Has a coughing/sneezing fit ever messed up a song?

[zamedy]

Posted: 2/27/09 at 10:33pm

I all of a sudden had one of those sneezing fits today. And being the Broadway dork that I am, I thought to myself... I wonder if this has ever happened to an actor in the middle of a song. And if it did, how did they handle it? Did it stop the song? Did the orchestra have to catch up?

Have you ever been to a show where something like this happened?

[dg22894]

Posted: 2/27/09 at 10:37pm

Yes I missed my Solo in Oh the Thinks you can think in Seussical(this was not Broadway) and everyone freaked out.

[nexttoelectric]

Posted: 2/27/09 at 10:45pm

No, never, never in the history of theatre has a song been messed up my a sneeze or a cough, ever.

[WishingOnlyWounds2]

Posted: 2/27/09 at 10:48pm

I know Mitchell from Billy Elliot had a coughing fit once from the cigarette smoke.

[barbl lyons]

Posted: 2/27/09 at 11:39pm

I've seen it happen. It must be mortifying! But, ya know, actors are only human. Stuff happens!

[Aswatrowinkenbo]

Posted: 2/27/09 at 11:47pm

i've always wondered what would happen if an actor got the hiccups on stage

[MrSweetNAwful]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 1:52am

it's quite easy to get rid of hiccups discretely, just take a deep breath and exhale slowly, it's the easiest and most effective cure since hiccups are simply the result of any event that cuts off air from the diaphragm prematurely.
A coughing or sneezing fit would be a bigger problem.

When I saw the title of this thread I thought the OP meant coughing from the audience. Cuz I was all ready to lament on how the night I saw the Spring Awakening tour so many people in the audience were struck with coughing fits around the beginning of Act II during Mortiz's suicide and funeral. It was excruciating, and no, I'm not exaggerating. If you'd have been there that night you would've thought they pumped carbon monoxide into the lobby during intermission!

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 1:58am

I saw Ms. Lupone when she was coughing all over the place in her book scenes, but somehow managed to hold it together for her songs. Hats off to her.

And I think hiccups would be easier to cure on stage because of the embarrassment.

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 7:46am

I have seen Elphaba's have coughing fits before when they were sick. I have also seen a few Glinda's and Elphaba's sneeze in the middle of singing.

[dg22894]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 9:00am

^DG7777 That shows you have seen Wicked too many times.

[EugLoven]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 10:03am

After an evening with the London Philharmonic at Lincoln Center last night, I turned to my friend and remarked how, in my opinion, we'd heard one of the best sounds in the world (an orchestra tuning-up) and one of the worst sounds in the world (a sold-out New York City performance hall in winter).

I know it's human nature, but sometimes I feel some attendees simply don't pick-up on social cues to do their best in suppressing or muting their coughs. *shrug* Can't argue with illness.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 10:11am

During her months with the Fiddler on the Roof revival, Rosie O'Donnel avidly blogged about her experiences with the show. I recall her stating that she had a coughing fit several times during the course of a performance, and feeling terrible for it. One thing you can't deny about Ms. O'Donnel that she is at least passionate about what she pursues.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 10:14am

According to a friend who saw it, during one of Bernadette's rounds with bronchitis during "Gypsy" she had to stop in the middle of "Some People" one night.

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 12:13pm

"^DG7777 That shows you have seen Wicked too many times."

And your point is? There's PLENTY of people that have seen it more than me. A few that are on this board also.