Actors Breaking Character

[ThorouglyModern2]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 11:59am

I saw the evening show of If/Then this past Sunday...During the birthday party scene Idina's scene partner (her assistant-the Alaina character) had a crack in her voice during the song. After a few seconds, they both lost it in a fit of giggles. After they were not able to recover, Idina said, "Its the last show of the week, guys!" Of course, she got huge applause. The lights dim on her scene and goes to another part of the stage for a short scene with Anthony Rapps character. When his scene ends, the light returns to her and Alaina. They are STILL laughing!! She said, "Can we go back to that other scene for a minute?" More giggles as they try to compose themselves and then she says, "How much did you guys pay for these tickets?" Followed by huge laughter and applause...Trying to regain their composure, Idina attempts her next line but can't get through it. Alaina laughs and Idina says, "Its not funny!" After a bit more laughing, they finally got it together.

It was SOOOOO funny and I'm so glad I had the chance to see that. I'm sure it rarely happens. Have you seen anyone on Broadway break character before?

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 12:04pm

With that much crap going on, I would have asked for my money back.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 12:07pm

That sounds really unprofessional.

[CurtainsUpat8]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 12:09pm

It sounds ridiculous and utterly unprofessional. Anyone but Idina would have been fired. And they should have been from what you describe. A long time ago I saw Sly Fox with George C Scott. A woman in the VERY front row got up and went the the bathroom.. I assume. When she came back George C Scott scolded her and asked her "If she was through now?" It was funny at the time, but he was a huge star and it only lasted a few seconds. That being said, I thought it was very unprofessional of him at the time as well. Just because it's "Funny" doesn't make it acceptable. Shame on them.

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 12:09pm

I think its hilarious when this happens!!! Ive never seen anyone break character before, but i know Sutton Foster, Gavin Creel, and Marc Kudisch completely lost it in a scene in Thoroughly Modern Millie. Also, one time Santino but a jelly bean in Laura Osnes' glass slipper in cinderella, and they couldn't stop laughing.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 12:10pm

Yes. Menzel and Chenoweth cracked each other up the night I saw Wicked and I'd be surprised if that didn't happen often. I saw Katharine Hepburn break character in West Side Waltz when someone took a flash photo from the audience. As you might well imagine, Hepburn was not amused.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 12:13pm

And I'm sure if someone were talking on their phone while Idina was trying to perform, she'd throw a diva fit.

[Feste]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 12:22pm

STOP STOP STOP TAKING PICTURES RIGHT NOW!!!

[newintown]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 12:31pm

Classy behavior, but I suppose doing that awful show for so long could really get you down.

Maria Aitkin once discussed doing a production of Noel Coward's The Vortex with Rupert Everett, who grew bored (along with the other younger actors in the company) very early in the run, and began doing stranger and stranger stunts in attempts to crack other actors up, including carrying on a suitcase full of cabbages and throwing them around the stage. She began closing her dressing room door at that point.

If you're an accomplished clown (or working with one), it can work in very small doses; otherwise, it's just childish and foolish (and appreciated by equally childish and foolish audience members).

[ThorouglyModern2]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 12:39pm

Believe me, the audience loved it and so did I. It was endearing and hilarious. But I do agree that only someone like Idina could pull that off without getting in huge trouble and without ruining the show....I was lucky enough to see Sutton and Gavin break character once as well...thought I thought it was with Christopher Sieber not Marc Kudish (unless it happened more than once)

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 12:50pm

At Avenue Q in Chicago recently, during the Money Song, someone put a $50 giftcard to a restaurant in one of the hats and none of the actors were able to continue with the scene. After what seemed like an eternity of out-of-character laughing, Christmas Eve finally said "Those people bunch of cheapskates!" which made the cast crack up once again for an extended period.

[haterobics]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 12:56pm

I saw Idina break once before, as she forgot to bring her cell phone into the first scene, so when she meets the soldier and is going to get his number, she had no phone to put it into. She smiled and tried to play it off, by saying she forgot to bring her phone with her, and asked LaChanze to borrow hers. I don't think LaChanze's character needs a cell phone in the scene, but she starts optimistically digging in her purse but comes up empty. Finally, they are handed a phone by someone, but by then, they couldn't play it off any more and laughed a bit.

I think it's fun to catch those moments when they happen, since the majority of shows go off without any such shenanigans.

