press night
Critics attend debut
Press night is the evening performance of a theatrical production to which critics and journalists are invited, typically occurring shortly after opening.
Reviews are written based on this performance, making it a high-stakes event for cast and crew: The actors were nervous—press night would determine the show's fate.
Also called opening night in American usage, though some productions separate the two.
- premiereFirst public performance
- criticsThose who evaluate work
- theatreArt of staged performance
- reviewsPublished critical assessments
- rave reviewsHighly positive critiques
curtain · curtain call · debut · audience · stage · performance · star turn · gala · backstage · stage door · applause · journalists · West End · Broadway · spotlight · cast · standing ovation · nerves
- theater premierepremiere, debut, dress rehearsal, final rehearsal, overture
- theater eventspremiere, world premiere, curtain call, standing ovation, gala performance
- British TheatreWest End, Macbeth, Globe, King Lear, pantomime
- Show Timesshowtime, matinee, evening show, curtain time, preview
- theater gossipbackstage drama, diva behavior, contract disputes
press nightpreview
Advance showing sample
dress rehearsal · final performance · closing night · run-through · tech rehearsal
press, night, presses, pressed, pressing, pressure, pressurize, pressurized, pressurization