Shows You Walked Out On... That Everyone Else Seemed to Love

Scarlet Pimpernel?!?!? are youi kidding me?

I've never walked out of a show or movie, no matter how bad it is. As soon as you yourself become a performer, you begin to understand the time, energy and effort it takes to put anything on the stage---regardless of what people think of it. Because of that, I refuse to leave a show when I dont like it because its rude, and I'll stay to support my fellow actors and commend them on a job well done (even if it wasnt well done---)

Not like I never wanted to leave a show---Contact rings a bell.

Updated On: 9/20/04 at 01:28 PM

I am really surprised at everyone's choices?? Miss Saigon, now?

Yet, we all seem to love the genius that is Wicked and Brooklyn?

something is wrong here.

Perestroika.

Not because it was badly written, but because it was written so well, and this equity cast was butchering it.

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I'm sorry, but sometimes there is a level of incompetence on the stage that's just so insulting to an audience that it's simply not worth enduring beyond one act. It's bad enough that a show has wasted an hour of my time -- I'm not about to allow it to waste two. That said, I tend to stay anyway for most bad shows, out of morbid curiosity, if nothing else. I've seen over 800 (mostly professional) productions and off the top of my head, the only ones I walked out on at intermission were:

The Fantasticks -- absolutely painful. Over the course of those 40 years obviously some casts were better than others -- this one was a real turkey. I left at intermission and half the rest of the audience walked out with me, shaking their heads and muttering to themselves (I even overheard some cursing).

Closer Than Ever -- Found the entire to be experience grating and, I'm sorry, I just hated every one of the songs in the first act. Couldn't wait to leave at intermission.

Hair -- A recent college production I saw was so ineptly sung, acted and directed, that it was an insult to the material.

I'm sure there are a couple of others that I've just completely blocked out altogether.

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I bolted out of a college production of Pacific Overtures in mid-Act One. First sign that it was going to be a misguided evening was the female narrator.

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Updated On: 9/20/04 at 02:17 PM

A number of years ago I walked out on a college production of "Three Penny Opera" at Barat College in Lake Forest, IL. Barat, by the way, is going out of business. Anyhow. I was about to walk out when another audience member got up from the front row and started to leave (middle of the first act) the young jerk playing one of the main characters (in character) starting yelling at him like "ah, who needs ya?" The audience member he was yelling at was a local weathly person (lots of those in Lake Forest) who had just donated a big check to the school's summer theater program... oops.

About a year ago I walked out of a high school prodcution of Les Miserables. It was unfortunate because this school had spent a lot of time and money on the technical aspect (had a turntable and everything) but high schools kids just can't sing Les Miz. At least you're not going to have a ValJean, Javert, Cosette, etc. etc. all at one high school. I'm afraid it's ruined the show for me forever.

Emma, Emma Paroo I believe


Which always makes me think of the Music Man---I nearly walked out of my production of the Music Man, and I was in the show. God we were horrible.

My grandparents walked out of SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE after the first act. And it was when Bernadette and Mandy were still in it!!

I told them that they were insane.

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I don't walk out on anything, no matter how bad it is. Being a performer, I would take that as a serious insult if someone did that to me, and I try to show them the same common respect.
Besides, if I pay $100+ for a play, I'm not gonna waste my oney by walking out.
But I don't get out much to see musicals anyways. But when I do... I would never walk out.

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i enjoyed Urban Cowboy, on free tickets...

redhot, i thought you also walked out on Civil War and Blood Brothers...

I have never walked out on a show before, but I was VERY close to walking out of Thoroughly Modern Millie. I could not stand the show, yet the audience loved every second of it.

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I have never and probably never will leave a show before the end.
If I had the initial interest to buy tickets and get there then I'm staying to the end, even if it about kills me(Dance of the Vampires the most recent of memory)