Shows you almost left at intermission, ended up enjoying?

[TonyVincent]

What's a show you attended, hated the first act, and considered leaving at intermission, only to have it all come together at the conclusion, making you glad you soldiered through it?

I ask because I saw a show tonight (that I won't name so as not to derail the topic) where I was tempted to leave at intermission, and I probably should have. As I thought more, there aren't many times where I stuck through it and felt like I was rewarded for my patience.

[dramamama611]

Wait...you started a thread on something to which you cannot contribute?


I cannot think of any time where Act II has been able to overcome the atrocities (or my lack of enjoyment) of Act I. If I'm considering leaving -- it is past the point of no return.

[April Saul]

I didn't almost leave Giant at the Public, but thought it was just all right at the intermission and by the end of the second act, was moved to tears and really loved the piece...

[SNAFU]

I really wanted to leave BR'KLN at intermission!

[Broadway Geek2]

I think one should NEVER leave a show after Act I. You owe it to yourself and the creative team to "stick it out".

That said ... one might have been tempted to bail on "Follies", since the pace was rather deadly (esp. the latest incarnation). What a mistake! For those of us who had never seen it before, "Loveland" was amazing. If one left early, imagine having missed Danny and Jan and even Bernadette-losing-her-mind.

[eperkins]

I have never left a show at intermission. In for a penny, in for a pound.

And if you liked Loveland in the recent revival, you should have seen the original. The scene change was one of the most theatrical moments I have ever scene. And Gene Nelson! Wow.

[zepka102]

Grey Gardens bored us during Act 1, and we were also all the way up in the balcony, which made it worse. Vast improvement in Act 2... with some better seats, too. Glad we didn't leave.

Too bad I can't say the same for LoveMusik... we were hoping for the same thing to happen.

[TonyVincent]

Wait...you started a thread on something to which you cannot contribute?

Isn't that the point of asking a question on a message board? To see if others have knowledge/experiences that you don't have?

I think one should NEVER leave a show after Act I. You owe it to yourself and the creative team to "stick it out".

I tend to act that way, too. However, I'm reminded of the idea of "sunk costs" (the money you paid for the seat is irrelevant once you're in the theater, the cost of staying for Act II is your additional time/patience), and if very few people have come up with instances where they're happy they stuck it out, isn't that evidence that we may be wasting our time if we hated Act I?

[Wildcard]

The only show I've ever thought of leaving after Act 1 was "Lestat." I still hated it after Act 2.

[broadfan327]

John Guare's A Free Man of Color, Act 2 was much better than Act 1 in my opinion. That is the rare exception I can think of.

[henrikegerman]

Nice Work If You Can Get It (caveat: I saw it in previews and the first act may now be much better than it was).

[Kelly2]

In my personal opinion, one cannot really comment on a show if you've only seen half. I'm not saying that things tend to get monumentally better if you're sitting through a train wreck, but the idea of seeing half a show is so bizarre to me. Even if it's awful, I'd rather see the entire production and be able to speak to what I saw than ditch.

I've only ever left before a show was over once, and that was on two comp tickets to "Rain". After the first 10 minutes, we both had absolutely no interest in sitting through the rest, and since we hadn't invested much time or money into it, and were sitting on the outside aisle, we snuck out and went to Chipotle instead. Much better use of time.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

I saw "Spamalot" in Dallas in 2010. I left the show during intermission, as I found that particular British humor quite tiresome. I did enjoy "The Lady of the Lake" though. from RC in Austin, Texas

[GlindatheGood22]

The only show I've ever considered leaving at intermission was Death Takes a Holiday.


I should have left at intermission.

[Franciouqu]

Is this really Tony Vincent ? or somebody else ? And why isn't Bruce Barossa on here?

[newintown]

You owe it to yourself and the creative team to "stick it out".

No.

All I owe the creative team is the price of the ticket. That really is all. They're not doing me a favor by allowing me to see their work.

And all I owe myself is my happiness. If a miserable piece of bad theatre is making me unhappy, I owe it to myself to leave and do something that will make me happy.

This idea of "owing" things is so ... Republican.

[Mildred Plotka]

I liked Act II of the Addams Family much more than the first. Thanks to a tumbler full of wine.

[hotjohn]

Act II of The Addams Family was better than Act I because they dropped the thin plot and just did their own party pieces.

For me it has to be Caryl Churchill's "Easy Money" at Wyndhams Theatre, London in 1987. The show was told in rhyming couplets which took some time to get used to, however, it was the strong language that put many people off and quite a few left the theatre in the first ten minutes or so. Act 1 ended with a song by Ian Dury, every other word of which was the C word. Only about half the audience returned to their seats after the intermission - the entire row in front of me was empty apart from the man directly in front of me who just happened to be Topol. Strangely, the second act was so much better than the first, everything that had seemed puzzling was explained. I left the theatre at the end of the show thinking how good and clever the whole thing had been.

[aasjb4ever]

Well I DID leave Cyrano at intermission because I fell asleep--twice--during the first act, so...

[ajh]

hotjohn -Do you mean Caryl Churchill's SERIOUS Money?? I do agree. Sat there at intermission thinking WTF is THIS all about?! Was really pleased with it by the end.

[bethyd]

Act II of Promises Promises was far more entertaining than the first, thanks to Kate Finneran.

[goldenboy]

Starlight Express bored me to tears. I thought of leaving at intermission. I asked the usher if Act two were better. She said yes. I stuck it out. Act two was a bad as act one.
I should have left. This was in London.

[Hairspray0901]

I've never left a show at intermission but I considered it at the first intermission of Gore Vidal's "The Best Man".
Honestly, I hate politics but I wanted to see it for the cast (i know...). I didn't really understand the plot since I could barely pay attention due to being so bored but by the end I actually enjoyed it and was glad I stayed.

[furry_bean915]

I wanted to leave when I saw The Last Smoker in America...but I only stayed because my friend wanted to stay.

[hotjohn]

Oops, of course I meant "Serious Money"!

[PTOPhan]

I recently saw "Jekyll and Hyde" at the Kennedy Center, in DC. Though well-acted and well-sung, the story was trite and the music boring. I stayed and no, it did not improve.

A few weeks ago, I saw "Phantom" for the fifth time (seventh, if you count twice in Las Vegas, but the Vegas version didn't have an intermission). Two women nearby, who did not seem to speak English, left after the first act. The other people sitting near me were incredulous -- who leaves "Phantom" in the middle, even if they don't understand the words? My theory is that the ladies thought the show was over when the chandelier fell.