MAMMA MIA! audience drama on Broadway | the reasons behind the viral fight at the theatre

Summary

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Podcast Summary: MAMMA MIA! Audience Drama on Broadway – The Reasons Behind the Viral Fight at the Theatre

Podcast: MickeyJoTheatre
Host: Mickey Jo
Release Date: January 8, 2026
Episode Theme:
A candid breakdown and analysis of the recent viral audience altercation during the intermission of Mamma Mia! on Broadway, exploring the causes of disruptive theatre behavior, audience etiquette, the special challenges of jukebox musicals, and the broader implications for live theatre in the pandemic era and beyond.

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Episode Overview

Mickey Jo dives deep into the viral incident at Mamma Mia! on Broadway, where a heated argument broke out among audience members over disruptive behavior. He examines not only the specifics of this incident—captured in a much-circulated video—but also considers broader questions of theatre etiquette, why such moments feel increasingly frequent, the specific challenges of shows featuring well-known pop songs, and how post-pandemic social dynamics and marketing may fuel such occurrences.

Mickey Jo's characteristic wit and empathy provide a nuanced discussion, aiming to both validate frustrations and consider solutions, all while maintaining a distinct theatre-lovers’ perspective.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Recap of the Incident and Its Viral Spread

• Incident occurred during intermission at Mamma Mia! in the Winter Garden Theatre, Broadway.
• A video (initially on Reddit, 01:46) shows a male audience member loudly calling for security to remove a disruptive group of women who were "loud and obnoxious," had used profanity, and allegedly behaved inappropriately toward his nieces.
• The video has sparked widespread debate and coverage, including on People Magazine.

Quote (Audience Member, 04:41):
“These ladies… this whole section gonna vouch for it. You wanna make a scene? I'm gonna make a scene. Mess with my teenage—I need… where is there a security guard? …They've been loud and obnoxious. Now they want to use profanity in front of my nieces.”

2. Firsthand Accounts and Stage Management Reaction

• Stage manager for the production (“Therapy with Larry” on TikTok) confirmed security removed the disruptive party after the altercation.
• Eyewitness “jerseyredhead” described the women as drinking and singing loudly during Act 1, responding to complaints with profanity, and one woman made a non-contact but threatening gesture toward a teenager.
• Performer testimony: On-stage cast could hear the disruptive audience over the sound of “Money, Money, Money”—underscoring the disruption’s severity.

Mickey Jo (05:24):
“That probably is the… most spectacular interaction between audience members I’ve ever seen inside of an auditorium… I am utterly prepared to side with this man in this particular moment.”

3. Analysis of Audience Etiquette and Culture

• Common frustration: High ticket prices contrasted with the risk of others ruining the experience.
• Mickey Jo describes the "silent British approach" to shushing, versus more direct confrontations like in the viral video.
• Evokes empathy for those forced into the role of “audience police” and calls the man who intervened a “champion.”

Mickey Jo (08:48):
“No one really wants to have to be that person who shushes the annoying audience member. But you’re always kind of hoping that somebody around you will be. We are very often just waiting for a champion and here one appeared.”

• Critical of media framing, e.g., People.com’s headline “man screams at Mamma Mia audience members…”

4. Is the Problem Unique to Jukebox Musicals?

• Mamma Mia! (and other jukebox musicals) contain pop songs audiences know from parties and weddings—which may foster a “sing along” impulse.
• But this issue isn't exclusive to jukebox shows; Mickey Jo shares examples from Dreamgirls and Dirty Dancing live shows, as well as traditional plays like The Mousetrap.
• Highlights the need for clearer communication of theatre expectations, especially as such shows attract more first-time theatregoers.

Mickey Jo (15:38):
“The conversation very often turns to jukebox musicals attracting that type of audience member, … but I think it’s a really reductive way of looking at the situation.”

5. The Learning Curve for New Audiences

• Theatres try to mitigate problems with pre-show announcements, but the people who need to hear them most are often not listening—or may face language barriers.
• Growth in new audiences (including tourists and first-timers) means etiquette cues must be clearer.

Mickey Jo (18:03):
“It can, I think, for people who have never been to the theatre before, be a little bit confusing because a great deal of what we call ‘theatre etiquette’ goes unspoken.”

• Marketing and reviews sometimes encourage the “sing-along” idea, contributing to confusion.

