Another opportunistic appropriation, and an altogether honorable one, was the audience reaction to Shostakovich's 11th Symphony at the time of its premiere, in 1957.
As Macbeth, the baritone Zeljko Lucic, little known to Met audiences, gave an honorable and affecting performance of an intimidating role.
For now, though, he seems content to show his audiences a good time, secure in the knowledge that the pursuit of innocent laughter is wholly honorable.
His true motives usually remain masked, and whether he is honorable or evil depends on the audience's perspective.
Here's a characteristic Kael sentence: "It would be more honorable to take a chance on the audience".
"Although I have to leave you as the mayor soon, I resume the much more honorable title of citizen," Mr. Giuliani told his audience, mainly former and current members of his administration, supporters, friends and family.
For a long encore, he improvised, having explained to his audience that he regrets the decline of this honorable practice, at which Liszt, Beethoven and Mozart excelled.
Pantomimes — recastings of old children's stories with vaudeville, audience participation, puns, singing and cross-dressing — are an honorable, even essential, part of the British Christmas season.
With the exception of his comparatively unshaded portrait of Johnson, Mr. Schenkkan comes down firmly on the side of complexity, which may be the honorable path, but not necessarily the more rewarding one for the audience.
Under Dennis Lee Delaney's direction, he plays Morris with an understatement that leaves not just Catherine but also the audience with a glimmer of hope that his intentions might be honorable despite all the evidence.
