NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — An opera-goer was banned from The Metropolitan Opera for an outburst during a Thursday performance in an act that goes against traditional etiquette of spectators.
The interruption occurred during The Met’s last performance of the German opera “Ariadne auf Naxos” just as soprano Brenda Rae concluded an aria.
“You have no technique” was shouted by an attendee from the upper balconies.
“I was absolutely shocked by the heckle,” Mariel O’Connell, an opera administrator who was also at the show, told Observer. “I’ve been to probably hundreds of opera performances before and I’ve never heard something like that, especially during the show.”
A heckler is rare at the opera where viewers are held to high sophistication standards, especially at the Met where phones are prohibited and tardiness is not tolerated.
Despite the heckler’s shouts, the show went on without further commentary and received enthusiastic applause. The disruptive spectator was banned from future performances at the Met.
“Although opera singers are vocal athletes, they should not be subjected to the kind of heckling that sports spectators get away with in stadiums,” the Metropolitan Opera said in a statement to Observer. “Thankfully, this was an isolated incident. Most opera-goers are opera lovers who respect the extraordinary ability and talent of our artists. The Met is attempting to identify the rogue audience member, who quickly exited the theater after his outburst, since he will not be allowed to attend future performances.”
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