There was a very amusing moment at this afternoon's Emerson String Quartet concert.
First a little background: Anchorage classical music audiences are notorious for clapping between movements. The Concert Association has started educating audiences prior to each performance. At the curtain speech, the audience is reminded to wait until the end of each piece to clap.
Now here's where it starts to get funny. Today's curtain speech was given by Carol Butler. When she reached the point where she reminds the audience to wait to clap, she got a little flustered and told the audience to wait until the end of each movement to clap.
Oops - we all cried out Noooooooooo! She got even more flustered and from the stage looked out in the audience, spotted me, and said, Stephanie, when are we supposed to clap? I loudly answered, At the end of each piece.
But that's not the really funny part. At the end of the first movement of the first piece, the quartet paused. The PAC was seating late comers (a policy that I hate - late comers should be seated after the first piece is complete) and the quartet paused. All at once there was a tentative little clap and then silence. The quartet continued to stand. And then a little voice cried out, We like you. But they told us not to clap!
The entire audience gasps, but the violist saves the day by saying, We like you too. We're just waiting for the late comers to be seated. At that point, the audience howls with laughter.
It was too funny. It ranks right up there with the disappearing Colorado String Quartet.
8:46:40 PM 
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