6. Ushers, Security, and Who’s Responsible

• Some blame ushers, but Mickey Jo empathizes with their difficult position: not paid or trained for full-scale conflict management, and often ill-equipped to deal with escalating situations.

7. Anecdotes: Audience Aggression Is Nothing New

• Shares a dramatic experience at The Mousetrap, where a request to stop talking escalated into a physical threat.
• Argues bad behavior is not about the type of show but larger social patterns.

8. The Psychological Aftermath of the Pandemic

• Observes an uptick in confrontational, entitlement-fueled behavior since theaters reopened post-COVID-19 shutdowns.
• Sees this as part of a larger desire to control one’s immediate environment, a byproduct of time spent in isolation.

Mickey Jo (26:25):
"A lot of the language that we are hearing… has to do with their personal rights and their personal space and their ability to control their own immediate environment, which is something you sort of surrender when you go anywhere."

"I think this period… affected almost all of us, more so than we perhaps realize."

9. Technology and Distraction

• Notes that even small distractions (phone screens, smartwatches) can be disruptive to both audience and performers.

10. Concluding Thoughts and Questions for Listeners

• Not all bad behavior stems from malice—some is from lack of awareness, habit, or confusion.
• The onus may fall on both theatre management for better audience education and individuals for self-awareness and mutual respect.
• Invites listener stories (including from former disruptive audience members).

Mickey Jo (32:35):
"On the occasions when [bad behavior] is [malicious], I would be glad to be in an audience alongside a man who is unafraid to. To stand up, turn around and shout at these foolish people, telling them how rude they have been and not for nothing, asking security to take them away."

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On the universal hope for an audience ‘champion’:
  "We are very often just waiting for a champion and here one appeared." (08:48)

• On etiquette and personal responsibility:
  “No one really has the right to be willfully disruptive in a way that they can control.” (08:00)

• On jukebox musical audiences:
  "If you wanted to sing the songs in the theatre, audition and be cast." (Referencing a Reddit comment, 12:30)

• On post-pandemic psychology:
  "When we return out into the world, I think... [the pandemic] left us with this perhaps subconscious desire to really be able to control our immediate environment..." (26:25)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:46] Introduction to the Mamma Mia! incident and set-up
• [04:41] Viral video audio of the altercation in the theatre
• [05:24] Mickey Jo’s initial reaction and overview of online responses
• [07:30-11:30] Eyewitness accounts; analysis of behavior & etiquette
• [13:00] Broader conversation on disruptive audiences, price of tickets, and expectations
• [15:38] Are jukebox musicals uniquely problematic? Mickey Jo’s analysis
• [18:03] Pre-show announcements & the learning curve for first-timers
• [20:45] Mickey Jo’s personal experience with audience fights at The Mousetrap
• [26:25] Pandemic effects on audience psychology and entitlement
• [31:45] Closing reflections and invitation for listener stories

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Tone and Style

Mickey Jo combines witty theatrical references with sincere reflection. Puns (“lay all your love on me,” “the winner takes it all”) punctuate a thoughtful, critical analysis. His tone is both passionate as an advocate for respectful audience behavior and empathetic toward new theatergoers, striving for a conversation rather than a rant:

"I hope, thoroughly explored this particular situation and all of the issues that may be ongoingly at play here, that is all that I have to say about this Mamma Mia. Broadway audience drama and the ongoing question of theatre etiquette."

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Takeaway

This episode serves as an insightful, entertaining, and slightly exasperated plea for more considerate audience behavior—and for better tools (education, announcements, and perhaps even subtle printed reminders) to help everyone share the joy of theatre together. The discussion reflects on both traditional etiquette and the evolving norms of a post-pandemic crowd, while ultimately encouraging a wider conversation in the theatre community.

Listener call-to-action:
Contribute your thoughts and horror stories (or secrets!) in the comments to keep the conversation alive—and, as Mickey Jo reminds us, "just don’t play any of those recordings during the middle of a theatrical performance."

