Walking Out at Intermission - The Thread- Page 2

[Voter]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 9:51am

Lot666 said: "Voter said: "Yes I have! I did it for Between The Lines and The Ferryman."

I've never done it, but in hindsight, I should have left The Ferryman."

I left during the 5 minute after Act 1 ended. I kind of regret leaving since I heard the play got better 

[inception]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 9:55am

Saturday night I left a production of Crazy For You at intermission.   It was fine, but I had been up since 5am as I had agreed to go in to work to cover for someone.  I found myself falling asleep,  & decided that was probably ruder than leaving.

I had forgotten how just plain dumb the book for that show is.  Sunday I looked when I last saw a production and it was 19 years ago, summer 2004.

[Wick3]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 10:00am

MemorableUserName said: "It's nice to see that tweet, because I left Funny Girl at intermission too. I started out enjoying Michele's performance, but during "Don't Rain..." there was a point where she had her arms up, and the audience was cheering madly, and she started pumping her arms to bask in their adulation that turned me off. It was too much about Lea Michele and not the character. Considering there was nothing else I was enjoying about the show and everything I'd heard about the second act being weaker, I figured I'd seen her and there was no point staying around for more.

Left Doubtfire at intermission too. The cast, especially McClure, were working so hard, but I hated all but one of the songs and thought the book was terrible--the movie was smart enough to introduce the character with scenes showing him being a good dad; the musical just introduced him being a thoughtless jerk, which continued through Act I. I would have left earlier if I'd been able.

I remember walking out of the 2012 Jesus Christ Superstar revival. I don't remember why other than I obviously wasn't enjoying it.

There have been others, thankfully forgotten."

If I were to see Funny Girl again, I’d be ok with leaving at intermission too. All the songs I like are in act 1 anyway.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 10:15am

The Gin Game

Sam Gold’s King Lear

Funny Girl w/ Beanie

This Ain’t No Disco

Wish I’d left: Dear Evan Hansen, Parade (coincidentally both Platt vehicles, but it wasn’t exclusively him that turned me off)

Updated On: 5/15/23 at 10:15 AM

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 10:21am

Never done it. I can't justify spending the money for a show to not get the whole thing. 

I was close to doig it at Girl from the North Country. Oh God. I could not stand it. 

My partner wanted to leave so badly from "The Shark is Broken", but alas it was intermissionless. 

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 10:24am

Bat Out of Hell. However, this is because I have a medical condition, and with all the strobe and everything it was too much. So that was a good reason to do so, I think 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 10:25am

ON TOUR

-The most recent non-equity tours of Cats and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - both were absolutely terrible with sleepwalking performances from the casts.

-Cathy Rigby in Peter Pan

ON BROADWAY

-The most recent revivals of Present Laughter, Long Day's Journey Into Night, and Sylvia

-Gettin' the Band Back Together

 

[Voter]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 10:31am

Walked out at intermission of The Little Prince last year and A Beautiful Noise this year. I don't think it's rude to leave at intermission. The reason is almost always because my time could be better spent elsewhere. I knew where Act 2 of ABN was going and didn't enjoy Act 1... but I desperately needed to grab some groceries, so I cut my losses.

[A.J.]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 10:35am

Showstopper! the improvised musical troupe was one of the most painful experiences I’ve had in a theatre audience. Instant intermission walk-out. Lost a friend who was an usher at the theatre, but still worth whatever time I would have lost during the second half (not comfortable calling it an Act). 

The Shark is Broken wasn’t that much better; incredibly dull with weak performances. I would have walked if there were an intermission. 

Updated On: 5/15/23 at 10:35 AM

[quizking101]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 10:48am

Like others here, I have never got up the courage to walk out at intermission because I personally feel I could never justify the expenditure of getting into the city/having dinner etc. and then giving up on a show. Plus, some I've seen have gotten better in the second act - while many haven't. Plus, when I review a show to someone or on SM, I want to be honest about my experience - If I'm going to rip a show apart head-to-toe, I'd like to do it knowing I saw what the whole product.

The only times I was tempted to walkout:
- A BEAUTIFUL NOISE (Even the geriatrics in the audience seem flatlined by it, but the lotto ticket was $55)
- THE LITTLE PRINCE (It was a comp a friend got for me and he loves the story so I suffered for him)
- NEW YORK, NEW YORK (I held out some hope, but was bitterly let down)
- PARADISE SQUARE (I kept hearing about Joaquina's Act II number and just held out)

[DAME]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 11:05am

Mean Girls

Pippin ( family eating Tuna fish sandwiches behind me.  I couldn’t take the smell.)

 

Updated On: 5/15/23 at 11:05 AM

[gibsons2]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 12:20pm

I walked out from Phantom of The Opera. The only musical I left at intermission.

I've seen quite a few no-intermission plays when I was desperate for a show to be over, The Collaboration being probably the worst I've seen post pandemic.

[Lumiere2]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 12:34pm

I've never done it on Broadway, but the closest I've come was 2017's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, still by far the worst production I've ever seen. The songs were awful, the supporting was awful, and the fact they changed the story so most of the children were killed on stage (including watching a young character get dismembered limb from limb by giant dancing squirrels?!) was appalling. At the end I wish I'd left earlier.

