It happened to me once. At GYPSY. After Patti LuPone's "Rosie's Turn" at the first Broadway preview.
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
Believe it or not, when I saw the Les Mis revival around New Year's day, there was about six people in the mezz who had a standing ovation for Judy Kuhn after I Dreamed a Dream!
LuPone in GYPSY at City Center was the only one I've witnessed.
I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.
Yup. During the middle of Jennifer Holliday's "And I Am Telling You..." in DREAMGIRLS, I remember quite an amount of people started standing as the song was going thru its course. I remember my mom saying its the closest thing she'll ever get to being in a Baptist Church.
A few people also stood at the end of Glenn Close's "As If We Never Said Goodbye" in SUNSET BLVD.
Also, during Ben Vereen's first run in FOSSE, he and Ann Reinking both got standing ovations after "Dancin' Dan (Me and My Shadows)" -- they even did a short encore, and as the first chords of The Manson Trio music (from PIPPIN) started and Ben was revealed center/upstage.
It was after the "I Love a Piano" number in the show "Irving Berlin's White Christmas". Two or three rows in the front Orchestra stood after they finished the number, and the applause stopped the show for 2 or 3 minutes.
"My dreams, watching me said, one to the other...this life has let us down."
Actually, emcee, you've seen two. Mr Esparrrza also got a standing ovation after "Being Alive" at the final performance. You were probably too emotionally stirred to remember
Oh my gosh, you're right! And yeah, that last half hour or so is a total blur.
There was another one about a week before the show closed, but I don't count it because it was like... partial at best. It seemed like people had basically heard about the 6/12 performance and tried to re-create it or something, but it didn't catch on.
Not only was the audience on its feet during Holliday's "And I am Telling You . . .", some of us were actually standing on our seats. Many others had run down the aisles. I don't expect to experience craziness like that ever again.
The only other one I've ever seen was for Hugh Jackman after "Once Before I Go" in THE BOY FROM OZ - and the whole audience rose as one for him on that one.
Bernadette Peters got one for her ROSE'S TURN both times I saw her in GYPSY.
Cheyenne Jackson tickled me. AFTER ordering SoMMS a drink but NOT tickling him, and hanging out with Girly in his dressing room (where he DIDN'T tickle her) but BEFORE we got married. To others. And then he tweeted Boobs. He also tweeted he's good friends with some chick on "The Voice" who just happens to be good friends with Tink's ex. And I'm still married. Oh, and this just in: "Pettiness, spite, malice ....Such ugly emotions... So sad." - After Eight, talking about MEEEEEEEE!!! I'm so honored! :-)