Have You Left at Intermission?- Page 2

[Jarethan]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 3:19pm

In recent years, I have not seen anything that warranted leaving at intermission.  The last show I really disliked — HARMONY — was not so bad that I felt a need to leave.  
 

I have to admit that I have never waited for intermission to leave.  If I am sitting super-close, the proximity to the stage keeps me interested (I actually think I enjoyed King Lear so much is because I was so close to Glenda Jackson).

in the day, the most surprising exits mid-Act 1 — because they received very food reviews — were No Man’s Land, with Gielgud and Richardson (solidifying my opinion that I hate Pinter); Rosencrantz…, with the original cast, because I was bored to tears; and Ulysses in Nighttown, with Zero Mostel, again because I was bored to tears.

i saw a lot of bad shows, but only managed to leave a few times, all many years ago: Jimmy, Dr. Jazz, Copperfield, all horrible.

i also left, and regret leaving, Assassins at Studio 54, because I was tired and I realized that I was just not in the mood for it.  I did not wait for intermission, if there was one.

i also walked out of a ‘pre-Broadway’ run of a show about Josephine Baker that was previewing in Sarasota, FL.  Had it made it to NYC, it would have been a legendary flop.

[seaweedjstubbs]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 3:49pm

I think I’ve only ever left one show at intermission. AVENUE Q at New World Stages. But it wasn’t because of the show itself. 

I was killing time sitting outside by Blockheads (RIP) when an older gentleman approached me. He said, “Would you like a free ticket to AVENUE Q? I’ve been trying to give it away, but everyone’s treating me like a creep.” That should’ve been my first clue NOT to take the ticket, but I was a broke recent college graduate, so a free ticket to a show was just too good to pass up, so I took it.

Little did I know that this man had a habit of doing this - buying two tickets, then offering one to a young guy. When I got to my seat, he was there in the seat next to me. I could tell something was a little off from the questions he was asking me. I tried to be as polite as possible, but I was starting to feel uncomfortable. Then the show started, and he was still trying to talk to me during the show. I could see him looking at me out of the corner of my eye. Anytime anything sexual happened onstage, he’d make a comment to me. Needless to say, I did not want to sit next to this guy much longer.

After Act I, I went to the lobby to charge my phone which had died. I’d thought about just asking an usher if I could change seats for Act II, but then the guy came out and found me and tried to offer me a keychain for some reason. When I didn’t react the way he wanted me to, he got angry and said, “Nothing I do is good enough, is it?” That’s when I decided that I didn’t feel safe staying for the rest of the show, so I waited until my phone had enough charge to get me home, then I left.

Lesson learned. Be careful who you accept free tickets from, kids.

[merle57]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 3:51pm

In the middle of Act One, of the national tour in 1963 (yes Joel Grey and Julie Newmar)  I went to the box office and announced:  Stop the World --  I Want to Get Off ... and want a refund -- and got it. The other walk out was mid-first act of Pump Boys and the Dinettes. 

I wanted to walk out on Topol in Baker's Wife, but loved Patti Lupone's singing  so much in act one that I stayed for her - and she was worth it.   

I stayed in horror at Lestat because it was one of the worst shows I have ever seen, but I just could not fathom it could get any worse in act two -- but it did. Much, much worse in act two. I felt so badly for the actors, all of whom were very talented but stuck in a terrible show. 

Other shows worthy of walking out on: Mambo Kings, Lennon, 1491, Gone With the Wind tryout, Camelot revival with Robert Goulet as Arthur, Slava's Snowstorm, Deer Rose, Dumas and Son, Odyssey (Home Sweet Homer), the recent Some Like It Hot tour, and the musical version of A Christmas Story. 

Updated On: 4/20/25 at 03:51 PM

[quizking101]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 4:34pm

I’ve never done it but oh boy have I come really close, especially in recent years. Usually, I’ll end up nodding off because, then if something exciting happens, at least I’ll be partially re-engaged.

This season, I almost left ROMEO AND JULIET (annoying and directionless), ONCE UPON A MATTRESS (tedious and a waste of talent), and last night FLOYD COLLINS (my companion tapped out at intermission, but I wanted to see if it got better and also hear “How Glory Goes”)

[AFrost3]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 4:42pm

King Kong. My friend and I TDF’d it. We saw the monkey and then we felt we could go. It was really painful. 

[Dreamboy3]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 4:43pm

Countless Broadway shows. The only one I felt bad about was Travesties - I guess Stoppard is a recurring theme here - because it was an excellent production but I had absolutely no idea what was going on.

The two shows that I made my earliest exit from were The Play That Goes Wrong (10 minutes) and Home (15 minutes). There wasn’t anything even remotely amusing about the former and the latter because I couldn’t understand a word the actors were saying given Kenny Leon’s “let’s have the actors say their lines as fast as possible” directorial style. 
 

Most of the shows I’ve walked out of were part of a subscription where I had no  interest in seeing the show in the first place. It stings a bit less given that the tickets were less expensive.  

[sondheimfan2]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 5:56pm

Mrs. Doubtfire. Enough said.

 

[KarenValentine'sheadband]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 5:57pm

Allegiance. Not because I wanted to but my husband couldn't take it anymore. I liked it and wanted to stay. 

 

I would have walked out on the last revival of Oklahoma but the rest of my friends wanted to stay. 

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 6:34pm

I accidentally bought tickets to a sing-along performance of & Juliet in the West End which ended up being my personal Hell. 

[CJRochester]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 7:20pm

Girl from the North Country is the only Broadway show I've left at intermission. I hated the show and wasn't feeling my best. It was a matinee and I had another play booked that evening. I decided my time would be better spent taking a good nap before my evening show. I didn't regret that decision. 