Transcript

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[Micky Jo (Theatre Critic and Content Creator)]

Well, it seems like the history book on the shelf isn't the only thing repeating itself, because once again, we are here to have a conversation about bad audience behavior and at the theatre. And to quote the globally renowned plumber and lizard nemesis Mario, Mamma Mia. That's both the name of the show where this incident took place and also my response. But this viral drama deserves a nuanced conversation and you can bet we're about to have one. Oh my God. Hey, welcome back to my theatre themed YouTube channel. Or hello to those of you listening to this on podcast platforms. If you happen to be meeting me for the very first time. My name is Micky Jo and I'm obsessed with all things theatre. I am a full time theatre critic and content creator here on the Internet and in the usually very quiet month of January. As far as the theatre industry goes, an interesting news story beginning to gain a little bit of traction. It has been talked about extensively on social media. It has been reported by People magazine online because earlier this month there was an incident during the intermission of a performance of Mamma Mia. At the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway, reigniting a turbulent conversation around theatre etiquette and audience behavior, a topic which tends to occur fairly frequently. I have spoken about it in the past, but there are new dimensions of it that I don't think we've really fully discussed before, and in some ways my perspective on the whole thing has begun to shift a little bit. I also want to somewhat disprove the myth that this is something that only happens at jukebox musicals like Mamma Mia. Even though on the face of it this would be an indication that it is. So there is plenty for us to discuss who was in the wrong in this particular situation. Has audience behavior got worse over the last few years or does it just feel like it has? Are we just hearing about it more often these days because of the immediacy granted by social media connection? Was this something that happened frequently in the 70s? I'm genuinely asking because I don't know. What I do know is that everything that follows is going to be my opinion and as always, I would love to hear yours comment with all of your thoughts and feelings about this particular situation, as well as if you would like your own theatre audience horror stories down below. I'm both excited and nervous to read them. In the meantime, if you would like to stay up to date with all of the latest theatre news, as well as everything else that I share online, make sure you're subscribed right here on YouTube or following me on podcast platforms. In other words, lay all your love on me. Honestly, I have dozens of these. I could keep this going for hours. And as they say in the Winner Takes it all, the judges will decide. It is time for us to talk about what happened at Mamma Mia. On Broadway. So the incident in question was made public via a 45 second video, which I believe was initially posted on Reddit and has subsequently been shared all around social media. This took place during the intermission of the performance. It's being filmed from, I think some of the Boxel Lo seating in the mezzanine to give us like a nice little bird's eye view, which I thorough appreciate. Great work from this camera person. Listen, they weren't being a busybody, they were being an investigative journalist and we appreciate it. I have seen various clips from this. I have not yet watched it the whole way through. We're gonna do that right now. Here it is.

[Audience Member Confronting Disruptive Theatergoers]

I need a security over here now. Cuz these ladies and this whole session gonna vouch for it. You want to make a scene? I'm gonna make a scene. Mess with my teenage. I need, I need. Where is there a security guard? I need security right here. Because this whole section knows they've been loud and obnoxious. Now they want to use profanity in front of my nieces. I, I, I, I'm so sorry. Once you come from my teenage nieces, then I got an issue with that.

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[Micky Jo (Theatre Critic and Content Creator)]

