Have you ever overheard funny comments in the audience?

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 12:01am

I was wondering if anyone has overheard audience members commenting on the show/performer etc during a show and thought, what the ****?
I don't mean so much comments about the quality of the show or the performer but just general ones (like when they are asking their partner something about the plot or are trying to explain something).

I think I had a classic one during Aida today! I had the 'pleasure' of sitting next to someone today who surely made me giggle.
In the middle of the 2nd act when Nehebka gives herself in to save Aida she goes: 'I am Aida'! The guy next to me turns around to his girlfriend and asks 'That's not Aida, is it?' and his girlfriend replies 'I think so'!!!!

WHAT???

QM

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 12:04am

LMAO. That's funny.

The best time is going to see Rent next to/in front of someone who's never heard of it before. Honestly, I love it as much as the next person, but if you're not familiar with the plot and you miss some of the lyrics (which is easy in a through-composed musical), it's very easy to get screwed up. Apparently through the course of the show, Mimi, Maureen, Collins, Roger and Mark were all related some how while also being (ex)lovers - so it became a social commentary on the incestuous nature of '90s New York City. I kid you not.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 12:04am

Well, this isn't really a "comment" but when I saw POTO with school, during some applause after a song, a person from my school a couple of seats away from me yelled "boner." Not too loud. We were in the mezz so luckily none of the actors could hear us. As rude as it was, I couldn't help laughing a bit.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 12:06am

The musical: Company
The time: 3 months ago
The place: Texas
The scene: April and Robert's love scene
The people: A couple in the row in front of me

Man: "Honey, are they suppossed to seem like they're having sex on that there stage?"

Woman: "Yes, dear, I think that is what is going on."

Man: "I thought there was some kinda federal law against indencency on stage."

Woman: "It's acting dear."

Man: "Well, I think it is inappropriate. Bush should pass a law against it. Damn hippies with their sex plays. But, I wouldn't mind being that guy up there."

Woman: "What, dear?"

Man: ::odd sound that I couldn't make out::

Posted: 7/30/04 at 12:07am

I think the best was an old lady who was sitting behind me in a horribly bad bad bad production of Diary of Anne Frank.... she leaned over to her seat mate and said "Thank God They Found Her.. what a whinny thing she was."


I was horrified and laughing the whole time.

[OhSoWicked]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 12:09am

Just something silly...my boyfriend was reading the Wicked playbill before the show started and he had just skimmed it (not a theatre lover like myself, he was only reading it because I was reading it cover to cover)...and he was like WHO IS IDA MENDEZ? IS SHE THE LEAD? I was like wow, way to completely butcher her name dear

[Alix7272]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 12:13am

when i saw avenue q, in the bathroom at intermission someone was like "i don't get it. am i missing something" - they didn't really know what they were getting into apparently. and then when it was over the person behind us goes "i don't see it. wicked should definately have won best musical"

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 12:17am

When I was sitting front row center during Aida, the snarky people behind me were loudly making comments about Schele Williams...curvateous belly that's bared for her costume. During a quiet scene. About 10-15 feet away from the actors. Who I'm sure could hear every word. Not cool. Not even funny. But sometimes astonishing at how little tact a lot of people have. I turned around and gave them **** during intermission.

On a lighter note, I can take credit for causing Idina and Kristin to laugh during a blooper in Popular. Once they finally got their marbles together, there was quiet for about 5 seconds for them to get back into character, and my friend and I choked back another guffaw, and they hear us, looked at us and started laughing all over again. Granted, it seems like these ladies would laugh at anything. So I guess I'm not that special.

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 12:21am

I also remember walking out of the theatre after having seen Notre Dame De Paris (not too sure how many of you 'experienced' this show) in London when one lady said to her friend:
'You know, the guy in the blue coat (Gringoire) he represented all of us... mankind... (dramatic pause).... He showed us how we really are, good, evil, but still having this wonderful distance to all of it!!!'

And there was me, thinking he was just the ordinary narrator!! After hearing her comments, I quietly went home and thought about them for weeks!!!!

QM

[Rose_MacShane]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 12:26am

Okay, this wasn't a musical, but I simply can't resist sharing this with you from when my parents saw "Philadelphia": Over the title sequence is a montage of landmarks in Philadelphia, and right in the beginning there is a shot of a bridge and some moron sitting behind them said, quite loudly, "There's the Golden Gate Bridge." Hmm, last time I checked, the Golden Gate Bridge was in *California*.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 12:26am

"'You know, the guy in the blue coat (Gringoire) he represented all of us... mankind... (dramatic pause).... He showed us how we really are, good, evil, but still having this wonderful distance to all of it!!!'"

