When did it become acceptable for the audience to scream during a performance? — Page 3

My husband and I didn't have a screaming incident but this past Friday night at Legally Blonde these 2 girls (I want to say high school or college age) were sitting right behind us and talking during the WHOLE show. And not whispering but having a conversation with some volume and not even about the show!!!! Finally, my husband and I flashed them a dirty look like "please shut up." They didn't stop talking but at least they started to whisper. Why bother going to a show if you are just going to talk the whole time and not pay attention and ruin other people's enjoyment. How amazingly rude!!!!!!!!!!!!

What happened to a nice "Bravo!"? When did this screaming bull**** start up?

Updated On: 9/21/08 at 01:35 PM

It is NEVER acceptable to hoot holler, and scream during a scene or musical number. In applause breaks, fine and certainly at the curtain call if you are so moved.

Before you do ANYTHING at a live theatre performance ask yourself "Is what I am about to do going to enhance other people's enjoyment of this show, or detract from it?"

Unwrapping candies/food and eating is distracting to those around you

Shouting out comments is distracting to those around you (EXEPCTION for shows like ROCKY HORROR where it is part of the show)

Text messaging, talking on your cell, playing video games is distracting to those around you.

Taking photos and shooting videos or making audio recordings is not only illegal; it is also distracting to those around you

Applause, and cheers at the end of numbers or the end of the show is NOT distracting to those around you.

If in doubt, show restraint.

---

taylorPHENOMENON2,

Wit all due respect Taylor. You scream at pretty much everything. It's getting you to shut up that's the trick.

That being said, I have cheered during the applause at the end of a song or at the curtain call. But, I have really never done it during the show. The only show that I can see it being okay for is Rent where they tried to create the whole rock concert like atmosphere anyways.

I will admit that I have been to a couple of performances of Mary Poppins where the entire audience is cheering loudly both during Burt's dance in Step In Time and during Mary's final flight.

---

When I went to see 13, there was this man sitting near me screaming his head off and 2 people in front of me too. I understood when the bad started playing and Graham Phillips first entered, but when people start screaming becasue somebody is holding a note for over 8 beats, it's a little rediculous...also this man near me started screaming when Evan calls Brett a jerk...he said something along the lines of "you go boy-tell him..WHOOO" it was hirlarious and annoying at the same time.

---

Side note off-topic: People laughing at the candy wrapper announcements always drives me nuts. I've experienced people unwrapping candies, opening packs of tissues, opening those boxes of crunchy chocolates, etc. so I always audibly say "You'd be surprised!" when people around me laugh at that announcement.

Back on topic: It's just not necessary to scream or shriek and yell the actress who's playing Elphaba's name just because she does a few riffs during "Defying Gravity." I mean, she's in the moment, hanging above the stage, trying to focus on performing a song, do you REALLY think she's going to notice?

---

Updated On: 9/22/08 at 02:17 AM

I think it's ok to cheer and whistle during bows or after the ends of songs...I don't see what's wrong with an enthusiastic audience.

But screaming in the middle of the show is a little ridiculous. I wouldn't call it disrespectful though...it's flattering but somewhat inappropriate. Not disrespectful, IMO.

So in reading this I have mixed feelings about 'screaming during a performance'. While I do admit at times, I get irritated by some people 'screaming' or 'whooing' I have to say as a whole I can't discount the practice since most of us who have taken the stage at some point in our lives will admit to the rush of adrenaline that comes with hearing the audience get involved--and I'm sure most of as have at one point done the same while in the audience. Also theater always has had an aspect of audience appreciation involved. Up and coming opera stars used to pay people to sit in the audience and shout 'bravo(a)' and clap since some of them were paid by how 'in-demand' they were.

That being said, there is a point where it crosses from being supportive to rude and disruptive. Movies however I feel are different since the actors can't feasibly have a chance of hearing you...

Screaming and hollering, during a song or before, is not to show enthusiasm.

it's a sick way of getting attention.

these idiots... who do this... they'll use these opportunities to get attention. they're not praising the material or the performers. they're praising themselves.

just think about it. really, think about it.

I hate it SO MUCH.

one of the main things that pushed me away from the whole "Rent" thing.

There's some truth to that--I grew up in a very white city (Victoria, BC Canada) and when I first moved to Montreal one of the first movies I saw was O, the teen adaptation of Othello. I had NEVER experienced the audience talking back to the screen as much as they did, before. To be honest I enjoyed it--but I would a lot less if it was a musical I'd paid 80 bucks to go see...

Nobodyhome--at the Ancient Greek festivals peopel would bring tons of food, plan to go there all day, come and leave during a play, and talk. They may have been more behaved than the "groundlings" for Shakespeare--but not all that much I don't think.

It's funny people talk about this as a new thing--the New Yorker recently had a great article about how classical music and opera are now viewed--with strict rules--a classical concert starts at a fixed time, you remain quiet and seated, clap at the right moments, etc. This was unheard of through to the 1800s, some famous composers even commented on how they'd be insulted if peple listened to their music silently, etc I'm not saying I'd wanna go to a classical concert with constant chatter--and certainly different things suit different plays better.

in other words the screaming in Rent never bothered me as much *within reason* cuz it is kinda like a rock show--I only saw it live in London in 1999 but it was obvious who the Rentheads were, the faves, etc. But ti was so loud, and par tof the experience for me (and they were fairly well behaved compared to some stories here). I'd be pissed off if people did that during Sunday in the Park--or an even more obvious example Passion (where giggles from a restless audience were apparantly pretty common--Sondheim has said maybe it was a bad idea to try to eliminate applause breaks because that helps release some audience tension).

And I think cheering (not screaming, but "woos" etc) are completely appropriate for curtain calls. But that's about the only place I'd do them.

I disagree with the comment about whistling. I think loud whistling after a song is annoying. It's shrill and jarring.

I was at Rock of Ages Saturday night. I had anticipated it being more like a rock fest, with all the screening and woowoos and all that stuff. What bothered me was that large portions of the audience (mostly female) took it upon themselves to sing along. I mean, it wasn't a matter of one person singing along that you can usually hush with a dirty look -- these were rows of girls who'd come in groups and were singing -- loudly. Come on, I paid to hear the performers, not some off-pitch airheads ruining it for everybody else. And they all dressed like they were going to one of Michael Alig's freak shows.

---