Have you ever left a show at intermission?- Page 2

[quizking101]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 10:03am

At NEXT TO NORMAL...I saw 10 people leave at intermission and I was shocked and wondered why. An usherette told me that the general reason people leave at intermission is that the material becomes too emotional for them...

I also saw droves of people leave NEXT FALL (and it was a Wednesday matinee so not many were there to start).

I personally have never had enough cause to even consider leaving a show. Every show I have seen I have thoroughly enjoyed (Even ALL ABOUT ME)

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 10:04am

Memphis

[AC126748]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 10:11am

Here's a brief list of the ones I can remember:

Stuff Happens
Mary Poppins
Trumpery
Carmen (the Zeffirelli production at the Met)
The Seagull (CSC production; was tempted to leave the overrated Broadway production as well)
Les Miserables (Broadway revival)
Two Thousand Years

[JustAGuy]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 10:13am

BILLY BISHOP GOES TO WAR - Simply didn't like it.

THE CAPEMAN - The stagecraft was just so poor.



There have been others,(I just can't remember off the top of my head what they were)I don't feel an obligation to stay until the bitter end if I'm not liking something. I would have walked on FELA but the person I was with wanted to see if it would get better. It didn't.

[wdwfreak]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 10:20am

I was really tempted to leave the Lion King at intermission, but stayed. And at Exit the King, I had no idea what was going on, but Geoffrey Rush's performance made me stay. Otherwise, I have enjoyed myself at every other show I have seen.

[tommigyrl5]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 10:23am

I DESPERATELY wanted to leave:

Urinetown
Spelling Bee
(I know I'm probably the only one who hated those two shows)

Mary Poppins
Hot Feet
Wedding Singer
Memphis

But I just kept reminding myself - its not the actors fault if the material they've been given is crap. I've acted in some poorly written (new) plays and some VERY poorly directed plays so I will tough it out in solidarity.

Updated On: 7/7/10 at 10:23 AM

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 10:34am

Probably not a good idea to reveal which show you're working on, Tommigyrl5, much less talk about people walking out on it. Lots of people read this board. I think I know who you are, for example. Hope your boss doesn't read this and figure it out as well. Probably wouldn't be happy about it.

Topic? No, never walked out of a show. Even if it's really bad, I can find something good to take away from it - even if it's just bragging rights for having sat through a terrible show. Usually, though, it's a good performance in a terrible show, or maybe a good song or even just a good line. I've already set aside the time, paid the money (or gratefully accepted a comp), so why not see it to the end? It's only a couple of hours.
Updated On: 7/3/10 at 10:34 AM

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 12:36pm

I think I walked out once but for the life of me I can't remember what show it was.

Most recently I was tempted to leave at intermission of "CATS". Even if I have wanted to walk out of a show it would not look good as I have been associated with the performing arts center here for years and now I write for BWW so I wouldn't leave at intermission. My seats are always in the front orchestra so it would be obvious to a lot of people that I left. I too will stay to see if a second act gets better. The hard part is talking to people that work there after a show I wasn't crazy about and trying not to be negative. It is a bit easier now. If they know I am reviewing a show, they tend not to ask me what I thought of the show as I am leaving.

[rjm516]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 12:43pm

I always stay and naively hope that it will improve. Looking back, I wish I left A Catered Affair. (Actually, I wish I didn't go at all.) Also, it would have been nice to see the opening number of A Little Night Music, leave, and come back to hear how CZJ tackled Send in the Clowns. Other than that, no.

[Wishing Only Wounds]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 1:04pm

I never have, although I was tempted to run far away from Spring Awakening after the first hour of that jumping called "choreography."

But I'm always nervous that the first show I leave half way through will have the most miraculous ending in history.

[My Oh My]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 1:10pm

I don't blame you for having left at the Les Mis revival, AC126748.

As much as I love that show, the tinny-sounding travesty in the pit effectively ruined my enjoyment of the show. I only stayed because the cast was wonderful and I love the original staging. Other than that, I wanted to stab my ears, it was that bad.

[Scottsacto]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 1:15pm

Ther first (And probably last National Tour) "Triumph of Sludge", I mean "Triumph of Love".

The original Broadway production of "Glengarry, Glenn Ross" There were so many expletives in the first act-- I just could not get into the story at all.

[quizking101]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 1:20pm

Tommigyrl...Is AMERICAN IDIOT really that bad? I'm considering getting tickets and I don't wanna spend $75-$80 on total s**t...

[fanof many]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 1:26pm

I've never left a show- and living so far from NYC it's a great treat for me to see live performances. Of course some shows and performances are better than others...but I do recall years ago while attending a touring company production of "Master Class" starring Faye Dunaway, many people left at intermission. An older lady I knew well was one who left- the next time I saw her I asked why she and her friends left. She said she thought the show was terrible. Anyone who has seen "Master Class" knows it comes to life in the second half. And I thought Faye Dunaway was wonderful! At the end of show, she received a standing ovation from me and many of the others who stayed.

[BlackCabbiTabbi]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 2:04pm

My thoughts exactly, Here I Am!

[adamgreer]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 2:20pm

Were there an intermission, I'd have left both Amour and A Catered Affair.

[Boredathome]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 2:51pm

I left Thoroughly Modern Millie after the second act during the Chinese-version of "Mammy" For me, it was as if they cut all of the moments in the film that worked and replaced them with mediocre original songs or re-hashed Gilbert and Sullivan. I know a lot of people liked it, but I thought it was boring.

[AudreyTwoTwo]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 3:14pm

I was really tempted to leave at intermission for Pirate Queen, but didn't (hoping it would get a bit better).
I took my friend who really wasn't that theatre-crazy into the city last summer. She wanted to see Rock of Ages. So we wait at TKTS and she says the tickets are too expensive (meanwhile, we ended up paying THAT EXACT price) so we end up at Next to Normal. Now, I'm glad that I went with her because my mom would NEVER have gone. But still. At intermission she was really annoyed at me because of the content. I went in there almost blind, not knowing anything other than it being about a family. Literally.
She ended up loving it when it was over, but still.

[AudreyTwoTwo]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 3:37pm

Quizking- do lotto. My friends and I intend to do Lotto for American Idiot because we want to see John Gallagher (and because I like that album).

I've gotten spoiled since joining TDF, so I don't want to pay anymore than like 50 bucks for anything. lol

[Broadway Bob*]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 3:49pm

I only ever left during RENT (although it was a CRAPtastic community theater production and it was the direction/performances NOT the show!)

I am saddened by the ack of love shown here for A CATERED AFFAIR. It was such beautifully yet intamately written and acted show that so often gets little chance on Broadway these days. It was a nice change. And don't even get me started on the ridiculousness of this being snubbed at the Tonys for that poop that was CRY-BABY!!!

[tgn915]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 6:11pm

I really, really wanted to leave The Little Mermaid after the first 45 seconds but sucked it up for my girlfriend. I did however leave during Town Hall's soap opera star extravaganza thing's intermission. It was painful.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 6:13pm

I left a terrible regional production of The Man of La Mancha.

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 6:17pm

Sessions (Off Broadway). That **** was unbearable.

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 6:28pm

If Red had an intermission I would have highly debated leaving. I also saw Next Fall today and after staying for the 2nd act I wish I would have left. I struggled to make it threw that one.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 7/3/10 at 7:56pm

At a recent performance of EQUUS in East Hampton, I overheard several Hamptonites complaining that the show was "too deep" for them and "required too much thinking". Another felt that Alec Baldwin should "stick to comedy because there are more laughs".

The whole bunch left just as intermission (and their drinks) were ending.