Loudest gasp you've heard in the theatre- Page 2

[Wildcard]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 1:16pm

The Woman in Black, after the flashlight goes out

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 1:34pm

The ending of AMERICAN SON. We only watched the movie but the gasp from my family was insane. Absolutely heart wrenching.

[B.JAMES]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 1:52pm

Wildcard said: "The Woman in Black, after the flashlight goes out"

I would like to think I gasped loudly. However, I have come to the conclusion that I legitimately screamed.

[Hot Pants]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 1:56pm

I want to post something, but how do I get the spoiler filter to do so?

Updated On: 2/12/20 at 01:56 PM

[JustAnotherNewYorker]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 2:14pm

Hot Pants said: "I want to post something, but how do I get the spoiler filter to do so?"

Write the rest of your post, click the little + in a box on top of the editor, and in the spoiler box write your spoiler.

 

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Like this

 

[bwayrose7]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 2:20pm

Near the end of Act 1 of Hamilton. Inebriated lady next to me gasps at a random, unrelated moment, leans over to her seat mate and loud-whispers “OH! She’s PREGNANT!”

[Lot666]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 2:40pm

I (much to my regret) did not see the show, but I once saw a bootleg of the finale between Laura and Percival in The Woman in White, and...

 

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...the train startled the heck out of people.

 

[orph3us]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 2:51pm

At Hamilton, when George Washington entered for the first time, this (probably intoxicated) woman who was seated in front of me loudly said to her son ”YOU NEVER TOLD ME GEORGE WASHINGTON IS ACTUALLY BLACK? WAIT THEY’RE ALL BLACK!!!!” The kid, mortified whispered ”mom they're all black!” and she loudly gasped. It was uncomfortable for everyone hahaha.
As for appropriate gasping, as previously mentioned, the end of Hadestown, and also the end of Act 1 of the Prom

Posted: 2/12/20 at 2:56pm

The line in Spring Awakening when it becomes clear Wendla is pregnant.

The “twist” in Bright Star also apparently got gasps despite being pretty obvious to most people.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 3:04pm

B.JAMES said: "Wildcard said: "The Woman in Black, after the flashlight goes out"

I would like to think I gasped loudly. However, I have come to the conclusion that I legitimately screamed."

One of my fondest memories is seeing a matinee of this with a bunch of screaming school kids on a field trip. I’ll never forget when after the show a schoolgirl, frantically playing with her hair, exclaimed, “I’ve never been so scared in my life!” The English accent tickled me.

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 3:05pm

jvoom said: "I've been looking through the playbills I've collected over the years and got to thinking ... what plot twist/special effect etc. you have witnessed in a theatre has solicited the loudest gasp?

Spoilers ahead!

I think the biggest I've encountered was during the Donmar Warehouse production of "Appropiate" when

 

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... in the middle of the argument scene, Ainsley comes running down the stairs in the KKK hood.

"

 

 

 

That made me gasp when I simply read the script. Same goes for the Act I finale of GLORIA.

 

Also, when I saw The Band's Visit, in "Answer Me", when the entire cast sings in unison. I think I've ever been brought to tears by thirteen people harmonizing before.

 

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 3:08pm

 

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When Felix reveals that he has AIDS as the end of the first act of The Normal Heart. 

[Enjolras5]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 3:08pm

There's a bunch that I've heard but especially in the productions of Les Misérables I've seen people always gasp when 

 

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Gavroche gets shot the first time because it's so sudden and heartbreaking.

 

[AllThatJazz2]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 3:30pm

broadway86 said: "Quinn's fatal decision near the end of The Ferryman. It was amazing."

100%. Both times I saw it, the collective gasp of the audience was huge. Never felt anything like it. 

Also concur with those who mentioned the end of Hadestown. 

[Det95]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 3:32pm

I made a trip to London this summer to see the original production of Les Mis before it closed as I had only ever seen the new staging. When I saw the barricade come together for the first time I gasped. Pure theatre magic. 

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 3:49pm

There was a time, earlier in the run, and still happened near me last year where the ending, and each time a character from "The Wizard of Oz" is "created" in Wicked that there would be a gasp of it all coming together.

Also, in additon to the yelling and talking back to the performers, there were some gasps when I saw the original tour of 'The Color Purple" back in the mid 2000's. 

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 3:57pm

Not a live musical, but in the same vein the one that I can remember...

 

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When I saw La La Land in the cinema and Mia's husband came out and it wasn't Sebastian.

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 4:14pm

It was interesting to see Next to Normal early in previews at Second Stage through closing on Broadway because the level of the gasp when Gabe's secret is revealed went from a giant collective gasp to only one or two people in the audience by closing. 

I remember two in August:Osage County that always happened. The "I'M RUNNING THINGS NOW!" and later when Little Charles's secret comes out. 

[Wildcard]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 4:25pm

When Margaret walks in at the end of act one in The Light in the Piazza

[sittingovation]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 4:31pm

THAT SCENE in DEATHTRAP.  I've never, nver, never, heard an audience scream and jump out of fright.  I saw the show twice and the reaction was always the same.  For those who haven't witnessed it...I don't want to spoil it for you.

[DiscoCrows]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 4:37pm

This one is a bit less serious, but in Mean Girls, when Gretchen reveals that Regina George and Shane Oman are “both in the lion suit” at the very end of Revenge Party and they start moving around. Definitely some gasps from the older folks in the theatre, but lots of laughter. Hilarious.

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 4:39pm

End of Act 3 of The Ferryman

End of Act 1 of Grand Horizons. People around me were discussing for the entire intermission.

Network: 

 

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The scene where he runs through the audience. It starts with a loud noise and everyone around me was gasping.

Also at the end when it becomes clear they were using a body double

 

[Esther Blodgett]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 5:03pm

Deathtrap.

Total agreement.

[amaklo]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 5:42pm

The transformation of the decrepit stage into Loveland in the original Follies.  No CGI, no projections, just the genius of Boris Aronson, assisted by Sondheim's fanfare.  When the lights came up, the audience gasped, then cheered.

[morosco]

Posted: 2/12/20 at 5:54pm

I would love to see a first class revival of DEATHTRAP with Bryan Cranston as Sidney.

Updated On: 2/12/20 at 05:54 PM