Why do people insist on leaving a live performance before it's over?

[rorycam]

We have season tickets to Starlight, which is an outdoor theater here in Kansas City. We went last night to the first show of the season, and despite the fact that the man who does the announcements before the show requested that no one leave before the end of the performance, many, many people still did it.

Is anyone's life so busy that they must get up and leave 10 minutes before the show is over, just to "beat the traffic?" First of all, I doubt they really even beat the traffic, and really, why bother to even go if you are not going to stay for the whole thing? It is so rude to the performers and to the other audience members. We have great seats that are not cheap (at least to my mind and pocketbook!), yet some people who paid for said great seats are climbing over you to get out, and you end up missing some of the last of the show--usually during an especially moving, beautiful song, which makes it even more distracting. Grrr-it is so annoying!

[mudder17]

Hmm...I have to agree with you on this one. But even worse is that a lot of audience members (especially kids) of this generation (LOL, I sound like an old fogey) haven't learned that you don't clap between movements of a classical piece and you certainly shouldn't whistle and cheer in the middle of a piece! I understand that if in an opera, a soloist finishes and amazing aria that you might want to clap right afterwards, but sometimes I'll go to a concert (this depends on what audience is present, of course) and you'll have people cheering in the middle of the piece throughout and it's really distracting!

Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 15 months & counting
Kaya's cousin, due October 9th!!!

[elliput]

You hit one of my major pet peeves. Audience Etiquette. Between arriving late and not waiting between movements or for a break to be seated, opening candy wrappers, clapping between movements, and leaving early during the performance, the musicians are judging their audience by these standards. And word does get around as to which venues have the best and worst behaved audiences. I have heard of conductors and soloists who have refused to perform in certain locations due to the quality of the audience.

One of the worst offenses I can remember as a music major in college (couldn't have guessed by now, could you?) is a young woman attending one of the afternoon recitals who was obvisously attending as a requirement for a music appreciation class. For some reason she thought she needed to record the performance and spent about 15 minutes trying to get her tape recorder to work. I am not sure if the musicians on stage could hear the clicking of the recorder buttons, but it was definitely beyond annoying to all of the other audience members who were seated in the same area. She finally gave up after she realized she had about thirty people glaring at her.

Hopefully the people that were leaving early were doing so for a good reason... like they were going into labor or were needed for some sort of life saving surgery. There are always good reasons for leaving early, and there are poor reasons, but for the musicians sakes' don't leave while they are performing. That's just plain rude.

I'll step down from the soapbox now...

[Melanie]

ITA. That is so ridiculous. I have not seen it at a performance before, but I have at sporting events. If you just can't deal with the traffic on the way out, stay at home and watch it on TV!

The biggest LOL was when friends of ours accompanied us to a game, we were rooting for opposing teams. Their's was losing miserably so they left 2/3 of the way through. Then their team came back and crushed ours in the biggest upset of the season. Of course were were upset about our loss, but LOL at them for LEAVING EARLY!

[aliceinwonderland]

Some recent reasons I've left concerts early:
1. to beat the traffic ;)
2. Because I was three months pregnant and positively exhausted
3. Because we had the lunacy to drive 3 hrs to a concert while I was nursing my infant son, and therefore I was *painfully* engorged half-way thru the show.

sorry :( The type of concerts we go to though, people do not seem to much care, I must say. (many go in and out for beers, etc.)

e.

[bostonsmama]

I have to agree with you on the politeness front about how leaving early is often rude to other guests and signfies almost an insult to the performers. I have been to a million performances in my life, from the Bayreuth Opera House, to private performances by the Munich Choir in the Prince of Castell's castle (aka Faber-Castell), to off-broadway plays/productions like Cats and Phantom, and the only time I've ever left early is when the performance was just "okay" and I really didn't think I would be missing much during those last 10 minutes. But, we had box seats, so we knew we wouldn't be disturbing anyone by our exit. I have to say that when the performance is wonderful, I never leave early. You never know when you're going to miss an encore. But when the performance is so-so (like a David Copperfield show DH & I attended for our 3 year anniversary)...we left 5 min before it ended and didn't feel a bit of guilt...it's certainly not that we wanted to get out of the parking lot faster...it just was really boring/predictable at the end. Just wasn't our cup of tea (but our seats were on the back row against a wall...so again we didn't block anyone's view). Perhaps I was trying to subliminally tell Copperfield that I'd "seen better." Hmmm

