we're supporting the gimmick casting as well.
I understand the article's point of view but our culture is so accustomed to applauding an actor when they walk on stage, I don't see how it can ever change without offending the actor. I think they expect their applause and to suddenly not have them would be humiliating for them, to say the least. It's an ego thing to some degree. We do idolize our celebrities! On another note, and as someone in the field, I can see how the other actors could feel short changed. They may be giving the performance of a lifetime, but are they recognized for it? I can see how it may get a little old for them to see all the recognition happening every day and none of it is really for them. I agree that it's a little annoying to find that a known celebrity is wanted and maybe even needed to get a successful broadway show going. There are plenty of talented people in the broadway pool already without having to go into the TV and film industry, but that is what the public wants so that is what they get in order for success to happen. I think ideally we should applaud on their performance, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy the shows with or without the extra fanfare.
I agree with the article to an extent. I think that while currently in some instances it is acceptable to applaud the actor as they come on stage, applauding an actor simply because he or she is well known is unnecessary and should not be done. In informal scenarios like a talent show or an award show or perhaps a school production it is polite to applaud for whomever is coming on stage but for most instances unnecessary applause takes away from the performance and takes the audience out of the world of the play.
I understand the article's point of view but our culture is so accustomed to applauding an actor when they walk on stage, I don't see how it can ever change without offending the actor. I think they expect their applause and to suddenly not have them would be humiliating for them, to say the least. It's an ego thing to some degree. We do idolize our celebrities! On another note, and as someone in the field, I can see how the other actors could feel short changed. They may be giving the performance of a lifetime, but are they recognized for it? I can see how it may get a little old for them to see all the recognition happening every day and none of it is really for them. I agree that it's a little annoying to find that a known celebrity is wanted and maybe even needed to get a successful broadway show going. There are plenty of talented people in the broadway pool already without having to go into the TV and film industry, but that is what the public wants so that is what they get in order for success to happen. I think ideally we should applaud on their performance, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy the shows with or without the extra fanfare.
Post a Comment