People Leaving at Intermission- Page 3

[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...

[gypsy101]

Posted: 11/18/17 at 3:41pm

adamgreer, several people have mentioned into the woods

[SamG88]

Posted: 11/18/17 at 5:45pm

annang said: "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."

 

Same for me. I'm from a small town and I would say it's even higher here. About 75% of people have never been to live theatre. Our high school does not have a theatre club or drama department. Most people just vacation at the lake or with family so they wouldn't even be exposed to cruise ship entertainment or Vegas shows. The few people I know who have been to New York did not see a show or have any desire to. This thread reminds me a lot of my time hanging on on running forums. Posters there could not comprehend any human not being able to run a mile in 7-8 minutes because they were surrounded by people in running circles trying to break 5 so 8 minutes seemed like the pace of a senior citizen to them. 

 

 

[cam5y]

Posted: 11/18/17 at 8:04pm

I now understand US politics over the past year.

[Tom5]

Posted: 11/18/17 at 9:00pm

It's my understanding that people only leave at intermission because they can't take anymore. I'm not fussy and like almost everything, or at least parts of almost everything on stage and have never left. (Full disclosure: Once went into a zen state at the 30 minute mark, but my body stayed put out of respect for the actors)

[Speed]

Posted: 11/19/17 at 6:48am

I left Rock of Ages DURING the first act. I just didn't think it was funny. Even though I love that music, I was so glad to be out of there.

[ArtMan]

Posted: 11/19/17 at 11:00am

I have never left a show at intermission for any reason.  I really hope that in 2017, people are more aware and informed that most of the time, there is going to be an Act 2.  However, yesterday, I was given free tickets to a one man show (which was brought in by our Artist Series, so there had to be some credibility to it and the tickets were $77 plus fees) called The Book of MORON.  It was awful.  I so wanted to leave. Unfortunately, there was no intermission, which they announced  and was stated in the playbill.  I had to go to the bathroom really bad.  But I sat there and suffered because I didn't want to disturb anyone else.  Also, there were so few patrons and the theater so small, I think the guy on stage would have noticed I left and didn't come back.  Thank goodness, it was only an 80 minute show.

Updated On: 11/19/17 at 11:00 AM

[annang]

Posted: 11/19/17 at 11:42am

comets said: "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."

I can take an informal poll of people I know, but I would bet that a lot of them don't know what the word "intermission" means, so if they saw it in the playbill, they still might not understand that it means that when the lights come on and people start leaving their seats, they're planning to come back in 15 minutes to watch more of the show.

Again, this is a rarefied world we live in. Many, many people have zero exposure to any of this stuff. We can either be snobs about it and basically let the industry die or out or get Disney-fied because there won't be enough people left who care about the art to sustain it, or we can be kind and try to help people who are new to the genre and the culture get acclimated and learn the customs, in hopes of creating new theatre fans that will sustain the arts into the future, without turning into a plastic Hollywood crap-fest. I prefer the option where we give people the benefit of the doubt and don't call them idiots because they weren't inducted into this strange and beautiful world as early as we were.

[annang]

Posted: 11/19/17 at 11:45am

And I should say, by the way, I live in a major city that puts on hundreds of theatrical productions a year. But I also live in a city where almost half the residents survive on minimum wage or less. So most of the residents of my city have never or rarely seen a show of any kind. And because of that, a trip to New York would be a major vacation for them, where they might want to partake in an activity they've never tried before, or show their children something really special that they've only vaguely heard about. And I think we should encourage them to join us and welcome them to expose themselves and their families to this beautiful thing, not ridicule them if they don't get all the lingo just right on the first try.

[BuddyStarr]

Posted: 11/19/17 at 12:18pm

I’ve left two shows at intermission.  The first was a production of Into the Woods that was so painful it was funny, but you don’t want to laugh when it’s serious so it was better we left.  The second was a touring company of Phantom of the Opera.  It was so horrible and I had seen the show twice in NYC with the original cast.  It just had no redeeming value whatsoever.  

I also attended a “touring” show that was written by gay writer Billy Masters.  It was supposedly about gossip in Hollywood and included a porn star.  THAT was another painful show unfortunately without an intermission and it went on forever.  However, there were many blackouts.  During each blackout there were more and more empty seats when the lights came back on.  When we finally decided to leave (we were on the aisle) we practically had to battle another couple on the opposite aisle who was also sneaking out. 

[ArtMan]

Posted: 11/19/17 at 12:35pm

Buddy, Doesn't Billy Masters write a gossip column for some gay publications?  If it is the same person I  have laughed out loud at some of his comments and Hollywood insights.  Shame he couldn't put that  wit into his play.

[Anna Lan]

Posted: 11/19/17 at 12:49pm

I've only left one show at intermission. The lead actress was clearly ill and her voice was wrecked. It obvious she knew things had gone terribly wrong, and was desperately trying to drag through to the finish with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. Whomever made the call to send her on in spite of her health deserves their lashes with a wet noodle. Sadly, I expect it was a financial decision as she was quite famous at the time and the big draw for the show. They'd have had to issue a lot of refunds if she hadn't gone on. I felt terrible for her, but the second-hand embarrassment was too much for me to stay.

