THE IMAGINARY INVALID Previews

Roundabout's website lists a running time of 90 minutes, no intermission.

How was tonight's first preview, everybody?

Definitely enjoyed this. The opening with the set coming together made me smile hard. All the players were great, but Rachel Bloom just doesn’t do it for me. And seemingly, while she did get a big applause during curtain calls, she didn’t do it for the audience either because she had a big chaotic moment which should fully yield an applause when she exits, but it got a sad clap from about three audience members. It was so obviously awkward that Bill Irwin indicated to the audience that they should applaud and then she got her applause. She wasn’t bad or anything, but she was too modern and too herself. I didn’t feel a character. Everyone else had big insane swings that were so broad and funny. It was a solid hour and a half and then done ending with a sweet homage to theater. A lovely evening overall.

According to Reddit, the 3pm matinee yesterday was apparently disrupted by a Karen to the point where police were called.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Broadway/s/gRptqJSLVs

…and her victimhood response

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdzniCFBTrW/?stkn=MXAxdG52NjRtZ2RwZw==

Updated On: 9/28/26 at 06:06 AM

I was there, and the version of events she is now peddling online is simply not accurate.



At no point did Bill Irwin “turn the audience against her.” He continued performing through a remarkable amount of disruption, finally stopped when the yelling became impossible to ignore (both of the patron and the audience yelling at her), waited, and made a quick “Matinee!” joke. That was it. The audience did not need an actor to instruct us to be frustrated, as Kelsey (the person’s name) did it herself.



As to her claim she was simply speaking in a volume she could hear because of her hearing loss: I was in the rear mezzanine and could hear her clearly. When you are loud enough to be heard across an entire Broadway theatre during a live performance, the problem is no longer that everyone else has mysteriously decided to persecute you, perhaps it’s worth considering that you are the source of the issue. She also seems shocked that theatre management was not especially warm toward her. She was loudly interrupting a performance. What exactly was the expected response, a ham sandwich?



The strangest part of the retelling is the insistence that the audience’s reaction somehow proves the audience had been “turned against” her, while completely omitting the behavior that caused that reaction in the first place. From where I was sitting, this increasingly felt like someone who found a way to make herself the center of attention and then, having successfully become the center of attention, is just rearranging the story to make it fit her version of events.



Also, fwiw, was TOUCHED by Chris Ashley coming out to offer us all a re-watch or refunds. Class! I still had a great time so won’t be taking them up on it, but what a great gesture.

She likely will after this. The police had to be called — she would not leave when staff instructed her to. While she ultimately left of her own volition, requiring a police call to do so is generally enough to enforce a ban.


Also, she’s posted yet another video about this in which she references the fact the theatre had literally already removed a railing to make room for her chair. Kudos to Roundabout for doing that. No good deed goes unpunished.

Watched the video and only lasted about 10 seconds.

She's certainly...charisma-challenged. I can only imagine what she's like in beast mode.

When entitled narcissism manifests itself in a theater nerd there is, as Faye Dunaway might say, nothing like it.

I'm glad people are enjoying the show.

Updated On: 9/28/26 at 10:07 AM

sinister teashop said: "This woman has a future in American politics. A star is born."

MAKE BROADWAY GREAT AGAIN!

The best thing about all this is the free and amazingly positive publicity Roundabout and the show are getting. Brava, Karen. Keep up the good work!

It appears her claim is that she was under the impression that there would be a Playbill Insert or announcement at the beginning of the show discouraging any and all standing ovations, explicitly calling out "that includes the curtain call" as being a person with a disability she is entitled to a 100% unobstructed view of the stage. That frankly makes absolutely no sense as short people cannot be guaranteed an unobstructed view during a standing ovation, nor can children. If that's not something they can guarantee literally anybody in the theatre, I'm not sure how her disability would make her entitled to that...

TheatreFan4 said: "It appears her claim is that she was under the impression that there would be a Playbill Insert or announcement at the beginning of the show discouraging any and all standing ovations, explicitly calling out "that includes the curtain call" as being a person with a disability she is entitled to a 100% unobstructed view of the stage. That frankly makes absolutely no sense as short people cannot be guaranteed an unobstructed view during a standing ovation, nor can children. If that's not something they can guarantee literally anybody in the theatre, I'm not sure how her disability would make her entitled to that..."

well thats actually what initially struck me as nonsensical, is that she seemed to be complaining about the curtain call but she was escorted out by the police long before the curtain call, so I could not follow what she was talking about.

though i guess now that i can follow it, her gripe makes little more sense.