command performance

American  

noun

1. a performance of a play, opera, ballet, or the like, given at the request of a sovereign or head of state.

---

command performance British  

noun

1. a performance of a play, opera, etc, at the request of a ruler or of royalty

---

command performance Idioms  

1. An occasion that one is obliged to attend, as in My boss's invitations to dinner are always a command performance. This term originally (late 1800s) denoted a theatrical or musical performance presented at the behest of a sovereign or head of state. By the 1930s it was also used figuratively for any more or less obligatory occasion or performance.

---

Etymology

Origin of command performance

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

A command performance, that included a hole-in-one Saturday morning to complete his second round followed by an 8-under 64 to tie two tournament records, went to waste.

From Washington Post

He turned that into a command performance, making sure this one-of-a-kind Masters with no fans also had no drama.

From Washington Times

He turned that into a command performance, making sure this one-of-a-kind Masters with no fans also had no drama.

From Washington Times

There were so many layers of story lines to peel back before there could be baseball Thursday night — each one worthy of its own epic retelling — that, at times, the 2020 Nationals seemed like bit players in their own command performance.

From Washington Post

He has received numerous commendations, including the Legion of Merit for exceptional command performance.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• world premiere