Firstly we need to ask, why is it that audiences across the Western world give standing ovations for certain performances and not for others. The answer is complicated.
Productions elicit standing ovations which are deemed memorable, moving, thought provoking and or challenging for audiences.
When an audience feels that the overall standard of performance is first-rate and has all the elements of good writing, set, lighting, and acting/singing/dancing; standing up and clapping at the end of the performance indicates that the production is highly credible. However, it can be said that not all standing ovations are equal.
What is a Standing O?
Firstly in simple terms, a standing ovation has an audience stand, clap, and often call out in praise, for performers during the curtain call. Usually, the applause is sustained and offered as high praise for the production and performance at hand.
This Standing Ovation phrase has been in use since 1831. Ovo is Latin for ‘I rejoice.’
Why They Have Lost Their Effect?
Due to the myriad of performances, political speeches, and expectations related to the expectations of a SO, the stance has been somewhat devalued over the years.
Some Politicians almost demand their audience give them sustained applause while standing up smiling and cheering. Audiences going to music concerts are already standing, clapping and cheering and with the myriad of performances in our current day world, standing ovations can sometimes feel ‘obliged’.
As a performer and theater goer, I have experienced many performances where the audience has given SO for mediocre performances. It often happens in theaters with medium to large audiences. If a few people stand up during a curtain call, the rest tend to stand up as well…you can often see some kind of hesitancy and looking around. Let’s not feel like the ‘odd’ one out.
My Experience
I often get confused looks when I am one of the few who do not stand and clap when most of the audience does. However, it doesn’t mean to say I didn’t think the performance was good, but it didn’t move me enough to want to stand. There might be elements within the performance itself, such as miscasting, poor acting, and or direction, which stood out to me and I preferred to appreciate other points.
However, when I have been moved enough to give a well-deserved Standing O, the production as a whole has been outstanding, point in case; The Royal Shakespeare Company travelled to my country to perform ‘The Seagull’ by Anton Chekov. The production was well-acted, directed and the lighting and set was phenomenal.
I rarely give SO only because the performances in my neck of the woods are often performed by non-professionals both onstage and off, where friends and family have stood up and given lashings of applause. Also in smaller towns and cities, I find audiences tend to stand for reasonable performances, whereas if this was in a large city, you’d likely receive a warm reception.
The actors gave highly energized and connected performances which actually moved the audience. We knew then and there that this was a very high standard performance that deserved praise from the audience shouting, cheering, and applauding them.
Why People Feel Obliged to Stand
The Producer’s Perspective website states that even though some audience members who have attended a Broadway Performance, those who rated a show less than 8, did a Standing O. This suggests that even if they rated a show high, but not phenomenal, they stand because they are influenced by what the rest of the audience is doing.
In a survey, audience members were asked if they thought the show was okay, but they still stood, many of them stood because they liked the actors’ performances, but not the show.
Many stood because everyone else stood, some stood because they couldn’t see the stage, some did so because they felt bad for not standing. Human qualities in all, which tell us that basically we are followers and don’t like to stand out from a crowd, funny that.
Often you can tell if a show is worth their weight in gold, if as soon as the curtain call occurs, they stand immediately to clap and cheer the actors/performers on stage. Contrast this with a curtain call, the audience is sitting, and on the second curtain call, the audience tentatively gets up and claps.
Social proof in a nutshell.
Broadway Verses West End
So you may not know that the Standing O expectations of an audience are different from Broadway to that of the West End. In Broadway there is almost an expectation that the audience stands during the curtain call and let’s face it, the performances are usually top-notch. However, it is a very rare thing to see an audience remain seated after a full-on musical production of well-known names.
Even though West End performances are pretty much on par with Broadway, the audiences truly need to be moved to stand during the curtain call. The English are somewhat more reserved than their American counterparts and they don’t tend to wear their hearts on their sleeves. So, to get them on their feet, the production needs to be outstanding.
So if you are at a West End Performance and the audience stands up, you might want to take note, because something extraordinary happened.
Also, Broadway tickets are far more expensive than West End shows and the audience feels like they need to get their money’s worth, so they stand for the show to say, ‘Hey, it was a great performance, they got a Standing O.’ Human nature is a funny thing.
In a Nutshell
Standing Ovations are generally for ‘Outstanding’ performances and or productions. In modern times it has been undervalued by audience members choosing to stand for mediocre to good performances. Other factors such as social proof, seating arrangements to the stage, and want to stretch the legs are some factors why we stand at the end of some performances.
Some people are mavericks and stand to applaud truly outstanding and brilliant performances, which is rarer than many of us are led to believe.