Okay. Yeah, that probably is the interaction between audience members I've ever seen inside of an auditorium. And I can understand how people glance at this, especially from outside of the Broadway sphere and see this really extreme reaction and like the volume of the whole thing and the drama of the whole thing and think that this is too much. But I am utterly prepared to side with this man in this particular moment. Before I talk about why, we're going to read a little more about what happened. It has been reported in People magazine, but the stage manager from Mamma Mia. On Broadway has also shared some thoughts on Reddit and I'm going to read you those instead. This was posted two days ago. Hi, I am the production stage manager for Mamma Mia. On Broadway. On Saturday evening, January 3rd, there was an altercation in the audience that was captured on film. These poor performers and crew backstage just want to get through the holiday season, honestly. The clip is available here on Reddit. As the stage manager, I had more information than most and have posted to my TikTok. That's therapy with Larry if you want to go and hear more about what he has to say. A more detailed version of this story and including how not only were the women in the wrong and being disruptive, but that they were escorted out of the building by security. My TikTok about this has gone viral with thousands of comments and support, not only of this man, but opening up a deeper conversation about etiquette in the theatre, which is what we're having right now. And in this same post there is a comment beneath with an eyewitness account. The plot thickens. It's very exciting. Someone called jerseyredhead on Instagram said, I was at this performance and I'm the one in the white sweater identifying themselves. What you don't see prior to the video, one of the women definitely was drink and the other two were singing very loudly during the performance. Who is surprised? Nobody. Nobody is surprised. In fact, you could hear them in that argument there on camera saying, we were only singing along, which they clearly believe is no big deal and we'll talk about that as well. Continuing with this eyewitness statement, what you don't see is the man did begin by asking them to stop and they responded with F bombs and other choice words. Then at one point, the woman put her hand circling over the top of one of his niece's heads. She did not actually touch her, but she should not have put her hands, arms anywhere near her. I agree. I can't figure out she's circling her hands over the top of it sounds very sort of Elphaba Elikanahman Naaman, like not very Mamma Mia whatsoever. They like a. They like a diagonal point. At that point it escalated and this man reacted in the way he did. And you could hear him talking about that. You could hear him saying, like, you don't mess with my nieces. That's a no from me. And he said, this whole section, which I just loved. We'll get to it. Security took them both into the lobby, I believe, and then he did return and apologized to those around him and security police removed the woman and her party for the remainder of the performance. There was also, for what it's worth, a performer who commented on this post on Instagram who said, I could hear these women singing during Money, Money while I was on stage. Unreal, exclamation point. Imagine being able to hear people singing in the audience while you are singing. Not a quiet solo, but a loud, uptempo company number of all things. It's money, money, money. Everyone's singing and you can still hear the drunk women in the audience singing. That tells us a little something about the volume of these individuals. They were not sat like three rows from the stage either. You can tell in the video they're a little ways back, but they are projecting over the poor, unsuspecting audience members in front of them, including this gentleman's teenage nieces. So let's talk about this particular situation. It would seem from all the evidence gathered that they were being disruptive during the first act and they were politely, perhaps asked to stop and they refused. With the situation escalating somewhat and what sounds like very sort of playground behavior with them, perhaps taunting, but not like physically touching this guy's nieces. It sounds like these are all women who are old enough to know better. You can actually hear in the clip one of them saying very early on, I didn't touch her. And the technicality of that, like, well, I didn't actually touch her, does feel utterly childish. But regardless, without putting all of these other little details on top of it, you simply shouldn't be loudly and obnoxiously singing along while you're at the theater. And if someone asks you not to after you have begun to do so, then you should respect that. We should be respectful towards our fellow audience members. And if you don't think the way this gentleman responded to the situation was respectful, then I think we probably have to be mindful of everything that had happened beforehand. But also, once that mutual respect is gone, then, you know, cards are off the table. Why am I expected to keep being polite to you if you're going to be an asshole in the row behind me? Anyway, I have never been this person, but had I been in that theater, a, I would have been listening real good. I'd have been leaning all the way over. I'd have been smiling and nodding to whoever was talking to me, listening to none of what they were saying, because all I would