A recent incident during a performance of “Mamma Mia!” at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City has gone viral, prompting a widespread discussion about proper theater etiquette. The confrontation, captured in a video that has amassed millions of views, shows an audience member confronting a group of women he deemed disruptive during the first act of the musical.
Witness Derek Kahle, who filmed the encounter on March 2, 2024, describes the moment as startling. “I’ve never heard a whole theater get silenced like that, that quickly,” he said. The footage depicts a man calling security on the women seated behind him, expressing frustration over their loud singing. “Because this whole section knows they’ve been loud and obnoxious. Now they want to use profanity in front of my nieces,” he states in the video.
The situation escalated as the man sought assistance from a security guard. He explained his concerns further, saying, “I’m so sorry. Once you start messing with my teenage nieces, then I got an issue with that.” Meanwhile, one of the women countered, “We were just singing a song.”
The audience’s reactions varied. Another theatergoer, Amy Cannella, who was seated nearby, remarked that the women’s behavior was distracting. “They were singing along rather loudly, getting a little rambunctious,” she noted. Carly Sakolove, an actress in the production, even commented on Kahle’s post, mentioning that she could hear the women during her performance of “Money, Money.”
According to Cannella, the confrontation had begun before the recorded video. She noted that the man had initially asked the women to keep their voices down, but their response was not polite. “They responded back with some expletives, not a very nice response,” she recalled. After the man left to call security, Cannella claimed she witnessed one of the women gesturing dismissively towards his nieces.
Following the intervention by security, the group of women was approached separately. Cannella reported that one of the women returned to the theater, stating, “Oh, we have to leave. Apparently, we have to leave because we were singing.” They exited before the second act commenced, while the man returned to his seat, appearing apologetic.
The incident has stirred debate on social media, with Kahle conducting a survey regarding the man’s reaction. Of nearly 19,000 respondents, 55% sided with the man, agreeing that he was justified in his anger, while 45% suggested he should have been more restrained.
Reactions from theatergoers in the area reflected a division in opinion. Tourist Gabe Max, visiting from Australia, stated, “Just be a decent human being. There’s no reason to ever yell at somebody for being too loud. Just take it in stride.” Conversely, Daniela Valazquez from Galloway, New Jersey, argued that audience members should respect the performance. “Have fun, but if you’re overdoing it, then I guess that’s reasonable,” she said.
CBS News New York reached out to the production company for “Mamma Mia!” for comment but has not received a response. As this incident continues to circulate online, it serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between enjoying a performance and adhering to the expectations of theater etiquette.
