[deeply_shallow]

According to the theatre etiquette rules I read in another thread standing ovations should avoided unless the performance is really out of this world. I was just wondering what everyone thought about this.

Personally I like to stand, if there is anyone in the room standing up I will join them. If I have enjoyed a performance and been entertained I like to show my appreciation by standing.

[amyja89]

I only stand if I've really enjoyed the show.

I've recently stood for Wicked, Sister Act, and Spring Awakening.

I never feel obliged to stand though, most people were on their feet at Billy Elliot, Joseph and We Will Rock You but I stayed seated. Yeah, the shows were fine (apart from Joseph which I hated), but I felt that clapping enthusiastically was just about enough!

[Weez]

If I've been entertained, I show my appreciation by applauding. If I stood for everything, then what extra touch could I give those truly spectacular performances that come but once or twice a year?

[Miriam]

I give standing ovations if I think I've seen something totally brilliant (and if anyone else in the room is standing up at this point, if it's just me I'm too embarrassed!). A certain show I particularly enjoy gets standing ovations at every performance I've been to and because I think it's a wonderful production I join in. I think that's nice.

Hairspray got one when I went though I didn't think it a patch on the Broadway production, and I ended up standing up because my friend had and I didn't want to be a killjoy, but normally I wouldn't have for that. I would have, in retrospect, given Revenger's Tragedy standing ovations every time. I can't remember if I gave Hamlet an ovation but if I didn't, I should have. The great thing about groundling tickets at the Globe is that you're already on your feet, so don't have to deal with this issue at the end

[Weez]

Addendum: I stood up to dance at the end of Priscilla, but I was FORCED, I tells ya! FORCED!

[Miriam]

Oh, you loved it!

[westendlove]

I will stand if i really enjoyed a show or if everyone else is standing, i often stand up on last nights too because it is normally a amazing show and its nice to go out with a bang!!

I stood up for Billy, Spring Awakening both times i went, sometimes for wicked and for the Sound Of Music if it was a especially good show. I think standing is a personal choice and it is always nice for the actors to get a standing ovation, i don't think it makes it any less special, the person i know who was in a musical would always come out buzzing if they got a standing ovation regardless of how often!

[MrsDoyle]

I will stand if i really enjoyed a show or if everyone else is standing, i often stand up on last nights too because it is normally a amazing show and its nice to go out with a bang!!

I stood up for Billy, Spring Awakening both times i went, sometimes for wicked and for the Sound Of Music if it was a especially good show. I think standing is a personal choice and it is always nice for the actors to get a standing ovation, i don't think it makes it any less special, the person i know who was in a musical would always come out buzzing if they got a standing ovation regardless of how often!

It seems very much to be a muscial thing, doesn't it? I don't go to musicals and the only standing ovation I've ever seen was for Patrick Stewart's one man Christmas Carol and I had to stand up as I was near the back and couldn't see anything

[Weez]

The only plays I see get standing ovations are Shakespeare. Three of the standing ovations I've given have been for Shakespeare, and they were almost as much "I can't believe you've done this solidly from 10.30am through to 11pm/FOR A WHOLE WEEKEND" as "YOU WERE UNBELIEVABLY AWESOME AND BRILLIANT AND FABULOUS AND OMG!". :3

[n9037]

I will stand if I feel that the show or cast members deserve it.
Examples - I have given standing ovations for last year's Les Mis cast, David Thaxton, Nancy Sullivan, Earl Carpenter and Jon Robyns certainly deserved it. I also stood for the previous year's Phantom of the Opera cast, particularly Nic Greenshields, Robyn North and Alex Rathgeber. However, I did not stand for Carousel at the Savoy, nor did I stand for Joseph, or Wicked. Because I personally didn't feel that the performances were of the standard that they were needed. There have been times when I've seen a show and thoroughly thought they deserved a standing ovation, but I did not stand due to the fact that nobody else was doing so, but then other times I've been and I've been the only one standing and didn't care. It just depends how I feel though.

I don't think EVERY SINGLE show deserves a standing ovation. And similarly, I don't think EVERY performer deserves it. (Les Mis example Allyson Brown didn't deserve one, even though the rest of the cast did)