<p>Michael, I agree with you, to an extent. The culprit, I'm sad to say, was the movie. Although it brought a filmed version (and not a great one, in my opinion) to many new fans, unfortunately many of those fans were not theatre fans, and so, when they saw the stage version, some of them did not, and do not, know how to behave in a theatre. This has been an issue ever since the release of the movie, both at the Nederlander and in the various cities that the tour has hit in the past couple of years.</p>
<p>I have seen abominable behavior every time I've seen the show since the release of the movie. Certainly not all new fans act like this but so many do, that it affects the enjoyment of the rest of the audience, and it affects the actors onstage. Knowing some of the Broadway actors, and having spoken also to some of the tour kids for the past couple of years, they have seen it, too. The hooting and hollering during the show, the waving of signs, the singing along, inappropriate calling out to castmembers in the middle of numbers, it truly is awful.</p>
<p>I'm not really sure I can explain it either. We've been seeing the show since its beginning, and have had several family friends who have been fortunate enough to be cast in it. There have always been fans of all ages, including some very young ones, but somehow what often happens at the show these days never seemed to happen prior to the movie. When Anthony and Adam decided to return for their run last summer, I knew that it would be an even bigger issue then because all these new fans would 'know' them from the movie. And it was! </p>
<p>Not only was the stagedoor scene filled with outrageous behavior, from both young and old, but the front of the theatre was covered with graffiti by these so-called fans, writing all kinds of inanities. It reached the point that Anthony thought that there was a serious safety issue outside after the show and he limited his time there, as a result. This was particularly difficult for him because he is an extremely generous individual with his fans, but after a few people were actually injured due to unruly behavior, that was the final straw.</p>
<p>I think the fans who truly appreciate the show and its history will, like you, have mixed feelings. The show itself, its message, and the feelings that it engenders will live on in all of us who have loved it for years. The tour, I'm hopeful, will continue, and the school edition will become unrestricted probably in the fall. It's had an excellent run and all involved with it should be proud of that because it was not what anyone expected when it began! :)</p>
<p>Susan, your D will love her friend's Mark! He's wonderful, as I've told you before. I'm looking forward to seeing him again when they're in town in March!</p>