Have you had the misfortune of sitting next to someone who treats the AMC like their living room lately? Did that person take a million photos of Wicked like they were at an actual Ariana Grande concert, or sing along even though no one paid to hear the out-of-tune stylings of the person in 5B? If so, first of all, this writer is so sorry. Second, that annoying audience member might have been Dwayne Johnson.
No, seriously. “Sing! You’ve paid your hard earned money for a ticket, and you’ve gone into a musical, and you’re into it. Sing,” the Moana 2 actor commanded the worst people you know in an interview with the BBC. “Especially if you love music, that’s the fun part.” That sound you just heard? That was thousands of fans who actually care about the long-established rules of theater etiquette throwing in the towel for good.
This writer would argue that “the fun part” is listening to world-class vocalists sing their hearts out on some of the best speakers around, but apparently that’s a pretty hot take these days. Not to go full old man yells at cloud, but Johnson wasn’t even talking about Wicked—a movie generally aimed at grownups who should know better and could conceivably feel some semblance of shame. These comments were in the context of Moana 2, a children’s movie. Any kid who sees that Maui himself wants them to sing is probably going to have the time of their life, but the same can’t be said for any unlucky parents at the same showing.
At least some theaters are trying to serve as a last wall of defense against the disruptors. Wicked fans have reported seeing signs specifically discouraging singing at general screenings. Theater chain Alamo Drafthouse also took a moment away from reviving smell-o-vision to respond “Or, don’t do that,” to a viral tweet encouraging fans to post bootleg photos from the film. Even Ariana Grande was forced to chime in during Wicked‘s marathon press tour, saying (via Variety), “We understand it if you [sing]. We respect the feelings… but if someone throws popcorn at you, their phone or something, maybe stop.”
Universal will also be offering a special singalong version of Wicked on Christmas for everyone to have their own “it’s meeeee” moment during “Defying Gravity. That does sound pretty magical; more vocally-inclined fans just need to sit back, relax, and wait until everyone’s gotten a chance to hear Cynthia Erivo do it first.
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