[jpbran]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 8:07pm

I left “The Life” at intermission in the late 90s. Tour of “Jekyll & Hyde” too. More recently bailed halfway thru “Flying Over Sunset.” Oh, and left halfway thru a packed, stacked-cast revival of Hurlyburly in ‘05 at the recently renovated Theater Row. I’m pretty tall but couldn’t see a thing. Strangest seating configuration ever with zero rise… trying to look around the heads in front of us made the people behind us huffy and that went in a wave… everyone was annoyed. “Nobody had a good seat!”

[MinNY1414]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 9:11pm

The only show I left at intermission was Clay & Reuben’s Christmas Special. Got free tickets, the crowd was already light, and at intermission I looked at my friend and we both decided our time was better spent elsewhere. Based on the streams of people heading out and away from the theatre, I’m guessing Act II had a small audience. 
 

Now the number of times I should have left at intermission…is sadly a long list. And the most unforgiving are the times I wish I could have left but there was no intermission. 

[Voter]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 9:38pm

I have left the following shows at intermission:

 

Between the Lines, Pal Joey (NYCC), Harmony Fiddler on the Roof (Paper Mill Playhouse), Jelly’s Last Jam (NYCC), Cabaret

[The Other One]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 9:41pm

Only once, and it was off-Broadway.  Red Roses, Green Gold, a feeble Grateful Dead jukebox musical at the Minetta Lane. 

[Robbie2]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 9:49pm

Leap of Faith starring Raul Esparza and we should have left at intermission during Lempicka. Hearing Eden Espinosa struggling to sing especially "Woman Is" coupled with being flat along with pitch issues it was torture to sit through. We wanted to flee at intermission but hung in there for Act 2 - no comment!

Updated On: 4/20/25 at 09:49 PM

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 9:55pm

Never did this before with a paid tix — only once with a comp because I started to feel exhausted that night, had no friends / acquaintances to greet afterwards, and I didn't want to stretch myself any further. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 10:26pm

Yes. Maybe 10 times in my whole life. All have had different reasons and it’s rarely because the show is *awful*…bad day in the personal life, or tiredness, or once was because it was a gorgeous day outside and the play was middling.

I’d never do it on comps when the goal is to fill those specific seats.

[raddersons]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 10:29pm

Left the LCT Uncle Vanya at intermission. It was a Saturday matinee in May and it was one of the first beautiful days last year and my friends were just a few blocks away in the sheep’s meadow. Decided I would rather sit in the sun and be happy than sit in the dark and listen to Russians be depressed.

I’ve left MANY a city center show. Sometimes the point is that the show is flawed even if a score is great, but audiences still need to sit thru them. Since changing artistic directors their hit rate is much higher.

The Chavkin directed Light Shining in Buckinghamshire at NYTW back in 2018 was the most unbearably boring thing I’ve ever sat through in my entire life. I just turned to my friend as soon as the lights went up for intermission, we nodded, and left without saying a word. 

[BentleyB]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 10:38pm

I have left two Broadway shows at intermission.   “Burn This” at which I fell asleep 3 times in the first act and “Tina! The Tina Turner Musical” which just bored me to tears.   I wish I would have left the revival of “Tommy” which I really didn’t see most of because of the horrendous sight lines.

[Melissa25]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 10:52pm

I fled Fiddler at the Minskoff with its replacement cast. Oy.  Ran from Arcadia.  I know that I’ll be literally stoned for saying this but I could not even make it to the intermission at Stereophonic and left at the first pause. 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 11:14pm

The Doctor at Park Avenue Armory. Deadly! 
(And fell asleep during Sondheim on Sondheim.)

Updated On: 4/20/25 at 11:14 PM

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 11:21pm

Melissa25 said: "I fled Fiddler at the Minskoff with its replacement cast. Oy. Ran from Arcadia.I know that I’ll be literally stoned for saying this but I could not even make it to the intermission at Stereophonic and left at the first pause."


I didn’t get Stereophonic at all.

[gibsons2]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 11:55pm

Left Phantom and Cabaret at intermission. Wanted to leave Illinoise so badly within first 5 minutes, but couldn't stomach to face the ushers who were standing two feet away from me (I was in the aisle side seat). The most difficult and insufferable two hours in the theater ever. 

Updated On: 4/20/25 at 11:55 PM

[SweetLips22]

Posted: 4/21/25 at 1:47am

I've left more times than I've stayed---the reason I always sit at the end of a row.

I now have that terrible reputation for not staying, I just get bored and I'd rather be at home with a book. At least I make the effort and pay for my ticket. Stayed for Follies, Rag Time HATED Sister Act.

 

[MorrisLACat]

Posted: 4/21/25 at 1:59am

Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles:

• Fiasco Theater production of INTO THE WOODS; Ahmanson Theatre (May 2017).  

Low quality production.  Costumes were purchased at a thrift shop.  This production was revived to cash-in from the success of the film adaption. I wanted to leave at intermission, but stayed to the end for salvation. I didn't find it.  High school and college productions were better.

 

• THE SECRET GARDEN; Ahmanson Theatre (February 2023)

I saw the National Tour in the 1990s at the Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles, so I looked forward this "re-imagined" production.  I read the children's novel by Francis Burnett years ago, then I studied the novel in college as part of my English literature class in the late 1990s. I asked myself, "Did the Director and his team read this children's novel?", because he turned this story into a gay man's fantasy of a hetero love triangle, rather focused on the protagonist.  This production was suppose to a pre-broadway engagement, so what happened?  Go figure.  I walked out at intermission.

 

• A TRANSPARENT MUSICAL; Mark Taper Forum (May 2023) 

Wrong Theatre. Wrong target audience. I walked out at intermission.

 

** My tickets were comped on a Wednesday evening performance.**

 

Updated On: 4/21/25 at 01:59 AM