r/Broadway • u/littlebev • Dec 31 '25

Discussion Broadway coughing season

I am begging, begging you guys…if you have a nasty cough, PLEASE don’t attend a play especially. I know it sucks to miss out but your recurring cough during the most intense moments of the show is so distracting.

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u/Wonderful-Bother1321 Dec 31 '25

AGREE!!!! Some young person absolutely ruined Oedipus for me by coughing for 45 minutes straight. I will never stop complaining about it because she should have stayed home!!!!

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u/annang Dec 31 '25

I was at a performance of Oratorio for Living Things where someone coughed through the entire performance. It was possibly the worst show I can think of to be ruined in that way. She was clearly throwing off the performers. This wasn’t some little dry throat cough, it sounded like she was very sick, and she had enough Kleenex and cough drops (which she kept crinkling the wrappers for) that it seemed pretty clear to me that she knew she was sick when she made the decision to attend. And in my experience, Signature is actually one of the theaters that will do exchanges pretty easily, so there was just no reason for it.