have been paying attention to was this drama happening in the auditorium. I think I would have stood and applauded this man. I do love. I think it's so. I do love that he immediately invoked everyone else in this section, and they all became participants in this without volunteering themselves. And everyone suddenly became the GIF leaks in the Real Housewives of Atlanta saying, why am I in it? I would have turned all the way around at that point. But I also think that I would have been happy to add my testimony because, you know, it's frustrating when this happens. Broadway tickets, as we know, are not inexpensive. This guy has brought his nieces. He has presumably paid for multiple tickets. I think there were three girls next to him sat together. It's very possible he has paid for four orchestra seats to Mamma Mia. On Broadway. Very possibly because of the time of the year. It may have been some sort of a festive gift. They're having a nice day out. Uncle and all of his nieces. I'm not going to presume the demographic, but taking your nieces to Mamma Mia. On Broadway does sort of suggest at things. And it's frustrating. It's completely frustrating when that experience gets negatively affected or Even ruined by disruptive audience members around you who are enjoying the show in their own personal way. We could have a conversation about the way that we impact each other and the rights that we have as individuals to enjoy the show in the way that we wish to. But ultimately no one really has the right to be willfully disruptive in a way that they can control. So while I have never been this particular individual, I have on rare occasions taken it upon myself to say something to an audience member. It must have been a very long time ago. For the most part, the way that we tend to communicate this as comparatively reserved British people is, if the loud person is behind me, I will do this. Let me turn to give you the full effect of this. That's it. And that was three strikes. I actually did that three times. It's just a little over the shoulder. So you know and I know that I can hear you. That is my way of letting them know. I have thought in the past about printing little sort of business card sized instructions that say things like shush or I can see your phone or little things like that, as well as the more specific why on earth would you pay this much not to pay attention and please never come back to the theatre again? Which sounds super gatekeepy of me, but. But in the moment you question why these individuals have even walked into the building in the first place. And again, they've paid a lot of money as well. And sometimes it feels as though the distracting behavior is coming from people who are disengaged from the production. The problem obviously at Mamma Mia. On Broadway with this situation was that if anything, they were too engaged and obviously not having been a part of that audience. I think you can tell an awful lot from the way that those women defended themselves and said, like, we were only singing along and I didn't touch her and all of that stuff. Versus the behavior that he exhibits immediately upon entering into a conversation with a member of staff. Because he is utterly and quickly apologetic, he has clearly just exploded in what I think is an understandable rage. No one really wants to have to be that person who shushes the annoying audience member. But you're always kind of hoping that somebody around you will be. We are very often just waiting for a champion and here one appeared. Now, like I said, I don't love the way that this has been reported in people.com they've gone with the headline man screams at Mamma Mia. Broadway audience members for being loud and obnoxious in viral video with an actual stock image of an angry man in a theater reps for Mamma Mia On Broadway did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment, and they, to their credit, did share various responses from Reddit that were very much on his side. Someone wrote, I've been to enough Broadway and sat next to enough nonsense to know that I'm on this guy's side. I'm so tired of paying top dollar to experience adults who act like it's their first time out in the world. Another commented, if you wanted to sing the songs in the theater, audition and be cast, I cannot stand the entitlement of people who have main character syndrome. And you do wonder what these people's lives are like when they go out onto the street. Like the people who sing along or shout things out or heckle at a comedy show. Like imagine being so emboldened. What's it like to be you walking around in the world feeling so entitled, feeling no sense of shame or embarrassment or questioning your like the input that you provide and everything. Being able to sit there and go, do you know what's gonna make this very rehearsed written like decades long show a little bit better? Me. My input. I am gonna shape this and everyone around me will be grateful. It's just utterly audacious. I do love that this people piece finishes with a little paragraph saying Mamma Mia. First premiered in London's West End in 1999 before transferring to Broadway in 2001. Directed by Phylla Deloitte, who I'm sure was very grateful for that Google Alert. The musical ran there for 14 years and became the ninth longest running show in Broadway history. End of article. Love that. That was the little footnote. But similarly, I do want to segue into a conversation about Mamma Mia. And why this being the show this happened at Ma.

