Supporting Theatre, Even When the Lead Makes You Cringe

by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder

Here’s the thing: I love theatre. I love it more than most people. I love it more than a good night’s sleep, more than my cholesterol numbers, more than the idea of financial stability. I even love it more than Cheez-Its—and I really love Cheez-Its.

And because I love theatre, I go to the theatre. A lot. I go when I’m excited, I go when I’m skeptical, I go when the forecast says "biblical storm incoming" and Ticketmaster says “partial view, nonrefundable.” I believe in showing up. I believe in clapping until my hands hurt. I believe in standing ovations even when the rest of the audience is confused and still trying to unwrap their second act cough drops.

But every now and then, the universe plays a little prank on us by casting someone in a show who makes you, well… bristle.

You know the feeling. That moment when you see the casting announcement and your reaction is less “oooh!” and more “oh… them.” The person who once made a rude comment in an interview, or posted something tone-deaf on Instagram, or had an entire Tumblr page dedicated to their backstage bad behavior. That person.

So what do you do?

Well, you suck it up and you go. Because supporting live theatre isn’t about your personal vendetta. It’s about the show. It’s about the creatives who built it. It’s about the swings and the ushers and the costume crew.

It’s about the message, the music, the movement. It’s about the art.

Plus, refusing to see a show just because you don’t like one performer? That is how we lose the whole damn industry. You can’t claim to love Broadway and then sit out a big revival because you got into a Twitter fight with the lead ten years ago. That’s not principle. That’s petty. (Fun. But petty.)

And let’s be honest: most of us have sat through worse. I’ve done my time. You’ve done yours. And yet, we go back. Because theatre matters. Because no matter who’s on stage, something magical might happen. And you don’t want to be the person who missed it because you were busy being stubborn.

You don’t have to love the actor. You don’t have to follow them on Instagram. You don’t even have to look at them during the curtain call if it really pains you. But show up. Because the ensemble deserves it. The writers deserve it. Theatre deserves it.

And so…I will be seeing Chess this fall. Starring Lea Michele.