Encore!

This has been argued countless times before but sod it, I'm still asking.

Who decides whether or not to have a "Curtain Call" or "Encore" as some would say?
I've had countless answers such as :

-->The conductor (usually also the MD) decides

-->The Stage Manager decides

-->The guy/gal pulling the curtains back and forth decides

-->The cast decide

: these decisions, of course, are based on how rowdy/quiet the audience has/have been.
Any more answers or arguments against the 'choices' mentioned? I can't make up my mind....

I'd be tempted to say it's up to the audience. If they cheer fulsomely enough, that's usually all the MD will need to play it again, Sam.

However, speaking from long-recalled near-forgotten experience, this is usually "decided" before the show by the MD and SM. Bets are hedged based on the audience size and also the performance's place in the season. I've found that the request for an encore/curtain call is usually reserved for the last two nights of the run.

Well, that's my experience at least. Personally I hate encores in musicals- but that's just me.

Eliot (signing as such as I've noticed another "El" on these pages recently)

From my (limited) experience, we folk at Roleystone in Regards to Broadway had a curtain call almost every single night - I think that decision came from the directors and MD based on the audiences that we seen on the first two nights. They also decided which song we were going to sing for it; one night we sang something out of the first act as opposed to the closing number: the cast were told what to do and we did it.

Apart from that, that's all I know.

Cheers
Alan Gill

"Before drawing boards were invented, what did they go back to?"
- Anonymous

Babar's Sister wrote:
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> -->The guy/gal pulling the curtains back and forth decides

A good question.
CURTAIN CALL: Encore, additional song or songs. Usually the first encore is automatic and pre-arranged.

EXTENDED CURTAIN CALL: another song/dance after the above, I will assume you are talking about this curtain call/encore/etc.

One thing I will comment on is the professionalism of extended curtain calls...

I was reading the Limelight Theatre's (Wanneroo) rulebook-thingo-manifesto-guidelines-and-regulations (what is the official title?), and, interestingly, the very first rule in the book is:

i. All curtain calls must be rehearsed.

And I do agree. Playlovers' 'Superstar' had a curtain call, but no rehearsed extended curtain call, and when it came to a rather-large-rather-noisy applause and ovation on the final night, the cast had nothing to give. And since they had nothing, they did nothing. And nothing was done.

Nearly all other musicals I have experienced would have a rehearsed curtain call that is executed with or without a grateful audience.

From lack-of-memory, 'Les Mis' @ the Regal last year had one such curtain call, but an unrehearsed 'extended-extended' curtain call was added on the final night because of audience' applause... someone correct me if I am mistaken.

I believe it is up to the SM, in proper comunication with EVERYONE else to direct an extended curtain call, as in the instance above. However, I prefer the 'curtain call without reason', which I see so often!

Alan!

There should always be a curtain call rehearsed as part of any production in anticipation of a favourable audience, even if it is not used. It would also be a boost to the cast and crews morale to rehearse an extended curtain call in antici...........pation of the highly favourable audience that could come on any night of a production.
There was no curtain call the night I went to see Singing In The Rain, but that may have been a technical restriction due to the water on the stage.

[%sig%]

personally, i think there's nothing worse than going out for an extended encore unrehearsed.
They end up messy and disorganised, leaving the audience and the performers wishing nothing had been done at all.

It's better to leave the audience wanting more than to go out there, do more, mess it up and have the last memory of the show as a negative one.

Sometimes even if the extended encore is rehearsed and smooth it still ruins the ending by going on too long.

At Roleystone Theatre it is usually the SM who decides whether to go back on or not to do the organised extended encore.

One of the worst experiences I have ever had on stage was being in a large cast play that was very well received... To the point where certain members of the cast would insist we take yet another curtain call because the audience were still clapping, only to have the applause give out before we'd left the satge the last time...

My Personal Golden Rule... Always leave yourself enough applause to get yourself off stage.
I would rather miss an opportunity for yet another encore than suffer the aweful feeling of exiting the stage in silence!

"The guy/gal pulling the curtain back decides..."

