This critic can’t stand ridiculous ovation
Plus: The news of the week — Charlotte's ties to fatal plane crash; No city property tax hike this year; East Charlotte gears up for change; Lawmakers consider cell phone ban in schools
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Inside the standing ovation epidemic: We’re applauding everything — and it’s time to stop this polite pretense.
By Lawrence Toppman
Hey, don’t get up. No, really, don’t get…
You got up. Another performance fell somewhere between “meh” and “competent” on the quality scale, and you heaved yourself slowly out of your seat to applaud with tepid approval.
I’m not down with that. Or, rather, I am down with it, plunked firmly down in my seat while I supply the appropriate amount of applause.
The virus of faux ovations has become a stand-emic since I moved to Charlotte 45 years ago. They’re as much a ritual now at local performances as rising to salute the flag at sporting events. And they’re as meaningless as mouthing the words to the national anthem without thinking about what they convey.
There are four reasons to stand at the end of a show. First, it achieved a level of greatness seldom known in your experience, the kind you’ll talk about years later with eyes sparkling.
Second, you’re applauding a beloved star who has given you pleasure for years, however well he or she performed that night.
Third, you’re seated behind a tall person who has stood up, and you want to observe what’s happening during the curtain call.
Fourth, a dignitary has just risen or passed by, and you’re showing respect. That’s why British audiences first rose in 1743 during the “Hallelujah” chorus: King George II stood, and nobody sat while the king was on his feet. The first notes of that chorus produce the same ovine upthrust today, though nobody remembers why. (A fellow singer told me he stood because the music was sacred. I pointed out that every passage in “Messiah” comes from the Bible; shouldn’t he stand the entire time? “Shut up,” he explained.)
Audience members got on their feet following a performance of “Hamilton” at the Belk Theater last month. (You can read Lawrence Toppman’s review of “Hamilton” here.)
We Charlotteans are a polite bunch, sometimes in reality and sometimes by rote. I asked a Charlotte Symphony concertgoer years ago why he floated to his feet every time. He replied, “It’s a matter of politeness. The artists’ feelings are hurt if we don’t stand up.”
News flash: Artists know whether performances have been exceptional, adequate or sub-par. If you stand up for the latter two, an artist assumes you can’t tell the difference.
I speak from experience. I have been in 90 to 100 productions over the last 41 years for Opera Carolina, ranging from stunningly fine to embarrassingly mediocre. All are now greeted with the sight of patrons on their feet and clapping — sometimes barely long enough for the curtain to come down! This insincere response stopped gratifying me about 1998.
The worst kind of behavior is what a friend calls a “leaving ovation.” The audience stands, but only to more easily gather belongings and put on coats. Every so often, they bang their hands together absent-mindedly, having already forgotten what they saw.
A true standing ovation should propel you from your seat, smashing your hands together. As Macbeth says, “I would applaud thee to the very echo/That should applaud again.”
Think of it this way: If every performance is so great that you’re on your feet, doesn't that really mean they’re equally good or bad, and none is measurably better than another? Would you want your kid to be in a class where every student gets an A, however much or little work gets done?
Standing ovations aren’t good etiquette; they’re mealy-mouthing. And I assume they’re a Southern thing, because I don’t see them as much in New York. There, even the great ones really have to earn their praise. I saw Maurizio Pollini, one of the 20th century’s outstanding pianists, at Carnegie Hall in the ‘10s, and not everyone was on his feet at the end. (I was.)
That doesn’t mean an ordinary performance should be met with boos or stony silence. I’m not asking you to shut up or freeze up after a decent but unspectacular gig. Just don’t STAND up, I beg you.
Lawrence Toppman covered the arts for 40 years at The Charlotte Observer before retiring in 2020. Now, he’s back in the critic’s chair for the Charlotte Ledger — look for his reviews about three times each month in the Charlotte Ledger. Check out this link for Toppman’s archive of reviews in the Ledger, and you can listen to him talk about being an arts critic in this recent episode of the Charlotte Ledger podcast.
If you feel strongly, tell us more - when should audiences rise to their feet? Email us or leave a comment at the bottom of the newsletter:
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This week in Charlotte: Airport worker killed near gate; Mark Robinson drops lawsuit; CATS changes mind on transit station; Women’s pro basketball league coming next year
On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.