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[Micky Jo (Theatre Critic and Content Creator)]

TIS. So here's the thing. The conversation very often turns to jukebox musicals attracting that type of audience member, perhaps attracting, you know, the riff raff into the auditorium, which I think is a really reductive way of looking at the situation. And also a little bit of correlation not being the same thing as causation going on here. Because audience members are less likely to sing along at a brand new musical. Like if they were going to see. I don't know why. Redwood is the first one that popped into my head. I challenge you to try and sing along at Redwood, even after studying the cast album. But essentially any kind of a new musical where audience members may not already be familiar with the songs and the lyrics versus a jukebox musical whose score is comprised of already known songs, songs which I guess it's worth pointing out, in the majority of contexts in which they are heard in real life, people would probably sing along to especially that kind of music. If you're hearing abba, there's a very good chance you're at a party or you're on a dance floor or you're at a wedding or you're in one of those very expensive rickshaws, pedicabs for the Americans. In all of those contexts, you are enjoying that familiar nostalgic music by dancing and singing along to it. It's different on Broadway or indeed in any theatre. And so I think that is one issue faced more so by jukebox musicals than other shows. But that doesn't mean that you won't go to other shows where audience members will try and sing along. I was at the UK tour of Dreamgirl in Birmingham a few years back and audience members loudly, a bunch of white women loudly singing along to songs like Listen, which was very challenging because the lyrics are actually different in the stage version than they are in the film. At which point not only are you singing along, but you're actually doing it incorrectly, which is inarguably worse. And within the conversation of like notalljukeboxmusicals, I think there are a bunch of shows. Dirty dancing on stage, in my experience, did not have particularly great audience behavior. And that was at the gala night performance. And I am talking about some of the invited guests and also shows like Grease. These are shows which have a lot of familiarity but maybe attract a newer, less experienced audience, which sounds very dismissive and again, gatekeeping of me. And I don't mean for it to be because we do need to be finding new audiences and cultivating new audiences. But I think we also need to make it clear what the rules of engagement are. Because although a Lot of these situations ought to be obvious and you could argue that many of them are, and people know they're being disruptive and people shouldn't be swearing and antagonizing people's nieces or indeed their nephews. It can, I think, for people who have never been to the theatre before, be a little bit confusing because a great deal of what we call theatre etiquette goes unspoken. And we're hearing more and more pre show announcements, especially for shows who know that they might encounter that kind of a problem of, you know, people being asked to turn their cell phones off, keep them away, and not to sing along until like the end of the show or at all. Like, leave it to the actors on stage. There's been various playful iterations of this where they're like, you don't need to sing along, you don't need to use a phone. They weren't invented during our show. Please don't sing along with us. I've heard all of these announcements many, many times. And the problem is, I find in my experience the audience members who most need to pay attention to that announcement on probably talking through it. And you know, these people, you've seen them before chatting away during the safety demonstration on a plane. That's also assuming that they haven't arrived to the theater late in the first place and missed the pre show announcement entirely. And I don't know what the solution to this is necessarily because I do think for every person who simply ought to know better, there are others who didn't realize that they are contravening sort of unspoken regulations, there may be a language barrier that prevents them being able to understand that pre show announcement. I remember watching the ushers at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway during a performance of Aladdin sprinting up and down those aisles to stop people from filming. If there are a lot of people who are used to seeing like, Disney theme park shows rather than Disney productions on Broadway, they may be more accustomed to environments where you can actually film throughout the duration of a performance. And if all of this sounds very devil's advocate, it's only because I don't think that much is achieved by repeatedly getting ourselves worked up over the reality. The audience behavior seems to be getting worse. I think there has to be some kind of a solution, whether that's, you know, greater instructions made available during the booking process if people indeed pay attention to those when they book tickets. I've also seen a lot of commentary underneath some of these posts around people suggesting that ushers should be getting involved More that this is the fault of people not extinguishing the situation in the first place. Like, that's what they're paying to do. That should be their job. Why aren't they doing their job? And we have heard for some years now, sort of since theaters reopened, especially, how difficult it has been to be an usher in this kind of a contentious