Unruly Theatre Behavior: The Bodyguard Incident Puts Etiquette in the Spotlight in Manchester!

Audience Singing at Musicals: To Sing or Not to Sing?

"Please refrain from singing along."

These words now greet audiences on posters on the doors of Manchester's Palace Theatre, and inside the foyers.

Singing along at a musical might not sound like a big issue. It's often part of the fun.

But on Friday, one overenthusiastic audience member's backing vocals during the big climax of I Will Always Love You led to a row, a scuffle - and a news story that blew up.

Audience singing sees The Bodyguard cut short

"If people had spoiled it for everyone else, I would have been absolutely devastated," said Zoe from Burnley, on her way in to see the show the next night.

"I will be singing - but low key," she added.

There is a difference between a theatre show and a concert, she said. "It's a musical and you're there to hear the lyrics, hear the words, emotions, everything.

"It's not a gig where you're standing on chairs and things like that. You're here to feel the emotions of The Bodyguard, and that's what I'm here for."

Other audience members on Saturday also said they liked to sing - up to a point.

"I don't see what's wrong with singing along to some degree," said Anna from Hyde in Greater Manchester.

"But if it's the rules then you've got to follow the rules... When drink's involved, it can get a bit annoying."

Amanda from Burnley said: "We've been to quite a few [shows] and we've sung - but not wanting to do a solo or anything like that. You wouldn't stand up and stand out from the crowd."

Husband Simon added: "If other people around you are doing it, you just join in, don't you? There are Tina Turner and Abba musicals where everyone's singing, so it's part of it sometimes."

The Bodyguard is adapted from the 1992 film starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, and the musical version, starring Pussycat Doll Melody Thornton, features many other Whitney hits.

It's an often tender and tense love story, rather than a raucous sing-a-long. The foyer posters show there have been issues before.

And not just in Manchester - a previous venue on the tour, the King's Theatre in Glasgow, asked patrons to ensure "the professionals on stage are the only people entertaining us with their performances".

The debate was stoked last week after ITV's This Morning discussed the Palace's singing ban.

Host Alison Hammond said she would be "devastated" if she wasn't allowed to sing along. "I'm not even going to go to that show now," she said.

Vanessa Feltz added: "Isn't the whole point of going to a musical that you know, that you sing along to all the bits you know... very, very loudly while eating an ice cream."

Co-presenter Dermot O'Leary reasoned: "Here's the thing. There's singing along, and there's singing along, right? No-one minds someone next to you just singing the words to themself.

"[If] I've paid money to see Pussycat Doll member Melody Thornton, I would not want someone, like with a cat's chorus next to me, drowning her out."

In conclusion, the issue of audience behavior, especially when it comes to singing along at musicals, has become a topic of discussion and debate. While some theater-goers see it as a fun and integral part of the experience, others recognize the need to respect the rules and not disrupt the performances. As theaters navigate the challenges posed by the pandemic, striking a balance between audience participation and preserving the integrity of the show remains a contentious issue.

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