If a production absolutely knocks you off your feet, then you get on your feet at the end of the show to applaud. This is what we call a "standing ovation."
I have participated in audiences from L.A. to San Francisco to Alaska to Hawaii to New York City (dozens) to Ohio to Florida to even Branson, Missouri...you get the picture. I've seen more than my fair share of productions.
Utah audiences have this unique approach to the standing ovation, the likes of which I have encountered nowhere else. I think it would be fair to state that at the conclusion of an artist's performance, the audience milks it more than the actual performer. They have this innate know-how and drive to get exactly what they want - more performing.
Here's how it goes in Utah:
1. Performer (theater, concert, or otherwise) gives their best performance and concludes their performance
2. Audience jumps to their feet and claps in uproarious thunder, regardless of if the performance was actually good or not
- Shouldn't a performance be noteworthy to earn such a special kind of applause?
3. Performer re-enters the stage for the encore
- Most performers are all-too familiar with the encore and have one prepared
- After encore #1 is when most audiences know the show is complete
4. Utah audience continues to clap as if trying to shake down the rains from heaven
- Performer re-enters and performs yet a second encore, most at least have a trick
up their sleeves
5. Utah audience continues to clap with all the gusto of a stampeding heard of buffalo
- Performer re-enters and most often will say they don't have another encore
prepared, thank you, and please go home
6. Utah audience still doesn't get it until the lights in the theater come up and the stage begins to clear of anything that resembles a performer
I have actually seen five encores before while attending the performance of a Broadway diva with the Utah Symphony. Five! Can you imagine?
I'm curious as to how this all started. How did Utah audiences start clapping and never stop? How do they all seem to just know they should do this?
I have participated in audiences from L.A. to San Francisco to Alaska to Hawaii to New York City (dozens) to Ohio to Florida to even Branson, Missouri...you get the picture. I've seen more than my fair share of productions.
Utah audiences have this unique approach to the standing ovation, the likes of which I have encountered nowhere else. I think it would be fair to state that at the conclusion of an artist's performance, the audience milks it more than the actual performer. They have this innate know-how and drive to get exactly what they want - more performing.
Here's how it goes in Utah:
1. Performer (theater, concert, or otherwise) gives their best performance and concludes their performance
2. Audience jumps to their feet and claps in uproarious thunder, regardless of if the performance was actually good or not
- Shouldn't a performance be noteworthy to earn such a special kind of applause?
3. Performer re-enters the stage for the encore
- Most performers are all-too familiar with the encore and have one prepared
- After encore #1 is when most audiences know the show is complete
4. Utah audience continues to clap as if trying to shake down the rains from heaven
- Performer re-enters and performs yet a second encore, most at least have a trick
up their sleeves
5. Utah audience continues to clap with all the gusto of a stampeding heard of buffalo
- Performer re-enters and most often will say they don't have another encore
prepared, thank you, and please go home
6. Utah audience still doesn't get it until the lights in the theater come up and the stage begins to clear of anything that resembles a performer
I have actually seen five encores before while attending the performance of a Broadway diva with the Utah Symphony. Five! Can you imagine?
I'm curious as to how this all started. How did Utah audiences start clapping and never stop? How do they all seem to just know they should do this?
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| Image from inc.com |
