Have you ever...

#1

Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 1:26am

Have you ever walked out of a show? If so, why?

Just curious since I sat through a rather painful production tonight (local, not Broadway), and I attended another production last week where about 10 people walked out before the first act was over.

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So, that was the Drowsy Chaperone. Oh, I love it so much. I know it's not a perfect show...but it does what a musical is supposed to do. It takes you to another world, and it gives you a little tune to carry with you in your head for when you're feeling blue. Ya know?

#2

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 1:33am

Nope - I know how offended I would be if I saw someone walked out or didn't return if I was in a show. I saw a rather painful production of Jekyll and Hyde recently, but I sat it out. And I sat through the recent 42nd Street tour which was horrible. I was looking for a blunt object to thrust at myself because it was so insanely bad and boring. But to answer the question, no.

#3

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 1:35am

Yes. It was a local production of The Pajama Game. It was so HORRIBLE. I will never look at that show the same way again.

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What the puck?!

#4

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 1:36am

I have never nor will ever walk out of a show. I think that's the general answer you'll get on a board like this, since we are all theater affecionados. I think those who walk out are completely rude to the actors who put a lot of time and effort into the show. Why not "suffer it out" and watch the show til the end?

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"Champagne makes me drowsy!"

WORDS TO LIVE BY:

As we stumble along on life's funny journey. As we stumble along into the blue. We look here and we look there, seeking answers anywhere. Never sure of where to turn or what to do.

Still we bumble our way through life's crazy labyrinth. Barely knowing left from right nor right from wrong. And the best that we can do is hope a blue bird, will sing his song as we stumble along.

#5

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 1:37am

I agree. I think it's horribly rude. I seriously pondered it tonight, but I still feel that the cast and crew, even in less than enjoyable productions, work really hard. I'm especially upset when people get up and leave in the MIDDLE of an act. Can we not wait until intermission?

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So, that was the Drowsy Chaperone. Oh, I love it so much. I know it's not a perfect show...but it does what a musical is supposed to do. It takes you to another world, and it gives you a little tune to carry with you in your head for when you're feeling blue. Ya know?

#6

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 1:38am

No, because as a performer, I would find it horrible if someone walked out on me. I've seen (and been in some) pretty bad performances, but you never know what is going on backstage. It could be that the actors have more potential than the director or show. The only time I have ever left a show was when I had to be somewhere else and couldn't stay for the 2nd act. I feel it neccessary to support every effort, no matter how horrible. I know how difficult it is just to get up there.

#7

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 1:42am

No, but I would have had it been two acts.

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"What a mystery this world. One day you love them and the next day you want to kill them a thousand times over." The Masked Bandit in THE FALL

#8

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 1:44am

I walked out of a regional production of Man of La Mancha who THANK GOODNESS had added an intermission.

Just about the only person in that cast who could sing was the Padre, but that wasn't enough to make me stay. Plus, it was an outdoor theatre and it was getting too damn cold.

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"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt

#9

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 1:45am

By the way, I walked out during intermission, not in the middle of the show. So it wasn't THAT rude...

But seriously. If you would've seen that production, you'd go, "HARRY CONNICK, COME SAVE ME!"

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What the puck?!

#10

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 2:21am

I agree that walking out of a show at intermission is rude, but sometimes it really is deserved. Out of the countless shows I've seen, I've only left at a couple. Usually I'll stick it out.

#11

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 2:36am

I really was tempted to walk out of Movin' Out, but for the reasons listed above, I didn't. Let me defend that though: it was a great show, just not my cup of tea. I love Billy Joel music. I love dancing. But if I had known that that was all the show consisted of, I wouldn't have bought a ticket. I just knew it did not suit me, and felt out of place there. But I stuck it out! Damn right. :)

#12

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 2:58am

No. I find walking out of a show to be incredibly rude. I have been to many shows that I did not like at all, but I know how it feels to look into an audience and watch people leave or see more empty seats than there were before and it is not a good feeling.

#13

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 3:35am

thevolleyballer - ugh-oh, Movin' Out is coming here in this next season and I'm going to see it. But I'm not a big fan of just dancing. I saw 42nd Street as I said abovie and I hated it. I hope I like it. Either way, I won't be leaving. For me, it's too much money for me to spend and then just leave. I feel like i'm wasting my money, so I'd rather just sit it out, even if the Jekyll can't freakin' sing a lick! He sounded like the guy from Creed up there singing.

