Clapping too soon

[danb]

After an enjoyable Les Mis tour show in Bristol last night, I was niggled by the new? habit of peoples need to start clapping a couple of beats before the end of a song, so you end up missing the crescendo…stop it! It’s like they think that the cast are watching THEM.

[dippy]

Definitely not new, it's been driving me mad for years.

[inthenose]

Jul 14, 2022 6:26:21 GMT danb said:

After an enjoyable Les Mis tour show in Bristol last night, I was niggled by the new? habit of peoples need to start clapping a couple of beats before the end of a song, so you end up missing the crescendo…stop it! It’s like they think that the cast are watching THEM.

Also hate this. You see it at a lot at shows where the fans are trying to get noticed by their stage faves. Or compete as to who is the biggest super fan. Wicked is a regular offender.

I’ve admittedly been at shows where I am simply bursting to applaud/standing ovation, but always manage to hold it in until it’s appropriate. I love a good, excited audience it’s just such a fine line between enthusiastic and obnoxious!

[BurlyBeaR]

Whooping at “riffs” can go in the bin too.

[danb]

Somehow I kept my ‘knobhead on his brighter than the sun phone’ rage inside, but did shush the old couple behind me having a loud conversation mid-show. The usher did a great number on shaming the phone guy anyway, shining his torch on him at first then came straight back and full on shouted “I’ve told you to put that away. PUT IT AWAY!”

[og]

It's when people start cheering when a song begins we'll know it's gone too far.

[alece10]

Very annoying. Blame the Americans for it.
You also get it on TV like BGT and the audience are cheering and clapping throughout the performance.

[longinthetooth]

Does anyone remember the fanatical Ramin fan? Once when I was at Les Mis he leapt to his feet cheering after Bring Him Home and was rewarded by some very odd looks from the cast. I think they knew him.

[Dave B]

Not a musical but I'll confess anyways.

About 4 years years ago, I found myself working very near to Wigmore Hall. I thought I'd try something new and I booked a lunchtime classical recital from the YCAT series.

I soon learnt by utter faux pas that you do not clap when the music stops!

Oops!

Anyways, I really enjoyed it and have been to several more of the lunchtime recitals since... now though, each time I wait until a number of people have started clapping

 

[Steffi]

Jul 14, 2022 9:40:10 GMT longinthetooth said:

Does anyone remember the fanatical Ramin fan? Once when I was at Les Mis he leapt to his feet cheering after Bring Him Home and was rewarded by some very odd looks from the cast. I think they knew him.

I remember him and can confirm the cast knew him and he was not very popular amongst them.

[Dawnstar]

I am of the opinion that you do not start clapping until the music has finished. Unfortuately most of the audience seem to start clapping the instant singing ends, if not before, and do not wait for the orchestra to also finish. I often find that by the time the music has finished & I am ready to applaud everyone else has finished applauding!

[BurlyBeaR]

That bit at the end of Phantom when Meg is on stage alone and picks up the mask usually fools a few audience members into applauding too early.

[showoff]

One I really remember was in Dreamgirls, Amber Riley was holding the note and people started clapping and screaming, but she was still holding it, let her finish and THEN clap, it would have been even more impressive!

People just want to hear themselves make noise, I'm pretty sure!

[mkb]

How nice to find like-minded folk! It irks me too.

Of course, it's nowt compared to the good ol' USA, where entrances are greeted with rapture, as is every intro the audience recognises, and mid-song clapping is de rigeur.
Soon enough, the lead will only have to fart loudly or flash a wink for the front stalls to erupt.

[danb]

See also: ‘bows music’ that promotes clapping along so that any applause for those that have just worked their asses off for the last three hours, is lost. Really grinds my gears.

[singingbird]

I know I'm in a minority, especially amongst general theatre goers, but I honestly don't understand why anyone needs to clap until the end of the show. Nobody claps a soliloquy in a play, and I find it breaks the mood and the suspension of disbelief. It isn't a concert - a song in a musical is part of a a composite whole, not a stand alone item. But I'm aware that this just makes me sound grumpy!

[BurlyBeaR]

It would be super awkward if we didn’t clap after musical numbers though! Sometimes when it’s directed so that there’s dialogue immediately after a song and you don’t get to clap, or it gets quickly curtailed it feels sooooooo wrong.

[Someone in a tree]

A lot of songs have "buttons" to inform the audience its over and folk should now clap. Although folk now just clap whenever.

Generally, I'm in favour of removing the button and trying to have one continual drama. Also, it means a much shorter performance.

[danb]

Wow! Les Mis with no applause and at 75mph? It’d be done for 10pm. Definitely worth a try.

[ncbears]

Jul 14, 2022 8:06:45 GMT og said:

It's when people start cheering when a song begins we'll know it's gone too far.

I heard cheering at start of songs at &Juliet .... although this behavior does seem to be more at jukebox musicals where an audience member is trying to show off that they recognize the song.  

[h86]

Jul 14, 2022 16:29:12 GMT ncbears said:

Jul 14, 2022 8:06:45 GMT og said:

It's when people start cheering when a song begins we'll know it's gone too far.

I heard cheering at start of songs at &Juliet .... although this behavior does seem to be more at jukebox musicals where an audience member is trying to show off that they recognize the song.  

There is a lot of clapping at the beginning of Be Our Guest in the new Beauty and the Beast production, just as it is being introduced. It doesn’t bother me one bit and really adds to the atmosphere. It is such a big number in the show, everyone is looking forward to it and it’s just a way of showing a bit of excitement and encouragement for the 12 minute spectacle that is about to happen.

[inthenose]

Jul 14, 2022 15:30:04 GMT Someone in a tree said:

A lot of songs have "buttons" to inform the audience its over and folk should now clap. Although folk now just clap whenever.

Generally, I'm in favour of removing the button and trying to have one continual drama. Also, it means a much shorter performance.

I was going to mention buttons and ovations. The majority of buttons come organically through previews. The audience doesn’t applaud when they should, so let’s move on swiftly. I’ve sat through some very awkward “ovation holds” as the audience stare back at them blankly!

[cezbear]

For those of us not 'inthenose', what are buttons and ovation holds?

[juicy_but_terribly_drab]

Jul 14, 2022 17:32:48 GMT cezbear said:

For those of us not 'inthenose', what are buttons and ovation holds?

A button is basically an extra note played at the end of the song to accentuate the fact it's over. I'm a Follies fan if it wasn't already painfully obvious and since it's full of pastiche of a certain era which was full of buttons there's some great examples to be found there: Beautiful Girls, Don't Look at Me and Waiting for the Girls Upstairs all have them if you want some clear examples. They're just there to tell the audience, "Okay, now you can applaud!"

[FairyGodmother]

The silly thing is that for the best performances I've seen, there's actually been a little pause like everybody is coming back down to Earth before the applause starts! So early applause isn't really that flattering...