[Pootie2]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 12:59pm

Personally, I think breaking character from a stage-only situation is different from breaking character in relation to an audience member. The thing CurtainsUpat8 describes is much more unprofessional to me than actors breaking into a giggle fit amongst themselves, at least. There was a post in another thread about Neil Patrick Harris breaking character in Hedwig to yell at an audience member coming in late, I think; meh.

[gleek4114]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 1:03pm

It happens. I don't think it is as big a deal as some are making it out to be. Neil never yelled at anyone. Hedwig did.



Updated On: 10/8/14 at 01:03 PM

[Pootie2]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 1:04pm

^Yeah. And I personally love bloopers.

Oh, someone actually managed to catch a video bit of Menzel breaking character when she was trying to put on a shirt during a scene, but it was partially inside out. After struggling a bit, she just couldn't and had to sit down and laugh, which made the audience roar. But that wasn't the best/worst of it--when she tried to continue the scene, the audience kept laughing/cheering, which made her laugh, and THEN Menzel turned to the audience, held up a hand, and said "Stop." There's a "diva" moment, I guess, but in a funny way.

(I've actually gone through this board searching for blooper/outtake threads, and there are several. Funny stuff.)

Updated On: 10/8/14 at 01:04 PM

[Broadwaydreaming]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 1:11pm

When I went, Idina lost character for a split second when she said her line too soon and the dialogue made no sense. I saw a smirk but no giggles. As long as the regained character and the show continued as normal, it's ok...not extremely professional but fine. When I was a drama kid, I remember some of the last few rehearsals when we were all tired and completely done provoked giggles over silly things. It's way funnier on stage for some reason lol.

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 1:13pm

I don’t mind when actors naturally/accidently break character (it’s one of the joys of live theatre), but when breaking character becomes a “bit” (and done purposefully) is when I find it loathsome.

I also agree – breaking character to comment to an audience member, to me, is much more unprofessional that suddenly getting a case of the giggles that just won’t stop. I don’t always blame the actors for doing such (especially for something that is so disruptive that it actually behooves everyone in the audience for the show to essentially “pause” until that distraction is gone), but I definitely think there are better ways to do it than others.

And, yes, I’m sure Neil never broke character – he could adlib and talk to the audience and it was all as Hedwig.

[After Eight]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 1:18pm

Just do the script as written.

That's what an audience has paid to see.

It's not about you, performer. It's about the character, the play, the audience, the theatre.

Respect them all.

[Pootie2]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 1:21pm

As for the comment about Menzel going "diva" on someone on their phone, as far as I know, that's never happened (or it'd probably be ALL over social media). That stuff is on the ushers/security. There was one instance where a girl kept taking flash pictures during IF/THEN, but it took a few times before an usher/security went and deleted stuff from her phone. I've heard of Lupone breaking character and going "diva" on audience members before; I don't know, maybe they deserved it? Sometimes you just want to bean certain audience members...

As for the Hedwig thing, I don't know if I'd have figured out as an audience member that he was "in character" still. Good for him if he worked it in that way, though.

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 1:31pm

When I saw “Hedwig” and some people came in late, it was abundantly clear that when he was talking to them, it was in character as Hedwig. Aside from the fact that the voice and swagger Neil put on for Hedwig was never dropped, he made jokes about asking where they are from and then said he was from Germany, but he still made it on time.

[dreaming]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 1:34pm

In the case of Hedwig it's kind of part of the show. I've seen both Hedwigs break character that way. But, it never got in the way of the story or show itself. Hedwig as it is has a pretty loose script. The actors are very free to add to it or make the role their own-part of the beauty of it.

[Pootie2]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 1:34pm

Ahh, that's cool then.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 2:42pm

I've heard a TON of stories about Idina breaking in If/Then, and trying to entertain the audience with her "funny", "cute" unprofessionalism. It has definitely happened on quite a few occasions based on the many stories I've heard.

[Pootie2]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 2:58pm

I believe that's just a statistical thing. People will in general talk more about anomalies than a normal show run, and given Menzel's popularity, there's more chatter about her or her show on social media in general. All you have to do is trawl the normal review venues and see that there are in fact very few comments about IF/THEN breaks relative to comments about the show itself.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 3:15pm

Breaking character and deviating from the script/ad libbing are NOT the same thing. Some of the things being described here are NOT breaking character.

I'm rather mixed about the OP's story. I could see how being there would feel "special", but it IS unprofessional. It being the end of the week is a lame excuse. (Although I get it, that people's voices sometimes crack.)