Shows You Walked Out On ( If Any) — Page 3

I can't afford to just walk out of shows, especially if I make a special trip to NY and spend a sizable amount of $. I haven't even walked out of local shows...I'm always afraid that there will be a spot in the show that would make it totally redeemable or at least bearable. However, we had to go see certain shows for my theatre class years ago and write reviews. Well, there were two shows that made me insane-- Seven Guitars and Waiting for Godot. I fell asleep during Seven Guitars and I almost ripped my hair out during Godot. Actually, my frustration during Godot made me write a really good paper. I would have walked out if I wasn't being graded though.

if that's your kid in the pic flam1ngo - very cute!! i want one!!

---

If Man of La Mancha (recent incarnation) had an intermission, I would have walked out. It was painful to watch.

---

i totally agree phantom2

---

Phantom2 - Quite often, if the show is bad enough, the cast know it and are not surprised or offended when people leave. Also in shows that are intedended for more mature audiences, people not knowing there may be adult themes and language will leave for those reasons as well. When I performed Corpus Christi, I was surprised how many people DIDN'T walk out. Actors may deserve respect, but so does the paying audience.

I only walked out of two professional productions. I left at intermission of the premiere of Civil War in Houston. I wanted to leave sooner, but I was not close enough to the aisle and I didn't want to be rude. I don't know what the theatre looked like during the second act as I saw droves of people heading for their cars during intermission.

I left after "Donna" during the 25th anniversary tour of Hair. The cast had the old-fashioned wired microphones on stands and kept tripping over the wires and knocking them over. The direction was horrible, the acting was horrible, the singing was horrible, the choreography was even worse. I was insulted that they charged as much as they did for such an awful production. I was seated on the aisle, but even if I wasn't, I would have walked out anyway. I was not being rude, I was being insulted. Luckily, they were not in Europe, or they probably would have been booed.

I should've left at the intermission of Notre Dame de Paris in London, but curiosity kept me there. It is the only show in during which I literally fell asleep. Had it been billed as a Cirque du Soleil pop concert, I probably would have known what to expect and not been as bored.

---

I walked out after Act One of Meredith Monk's "Atlas" at BAM e'er so many years ago. I understood in theory what it was she was trying to do, but in practice I found it fairly ridiculous.

That's the only one, though. I convinced my parents to sit through Act 2 of "Barnum" when they were all prepared to leave at intermission. I told them it had to get better. Sadly, it didn't. (This was when Mike Burstyn took over for Jim Dale. I don't remember any other cast members except Terrence Mann; even before I knew who he was, that Tim Curry's-older-and-taller-brother face made a big impression on me.) Other than that close call, I've sat through many a questionable piece, probably the worst being one about John and Lorena Bobbitt that made "Dance of the Vampires" look like "A Little Night Music."

And there were pieces I've done that I've blamed no one for walking out - too many, unfortunately ... ;-P

Well, as a performer I couldn't possibly care less if people leave at intermission. What would I care? In fact when we were doing 'Sunday in the Park w/George' we got a bit of fun each night looking out over the audience and seeing how many people who had left.

Disrespectful? Possibly. But I couldn't care less. I still have the same job to do.

Ugh...a local production of the female version of "Who's Life is It Anyway?

And, my partner and I almost left after seeing "Bounce" in Chicago.

Usually, I can stick out most productions...

I have left at intermission during a couple of shows, but will admit that I often stick it out, sometime just to see how bad it will actually get (DOTV, Baby Jane).

Wanted to leave during "The Big Love" and the recent Hank Williams show, but stayed hoping that they would get better, which they didn't. The only reason that I stayed for the 2nd Act of "Bash" was because Paul Rudd hadn't gotten on stage yet.

Why exactly is it rude to leave at intermission? Yes, I would find it disrespectful to walk out mid scene. But do you really think that the cast wants miserable audience members watching their performances? What good is that doing anyone?

QueenS I kind of enjoyed the Hank Williams Story. I wasnt aware he had such a tortured life (alcoholic).

Updated On: 12/11/03 at 11:17 AM

1. Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe
2. Black & Blue

>All kidding aside, how would you feel if you were the cast and >people just got up and left? Totally not cool.

I would feel devistated and wonder what I was doing wrong. Which might be the point. People have left productions I was in, but I take some comfort in the fact that it was not while I was on stage!

---