Social Dilemma: Should People Sing Along At a Musical Play?

Today's 98.3 TRY Social Dilemma is about how to behave in the audience at a musical. Here's the email: Hi Jaime, Last week I went to Proctors to see "Ain't Too Proud", a show about the Temptations, with my sister. Behind us were two couples. They talked fairly often during the show, and one of the ladies sang many of the Temptations' tunes fairly loudly. We found this rather distracting and wanted to hear the performers on stage, not her. After this went on for a while, we shushed her. This made her mad, I guess, because she then said, much louder than a whisper, "Did they just shush me?!?" I nodded that yes, we had, but didn't say anything to avoid adding to the noise. During the intermission, I tried to reason with the woman about her singing. I told her that I understood that she was there to have fun, as we all were, and asked if she could just sing more quietly so that we would not have trouble hearing the performers on stage. She referred to the show as a concert, which it wasn't. She got upset at us and ended up moving several rows higher in the balcony, where I guess she could sing without disturbing anyone. This would not have been possible if the theater was full. The lady in front of me thanked me for speaking up, as the singing had bothered her too. My question for you is: was it OK to ask her to tone down her singing ? Or should we just have moved ourselves without saying anything or stayed put without objections to grin and bear it?  I hope to hear your thoughts and those of your other listeners! Thank you, Judy. Well, I'm a believer that you don't sing along unless the performer on stage invites you to do so. That goes with concerts too. We all spend a lot of money to go out and have fun at these events. At a musical, I don't think it's ever appropriate to sing along again, unless the performers invite you to. Get up and dance, sure, especially a show like Ain't Too Proud, but singing when no one else is detracts from the performers.  It's a show, not a concert.. That's my take anyway. What do you think? Let's help Judy out and let me know on the TRY Facebook page.