People Leaving at Intermission- Page 2

[BobPopa]

Posted: 11/17/17 at 11:46am

I am sorry I have no sympathy, if you leave a show at intermission because you think it's over, you are an idiot. Even "Into The Woods". Especially people over 50, You made it to 50 and never went to a show, high school, or later (I know there are some people but the percentage is insignificant). 

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 11/17/17 at 12:00pm

I was watching "Hugh Jackman: Broadway to Oz" in Melbourne and my fiancé got up to leave during intermission. I watched him collect his stuff wondering what he was doing thinking he couldn't ACTUALLY be leaving.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 11/17/17 at 3:48pm

I think the recent (last decade?) acceleration of new play lengths to 1 Act of 90 minutes or less is a contributing factor...people are getting used to shows getting shorter and shorter, and there being no intermission.  (Accidentally didn't see Act 2?  Reaction: 'Gee, that play had an ambiguous ending...I wonder what they were trying to say?).

What was once a rarity is pretty common.  'House lights have come on...it must be over'.  Hard to believe, but I suspect that Increasingly short attention spans is also a contributing factor.  

Other possible contributors:

   -- Limited experience attending live theater

   -- Not too bright

   -- Wishful thinking ('Thank God we can leave now'

  -- Stressed: 'gotta get back to my texting...the jerks around me got annoyed when I texted during the show'

  -- They didn't look at the Playbill

There have been shows this season where an inexperienced theatergoer might have assumed the show was over after Act 1.  Recent examples: Sunday in  the Park; On Your Feet (I enjoyed this show (once), but doubt that I would have missed anything if I left at intermission...heck, there was even a Conga line at the end); Time and the Conways (I enjoyed this, but could see someone thinking it was over at the end of Act 1...they would have missed a lot, but they would not necessarily have realized it; Cats (if anyone can explain to me why was going on on that stage in either act, I would be obliged...if I cared)

I was at Bandstand just before it closed...went out for intermission and both A Doll's Life and (just as we were going back in) Come From Away were exiting.  ADLP2 was so short (actually less than 80 minutes, per my watch, that -- in the old days -- one could imagine Nora coming back in the second act, having changed her mind.  Since the ratio of shows having no intermission has -- I can't prove, but believe empirically -- dramatically increased, I can imagine that -- depending on the performance -- someone could assume the show is over after Act 1.  Definitely, Sweeney Todd and DEH dos not fall into this category.

 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 11/17/17 at 3:55pm

People who leave at intermission because they think the the show is over are honestly just dumb. Yes, the theatre is a place where you can enjoy yourself and take a break... but that doesn't mean you have to be a lazy, passive theatergoer. Take literally five seconds to research a show before you see it. It's 2017. You don't even have to open your playbill—just Google the show on your phone. Passive theatergoing is just a waste of time.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 11/17/17 at 6:38pm

I wished so hard Brooklyn had an intermission!

 

 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 11/17/17 at 10:34pm

I took my then-eight year old grandson to AN AMERICAN IN PARIS and before the show he chatted nicely with the couple beside him. (I could tell from a glance the were from the Mid-West and it was their 1st time in a Broadway theater). After the first act they got up and shook hands with the boy and told him it was nice talking to him. He asked them why they weren't staying for the 2nd act. They responded that they didn't know there was one.

[RndmAnswrs4RndmQstns]

Posted: 11/17/17 at 10:46pm

If people don’t know that each Broadway show has its own theater and they don’t change shows out every couple of hours (how they would even do that boggles my mind), it honestly doesn’t surprise me that people don’t know what intermissions are.

[GeorgeandDot]

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

^Wait, do people actually think that?

[ChgoTheatreGuy]

Posted: 11/17/17 at 11:20pm

The numerous times that I saw "Wicked" on tour, LOTS of people left at intermission.  The main reason being the thought that it would be more like "The Wizard of Oz", followed by comments like, "Where's the Lion?", "There's no Scarecrow".  I understand that the theatre attracts a certain "type" of people, but honestly, if you read the book, you would know that they are very much characters on the periphery...

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 11/17/17 at 11:36pm

Don’t these people wonder why there was no curtain call ?

That said, I’ve chaperoned many a shows with bored kids who say “you mean it’s STILL not over! UGH!” at intermission.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 11/17/17 at 11:37pm

ChgoTheatreGuy said: "The numerous times that I saw "Wicked" on tour, LOTS of people left at intermission. The main reason being the thought that it would be more like "The Wizard of Oz", followed by comments like, "Where's the Lion?", "There's no Scarecrow". I understand that the theatre attracts a certain "type" of people, but honestly, if you read the book, you would know that they are very much characters on the periphery..."

But they shouldn't have to read the book or research. 

