The longest curtain call

[lachri5]

Posted: 7/24/17 at 12:04am

I went to Tokyo to see the Japanese version of A Gentlemen's Guide earlier this year. It stars their theatre legend Masachika Ichimura as the D'Ysquiths. The show was good. Now it's time to take the bow. It was the usual smaller roles first, Masachika last, we clapped and then they left. People kept clapping after the actors left the stage. Sure enough we saw Mr. Ichimura running back on stage, taking a second bow, and all the actors came back as well. Then they left. I was ready to leave. But people are still in their seats. A few seconds later, the actors came back to the stage for a third bow. It did not end there! My memory could be inaccurate, but I think they did this for 8 times! I was shocked. It's not the first time I've seen this. Last year when I saw La Cage aux Folles, also starring Mr. Ichimura, they came back like 8 times too! That was the first time I saw this happening, I thought oh maybe it was some special occasion I wasn't aware of. But now I realize this is a thing! It got me thinking what's the longest curtain call you have seen? What's the most times actors come back to stage to take bows in a show?
(Pardon my English, I'm not a native speaker.)

[supersam1026]

Posted: 7/24/17 at 12:08am

The recent revival of Sunset Blvd. had Glenn Close come out like 4 times or something around that. This is definitely the one that sticks out in my mind. As the production you are speaking about is in Japan, this could definitely be a cultural thing. I have never been to Japan, much less a performance in Japan, so I cannot say what is the norm there, but for us Americans, 8 times certainly seems a bit excessive!

[Kitsune]

Posted: 7/24/17 at 1:26am

lachri5 said: "I went to Tokyo to see the Japanese version of A Gentlemen's Guide earlier this year. It stars their theatre legend Masachika Ichimura as the D'Ysquiths. The show was good. Now it's time to take the bow. It was the usual smaller roles first, Masachika last, we clapped and then they left. People kept clapping after the actors left the stage. Sure enough we saw Mr. Ichimura running back on stage, taking a second bow, and all the actors came back as well. Then they left. I was ready to leave. But people are still in their seats. A few seconds later, the actors came back to the stage for a third bow. It did not end there! My memory could be inaccurate, but I think they did this for 8 times! I was shocked. It's not the first time I've seen this. Last year when I saw La Cage aux Folles, also starring Mr. Ichimura, they came back like 8 times too! That was the first time I saw this happening, I thought oh maybe it was some special occasion I wasn't aware of. But now I realize this is a thing! It got me thinking what's the longest curtain call you have seen? What's the most times actors come back to stage to take bows in a show?
(Pardon my English, I'm not a native speaker.)

 

"

Was it the senshuraku (last performance) of A Gentleman's Guide? Did any of the actors give speeches? I've seen those go on for quite a while.

My impression is that a lot of Japanese musical productions are (comparatively) more focused on the stars than Broadway fare.*  It's rare to see advertising or a poster that *doesn't* have the cast on it.

(I say this from the perspective of a Takarazuka fan, where everything is *very* star centric.  Even when I see non-Takarazuka productions in Japan, it's usually to see former Takarazuka stars.  The advertising seems to cater to that.  Less so Shiki productions, which I believe have the rights to Wicked, Lion King, etc.)

Anyway, just my two cents on why the long curtain calls, but now I want to ask around about whether this really is a thing!

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 7/24/17 at 1:38am

Dear OP,

"Your English suits me fine!"

Cleo,
THE MOST HAPPY FELLA

You should try opera. In most cases, spectators don't applaud during the performance, so they are pretty pent up by the time the act ends and the company bows. Even more so in operas where the bows are held till the very end of the evening. One hears of 20 and 25-minute curtain calls.

[carnzee]

Posted: 7/24/17 at 3:06am

Applause is frequent in Opera, unless it's by a German composer.

The longest curtain call I'm aware of was at the Met in 1994 for German soprano Hildegard Behrens in Elektra. It lasted around an hour, we are told.