On another note, I've left halfway through regional theatre before, and I've done it on vacation when seeing Broadway reincarnations of shows at a vacation resort or on a cruise ship. Those tickets are often free - and if the show sucks, it's easy to find something else fun to do.

[GoldenGiggery]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 12:45pm

jkcohen626 said: “Ok, not related to this thread, but whatever. Amber Gray was very done with Hadestown and Macbeth was just the job she was able to get that got her out of her Hadestown contract.”

It actually is related to this thread as it pertains to part of my frustration/disappointment for wanting to leave. Weird thing for you to pick apart and incorrectly assume on my behalf, but whatever. 
 

She may have been done with Hadestown, but it doesn’t make it any less a shame that this production of MacBeth was her follow-up. Especially when she deserves a far superior project. 

[PublicHorizons]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 1:00pm

I'll echo The Little Prince, I never ran so quickly out of a theater- at one point I was counting ceiling tiles, seats, anything to keep me occupied.

[R. GreenFinch]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 1:25pm

GoldenGiggery said: "jkcohen626 said: “Ok, not related to this thread, but whatever. Amber Gray was very done with Hadestown and Macbeth was just the job she was able to get that got her out of her Hadestown contract.”

It actually is related to this thread as it pertains to part of my frustration/disappointment for wanting to leave. Weird thing for you to pick apart and incorrectly assume on my behalf, but whatever.


She may have been done with Hadestown, but it doesn’t make it any less a shame that this production of MacBeth was her follow-up. Especially when she deserves a far superior project."

 

I think jkcohen was saying that their knowledge of why was the unrelated thing, not that your opinion was not related to the thread. 

[pippy1]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 2:00pm

Lumiere2 said: "I've never done it on Broadway, but the closest I've come was 2017's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, still by far the worst production I've ever seen. The songs were awful, the supporting was awful, and the fact they changed the story so most of the children were killed on stage (including watching a young character get dismembered limb from limb by giant dancing squirrels?!) was appalling. At the end I wish I'd left earlier.

On another note, I've left halfway through regional theatre before, and I've done it on vacation when seeing Broadway reincarnations of shows at a vacation resort or on a cruise ship. Those tickets are often free - and if the show sucks, it's easy to find something else fun to do."

Same, never walked out of a show, but if I would have, it would have been Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I probably would also have walked out during Funny Girl with Beanie, but I was with other people, and although they didn't like it either, they thought It would be rude to leave. 🤷‍♀️

[Hyde Park Hildy]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 2:00pm

I walked out of a storefront theater production of Richard III here in Chicago last year. It was well-reviewed but much of the acting was so bad that I had no desire to stick it out.

I would have walked out of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson on Broadway, because it was godawful. But there was no intermission so I stayed.

[Lot666]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 2:34pm

Voter said: "Lot666 said: "Voter said: "Yes I have! I did it for Between The Lines and The Ferryman."

I've never done it, but in hindsight, I should have left The Ferryman."

I left during the 5 minute after Act 1 ended. I kind of regret leaving since I heard the play got better"

It didn't, or at least I didn't think so. I was furious at the end, for having wasted so much money and time.

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 2:36pm

The Phantom mention reminded me that I actually left at intermission earlier this year, during one of the performances John Riddle missed. The understudy just wasn't doing anything for me, and it made it clear just how much I need a Raoul who isn't cold and stiff for the show to work for me, so I left, even though I'd paid over $200 for the ticket. Happily I got to see it a few more times when Riddle was back.

I almost left The Collaboration at intermission, but I had such a good seat I was reluctant to give it up. I wish I had. That show was godawful.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 2:51pm

I've split my share of shows at the intermission for whatever reason.  I left that revival of WEST SIDE STORY because nobody on that stage seemed to know what they were doing or give a damn about doing it.  Others, whatever.

I left one play while the actors were still onstage, because I was hating every goddamn second of it and just couldn't take it any more -- Alan Ayckbourne's TABLE MANNERS, part of that idiotic NORMAN CONQUESTS in that dreadful revival a few years back.  

 

[MNNiceorIce]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 2:59pm

My feeling is that if you've walked out of a show (just like a movie), I don't feel like you get to comment on the quality of the work.  You didn't stay for the whole thing?  You don't get to add your $.02.  Only those that stick it out get to speak.  I've gritted my teeth for plenty of bad productions just to say I made it out alive.  The few shows I have checked out of at intermission I've kept quiet about.

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 3:14pm

& Juliet on the West End. The show wasn’t really my cup of tea, but what really made it unbearable was that I unknowingly bought a ticket to a sing-a-long performance. I ran out of there as soon as the lights came up!

[Melissa25]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 3:18pm

We could not get to the elevator fast enough at Playwrights Horizons come intermission for The Patron Saint of Sea Monsters.  I'll never forget it as the elevator doors opened, there was a mad rush of about 10 other people who hopped on.  We all looked at one another wide-eyed as we rode the elevator to the lobby to exit.

[inception]

Posted: 5/15/23 at 3:20pm

MNNiceorIce said: "My feeling is that if you've walked out of a

I walked out of this comment after only reading half of it, but I completely disagree!