Boo'ing Villains During Curtain Calls

[YvanEhtNioj]

Posted: 8/11/18 at 3:30pm

I was watching an interview Jonathan Freeman did regarding playing Jafar on stage and he mentioned that he loved coming to do his bow and hearing equal booing and cheers. 

During this clip from Tina, the audience is boo'ing Ike Turner. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf1YfcyzeeI

I've never been to a show and see this done in person. Have any of you? And how do you feel about it?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/11/18 at 3:35pm

I've only ever seen it done at Peter Pan. Since the audience for that is youngsters, I think it's great fun.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/11/18 at 3:39pm

There have been a couple of threads on this topic, the first of which was started by me a few years back. I posed the question because there was booing during the curtain call of Porgy and Bess on tour, which I thought was very strange given that the show is so serious. 

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1066412#4485848

 

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1107781#5022636

[YvanEhtNioj]

Posted: 8/11/18 at 3:42pm

JBroadway said: "I posed the question because there was booing during the curtain call of Porgy and Bess on tour, which I thought was very strange given that the show is so serious."

Yeah at a show like Peter Pan, Frozen, or something of that nature I wouldnt mind it. But like you mentioned in a serious show it would feel a little childish i think..?

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 8/11/18 at 3:56pm

I think it’s interesting when the actor awknowledges or expects to be booed and they mime “sorry.” Saw it more recently during Waitress from earl.

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 8/11/18 at 4:05pm

I'm not an opera fan (I TRIED a few seasons ago, but I frankly couldn't wait for Carmen to die) but I recall hearing that boos are occasionally done at the opera. Perhaps that was a factor for Porgy as well.

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 8/11/18 at 4:06pm

I've played multiple villains, and I absolutely loved when people would boo me at curtain call. Made me feel like I'd done my job right.

[Princeton2]

Posted: 8/11/18 at 4:14pm

Its not unusual for Javart to be boo'd

[EllieRose2]

Posted: 8/11/18 at 9:24pm

During Porgy and Bess on Broadway, Philip was booed during the curtain call.  I looked around in horror as people did it.  Phillip took it in stride and did a curtsy and laughed.  Still, it's like people thought he was Crown.  Ugh.  

[HogansHero]

Posted: 8/11/18 at 9:46pm

MarkBear, the tradition of booing at the opera is different. It is directed at the performance not the character.

[MtTemple4]

Posted: 8/11/18 at 10:12pm

In London last year the man behind us HISSED at the Thenardiers. That was the least of his offenses during the show though. Ha ha 

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 8/11/18 at 11:05pm

HogansHero said: "MarkBear, the tradition of booing at the opera is different. It is directed at the performance not the character."

True - I was assuming in the Porgy example, it could've been either, but rereading it, I saw that it clearly was directed at Philip Boykin, I agree that it was directed at the character.

[darreyl102]

Posted: 8/11/18 at 11:34pm

I remember Madame Morrible, Ursula and Gaston getting booed when they came out during curtain for their respective shows

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 8/12/18 at 12:43am

In opera I've seen Pinkertons booed not because of the singing but because of the character. 

In musicals every time i saw Waitress earl was booed.

[Ludlow29]

Posted: 8/12/18 at 9:35am

The character of Barnaby Bugaboo was booed virtually every night during curtain calls for Charlotte Sweet.
http://www.michaelcolby.com/index.php/charlotte_sweet/

[raddersons]

Posted: 8/12/18 at 10:04am

I think this really comes down to the word “Villain”. I wouldn’t categorize most antagonists in dramas as “Villains” because they’re usually more fleshed out. But in comedies and lighter fare, antagonists are usually “bad guys” just for the sake of being the bad guy. That’s a Villain to me.

[BwayLB]

Posted: 8/12/18 at 10:39am

darreyl102 said: "I remember Madame Morrible, Ursula and Gaston getting booed when they came out during curtain for their respective shows"

I don’t recall Madame Morrible getting booed when I saw the show eleven years ago

[Marway44]

Posted: 8/13/18 at 7:16am

As Princeton2 pointed out, "Its not unusual for Javert to be boo' d ".  To me I can see all of the other pointed out, such as Gaston and Ursula, etc., but it's Javert that I don't like.  Javert is simply doing his job.  He is law enforcement and Valjean broke the law.  Some people see him as the "bad guy", but in my opinion he is not.  The Thenardiers are the villains of the show.  While I personally find it offensive to boo after they worked so hard to entertain us, they know they did there job well if they get boo' d.

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 8/13/18 at 9:54am

I was listening to an old podcast with Katie Finneran and she said sometimes she'd get boo'ed during curtain call of Mauritius and how she was taken aback the first time but then realized it meant she was doing her job and playing this character to be unlikable. 

[Ftworthguy]

Posted: 8/13/18 at 1:12pm

As an actor, getting boo'd by an audience when you're playing the villain is a HOOT.   I've played Callahan in Legally Blonde locally and fondly remember some boos!!!    It's great.