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Creativity Quote by Robert Goulet

"You open the show with a bang, then don't come back on for 45 minutes"

About this Quote

A complaint that lands like a punchline because it’s built on timing: start loud, then vanish. Robert Goulet, a consummate showman from the era of tuxedos, TV variety hours, and Vegas-stage professionalism, is laying down an old-school law of entertainment: the audience’s attention is a living thing, and you don’t leave it unattended.

The specific intent reads as practical critique. “Open the show with a bang” is praise for craft and instinct; it acknowledges the performer knows how to spike adrenaline, how to manufacture a moment that feels inevitable. The second clause flips it into indictment. “Then don’t come back on for 45 minutes” sketches a structural blunder: momentum squandered by pacing, a setlist arranged like a tease, or a production that mistakes spectacle for sustained engagement.

The subtext is ego and duty braided together. Goulet isn’t just talking about running order; he’s defending a contract with the crowd. A great opener creates a promise - you’re in good hands - and disappearing breaks that promise. It also hints at backstage reality: the long intermission, the bloated supporting acts, the star who wants the applause without the grind of maintaining the room.

Context matters: Goulet’s world prized continuity and command. Before attention was fractured into tabs and feeds, you still had to hold a restless audience in a room with expensive drinks and cheaper patience. The line works because it’s managerial and theatrical at once: a neat, cutting reminder that a “bang” is useless if you don’t ride the echo.

Quote Details

TopicWitty One-Liners
SourceHelp us find the source
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Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Goulet, Robert. (2026, January 16). You open the show with a bang, then don't come back on for 45 minutes. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/you-open-the-show-with-a-bang-then-dont-come-back-116010/

Chicago Style
Goulet, Robert. "You open the show with a bang, then don't come back on for 45 minutes." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/you-open-the-show-with-a-bang-then-dont-come-back-116010/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"You open the show with a bang, then don't come back on for 45 minutes." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/you-open-the-show-with-a-bang-then-dont-come-back-116010/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

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You open the show with a bang then do not come back on for 45 minutes
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About the Author

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Robert Goulet (November 26, 1933 - October 30, 2007) was a Musician from USA.

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