Day 406: Audience Reprise

In order for the title and content of this post to make sense you have to read awesome audiences, a post from last summer in June. This is a reprise, I hope you all know what that is, to that post.

The audience is so, so important. Yesterday, we had a two show day meaning we had a matinee and evening and tonight we had the usual evening show. There were three different audiences and three completely different shows. The first of the three mentioned was a horrible performance. The cast had no energy. The dancing was lazy. The singing wasn't full out. It was all an all just half-ass. The evening performance was the best performance that they'd ever given. They did the best ad libs. They had the most energy. They sang phenomenally, and just gave it their all. Tonight, the performance was good but it couldn't live up to last night's over the top level of excellence. Respectively, here's how the audiences were to those shows. The house was only at half capacity, too many children to even be aware of who the Addams are, barely any applause or laughter. Next, the crowd was sold out. They constantly cheered. They were always laughing even at the dumb stupid jokes. They clapped in the middle of songs or just at the opening reveal of the family right before the opening number. Tonight the audience was average size and responsive but can't compare to last night.

Now pair the show with the audience, and you should see the correlation proving my point. The audience determines the fate of the show. We rehearse and rehearse a show but we can only give so much. If a crowd isn't open to the show and being just as engaged and engaging as the performers than there are limitations on the quality of the performance. Always understand your role as an audience member when you attend the theater. It's kind of like when we, as citizens, have to do our role in the government by voting and doing our basic American citizen duties. Even though the fourth wall separates the stage and the audience, the theater is one room and everybody, every actor and every member of the audience has to do their part to create a magical evening.