Is it appropriate to "boo" the villains at curtain call?

#1

Is it appropriate to "boo" the villains at curtain call?

Posted: 11/10/13 at 10:47pm

Today I saw the first performance of the Porgy and Bess tour, and during curtain call, many audience members did a sort of "boo hiss" thing for the villainous characters. It was pretty clear that it was a playful appreciation for the actors playing the parts, but it occurred to me that it still might not be considered very appropriate to boo during a curtain call. The actors are not in character, and curtain call is often regarded as a time for the actors to thank the audience. What do you guys think?

(for the record, I'm not outraged or anything. I just think it's an interesting question)

#2

Is it appropriate to

Posted: 11/10/13 at 10:51pm

If it's a kids show & those people are kids sure. Porgy & Bess however is not a kids show and the audience should no better than to boo an actor during a curtain call. It's pretty disrespectful.

#3

Is it appropriate to

Posted: 11/10/13 at 10:53pm

I think any actor would take the booing and hissing with great pride. They performed their villainous role enough to be hated. They did their job, and apparently did it well.

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"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle

Updated On: 11/10/13 at 10:53 PM

#4

Is it appropriate to

Posted: 11/10/13 at 11:09pm

If it's the same actor who played the villain role at the ART and on Broadway, then he was asking to be "booed:" he made a grimace face and kind of snarled playfully at the audience when he came out for his curtain call.

#5

Is it appropriate to

Posted: 11/10/13 at 11:11pm

^it wasn't the same actor. He seemed to be bowing pretty normally. Also it wasn't just Crown. It was Crown, Sportin' Life and also the two white ensemble members. it was pretty crazy.

#6

Is it appropriate to

Posted: 11/10/13 at 11:17pm

I think context is certainly important for this one. As pointed out, a kids' show (or a panto especially, I'd imagine) would be perfectly appropriate for booing the villain. In a typical theatre production, booing would hopefully be a great sign of respect, but if there is a malice to it (or if it is hideously divorced from the perception of quality) then it is disgraceful.

Were they standing and booing? That would be a helpful clarification.

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Words don't deserve that kind of malarkey. They're innocent, neutral, precise, standing for this, describing that, meaning the other, so if you look after them you can build bridges across incomprehension and chaos. But when they get their corners knocked off, they're no good anymore…I don't think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.

#7

Is it appropriate to

Posted: 11/10/13 at 11:25pm

JBroadway - then I agree, that's pretty weird.

#8

Is it appropriate to

Posted: 11/10/13 at 11:37pm

I mean, there's no doubt in my my mind that it was meant in a playful, "good job playing the villain character" kind of way, but I still wonder whether it is an appropriate thing to do.

#9

Is it appropriate to

Posted: 11/10/13 at 11:43pm

This happened on Broadway too. The actor was proud of it, because it showed he performed the character well. Personally, I think it is rude.

#10

Is it appropriate to

Posted: 11/10/13 at 11:47pm

Me too. I thought Phillip Boykin was absolutely incredible, such a powerful opera singer. I stood up when he came out and so many people booed. It was horrible and in such bad taste. He is out of character at that point and he didn't look too happy with it.

#11

Is it appropriate to

Posted: 11/10/13 at 11:52pm

I think it all depends on the piece. In Titanic, David Garrison, as Ismay, was always booed. Anyone playing Gaston in Beauty and the Beast. In those cases the actor(s) not only clearly enjoyed it but also encouraged it.

#12

Is it appropriate to

Posted: 11/11/13 at 1:03am

It's also cultural. Black audiences tend to be more vocal about their feelings while watching live theater. It can often start a chain effect in that patrons who were brought up in the "sit still and be quiet" way of viewing theater may let loose, so to speak, when they see or hear that kind of thing going on around them. Though, that's without know the cultural makeup of your crowd.

Either way, I'm certain the actors you saw that day were very much used to that type of reaction by now, even if Porgy and Bess is the first "black" play they've ever done.

#13

Is it appropriate to

Posted: 11/11/13 at 3:51am

I think it kind of depends on the show, but yeah it happens a fair bit. One of my favorite baddie-booing experiences was in the MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD where the audience is encouraged, and actually forced, to boo and hiss John Jaspar. Will Chase tended to adlib things such as "I live for your hatred!" it was glorious.

#14

Is it appropriate to

Posted: 11/11/13 at 7:24am

John Jasper is another good example, but "I live for your hatred" was not an adlib.

#15

Is it appropriate to

Posted: 11/11/13 at 7:47am

No.

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#16

Is it appropriate to

Posted: 11/11/13 at 8:20am

When I saw Peter Pan, the audience was actually strongly encouraged to boo Captain Hook. Peter even boo'd with the audience. I understand though that this is an extremely kid friendly show and there were lots of kids in the audience, and this was mostly geared towards the kids.

#17

Is it appropriate to

Posted: 11/11/13 at 8:45am

When I saw the Bodyguard in the West End last April the audience definitely booed the actor playing the stalker. He seemed to enjoy it, and Heather kissed him on the forehead after his bow which I thought was a nice tough.

It's far more a British/panto tradition as shown in Drood. One night I booed Will/Jasper so many times, we made eyecontact and he laughed a little.

#18

Is it appropriate to

Posted: 11/11/13 at 10:14am

I can see boo-ing Captain Hook because Peter Pan has a lot of panto qualities. I suppose context is everything - if the applause is tepid and there are boos, it seems to reflect the performance quality. If the applause is the same as for the good guys, the boos do seem like "you did a great job playing an evil character." There were boos of the second type at DROOD when I saw it, but audience participation was so encouraged that it felt positive - very pantomime appropriate.

#19

Is it appropriate to

Posted: 11/11/13 at 10:34am

I guess booing a villain is okay........if you're 12.

#20

Is it appropriate to

Posted: 11/11/13 at 10:39am

Similar thing happened on the Lion King tour with Scar; there was a definite mixture of boos and applause at curtain call. The actor seemed rather pleased when he got booed, though, so I think I agree with the idea that it's not entirely a problem if it's a show with a lot of children in the audience.