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

[Roscoe]

Posted: 11/30/03 at 7:20pm

I walked out of Hollywood Arms, as I found the first act to be excruciatingly boring and awful, and didn't give a damn about what might happen in the second act. They could all have been rounded up by Nazis for all I cared.

I almost left Fame, easily the most awful show I have ever seen in the U.S., but I was with a friend who knew some of the crew and who saw some of them at the intermission.

I saw an early performance of Never Gonna Dance, and very nearly left at the intermission. Unbelievably bad first act, and a second act that didn't get much better. I think I just happened to catch a staggeringly bad preview, as people whose opinions I respect have told me that it has improved immensely.

[cabarethed]

Posted: 11/30/03 at 8:47pm

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.

[Flam1ngo]

Posted: 12/2/03 at 3:25pm

I walked out of "Teddy and Alice" and would have left "Starlight Express"(tour)and "Les Mis" (tour) if I wasn't with my kid.

[RobbO]

Posted: 12/2/03 at 3:28pm

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

[Crazy4MattMorrison52]

Posted: 12/8/03 at 4:28pm

i'm still young and never have to pay for my tickets but i dont know how anyone could wanna walk outta hairspray. marissa is a great tracy...

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 12/8/03 at 5:05pm

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

[Phantom2]

Posted: 12/8/03 at 6:33pm

I'm sorry, but I feel very strongly about this. It is rude to walk out of any show no matter how terrible it is. And not coming back after intermission is the same thing. You bought the damn tickets now shut up and grin and bear it! All kidding aside, how would you feel if you were the cast and people just got up and left? Totally not cool.

Updated On: 12/8/03 at 06:33 PM

[Crazy4MattMorrison52]

Posted: 12/8/03 at 6:35pm

i totally agree phantom2

[Phantom2]

Posted: 12/8/03 at 6:40pm

Cool, dudette!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/10/03 at 10:54am

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.

[DoubleDown11]

Posted: 12/10/03 at 2:31pm

Well I don't know if I would ever walk out of a show just because of how expensive the seats are but the shows that I did want to walk out on are:

- Fosse - How boring? How long? This was terrible. I couldn't leave this show because, of course, the $$$ involved and it was part of a Valentine get away with my wife.

- Rent (the latest non-equity tour) - I've seen Rent a bunch of times and I enjoy the show. The latest non-equity tour was HORRIBLE. The people couldn't sing or act. TERRIBLE!!! And later on that night I accidently told the conducter my true thoughts...this of course was by accident though. I heard him, at the table near us, being critical of the show so I chimed in. I thought he was nothing more than a patron...opps was I wrong!!! Also...I couldn't really walk out seeing as I was in the first row.

- Oklahoma put on by the local community theatre. I couldn't really leave that show though seeing as my dad was in it. And also I don't think I'd ever leave a community show. These people aren't professionals. They're just enjoying their hobby.

[TadCaustic]

Posted: 12/10/03 at 2:56pm

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

[Shawk]

Posted: 12/10/03 at 4:22pm

"Goes to show how the same show can elicit constrasting responses in individuals.

Bulldog."

As a matter of fact, I very much enjoy Les Miz and find Urinetown to be hysterically funny, so there you go.

I've never walked out on a show. Not only does it cost a lot relative to my income to see a show, but I have a perverse need to stick things out to the end.

As to professional shows, if I were going to walk out on one, the non-equity RENT probably would have been that show.

Updated On: 12/10/03 at 04:22 PM

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 12/10/03 at 4:29pm

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.

[bob8rich]

Posted: 12/10/03 at 4:36pm

It seems we have incredibly different tastes, Bulldog. I think the score of Falsettos (and asnything else by William Finn) is about as close to pure genius as you can ever get in musical theater. His lyrics are phenomenal and he writes melodies that take my breath away.

Getting back to the point of the thread - I've not walked out on a show as I think you can't really make a fair judgement of anything without seeing and hearing all of it - but I came very close in The Lion King and Starlight Express (both of which bored me to tears) and Mama Mia I wish I HAD walked out after the first two minutes rather than suffer the pain. (LOL)

[WindyCityActor]

Posted: 12/10/03 at 5:33pm

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...

[Phantom2]

Posted: 12/10/03 at 11:13pm

Again, it's rude.
Bye the way, I liked FAME. It's rockin' the roof off of The Little Shubert!

[QueenS]

Posted: 12/11/03 at 10:46am

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?

[WindyCityActor]

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

dear Phantom2

Regarding you previous e-mail:

"I'm sorry, but I feel very strongly about this. It is rude to walk out of any show no matter how terrible it is. And not coming back after intermission is the same thing. You bought the damn tickets now shut up and grin and bear it! All kidding aside, how would you feel if you were the cast and people just got up and left? Totally not cool."

Yes, I think it's very rude to walk out during a scene, but during intermission?....yes, I paid the money...but did I suddenly sell myself into indentured servitude because of it?

If I'm miserable watching a performance, I leave. Granted, it's a very rare case.

How would I feel if I were in the cast when I happened?

As a performer, I can tell you that it has happened. I wasn't happy about it, but I would be even unhappier knowing that somebody was completely and totally bored with my production and felt that they had to endure it to spare my feelings.

Being an artist has its joys, but also it's pains.

Michael

[thirdrowcenter]

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

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

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/11/03 at 1:07pm

Bob8rich - Totally agree with you on William Finn (and Falsettos)! I will really amazed to hear how many people didn't like it. So many people are Sondheim fans, but don't like William Finn. I think Finn is the next Sondheim (with Jason Robert Brown and LaChiusa close behind). Finn's melodies are catchy, complex, and tuneful and his lyrics are simply amazing. Another fantastic lyricist that nobody mentions is Zippel. His work on City of Angels and Disney's Hercules was fantastic.

[paceguy]

Posted: 12/12/03 at 9:37pm

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

[shermanslave]

Posted: 12/12/03 at 10:23pm

I almost left The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public, but it eneded up being so lame that all of in the audience had a wonderful time. I think it was a papered audience so a lot of people knew people in the show and the audience. i think the show closed two days later...

[lensman55]

Posted: 12/13/03 at 2:05pm

>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!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/13/03 at 2:39pm

Experienced actors usually understand that not everyone will like every show. If I'm playing to a 500 seat theatre, I don't expect every person in the audience to like the show. Considering the size of Broadway theatres, it would be a miracle for no one to leave at least during intermission at any given performance. If a few people leave, it is not that big of a deal. If a lot of people leave, then the show obviously has problems that should be addressed.

Broadway ticket prices of $100+ for nearly every show means they have a lot to live up to. Some of you may say "I cannot afford to walk out of a show". But others say, "How can they possibly charge this much for a show like this?" The audience paid to see the show and therefore, have a right to their opinion regardless of hurting the actors' feelings. These people are paying their check. If the actor is not ready for that, then he/she is not ready to perform professionally. It comes with the territory.

As a general rule, I don't walk out of new shows unless it is just intolerable (Civil War tryout was the only case of this). If it's a more familiar show (Hair, The Merry Widow) with major problems in the performance or directing, then I will be more likely to leave at intermission.