Tourist goes to Wicked on Broadway, only for entitled audience member to belt the whole show: 'I didn’t pay to hear you sing!'

Author image for Ben Weiss
Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Mar 29, 2025 2:00 PM EDT

Imagine saving your hard-earned money for months so that you can come to New York City and see a Broadway show, only for a random stranger to ruin the whole experience for you. 

Here's the deal: Broadway shows are more expensive than ever, yet theater etiquette seems to have gone down the drain. People are taking their shoes off, bringing in their own snacks, talking to their friends, and don't get me started on all the texting. It's one thing for this to happen in a movie theater (and even that is annoying), but it's quite another when you're at a live show. What's the point in spending so much money on a special experience if you're just going to treat the environment as if it's your living room?

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10487043328
    via Gwen King

  • This author went to see Wicked on Broadway with friends, but an entitled audience member behind her made the experience an endlessly frustrating one because she wouldn't stop singing along. When the author told her to quiet down, she sang even louder. The irony of this story, of course, is that there were similar problems at movie theaters this past year when the film version, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, was playing. Surely that discourse will continue when the second part of the two-film saga is released later this year.

  • 02
    I went to a performance of the Broadway musical Wicked with my daughter and some other HS classmates. We had never seen it,
    via W****_trash-02
  • 03
    but know the songs and were sooooo excited!! I can't even remember how far in we were when the lady behind us starts singing along. She sang ALMOST the entire time. The very last song and I literally cannot take it anymore. I turn around and
    via W****_trash-02
  • 04
    say "could you not?" Which of course prompts her to increase her volume. BROADWAY STARS were absolutely The incredible and I would love to see it again. Hopefully next time without the sing-a-long.
    via W****_trash-02
  • 05
    w Inky Winner! TOTA Best Musical! Boots Are A American C Pakis € WINNER! 6 TONY AWARDS INCLUDING BEST MUSICAL KINOSTICAL CO-TICKETS C LINE DOUBLETREESUITES BY THE ILLUSIONISTS M OPEN 24 HOURS THE ILLUSIONISTS ANGE MONEY ATM NAUTIC YEAR
    via Florian Wehde

  • Let these comments serve as proof that nearly everyone has had a memorably infuriating encounter with an audience member at a show. Again, why go to the theater at all if you don't respect the experience? 

  • 06
    Sandmint 16 hr. ago • Report this to an usher. Singers will be removed.
    via W****_trash-02
  • 07
    W trash-02 OP 16 hr. ago Omg I wish I knew!!!!
    via W****_trash-02
  • 08
    KrankySilverFox. 14 hr. ago Yes that is absolutely not ok.
    via W****_trash-02
  • 09
    Ho3n3r 10 hr. ago My question would be why nobody else around them did that. Surely somebody knew they could report her?
    via W****_trash-02
  • 10
    is-now-wayne • 10 hr. ago. edited 10 hr. ago You overestimate people's willingness to act. I've encountered many instances where people knew exactly what to do yet still didn't.
    via W****_trash-02
  • 11
    kindcrow 13 hr. ago . When I saw Wicked on Broadway in 2009, the guy beside me chewed and snapped gum SO loudly that fifteen years later I'm still angry.
    via W****_trash-02
  • 12
    ⋅ ■MGN20XX 14 hr. ago Might be a boomer comment but my dad used to say "who sings that song?" When they answer he'd say "keep it that way"
    via W****_trash-02
  • 13
    Ok-Pomegranate-3018 14 hr. ago Not even remotely the same, but we were having lunch at Romano's macaroni grill and there was a woman opera singer and some old dude started singing along with her which was quite jarring since he was seated at the next table.
    via W****_trash-02
  • 14
    The manager came right over and put a stop to it. Really the ushers should have been paying better attention and shouldn't have had to be asked.
    via W****_trash-02
  • 15
    MrmmphMrmmph. 12 hr. ago I was once went with a girlfriend to the opera, and the elderly lady in front of us unwrapped a butterscotch and proceeded to roll the wrapper between her fingers absentmindedly.
    via W****_trash-02
  • 16
    My girlfriend was going nuts and after a bit I tapped the lady on the shoulder and asked her to stop. She was mortified, as she had been unaware she was doing it.
    via W****_trash-02
  • 17
    Shytemagnet. 13 hr. ago I hit my 40s recently. I literally turn around and wag my finger, and go "Uh- uh. No one is here to hear you sing, friend."
    via W****_trash-02
  • 18
    And then if the usher won't stop them, I demand the usher bring me to a new seat. I'm 100% finished with having my experiences ruined out of a need to stay polite.
    via W****_trash-02
  • 19
    Vampiyaa 14 hr. ago . edited 9 hr. ago I had the exact same thing happen to me at Les Mis. We paid $200 bucks for the tickets just to listen to some middle aged lady next to me sing along to every. single. song.
    via W****_trash-02
  • 20
    The ushers did nothing. This was on top of like 15 people in front of us being on their phones constantly. That was the only time I ever crept close to becoming a Karen and messaged customer service to ask for compensation. We got two free tickets to the ballet out of it, at least Othese main character
    via W****_trash-02
  • 21
    . Ok-Lingonberry-6808 13 hr. ago Same exact thing happened to me at Wicked at Segerstrom in Costa Mesa. Drama kid was sitting behind me singing and I asked her to stop. She didn't stop so I found an usher and tattled. They moved me and my friend up a few rows.
    via W****_trash-02
  • 22
    TDG7734 12 hr. ago That happened to me at a Bjork concert. After a few songs where everyone in our section was subjected to the horrible singing of one fan, I told her to stop ruining it for everyone. Her boyfriend made a feeble attempt at defending her but I just ignored him. People thanked me after the show. Am I a hero? I really can't say, but yes.
    via W****_trash-02
  • 23
    Feisty-Barracuda5452 13 hr. ago Of course, she gets louder when you say something. She's the main character.
    via W****_trash-02
  • 24
    . Mythbird 12 hr. ago Went to a Pink Floyd tribute band performance/play in the state theatre. It was pretty good but there was one guy who warbled along like it was a Disney song along episode.
    via W****_trash-02
  • 25
    Guy about two rows ahead turns around and tells him he paid to hear the performers not the audience. Well the guy didn't stop. Next minute there was a full brawl going on as the guy had jumped two rows.
    via W****_trash-02
  • 26
    Edit: Why I didn't say something earlier in the show: 1. Social Anxiety 2. My daughter was with her class and I didn't want to make a scene 3. I honestly didn't know telling an usher would do anything.
    via W****_trash-02
  • 27
    4. I was not the only person hearing this gawd awful woman, so why didn't anyone else report her if they knew they could?
    via W****_trash-02
  • 28
    5. Even when I did say something she got more aggressive, so I have a feeling it wouldn't have done anything to say something. 6. I think I mainly wanted her to know that she had been annoying us all show. 7. I still enjoyed the show.
    via W****_trash-02

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

musical theatre wicked theater entitled people karma broadway entitled people nyc tourists audience
Scroll Down For The Next Article