Have you ever walked out of a show? Or seen others walk out?- Page 5

[Enjolras77]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 10:21am

I have only ever left one show on Broadway and it wasn't because of displeasure. Back in 2001, I brought my mother to New York and we put in for tickets to the Letterman show, but two days prior to our trip had not heard anything back from them. I had already bought discounted tickets to the Eric McCormick-led The Music Man (a production I had already seen the OBC of the year before) to fill our Wednesday matinee time slot. Of course the Letterman show calls the day before we leave to say that of all the days we would be in NYC -- we could only have tickets to the Wednesday taping. Based on the time that we had to be at the Ed Sullivan Theatre to pick up our reservations, we thought we might could pull it off by leaving Music Man at intermission and then returning after securing our Letterman seats. It turned out to be unrealistic and we never made it back to the Neil Simon for the second act.

[Ciaron McCarthy]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 11:16am

I think "Sunday" can be a very hard show to get to know. I can see why people would hate it at first. I saw the OBC and HATED IT!! I was so bored!! I was also like 9.

[MotorTink]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 11:23am

I don't think I could walk out on something I spent money on, no matter how bad. That may change, who knows, but I try to give everything a chance of redemption.

[keatonbynumbers]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 11:33am

I never do. It's not a money thing, it's just how I am. Even the worst show in the world has the possibility of wowing me in the last six minutes, and why would I want to miss that?

I've seen plenty of others walk out, though. I usually take their seats. Thanks, you guys.

[kelzama]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 12:08pm

"I've seen the standard old people walk out of RENT."

I was 32 when I walked out of RENT at intermission, bored silly. Never thought of myself as a standard old person. You learn something new every day.

[AugustBurns2]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 3:23pm

There were huge numbers who left during intermission at the national tour of Carousel at its stop in Dallas in the 90s. I remember a conversation between season ticket holders saying that they were bored to tears. I agreed, but I stuck around. Rows of people left.

I left during the latest Dame Edna show at intermission when it was here in SF - I got the tix for free, but I just wanted to do other things. The show was so one note - and I usually like the Dame Edna type of entertainment.

I have been to many theatre performances, but the Carousel incident sticks in my mind. I know other people have left during other shows - a couple here or there, but not like Carousel.

[darwhite915]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 3:38pm

I walked out of Fame in the West End. Funny, other people walked out of Fame on 42nd street.
Completely vapid, horrible, horrible show.
I go to London a couple times a year just to see theater.
I've seen some I didn't like very much, but this was the only show I've ever walked out on.

Funniest was the goups of old people trying to beat it out of the theater in the middle of act 2 of Noises Off, not realizing there was another scene. That I hate. If you enjoed it, stay a couple minutes and clap for the people who just gave you the enjoyment.

[Christoph]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 4:34pm

Usually I can find some element or some performances in any show that will keep me around until the end even if I may not like the overall production. That said...the closest times I ever came to leaving was on a touring version of Dreamgirls. Our shrieky Effie was so out-of-control that during her climactic Act I number it appeared that she was trying to hump the sets. I braved it into Act II and through to the end, but it was not pretty and I was not surprised when the local papers annihilated her performance.

On Broadway, the closest I came to leaving was The Lion King. I actually had an in-depth discussion at intermission with the people I was with (who hated it even more than I did) about whether we should leave then or stick it out and hope it improved with the older actor taking over the Simba role. We stuck it and it was not worth it. It was the ONLY time I have ever left without clapping for a cast and I almost went out the fire escape to get away from the torment that much quicker.

[Calvin]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 4:46pm

The only show I've ever abandoned at intermission was "Hot Feet."

Actually, I also left a college production of "Last Night Of Ballyhoo" during intermission, but that was because I had a prior commitment I had forgotten about when I got the ticket, not because the show was bad.

[Kitzarina]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 4:56pm

I left during intermission at a dress rehersal of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" this summer. I figured it was a better use of my time to go home and watch the movie than to continue watching the butchering that had been made to the book.

[Calvin]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 4:58pm

A friend of mine left during intermission when I was in "Into The Woods" because she thought it was over. And no, it wasn't an excuse, because she came back to see it again.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 5:01pm

The only show I've ever thought about leaving (although I didn't actually do it) was The Pirate Queen. I was so BORED! But I kept thinking maybe the second act would get better and I was with a friend. If I had been alone I may actually have done it.

