So is it okay for audience members to sing along during musicals? — Page 5

LxGstv said: "Dominique Morisseau who wrote the book for Ain’t Too Proud actually retweeted the article in agreement, she wants the audience to participate in her shows."

Thanks for the warning. Now I know that I should avoid any production she's involved in.

At the end of his life, not many things could bring joy to my long-time love, but "South Pacific" could. I nearly went broke buying tickets for it because it made him so happy.

Sometimes too happy. As anyone who's seen it knows, "Some Enchanted Evening" is one of the first songs that Emile DeBecque sings. This was the Lincoln Center production, with the golden voiced Paulo Szot, who won the Tony for lead actor in a musical.

One night my beloved started singing along with Paulo -- loudly -- and he was a terrible singer to boot -- as everyone around us quickly "shushed" him. He stopped, but looked around at all the shushers and said, in a loud stage whisper, "But I know all the words!"

I squeezed his hand, and nodded my head giving him a look that told him I loved him but he should be quiet, and he got the message. I apologized to our seat mates during intermission, where they could see he wasn't well, but could also see how much he loved being there. It did make for an awkward moment, but I still tear up when I remember him saying, "But I know all the words!"

Updated On: 5/30/19 at 02:58 AM

LizzieCurry said: "I really think it's case-by-case."

I also consider it on a case-by-case basis. There's definitely a lot to consider, so here's my opinion. When you're at the theatre, you’ve entered into the world of that show and should be respectful to both that world and the patrons around you. If it’s a show where participation is encouraged, like Summer, then (whether you like it or not) that is a part of the show’s world, and you would be quite the jerk if you shushed an audience member for singing along. If it’s not explicitly stated, then singling along is a big no-no.

In the case of this article, I haven’t seen Ain’t Too Proud so I can’t make an accurate judgement of who I feel would be in the wrong. If audience participation was actively encouraged during that particular performance (for example, via an announcement like the one in Summer), then the man definitely had no business shushing the author’s mother. If that wasn’t the case, though, then the guy was perfectly in the right, in my opinion. If it isn’t explicitly stated at the performance that audience participation is encouraged, then to be honest I don’t know how I feel about the tone of Dominique Morisseau’s tweet. Participation is not the norm for the vast majority of Broadway shows, and you can’t expect everyone to know that yours is different unless you make it obvious. Shockingly enough, not every audience member is gonna read the playwright’s tweets before seeing a show.

I think that singing along with the songs is another illustration of how unpleasant it can be to attend certain performances. I paid to see the actor on-stage sing, not the off-key person two seats from me. If I can reach the person, I admit to getting pretty ugly, and it usually works.

I know this should be in another subject, but on a similar note (distraction), I attended Tootsie last week...and had the person behind me rattling a potato chip bag repeatedly through the first act. Ugly looks did no good and I couldn't reach the person to tap on their shoulder (invading someone's personal space during a performance generally works...you get to enjoy the remainder of the performance, and also have the satisfaction of knowing that you have embarrassed the other person). Sell, I was about to complain about the issue when I discovered that the theatre SELLS POTATO CHIPS. So, you pay all that money, and can really be distracted because the theatre needed to make $25 more a performance. As far as I am concerned, the person who sings along is just as bad, maybe mores, that the idiot rattling his / her bag far longer than it should take to finish the damn thing.

At least, no one will ever be singing along with the Tootsie songs...I am surprised that the performers are capable of singing some of those songs.

I mean, I read your FULL post and I had the same thought.

Updated On: 5/30/19 at 10:33 PM

Dancingthrulife2 said: "Lot666 said: "Dancingthrulife2 said: "What about mouthing the lyrics?"

If this distracts you, I can only assume that you're watching the faces of the audience rather than the show."

Read my FULL post before jumping to your smart-seeming, snarky comment."

I did read your FULL post before responding, and I maintain that if you're watching the faces of other audience members instead of the performers, then you probably chose the wrong show.

Updated On: 6/1/19 at 10:12 AM

NO. It is never okay to sing along. If you think you may be tempted, then sing along with the cast album 24/7 for as many days prior to attending the actual performance as you need to quell your narcissistic impulses. No one in the theater pays one cent to listen to YOU but they pay hundreds of dollars to listen to THEM.

To the person who said you should be paying attention to the actors on stage, rather than audience members...from a glowing phone to people singing along, there are always distractions that take people out of the moment of the show. I'm always engrossed in what's happening on stage. But sometimes, especially if the singing patron is next to you, it's very hard to ignore. I'm not saying it's not easy for SOME people, but I'm pretty sure it's a major distraction and annoyance to anyone in the immediate vicinity. Unless it's a special sing along performance (and when was the last time that happened?) audience members should leave the singing to the actors on stage.

If you question it, you probably shouldn't be doing it.

Went to the movies to see Rocketman. The theater was very sparsely filled, but sure enough, there were too older people that sat in back of me. He started right in with a very loud monologue about his medications or some such, punctuated by loud snorts. The lady, whenever anything would happen or about to happen would loudly sigh, like an ohhhhh sound - every damn time. Even after I went and bought artery clogging treats and sat elsewhere, the snorts and sighs continued to "entertain" me. You just never know what weird habits people may bring into the theater, but hopefully they will choose loud orchestral passages before breaking into song.

I went to the Pittsburgh CLO production of Rock of Ages, which is the kind of show that encourages a participatory atmosphere of hooting, hollering and (at times) singing along. But they didn't really set up that atmosphere well enough that audiences felt comfortable doing it, so the "let me hear you!" moments fell flat.

YvanEhtNioj said: "People are gonna be maaaaad at me during Six.."

Or you could wait for the sing along performance instead of ruining someone else’s evening...

YvanEhtNioj said: "People are gonna be maaaaad at me during Six.."

LOL

I just came to post 'I imagine Six is going to be a nightmare for this'!