[gypsy101]

Posted: 11/17/17 at 11:44pm

it seems obvious the people we’re speaking of, while not necessarily unintelligent, are not the most informed people (or are possibly foreign). several shows i can understand leaving at intermission because you mostly would receive a finished story; stuff like falsettos, into the woods and sunday itpwg all have pretty complete first acts. other shows people have mentioned leaving at intermission in this thread make no sense; sweeney todd does not get his revenge at all! elphaba is finally becoming wicked but hasn’t gotten anything done really. les miz literally ends with them saying “one day more!” and that wouldn’t make any sense either since all the characters haven’t really done anything yet. i blame bad parenting.

[RndmAnswrs4RndmQstns]

Posted: 11/17/17 at 11:58pm

GeorgeandDot said: "^Wait, do people actually think that?"

Yes. I’ve heard from people who work/have worked at box offices that they get calls like that all the time. People call, wondering if they could get “two tickets to the one that’s playing at 5:00.” I guess people expect it to work like movies.

 

My dilemma with people and situations like this is that I never know if they’re ignorant completely and have never been exposed to theatre (which would at least provide an explanation), or they’re just that unobservant.

[A Canadian in NYC]

Posted: 11/18/17 at 12:03am

Well I’m happy to report that I was at Torch Song tonight and no-one left at intermission. I suspect it was a much more theatre savvy audience being off-broadway. And the show was fantastic - who would want to leave?!

[annang]

Posted: 11/18/17 at 12:28am

BobPopa said: "I am sorry I have no sympathy, if you leave a show at intermission because you think it's over, you are an idiot. Even "Into The Woods". Especially people over 50, You made it to 50 and never went to a show, high school, or later (I know there are some people but the percentage is insignificant)."

Easily half of the people I know, including the ones over 50, have never seen a live theatrical production of any kind. I think those of us who spend time in this rarefied world often don’t think about how far outside the usual experiences of most Americans—not to mention many non-Americans—it is to see theatre. 

[John Adams]

Posted: 11/18/17 at 2:13am

Phantom4ever said: "Don’t these people wonder why there was no curtain call ?"

Well, if they don't know what an intermission is, would they be likely to know what a curtain call is?

[John Adams]

Posted: 11/18/17 at 2:15am

Both in the US and abroad, theme parks and cruise lines hawk their shows using descriptions that imply their patrons are having an experience that is on par with seeing a Broadway show. If your only experience with "Broadway" is a 45-90 minute theme park show (and that could easily be the case for many people throughout the US and the world), you might not expect or know what an intermission is.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 11/18/17 at 2:22am

I always cringe when people leave during the curtian call. It feels disrespectful.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 11/18/17 at 9:59am

ChgoTheatreGuy said: "The numerous times that I saw "Wicked" on tour, LOTS of people left at intermission. The main reason being the thought that it would be more like "The Wizard of Oz", followed by comments like, "Where's the Lion?", "There's no Scarecrow". I understand that the theatre attracts a certain "type" of people, but honestly, if you read the book, you would know that they are very much characters on the periphery..."

I don't know whether you are referring to the original Baum book or to the recent reimagining, only one of which I have read.  Do you REALLY think even 10% of the audience for Wicked has read either book?  I can't decide whether your answer is naive or snarky.  Either way, it is sort of an elitist response.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 11/18/17 at 10:27am

John Adams said: "Both in the US and abroad, theme parks and cruise lines hawk their shows using descriptions that imply their patrons are having an experience that is on par with seeing a Broadway show. If your only experience with "Broadway" is a 45-90 minute theme park show (and that could easily be the case for many people throughout the US and the world), you might not expect or know what an intermission is."

I do remember seeing Hairspray in Las Vegas when my friend was in the company. 90 minutes. No intermission. They felt that was all they could hold the people in a theater with casinos all around.

[Bell0708]

Posted: 11/18/17 at 11:17am

They should just make an announcement that there will be an intermission after the act is over.

[A Canadian in NYC]

Posted: 11/18/17 at 12:25pm

Bell0708 said: "They should just make an announcement that there will be an intermission after the act is over. "

I totally agree with this. Easy solution. My guess is that the theatres don’t know/care.  It’s not a significant enough #. But it would help word of mouth if patrons have actually watched the entire performance! 

[adamgreer]

Posted: 11/18/17 at 12:27pm

I’m surprised no one has yet mentioned Into the Woods as a show people assume is over at intermission (despite the fact that the Narrator shouts “to be continued!”).

[comets]

Posted: 11/18/17 at 12:58pm

Sorry if you can't figure out that there's an intermission you're an idiot. It says it in the playbill and you have to know that the story isn't over. Let's stop babying people. 

[RndmAnswrs4RndmQstns]

Posted: 11/18/17 at 1:56pm

I don’t think people leaving at intermission mistakenly is an enormous problem- not enough to warrant an announcement.

But then again, “Mind the Gap” and “Contents May be Hot” are also things...