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 6:59pm

I also saw some people walk out of Avenue Q...guess it was not as holesome as they expected.

[Sargar]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 7:51pm

a friend and I attempted to see Broadway Under the Stars one year, but got there VERY late and there was no room to sit, so we decided to just get standing room for rent...I think we were really tired, the cast was sub par, and since we had seen the show about a million times, we just decided to go...that was the one time (and I hope will be the only time!) I walked out of a show.

[ILoveMyDictionary]

Posted: 11/8/06 at 9:53pm

At Rent monday night, I noticed a few people didn't return to their seats after intermission.

[singtopher]

Posted: 11/8/06 at 11:18pm

People walked out in the middle of the first act when my High School did "Kiss Me Kate". I wanted to join them, but I was stuck on stage. Awful, awful production.

[AugustBurns2]

Posted: 11/9/06 at 12:43am

Oh yeah..I was reminded --

I wanted to leave at intermission of The Lion King - I kept asking why did I come here to see this show? I should have listed to the person who said not to see it! I could have seen The Producers or something else! This was the summer of 02 and saw a show every day except for Friday - what a great trip. Can't wait to go back!!!!!

[kyleorlando]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 12:01am

I walked out of the 1st national tour of Seussical. I had seen it on Broadway and it was like seeing a train wreck. I wanted to leave but just couldn't.


Other shows that I should have walked out on, but didn't:

Aspects of Love (or as a reviewer called it, A Little Trite Music)

Ziegfield Follies (tour production in the early 90s. I desperately wanted to leave but I was bound and determined to get my money's worth of my season tickets)

Chess (Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, you know, they just got the regional theatre Tony.)

Arcadia (Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. OHMIGOD YOU GUYS! I was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo bored!)

Starlight Express (the most recent tour. When did the Broadway musical become a 3D movie?)

[jordangirl]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 12:03am

I wanted to walk out of Talk Radio, but I'd promised a friend I'd get Stephanie's autograph for her girlfriend. Longest friggin night of my life.

There were noticable gaps in the mezz after intermission when I saw LoveMusik. Sad...I really felt the second act was the stronger.

Updated On: 6/12/07 at 12:03 AM

[misschung]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 12:08am

I walked out of the Harlem Globetrotters early

I have never left a Broadway show, but last week I saw a big group of people leave during the intermission of 110

[kyleorlando]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 12:10am

OHMIGOD! I totally forgot!

I got comped in to see "Ben Hur: The Musical" in Orlando. Horrid, horrid..... HORRID excuse for a show with even worse souveniers (really... Ben Hur: The Sexy Baby Tee?)!

Checked out of that show at intermission and went right back to Disney World. I understand an awful lot of Baptists lost a lot of cash producing that show.

Updated On: 6/12/07 at 12:10 AM

[evitakita]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 5:31am

I've never walked out, but was really, really tempted to at the intermission of Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me in SF. I know some people liked it, but I honestly think it was the worst show I have seen. Of course, Lestat pretty much tied for that honor--but it was bad in a way that was amusing.

[Eastwickian]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 5:40am

I've not walked out of a show yet - I can usually find something to redeem it, whether it be an actor's performance or just an interesting set (I'm easy to please ).

The closest I've came to leaving was during Notre Dame de Paris in London - the music was so relentlessly dull and the performers so relentlessly bland that if it hadn't been for the fact my bus home didn't leave until nearly midnight I would have been out of there like a shot. Being bored to tears was preferable to hanging around in Victoria Coach Station for two hours, but only just...
Updated On: 6/12/07 at 05:40 AM

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 7:59am

KyleOrlando, that is a funnny bit about the man, the woman and the usher. tres amusing... RC in Austin, Texas

[StageFan2]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 8:12am

I've never walked out of a show. If I stay I find there's always something I can point to and say, "that wasn't bad" or "such 'n such was good." And if I can't find something to like in a production at least I'd be able to discuss it reasonably.

I remember performing in a community production a few years ago and after intermission the two couples in the second row; almost dead center, didn't return. I was devasted that those folks disliked the show so much they said, "to hell with the money we're leaving." I couldn't be responsible for making anyone (much less a theater performer) feel that bad. I know it happens and it isn't always the fault of the performers on stage, but geez it didn't make feel any better.