I saw Gypsy at the Overture Center last night and really didn’t like it much. It was only partly the fault of the actors. It was the last performance of the weekend, the house was only half full, and the low energy was palpable. But a lot of it is just that I don’t really like the play itself. It’s all about the irritating stage-mom and she’s just not that compelling of a character. The woman who played her had a strong voice, but that was about it. There were flubbed lines, off-key harmonies, and at one point a horn in the orchestra accidentally went off—like a fart. Okay, that part was pretty awesome, but it didn’t really add to my enjoyment of the performance itself. I stayed through to the second half though, thinking it would get better once the girl becomes a stripper. And it did get a little more interesting—at least the costumes were shiny.

When the show was over, it was thoroughly nothing special. A few of the ushers headed for the doors during the curtain call, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that the rest of the audience stayed put. It really offends me when people head for the exits as the cast is taking their bows. It’s not the fucking credits people, you can wait a few more seconds. When Alex and Jen and I saw Swan Lake in the Cities, people started to leave before the corps even came out to bow. So rude. Anyway, I was happy to see that this audience was staying to applaud and appreciate the cast as they deserve. But then it took a dramatic change for the worse, as a few rows in the orchestra stood up—not to leave, but to give the cast a standing ovation.

It’s not as bad as leaving before the curtain call, but an undeserved standing ovation is still pretty irritating. A standing ovation is a huge honor for a cast, and it’s become overused. It’s supposed to be reserved for performances that are really powerful, really moving, really impressive. And this one just wasn’t. If a standing ovation becomes standard practice, how are you supposed to show appreciation for a performance that you really REALLY loved? And the peer pressure element is also becoming a problem. I hate the overused standing ovation, but I hate being that dick who refuses to stand up even more. I’m not trying to make a point by staying seated, and I might have really enjoyed the show. But to stand up automatically is unfair to those performers who really do an incredible job. I don’t know if it’s a desire to get to their cars quicker, or just an overly-polite Midwestern thing, but the standing ovation has been totally devalued and I wish there was an easier way to reclaim it without being the only asshole sitting down.

EDIT: NY Times magazine, saying it better than me.

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