environment. And that is not principally what they are paid to do. They are not paid to be security staff as well. The theaters have separate security staff. But I don't think anyone is applying for those jobs on the understanding that they are expected to resolve these kinds of very inflamed situations. Not to mention that it's very difficult, as an usher in a large Broadway house, I imagine, to be able to tell someone to stop singing in the middle of a row in the middle of a performance. You have only, like, a little flashlight. You're trying to shine it in somebody's faces. There's every possibility, with all the strobes going on in Mamma Mia. As they're singing to themselves and throwing back another cup of wine, that they don't even notice you doing that. You know who does notice that? The poor person on the end of a row who is just hoping that this gets resolved soon. So the very upset usher stops shining a torch past them at the people who are already loud enough to be disrupting their enjoyment of the show in the process. Like, nobody wins. Nobody is winning in this particular situation. At which point you begin to understand the frustration of this man to stand up and be like, this whole section, you leave my nieces alone. Take these women out of the theater. I would say I would do the same. I know that I wouldn't because I've been in that situation enough times. And I would ultimately find a less direct but more passive aggressive response. Which brings me to my story of the worst audience behavior I think I have ever experienced. Or if not like the most persistently poor behavior, the most dramatic situation, the closest to a physical fight in the theatre, which has happened, but not while I was there. And this was not at a jukebox musical. It was not at a musical based on a popular film. It was not at a musical whatsoever, which I kind of like. I mean, I don't like that this happened, but I like that it's an example that challenges people's perspectives on the kind of shows that bring in these kinds of audience members. Because this was actually at a milestone anniversary performance of the Mousetrap, the world's longest running play at the St Martin's Theatre in London. And somebody was talking. And it's a quiet play, it's a small auditorium, you can hear it. And I guess the person in front of them had asked them on more than one occasion to stop talking. And they did not take kindly to that. Because what I perceived happening was then a very loud response in the middle of a scene which did not stop while all of this was going on. And then was subsequently resolved by staff where the individual who I guess had been loudly talking said, if you tell me to shush one more time, I think he said, I'm going to punch you in the effing face. Something to that extent, it was a very violent response to being asked to be quiet. And that sort of crystallized for me where a lot of this bad behavior was coming from, which I'm going to talk about in just one moment. But the last thing I want us to consider as we question, you know, like, why does it happen in these types of shows, if indeed it even does, is this idea of newer audience members being welcomed into the theatre for the very first time, the possibility that we do actually have a duty of care in terms of adequately explaining to them how the theatrical experience works. There are a lot of people who, you know, reach adulthood never having gone to the theater before. It's not actually that wide reaching. And I would ask you to consider the percentage of audience members at a play, like, I don't know, like Bug or Marjorie prime or like one of those, like, esteemed plays who are seeing their first ever Broadway show. Like, whose first Broadway show is a Bug or an Omari, maybe slightly more for an O Mary because of its cast versus how many people's first Broadway show might be a Mamma Mia. How much of that audience is seeing a Broadway musical for the very first time? Is Mamma Mia quite possibly one of the shows on Broadway that has the highest percentage of first time theatre goers? I think it very much could be. And we know that a lot of those shows, in order to be successful, need to be able to attract tourists and visitors to New York. It is not enough to sustain themselves on Manhattan's many theatre goers. Do they then also have an obligation to outline to those individuals more clearly the expectations of a theatrical performance? Or does everyone just need to learn to shut up? So I'm editing this right now and there is a small aspect of this conversation that I had neglected to include and it sounds a little bit patronizing when I keep talking about new audience members not knowing what to Expect at the theatre. And I think so much of the language that we use when theatre is marketed and reviewed falsely suggests that singing along is fine and that, like, people are like, dancing in the aisles. So many reviews are like, the audience were up on their feet and dancing in the aisles and, like, you'll know all these songs. You're going to want to sing along to all these songs. I read that in marketing and I'm like, I can see it's like watching a car crash in slow motion months ahead. Because I see that and I think that's. That's false advertising. That's going to arm people, that's going to empower people who have never been to the theatre to be like, you know what? I like, liked the movie. I am gonna go see Mamma Mia. In the theater. Let's go learn those ABBA lyrics before I get there. It's just. It's a nightmare on all fronts. Which brings me to my final point and my thesis on why I think this feels like it's happening.