[JLiebCamm]

I'm right there with you at rock concerts. I remember one DMB show where they closed with something I really disliked (I think it was "When the World Ends"). I started sprinting to my car and drove straight out of the parking lot instead of sitting through 45 minutes of traffic jam. More often than not though, I stay to the end but stand near an exit, then sprint like a madwoman to my car.

I would never chose to leave early during a auditorium or small theater performance, as I would feel that it was rude. But when there are 30,000 people around you at a rock concert, movement in and out of the rows is quite common throughout the concert and minimally disrupting.

[rorycam]

Disney's "On The Record" I would not mind it at a rock concert--heck, I hope people are dancing, singing, getting their beers, having a good time.:) But at a musical or play, I just hate it. Maybe I'm too sensitive, but I just find it irritating in that context.

[kijip]

The way I see it I have bought a ticket for me, not agreed to remain captive until the end of a performance. Pre-Toby my husband and I were always out for music. I used to work at the opera here and we also went to the symphony, ballet and a chamber concert series. Plus some musicals. Also just rock or hip hop shows. Basically we were out at music related event more nights than we were home. If the performers are off or the ballet was terrible, I am not wasting my whole night trying to be polite. Now generally I prefer to be polite- and when I left, I left politely, taking care not to disturb others. I would make arrangments for box or aisle seats where I could sneak out or I would leave after the intermission. Another thing is that I would never leave during a symphony piece unless I could do so quitely- usually meant going between pieces or when people are already clapping inappropriately between movements. Sometimes if we thought we might need to leave early we would take empty seats or standing room in the back after the intermission. What kills me is the people who not only think I MUST wait until the end but those that think I MUST wait until the end of the stage call to be polite. Bullsh*t, if I want to stay and encore or be part of a standing ovation I will, but if the show was middling or I need to leave to get somewhare, I am out the door before the cutain rises again for bows. The performers are part of a product and if the product is terrible, I am not going to finish it anymore than I would a nasty loaf of bread or a bad cake....and if I need to leave early for personal reasons, I need to leave early for personal reasons. So long as I have left quitely, I have done my part to be a good audience member. Now if there were eject buttons for talkers, gum chewers and people who pass in front of you with their rears in your faces (facing the stage instead of you) then I could get behind that!!

ETA: This behavior applies only to the seated performances we went too (opera/symphony/musicals/plays/chamber music whatnot)...not the rock/punk/hip-hop shows.....where we would stand or sit around, dance, go buy cds and patches, etc...

[janeybwild]

MY DH is genetically programmed to leave an event before it is over! We joke about it, but it feels quite real. He just gets all antsy, hard to describe, but needless to say he plans our exit strategy before we leave the house. For me, I love to stay to the bitter end, we get out so rarely! Things we do for love.... :)

[amp]

Wait a minute...another Kansas Citian? You've been incognito! There are a few of us here if you want to get in touch. We occasionally (much more infrequently than we'd like) get together around here. We'd love to meet you too, if you are interested.

[mudder17]

No, I agree with you. I've been to rock concerts (Does Styx and Billy Joel count?) and it's totally fun and all right to dance, get beers, sing, etc. Audience participation is part of the fun in these concerts. But at a classical concert, musical, opera, or play, it really bugs me and the distraction keeps you from fully appreciating what the artists have put together for you.


Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 15 months & counting
Kaya's cousin, due October 9th!!!

[elliput]

I don't think you are dissenting. You are trying to be a polite audience member. I agree that you are at the performance for your enjoyment and if you are not enjoying it for whatever reason (poor performance, physical discomfort, etc) you should leave when you deem appropriate.