Local news
Charlotte's close ties to fatal plane crash: (Ledger) Five of the 68 lives lost in Wednesday night’s crash involving a passenger airplane and a helicopter in Washington, D.C., had ties to Charlotte. The airline involved, PSA Airlines, had announced just hours before the crash that it would move its headquarters to Charlotte. In the week before the collision, helicopters forced at least two planes to abort landings at the D.C. airport, including one plane flying in from Charlotte.
No city property tax hike this year: (Observer) Staff with the City of Charlotte do not plan to recommend an increase in property taxes this year, city council members were told at their annual retreat on Monday. Council members applauded at the news. The council voted last year to raise property taxes.
Airport worker killed: (Ledger online extra) An American Airlines employee was killed Monday morning at Charlotte’s airport when he was struck by a vehicle near an airport gate. Police are investigating.
Education
Lawmakers plan phone restrictions in schools: (NC Newsline) North Carolina lawmakers are revisiting efforts to regulate cell phone use in schools, with a proposed bill that could ban phones for younger students and restrict them during the school day for older students. Lawmakers are also considering legislation on social media privacy for minors and exploring cautious approaches to regulating artificial intelligence.
PowerSchool data breach: (WFAE) Three weeks after disclosing a data breach that exposed social security numbers, the student and teacher software company PowerSchool says it still doesn’t know the extent of the problem. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, whose students and parents use the software, said it has not been told the number of people affected.
Politics
Mark Robinson drops lawsuit against CNN: (WRAL) Mark Robinson has dropped his defamation lawsuit against CNN and announced he won’t run for office in 2026—or possibly ever—marking a dramatic downfall for the once-prominent conservative figure after his 2024 gubernatorial defeat.
Business
Leah and Louise owners face legal and tax troubles: (Observer) Well-known Charlotte restaurateurs Greg and Subrina Collier, known for Leah & Louise and Uptown Yolk, are facing a $36,000 lawsuit from an architectural firm and also have nearly $500,000 in tax liens on their restaurants and personal properties.
Regulatory burden lifting: (Reuters) Wells Fargo said its consent order with federal regulators over its handling of auto loans and mortgages has ended, bringing the bank a step closer to the removal of its asset cap that restricts its growth.
Sports
New women’s pro basketball league: (Axios Charlotte) Charlotte will welcome a new professional women's basketball team next year in the UpShot League, which will play at Bojangles Coliseum.
From the Ledger family of newsletters
They turned grief into a cause: After losing their son Charlie in 2017, Rebecca and Michael Holt founded Charlie’s Heart Foundation, which has since awarded over $1.1M in grants to small nonprofits supporting mental health and bereaved families in the Carolinas.
Plus: Mecklenburg flood victims want answers from Duke Energy; Lawsuit against Charlotte Latin accepted by N.C. Supreme Court; New podcast episode on Charlotte healthcare
Wednesday (🔒)
Charlotte's east side is gearing up for change: East Charlotte is undergoing a major transformation with the Eastland Yards development, new business district initiatives and efforts to preserve local character while attracting investment.
Plus: County posts job for new county manager; Brighthouse Financial said to be exploring sale; Reader question on CMS pay raises
Friday (🔒)
🎧New podcast episode on Charlotte’s center city: Charlotte Center City Partners released its annual report this week, which highlights ongoing development projects, economic challenges and the evolving perception of uptown. Michael Smith and James LaBar of Center City Partners discuss the report and their insights on future growth and business recruitment in a recent episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast. Check it out!
Plus: Forum to feature Charlotte’ four Black mayors; The wait continues for public records about interim city attorney hire
Ways of Life (🔒)
He built community in a dive bar: Hooter Hough, longtime sound engineer at Smokey Joe’s Café, found his place in life behind the soundboard, ensuring every note rang true.
CATS flip-flops on uptown bus station: After years of pushing for an underground bus station, CATS now says a street-level facility is the best option —marking a major reversal that appears tied to the collapse of a larger development deal rather than operational concerns.
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Persuading audiences to not stand for nearly every performance is like trying to get them to use pronouns properly - a losing battle ("Me and Larry," not gender designations, although Trump may quash that). Language evolves despite all the rules proscripters put on it, and culture shifts by the masses, not any single individual. Perhaps folks will begin to sit through curtain calls, but I doubt it. It's uncomfortable being "that guy" who refuses to stand, so I usually, belatedly, and reluctantly do.
Thank you for your insight. I've often wondered why Charlotte audiences give ovations to every live performance I've been to. Many times, I'm only standing at the end because I feel like I have to, not because I feel the performance deserved it.