Patti Lupone STOPING GYPSY DURING PERFORMANCE — Page 4

Brava for her having the balls to say something about it in a time when theatre etiquette has gone to the wayside. Especially when it seems like no one else is doing anything.

Listening to that was terrifying, haha.

---

- HUH? You're a bootlegger yourself.


Then you're missing the point of what I said. I wasn't condoning anyone for taking pictures, while recording anything.

Foster, you can believe whatever you want, but none of what you said is true. If you have any more issues with me, please PM me. I will say that I would have been just as disgusted if ANYONE had done what Patti did that night.

Broadway Baby 2: what color are we dyeing it? And I'd hardly call theater a "dying art form." Not very positive. Sure a lot of shows have run into trouble the last few months but it's not because theater is a dying art form it's because of the recession and other problems that were inevitably going to affect Broadway. There is a lot of talent on Broadway right now and a lot of new talented writers and directors making their mark nowadays.

And if you're reffering to it "dying" in that the guy was taking pictures and that people go to the theater in sweatpants and a sweatshirt, I love Patti, but no one ASKED her to defend this "dying art form." She is not the spokesperson for what is proper etiquette in the theater and what isn't. Like WICKEDROCKS said, she could have easily walked off stage, the orchestra would have stopped, the lights would have came up and the person would have been escorted out of the theater.

She didn't have to go into full-on ATTACK mode and scream at this person. What he did was clearly wrong but what she did was wrong as well. For someone correcting etiquette, she sure doesn't have the best of etiquette onstage. It's just really unprofessional.

And I find it funny that when WICKED opened and Kristin and Idina broke out of character and laughed at something for about thirty seconds, literally everyone on this board tore them a new one. But Patti can go on a two minute rampage, screaming at an audience member during one of the most iconic moments in theater history, Rose's Turn, and that is ok. It's just odd. What she did was ridiculous.

"Literally everyone"?

Any other ANTM fans? It reminds me of Tyra yelling at Tiffany, especially the "HOW DARE YOU?!!!" part.

For some reason, I can't decide which side is right, because it was unprofessional of her, yet they shouldn't be taking pictures. Imagine yourself being the one getting yelled at by a legendary broadway performer/diva, in a theatre that has three levels filled with people cheering her on.

---

For some reason, I can't decide which side is right, because it was unprofessional of her, yet they shouldn't be taking pictures.

I agree with that, CSonBroadway. I'm, obviously, a very big Patti fan, but I can't say I think she did the right thing. I think she was right in doing something, but I'm sure she could've handled it better. I don't disagree with her motivation for doing it, but I think it was a tad unprofessional of her to handle it the way she did.

However, I do think Patti should be commended. I think that she's amazing for being so vocal about theatre etiquette in a time where it seems to have fallen by the wayside.

oh, and I also can't think of anyone else who would do anything. Patti is Patti. Patti has personality and guts and believes in standing up and saying something. a lot of other performers are too afraid to do that.

---

I kinda agree with bwayboy.

And I have to agree with his comparison to the WICKED giggling thing...it happened during "Popular" during a funny moment and the audience was laughing as well. It's not like during "For Good" they started cracking up. I'd rather watch an actor giggle for 30 seconds (even though I doubt it was that long) than scream like a banshee at an audience member for two minutes. To me, the latter is much more unprofessional. I know I'll be slaughtered for agreeing with bwayboy but I really do.

"it's not going to cause you to stumble around or lose your balance or fall into the orchestra pit."

Wanna bet?

A flash going off during a performance of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC caused me to lose my bearings and fall into the pit during the final waltz. Luckily my partner was strong and she swung me back up on stage before I hit the floor, and without missing a beat.

---

My two cents:

1. I don't care who you are- the theatre has specific rules, and if you can't abide by them, then don't go. It's rude, unsafe and just overall stupid. Who cares if it's the final show of an historic performance... go wait out by the stage door or see them in the lobby if BC/EFA is doing their fundraising. There is a reason for photos being prohibited, least of all because of copywrite laws. Being a performer myself, I've had to deal with idiots taking photos throughout shows even though there are plenty of notices telling them not to. I hate it cause it's distracting no matter how focused you are on your job. Respect the theatre and respect the artists. Do you go to a museum and take photos of the artwork? I don't think so.

2. Ms. Lupone may have overdone it, and I would have handled it differently myself. But when you feel that something needs to be done and you are that angry, it's a split second decision. I would have walked off stage and gone to the SM. But this is what she did, and I think she chose this way in order to make an example of them. This is not an excuse, but more of what I think her reasoning was... I hope they walked out of there ashamed and upset for what they did, but more than likely they left PO'd and annoyed at her for missing the rest of the show.

And for the person who brought up the uselessness of flash photography in the theatre- THANK YOU!!!! I am also a photographer and this is always the first thought that goes through my mind when I see some stupid idiot using a flash!

Even though the show is already closed, this appeared today as a news bulletin on IMDB:

Lupone Stops Broadway Show To Eject Theatregoer

19 January 2009 11:10 AM, PST

Tony Award winning star Patti LuPONE abruptly stopped her performance of Broadway musical Gypsy - to eject a picture-taking theatregoer from the show.

Stunned by a patron who wouldn't stop taking photographs during the second act, the veteran singer/actress demanded the lights be turned on and cameraman escorted out after flashes continued to go off despite previous warnings by production staff.

Lupone stopped singing to unleash: "Stop, stop, stop taking pictures right now. You heard the announcement. Who do you think you are? Get them out. How dare you? Who do you think you are? I won't continue with them taking pictures. Get them out."

To the music of boisterous applause, she continued before bursting back into song: "Turn the lights back on. They're right back there. Three times, three times you took a picture. You heard the announcement in the beginning, you heard the announcement at intermission, who do you think you are? This is a theatre.

"I have to say this: We have forgotten our public manners. And we have forgotten that we are in a community, and this is the theatre, and every single one of you, all of you, except for that person has respect for that. And I and the rest of the company appreciate it."