From memory, in Broadway at Roley encores were done on the consensus of three people: The MD, the SM and the Producer (who at the end of the show was acting as the guy who pulls the curtains back and forth).
The decision was up to the MD, after all, she's the only one who's not actually backstage and can accurately judge the audience reaction, but both the SM and the Producer had the ability to veto a curtain call (especially if we didn't think the cast DESERVED it)

Don't ever expect a curtain call, but always have it ready.
I think every night that we had an encore, we didn't tell the cast there was an encore until after the curtain call proper!
It's a lot better on an actor's ego to have them not expect it and then get, than it is for them to expect and not get it, or expect it and have it go flat...

Then again, there is that old story of the tenor in Il Trovatore at La Scala, who after his big aria was showered from the gods with the cries of encore... he repeated the aria and again was treated with a thunderous encore... a third repeat, again cries of encore, he turns to the gods and pleads with them to stop crying encore so that they can get on with the opera, at which point the entire gods shout as in one voice "You'll keep singing it until you get it right!"

Lots of Love People and see you at 'Fantasticks'!
Paul Treasure

Beautifully put, Paul. There's nothing more cringe-worthy to be in an audience when an actor is fishing for more applause.

Well, I lie- there is. To be onstage with that actor at the time of the aforementioned curtain call is probably worse...

El (who will be bowing and scraping at the end of "Ros & Guil" before bowing out entirely)

Whoops!

Sorry for not making myself too clear Alan! =) You were right though - I was talking about 'extended' curtain calls.

As a theatre 'goer' (no puns please Jarrod...), I always expect the first curtain call, and if I enjoyed the show, I then proceed to act like an imbecile and shout "Encore!". I should've made myself a bit more clear!

I've always believed that extended curtain calls should be decided by the audience reaction -- just curious as to who decides on the audience's reaction!

There! A bit more clarity and a bit more space wasted!

Great to hear the input...although El's experience with people deciding on an encore BEFORE the show was far too shuddering to dwell on....eugh.

Curtain calls should always be rehearsed, whether it's a simple bow in unison, separately organised bows for chorus & leads, or a full reprise of a musical number.
The show I'm doing right now has a rehearsed curtain call which involves a completely new number...we take our bow at the end of the play and walk off, and instead of returning for individual bows, we surprise them with a little "bonus track", which suits the play and the situation very well. Then another quick bow and off.


I always thought of an encore as when the audience keeps applauding you so much that you need to go out again to acknowledge their gratitude. In my experience this has been spontaneous, so it has often been a little ragged, but I've always preferred this honesty to the pre-arranged, presumptuous encore bows. Everyone needs to be on their toes - it's gotta be unanimous participation or nothing, and this is not the time to invent something clever - but if it's not polished or even rehearsed that's fine.
We've been lucky enough to score one such encore, even after the arranged bows, and the fact that we weren't expecting it probably gave more pleasure to the crowd that wanted to give it.

In this case, the best response is for everyone to get on quickly, acknowledge with a simple and genuine bow, and get off again.
If you've been guaging the audience response during the show and your initial bows, you should have a pretty good idea as you walk offstage as to whether you can justify going on for this encore or not.
So it's a group decision, both the cast and the stage management (curtain/lighting) have to be aware and prepared to make that call if it's warranted.

But I'd agree - the audience decides.
There's been a few times I've noticed in a show when there were perhaps not many in the audience, or they were not as responsive as the cast expected during the show, so the actors wrote them off as "a bad crowd" or it was "an off night". When it came to the finale, the audience (who it turns out, had merely been quietly attentive) erupted in applause, but the cast had already written them off and didn't stay long to acknowledge it, or return to do an encore bow. They looked more embarrassed and almost slunk off the stage! That was actually the only disappointing moment of the show, because the cast were pre-deciding what our audience response was, rather than gratefully acknowledging the applause we wanted to give. It kind of belittled our opinion, when we were quite ready to be effusive.
You might think you've made mistakes and done better shows, but never be apologetic to an appreciative crowd - allow them their response and give humble thanks.



After that one unplanned encore, if you're so fortunate, then yeah, leave them yelling for more. Better to leave on a high note than to outstay your welcome.

I hope you all score many more hearty roars of 'encore'

Cheers,
Craig

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Yes, I have been following this discussion from SA and was a bit confused as to whether you meant "encore" or "curtain call". In my experience the only person on stage at the end with the authority and means to order the curtain to be raised again is the SM so it's always the SM who finally decides. But of course the SM may be instructed by others off stage through the intercom. Does anyone know if this ever happens?