A typical night out on Broadway turned into a dramatic showdown during a performance of Mamma Mia! when one theatergoer’s patience snapped over a row of disruptive audience members.
What started as a family outing quickly escalated into a viral confrontation that had everyone talking online.
The Outburst That Stunned the Crowd
Derek Kahle, a theater enthusiast, captured the explosive moment on video.
The footage shows a man jumping out of his seat during intermission, roaring at the women seated behind him for talking and singing during the musical.
He was attending the show with his teenage nieces and had clearly reached his limit.
“I need security over here now!” the man demanded, his voice echoing through the theater.
“You want to make a scene?! I’m gonna make a scene! Mess with my teenage nieces again!” he yelled, while the women behind him appeared taken aback.
He didn’t stop there, labeling them “loud and obnoxious” and complaining that they had started using profanities in front of his nieces.
One of the women was briefly caught mouthing, “I was only singing.”
Apology Amid the Drama
When security finally arrived, the man apologized for his explosive behavior but clarified his reasons.
“Once you start messing with my teenage nieces, then I got an issue with that,” he told the officers.
Kahle’s video quickly made the rounds online, and the man later confirmed under the account officialuncledaddy that he was the one confronting the women.
He explained that he had repeatedly asked them to stop singing and clapping loudly during the show.
After enduring an entire act of chaos, he confronted them during intermission.
According to his account, the women responded with profanities, and he noticed them hovering their hands over his nieces’ heads—prompting him to step in.
“That’s when I thought it had gone far enough, so I came back, and that’s when the video starts,” he said.
“At that point, I had had enough. It had gone way too far.”
Witnesses Support the Uncle
Many witnesses defended his actions. Amy Cannella, who sat near the row of women, described their behavior as “rambunctious” during the first act.
She confirmed that the man had asked them politely to stop before they responded with expletives.
The women were asked to leave before the second act began.
Even from the stage, one of the actresses, Carly Sakolove, heard the disruption.
“I could hear these women singing during Money, Money while I was onstage. Unreal!” she wrote online.
Online Reactions: Standing Up for Theater Etiquette
The video sparked a lively debate across social media. Many defended the man, citing declining audience manners.
“No valid excuse—if you wanted to sing along, you should’ve just watched the movie at home,” one user commented.
“People think the theater is like home watching TV,” another added.
“He is absolutely correct—people are obnoxious in the theater.”
A third chimed in: “I actually think more people should be doing this.”
Some Criticism of the Response
Not everyone agreed with his approach, though.
One viewer wrote, “All he had to do was find a security guard and explain the situation instead of acting like a maniac and causing a scene. Pretty easy.”
The Ongoing Issue of Audience Etiquette
This incident highlights a growing concern among theatergoers: audience etiquette seems to be on the decline.
Singing along, clapping at the wrong times, or using phones during shows has become a recurring frustration for many who attend live performances.
For now, Broadway audiences might need to remember that the theater is not a living room, and some scenes—both onstage and in the crowd—are best left to the professionals.
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