#14

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 4:03am

I almost walked out on two shows. One being a high school production of Chicago, it was horrible. The people with me with wanted to stay to see how bad the second act would be though. It was really hard not to walk out, thankfully i didnt pay. Also i wanted to walk out of Doctor Dolitte, but it was 90 minutes no intermission and i didnt want to walk out in the middle.

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Yes, I know my profile name is spelled incorrectly. That's what happens when you don't spell check and just push done. I wear it as a reminder to spell check.

Updated On: 6/23/06 at 04:03 AM

#15

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 6:51am

No, but it was a close call when I saw NOTRE DAME DE PARIS in London. The only reason that made me stay for the act II was the tickets cost a fortune so I thought the show must get better towards the end.

It didn't.

#16

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 8:00am

I haven't done it yet, but I'm not completely against walking out at a "polite" time. If it was really that bad.

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"This table, he is over one hundred years old. If I could, I would take an old gramophone needle and run it along the surface of the wood. To hear the music of the voices. All that was said." - Doug Wright, I Am My Own Wife

#17

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 9:25am

If some performers are so busy watching the audience to see who walks out then perhaps they're the reason people are walking out

#18

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 9:48am

"Why not "suffer it out" and watch the show til the end?"

Because paying money to 'suffer' is idiotic.

Besides, if I pay to be abused, it won't be in a theatre.

#19

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 9:50am

I've never walked out of a show, but my parents almost walked out when they saw Movin' Out.

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"I believe in truth, beauty, freedom, but above all things, I believe in love."- Moulin Rouge

#20

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 9:51am

I'm always afraid if I leave, they'll pull it together in Act 2.

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If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

#21

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 12:27pm

I did once. I saw a horrifying Velma in Chicago and left at intermission. I'd never done that before.

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"You're every gay man's wet dream!" ~ MA

If in Heaven you don't excel, you can always party down in hell...

#22

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 12:32pm

I actually fell asleep durng "Swing" on broadway. Never again will I just say 'yes' to free tickets.

#23

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 1:22pm

I've been thinking some more on this. I just don't walk out of anything, movies, theater, public speeches. If I paid money for a ticket, I'm not walking out. I just think it's rude. I remember seeing the movie version of Rent in Salt Lake City. All these older couples got up and walked out during "Out Tonight." They had to climb over everyone else in the row. To me, that's rude. Same thing in theater, but even more so. You're walking out while actors are up there acting their hearts out, and you're stepping on other ticket-buyers' feet just to get out of a "terrible" show. Again, I saw "suffer it out" and wait til the bitter end.

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"Champagne makes me drowsy!"

WORDS TO LIVE BY:

As we stumble along on life's funny journey. As we stumble along into the blue. We look here and we look there, seeking answers anywhere. Never sure of where to turn or what to do.

Still we bumble our way through life's crazy labyrinth. Barely knowing left from right nor right from wrong. And the best that we can do is hope a blue bird, will sing his song as we stumble along.

#24

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 1:32pm

I've walked out of two shows. The first was a national touring company of "Meet Me in St. Louis" at the Wilmington Playhouse in Delaware. It just didn't work and was just too painful to sit through. The second time was a Broadway preview of "Jane Eyre." A few weeks later, after it had opened, a friend "surprised" me with tickets to see it. I went again because I didn't want to hurt her feelings and was pleasantly surprised to find that the show had been "fixed"! It is now one of my favorite shows and I play the OBC all the time. Marla Schaffel is awesome.

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Criticism is prejudice made plausible. -- H.L. Mencken

#25

re: Have you ever...

Posted: 6/23/06 at 1:42pm

You know at the movie theatre you can leave and get a refund after the first 20 minutes. (I would have left Tarzan for $100.00) Also if you don't like a restaurant after you are seated, you don't have to stay and eat the food. I hate how actor-sensitive everyone is on this board. I appreciate the job everyone does from the cleaning lady at my office to the president (gag). Apparently there is a fine line between being rude and politely declining