Huh? Lol.

[AnothaPartofMe]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 12:28am

During FOOTLOOSE... the scene where Reverend Moore almost slaps his daughter in the face right before "Can You Find it Your Heart"...

Rev. Shaw raises his hand to smack Ariel very violently, and an old woman three rows in front of me yells, "OH MY!!!!".

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 12:29am

Yes, I thought one of you guys could explain to me the 'real meaning' of the 'guy in the blue coat'. I still don't know!!!

QM

[M J R]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 12:31am

Not a funny thing, but definitely something I'll always remember.

I was the title role in a production of Floyd Collins about 2 years ago. After the show one night, a lady was waiting outside to meet me. When she saw me come out, she BURST into tears and said "I promise I'm not crazy - I just was not going to be able to go home until I could hug you and see that you were ok...." She was trying to get it together the whole time and I talked with her about the show and the "real guy" for a while - It was a memorable moment.

[Rose_MacShane]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 12:32am

"Yes, I thought one of you guys could explain to me the 'real meaning' of the 'guy in the blue coat'. I still don't know!!!"

My bet is, he was just the narrator. Sometimes people read too much into things.

[lvpblues]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 12:32am

I was at the final performance of Gypsy back in May and at the conclusion of the curtain call as we were leaving the theater, a group of women in their sixties were talking about how great Bernadette was and one of the them said, "Oh, she's gonna win the Tony for sure!". The rest all nodded in agreement as I was forced to stifle my laughter.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 12:39am

At least they didn't say "the Oscar".

[shesings]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 12:41am

She's probably going to win the oscar too though. Maybe she'll even get NCAA award. It was a pretty powerful performance.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 12:46am

Or Grammy or Emmy.

[broadwaybaby654]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 1:04am

I saw the tour of Chicago and there were two women sitting in front of me snickering to each other the whole performance. When it was intermission, one of them said to the other, "Do you want to leave?, this is horrible and nothing like the movie and they added too many songs".

[Bret]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 1:06am

My parents saw the tour of "The King and I" with Sandy Duncan. Apparently, at one point when Anna is basically telling the King off, a lady shouted "You go girl!" very loudly! The cast kept laughing for a few minutes, with the rest of the audience doing the same.

[morosco]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 2:45am

One of the funniest things I've overheard was during an intermission of Pinter's BETRAYAL. Husband turns to wife and says "can we leave now or do you want to stay for Act II to see how it BEGINS?".

[BalletGirl85]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 2:54am

When I saw the Music Man, this little boy didn't have a clue what was going on and his dad kept whispering and saying how he was in love with Marian. There was a scene that involved Harold, Marian and Winthrop, and Marian leaves so it's just Harold and Winthrop standing next to each other, or something.

Boy: Is that the one he loves?
Dad: Yes.
Boy: Was he gonna kiss her?
Dad: I don't know.
Boy: Well she left, so now he's gonna kiss that little boy!

Of course, the dad was embarrassed as hell and the little boy was as loud as hell, and everyone within our section of the theater overheard and was cracking up. He was the cutest little boy, and as annoying as little kids are at shows, he was really and truly interested in the story and would jump up and down and gasp and applaud so loudly, so I'm glad he was enjoying himself.

When I saw Millie, during the Speed Test, someone behind me was singing...

"Amy Heggins doesn't matter, matter, matter, matter, matter"

Amy Heggins was an Ensemble member in the show and I had no idea who was behind me or WHY they were singing that, lmao, but it was funny. I laughed.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 3:09am

This was more seen than heard...

But at an amateur performance of Annie, a little girl ran on stage from the audience during Miss Hannigan's 'Little Girls' number. The girl kicked her in ths shin then ran off screaming while her mom frantically chased her.

It was ironic, considering the song it happened during...

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 7/30/04 at 5:28am

That's too funny about Miss Hannigan. What was the reaction of the actress playing her? And by "amateur," do you mean high school or some loftier production with people who usually don't act?

Btw, if you're the person in that photograph, StickToPriest, I've got to say that you must have one of the cutest faces ever there was...