Prerecorded audience applause played during show?!?!

[Dave13]

I had the unfortunate pleasure to see the Phantom tour last night. I won’t go into how horrible of a show this is, since I think that has been well covered by this board.

What pissed me off the most is when I entered the theater, I noticed they added speakers throughout the inside of the theater. While I am sure it helped with special effects, during parts of the show that you would normally expect applause, they added their own prerecorded audience applause. So the applause in between scenes was much louder than it normally would.

They even did this at the end of the show as the actors took their bows.

Also, it is very well documented, but it was clearly obvious parts of the show were prerecorded and were not live. There were scenes that the Phantom’s voice was heard, but his lips were not moving.

I also believe I heard the actors voices being digitally enhanced. For the love of god, I never thought I would see that in Broadway or on Tour. I believe it occurs at a local theater as the talent level isn’t the same as you find on Broadway, but never in a Equity tour.

People attend live theater to see a live performance!!!

Please tell me this isn’t the future of live theater shows!!!

[GeorgeandDot]

It's the future that ALW and Cameron Mackintosh want. Commercial and sanitized.

[Dave28282]

Theatre (and film) are also about illusion so I don't really mind it.

If they could have done this with Eva Noblezada in Miss Saigon, I would have loved to hear all the angelic, long high notes that she just avoided, that are so essential for the role of Kim.

She just refused to sing them. She never did them live and they are also not in the filmed version. I longed for enhancement here.

[denali.fire]

Maybe they can add gum crackling and crinkling candy wrappers to really add to the contemporary theater experience. 

Lighting advancements might be able to add cell phone like glows throughout the theater too!

 

[LizzieCurry]

The prerecorded parts of the actual show (like the title song) have been well-documented for years. The applause? Maybe not, but not surprising.

[SomethingPeculiar]

I wonder if the audience applause was being picked up by "hot" microphones onstage or in the pit, or if it was actually pre-recorded?

[Tag]

Jersey Boys used/uses prerecorded applause at certain moments.

[qolbinau]

Tag said: "Jersey Boys used/uses prerecorded applause at certain moments."

I never actually say Jersey Boys, but did they use it for a theatrical purpose (e.g., I could imagine it being part of showing the success of the act) or did they use it to artificially manipulate the audience into thinking they are having a really good time?

I must admit I’m surprised no one has thought of this before. 

[NOWaWarning]

In the Broadway production of Phantom, don’t they play some canned applause after Think of Me? It’s when Christine is bowing toward upstage so it looks like we have the backstage view of her bowing to the Opera House patrons. That happens once the real applause from the song is over. I also believe they play some at the end of act 1 when the cast of the opera within the show are taking their “bows.” This is tight before/as the Phantom drops the chandelier.

In both of those instances, the effect is meant to portray the reception in the opera house, not to trick the actual audience into thinking they’re enjoying the show more than they are. I don’t know of any other moments where it’s used and can’t speak of the tour.

[Dave13]

NOWaWarning said: "In the Broadway production of Phantom, don’t they play some canned applause after Think of Me? It’s when Christine is bowing toward upstage so it looks like we have the backstage view of her bowing to the Opera House patrons. That happens once the real applause from the song is over. I also believe they play some at the end of act 1 when the cast of the opera within the show are taking their “bows.” This is tight before/as the Phantom drops the chandelier.

In both of those instances, the effect is meant to portray the reception in the opera house, not to trick the actual audience into thinking they’re enjoying the show more than they are. I don’t know of any other moments where it’s used and can’t speak of the tour.
"

Correct.  I do believe it was done when they are portraying a performance at the Opera house. Similar as mentioned to Jersey Boys when the audience and scene is backstage. But what I experienced with Phantom was much different.  I first noticed it after a scene at the Opera house. After that I continued to hear it.  

One of the biggest reasons why I noticed it is I have season tickets at this theater. I know what the theater sounds like during an applause. The canned audience recording made it much louder and it certainly sounded much different than you would expect it the theater. I wish I had a chance to ask others if they noticed. 

[Sauja]

Does anyone know if there is canned applause in Summer? When I saw it, there were maybe two or three moments where the applause/cheering just sounded off to me somehow, and I couldn’t tell if it was a particularly vocal group somewhere in the mezzanine or if portions were pre-recorded. It left me legitimately curious.

[Elfuhbuh]

If you need to trick your audience into thinking they’re enjoying the show more than they actually are, then maybe that’s a sign that your tour sucks.

[Santana3]

There was definitely some pre-recorded applause during Summer, but I guess you could say it served a similar purpose as to what has been mentioned for Phantom and Jersey Boys, as the audience is meant to be attending a Donna Summer concert. I specifically remember a pre-recorded chanting of “DONNA! DONNA! DONNA!” at one point towards the finale.

[Phantom4ever]

What I've noticed before is ushers standing on the sides of the mezzanine or orchestra who begin the applause after certain songs. I saw this at Les Miz at the Imperial and at  Phantom at the Majestic. But I only saw it occasionally, and it has been a while. The usher would wait for a particular song to end, and then he would clap like mad until the entire house was clapping then he would scurry away. A few times I saw them do it at Phantom to initiate applause for the Masquerade staircase reveal. 

[TheatreRocks]

I experienced this at Carousel on thursday night. After songs I would hear applause come in that didn't sound like it came from anywhere. It felt like it was coming from the speakers. It was used as a cue for people to clap.

[jimmycurry01]

I know there has always been recorded applause at the end of the first act for the Il Muto curtain call, as it makes sense there; but to have it for the real curtain call would seem a bit ridiculous.

[Lot666]

GeorgeandDot said: "It's the future that ALW and Cameron Mackintosh want. Commercial and sanitized."

This tour is a Mackintosh product; Andrew Lloyd Webber had little, if any, input.