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I do think that social media is a component of this, and it only feels like it's happening more and more. But I also think that the types of audience interactions we have seen and heard about in the last few years, since the pandemic, since this period of shutdown and the subsequent reopening of theaters, I think a lot of these interactions have become more dramatic, have become more inflamed. And a lot of it has to do. A lot of the language that we are hearing people using during these encounters, during these combative moments in the auditorium, has to do with their personal rights and their personal space and their ability to control their own immediate environment, which is something you sort of surrender when you go anywhere. There aren't things that you're allowed to do in A public place. There are certain things you aren't allowed to do in certain buildings. When you go and sit down in a theatrical performance, there are a lot of things that you are not allowed to do or that you are not expected to do. And I think that's hard for people, I think. And this will be talked about and studied for years, I'm sure. I think this period, time of quarantine that took place during the initial years of the pandemic affected almost all of us, more so than we perhaps realize. And I was a teacher at the time, and I first noticed this in classrooms. And I had spent my entire career working with students who were reluctant to learn the subjects that I was teaching. I was teaching mathematics to students who had failed that exam the first time around and had to retake it and weren't necessarily particularly enthusiastic about that reality. And don't get me wrong, I did my best to be a very fun and effective teacher, but the reality of that was always a certain amount of behavior and classroom management. But it got worse in a very distinctive way when students returned to the classroom after that period of shutdown, and more often not. The arguments that arose were pointless and petty, and they were about their desire to control their immediate environment. And I don't think they even necessarily understood why it mattered so much to them. I couldn't understand why it mattered so much to them. But it was things like having an unopened packet of crisps on the table or proximity to a mobile phone device, and, like, what little control they had over their surroundings after these months, where not only is, like, your immediate surroundings the only space that you have, but also we, all of us, I think, felt such limited control over the world. There was so little that we could do when we return out into the world. I think in various ways that I'm not qualified to understand the way that we engage with people, the way that we experience community shifted and changed a little bit, but also it left us, I think, with this perhaps subconscious desire to really be able to control our immediate environment and this zone around each of us. And very possibly it left us ill equipped to return immediately to those spaces where we are, you know, packed in next to each other in a dark room, trying to sit still and pay attention to something in silence for a couple of hours. There are a lot of audience members who are going to struggle to do that. And again, it sounds like I'm building towards defending this bad behavior, and I'm not. It's really my least favorite thing to experience in A theater. And I have less patience for it than most people because devastatingly, I find that I am far too easily distracted by a little like something flashing, lighting up. And it can be a watch. This is my new thing is like the people who take their phones out, that's one thing. But like, like the watches, we're not thinking enough about the way that the watches are lighting up. And it can also be perceived from the stage by actors as well. A lot of this is very distracting. That's something we don't talk about enough. There's a degree of selfishness to all of it that I think people aren't necessarily thinking through and people just aren't thinking about people other than themselves. When someone's phone rings, interrupting a performance and then they answer it, it's the most mind boggling thing. I'm like, why would you answer it? I've heard people answer the phone and say they stop calling me and hang up. And I'm like, you have the power to control this. You can turn off the phone, you can put it on airplane mode. There are options that you have right now that would help this situation. I have seen people nearby to me have their phones keep ringing and they keep just hanging up the call. And I'm like, they're gonna keep calling you because they have tried to keep calling you. Perhaps you're an older person who is not particularly fluent with your device. Perhaps it has been given to you by a younger relative who responsibility it was when they gave it to you to explain to you how to use it in a theater. This is a PSA to everyone out there. If you are buying phones for your elderly relatives, sit down and have that conversation. That's a whole seminar that needs to happen. I went to go see a five hour play in New York and during the second of three acts, an older woman's phone started to ring and she just sort of cancelled the call. And I was like, it's gonna happen again because she didn't turn it off. And now I'm on edge for the following minutes until it happens again because I know she didn't turn it off. And so I'm just waiting for this phone to ring. And there's all of these agonizing little situations. Arguably I need to chill as much as people need to learn to behave themselves better and be less disruptive in an audience. But I'm sure that we all have a lot of stories like that. People who go to the theater often will have encountered behavior like this and it's not Always malicious and it's not always deliberate. But on the occasions when it is, I would be glad to be in an audience alongside a man who is unafraid to. To stand up, turn around and shout at these foolish people, telling them how rude they have been and not for nothing, asking security to take them away. What do you think they did afterwards? Do you think they went for cocktails and talked about how they were the real victims in that situation? My question is always like, how do you face your family the next day? All these stories of people getting into physical fights and someone's like, oh, you know, what did you think of that show you went to go see last night? And it's like, well, I ended up punching somebody in the face because they asked me to be quiet. Like, how do you respond to that? If you're a family member or a colleague, like, what's that water cooler conversation? There's nothing really to say other than like, maybe you shouldn't have done that, Greg. Anyway, having, I hope, thoroughly explored this particular situation and all of the issues that may be ongoingly at play here, that is all that I have to say about this Mamma Mia. Broadway audience drama and the ongoing question of theatre etiquette. There is, however, more that we could say about it, and I would love to hear some of those conversations in the comments section down below. Please share all of your thoughts about this. Do you think that this was an overreaction? And please do let us know for our own entertainment and horror, some of your worst audience member stories as well. And if anyone feels brave enough to identify themselves as a formerly disruptive audience member and you would like to share your side of the story, I would actually love to hear from you because I have various questions over here. In the meantime until something like this happens again, and God, I hope it doesn't. Thank you so much for listening to my thoughts. I will be back very soon with more theatre news and reviews. If you would like to hear more of those, make sure you're subscribed right here on YouTube or following me on podcast platforms. Just don't play any of those recordings during the middle of a theatrical performance or, for what it's worth, on public transport without headphones. What is that? What it is is a conversation for another day. In the meantime, as always, I hope that everyone is staying safe and that you have a stagey day. For 10 more seconds, I'm Mickey Joe Theater. Oh my God. Hey, thanks for watching. Have a stagey day. Subscribe.

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