Ben Brantley's Opinon on the Standing Ovation

Recently, Ben Brantley attended a performance of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at City Centers' Encores! staged concert series. Brantley, a well known theatre critic for the New York Times commended the show's seasoned audience for not applauding after a great performance of the show. Brantley basically said that he believes the standing ovation is becoming an epidemic, and because people today feel the need to stand at the end of every performance the meaning has been lost in a standing ovation. Standing ovations are supposed to be given at the end of a performance by people who think the piece was truly fantastic, or for an actor/actress who was incredible. Today, audiences stand up at the end of performances out of kindness, even if they truly did not enjoy the show.

Theater Talkback: Against Ovation Inflation

What is your opinion on this? Does every show deserve a standing ovation or should standing ovations only be reserved for stellar performances?