The standing ovation. The value of a standing ovation to performers. The loss of the significance by its over-use. How long do you stand? When? Do you sit again during an encore? These have been written about ad nauseum, and here I am going to contribute just one more because, at its very heart, I think that if you can think about these questions before standing, you don’t stand.

I have seen more than my fair share of theatre, and I have stood during curtain calls that I would rather not have stood for. Only three times have I felt that I was physically incapable of staying in my seat: Venus in Fur at the Lyceum Theatre, The Normal Heart at the Golden Theatre, and the Cabaret revival (revival) at Studio 54. Venus in Fur was a brand new experience for me, one that affected my heart rate and my breathing, and something that visceral deserved standing. The Normal Heart is indescribable in its story, storytelling, and theatrical manipulation of your emotions. Cabaret was a note-perfect retelling of a show that I grew up with, so regardless of your personal opinion of the musical, I was out of my seat the second those lights went down.