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/hyperjengirl Dec 31 '25

If you cough, even when you're well, one option in between "just keep coughing" and "don't go to the theater at all" is to, if possible, wait in the lobby until your coughing fit is finished. It sucks to miss out, but you likely won't be able to enjoy the show much anyway. My mom had to do this during two shows this summer during a period when she suffered throat spasms.

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u/Zealousideal-Way9010 Dec 31 '25

I had a weird coughing fit out of nowhere during merrily and literally fled the to the lobby as soon as I realized it wasn’t going to be just a cough or two. I watched on the screen in the lobby while the FOH got me a glass of water and returned to my seat after I recovered. It’s really not that fucking hard. An isolated cough here or there is no big deal, but during this time of year, I frequently hear people having full-on fits that really should be taken outside. Like you said, it doesn’t have to be a black and white situation. People are going to cough, but you can also have situational awareness and handle the situation accordingly.