[MinervaMoon]

Posted: 11/19/17 at 1:43pm

(Insert Clever Name) said: "People NORMALLY leave at intermission if they have not enjoyed the show, and people have said somewhere on these boards that a lot of people were leaving Groundhog Day because they felt it wasn't as true to the movie."

John Cleese and his wife were in front of me at the last performance of GHD and they both left at intermission. He had tweeted about being at some other show the night before but said not a thing about this show. No idea what prompted it but I'm guessing it wasn't confusion about whether there was a second act or not.

[Lot666]

Posted: 11/20/17 at 1:05pm

I seem to recall seeing a show in London where a curtain came down at the end of act one, on which was printed the word "INTERMISSION".

[JFDF]

Posted: 12/9/17 at 2:41am

(Insert Clever Name) said: "People NORMALLY leave at intermission if they have not enjoyed the show, and people have said somewhere on these boards that a lot of people were leaving Groundhog Day because they felt it wasn't as true to the movie."

Groundhog Day was such a fantastic show tho. A lot of great stuff if you dig into the songs and lines. It was a pity that it closed so early. 

 

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 12/9/17 at 3:16am

I should've left Groundhog Day at intermission. I've only walked out of a show once and that was Wonderland. The worst sh*t I have ever seen. Made Charlie and the Chocolate Factory look like Gypsy.

As for people accidentally leaving: lol. Imagine having so much money that you could blow $100+ on a ticket only to do zero research and make sure the show was actually over before you left.

[JustAnotherNewYorker]

Posted: 12/9/17 at 3:45pm

MinervaMoon said: "(Insert Clever Name) said: "People NORMALLY leave at intermission if they have not enjoyed the show, and people have said somewhere on these boards that a lot of people were leaving Groundhog Day because they felt it wasn't as true to the movie."

John Cleese and his wife were in front of me at the last performance of GHD and they both left at intermission. He had tweeted about being at some other show the night before but said not a thing about this show. No idea what prompted it but I'm guessing it wasn't confusion about whether there was a second act or not."

I was in the front row that night--noticed it too. To be fair, that show was necessarily repetitive in the first act, so I can see people not sticking around for the second....

[BeNice]

Posted: 12/9/17 at 4:53pm

I really didn't know people mistakingly leaving at intermission was a thing until I read this thread. So I asked a few people who occasionally attend live theatre and it is indeed true! Most truly believed intermission was the end of the show.

Maybe people are so used to getting their entertainment through movies or tv shows or micro length entertainment that the concept of an intermission is becoming foreign?

 

[PatrickDC]

Posted: 12/9/17 at 6:43pm

Maybe people leaving Phantom had only seen the movie where they moved the chandelier crash to the end, so they thought the stage production ended the same way? 

Speaking of Phantom and one acts, I still fondly remember the Vegas Spectacular version. I actually preferred to the original production which I've seen 4 times on B'way, London, and on tour. 

[SweetLips]

Posted: 12/10/17 at 2:33am

It's like going to a classical concert or the opera and clapping when you shouldn't [what's the rule on that one?]. You don't clap between movements and when in opera?

I was once at a piano recital and some people clapped during a dramatic pause and the pianist turned to the audience and yelled 'shut up' ! When he finished--no one DARED to clap in case there was more--it really was funny as I had taken a friend who had never attended a recital, and probably never will again.

The pianist was Jorge Bolet.

[Dave13]

Posted: 12/10/17 at 2:48am

I have always noticed empty seats and people not returning after intermission. I just figured they didn’t like it or had somewhere else to go. It never occurred to me before this thread people may have thought the show was over. Lol.

[ChiTheaterFan]

Posted: 12/11/17 at 12:37am

I just have to share my Escape to Margaritaville story.  It includes an end of Act I spoiler, so I'll use the toggle.  Only click for "spoilers" if you've seen it or don't want to know the end of act I "cliffhanger."  (It's not exactly a plot driven show, but you've been warned.)

I sat next to an EXTREMELY annoying couple who sang along the whole time, even at very inappropriate moments.  (They weren't on their own in that.)  They clearly were big Buffett fans but hadn't been to the theater a lot, which in and of itself was fine, but along with their other behavior really bugged me. 

So we make it through the first act.  It's very obvious at the end of Act I that it's intermission because 

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

they all look up at the volcano that hasn't erupted in 50 years or whatever, and it's about to blow.  You know an eruption is imminent, so it's like "uh oh!"  But obviously this is a fun, happy musical so it doesn't all end with them dying in a burning hellfire of a volcano right at that moment.

But the lady next to me looked at me and said "oh, my god, is there a second act or is it over?"

So I just turned to her and said 

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

"No.  They all died in a volcano.  I know it seemed like a fun show, but I actually heard it has a really dark ending."

But then I was nice and told her I was kidding, and it was just intermission.  She seemed genuinely surprised.

Before that, I too had no idea this was a thing.  I thought people only left at intermission because they didn't like the show.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/11/17 at 5:36am

But she knew of 2nd acts....so maybe she was just stoned.

And there is no way 1/2 of annang's community doesn't know the meaning of Intermission. What a ridulous thing to say.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 12/11/17 at 9:32am

"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. 

People over 50 are probably close to the majority at most Broadway shows - lol. Honestly, I don't think I have ever known any adult who has not seen some type of theater. (regional tour, HS or College production). BTW -  I grew up in Long Island but have also lived in Denver Colorado and Charlotte NC.