Musical fans singing along to Wicked spark debate around cinema etiquette

The release of the Wickedfilm has been a long time coming for musical theatre fans, but it has sparked a debate around cinema etiquette as some fans are desperate to sing along to the soundtrack.

Though not everyone wants to hear a randomer's rendition of Defying Gravity...

Ahead of the movie coming out, cinema chain AMC issued a warning to those wanting to channel Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba by belting out the songs during the film.

Print-out signs were displayed that read: “To our guests seeing Wicked, we ask that you allow everyone to enjoy the cinema experience. Please refrain from singing during the show.”

In addition to this, there was also an advisory video which said: “At AMC Theatres, silence is golden. No talking. No texting. No singing. No wailing. No Flirting. And absolutely no name-calling. Enjoy the magic of movies.”

Meanwhile, fans planning to attend the screening have warned fellow cinemagoers on TikTok not to even think about trying to sing along and ruin their experience.

"Reminding the movie theater that Wicked is NOT a singalong," TikToker Shea Durazzo wrote as a video showed him sporting an Elephaba hat and jersey with his Wicked-themed popcorn bucket and described he was doing his "civic duty".

"This is just a reminder that we're not singing during this film," he said pointing to others who were sat in their seats waiting for the film to begin.

Meanwhile, another creator @tenorbuds similarly echoed this message as he wrote: "Please refrain from singing during the Wicked movie. I paid $10 to hear Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey and the rest of the cast sing the songs. NOT YOU," in a video that now has over 183,000 views.

And many people agreed with this take in the comments section.

One person said: "Anyone who says they are going to sing during the movie I’m guessing has never gone to an actual show in a theatre. Like y’all’s theatre etiquette is appalling."

"Theatre kid here. I’m loud about musicals, especially when I love the songs. But never would I ever consider belting in a theatre," another person wrote.

Someone else added: "I am a HUGE Wicked fan. It will be so hard to NOT sing. But I definitely will keep silent. Others should too".

"This is why I’m waiting to watch at home," a fourth person commented.

However for some, not singing may prove more difficult than anticipated as demonstrated by TikToker Cynthia who hilariously shared how she and her friend covered their mouths to stop themselves from singing along in a video that now has over 281,000 views.

"Us trying not to sing along during the Wicked movie," the onscreen text read.

While @dinomulani's verdict went viral as he filmed the screening credits and wrote: "The rumors are true, the theater kids really did do a sing-a-long."

In response, people shared their experiences of going to see Wicked in the cinema in the comments section.

"There was one girl who sang popular until people started telling her to sit down. Then clapped at the end and she got told off again. So we didn’t have problems," one person said.

Another person wrote: "Someone screamed "I'm here to hear the movie not y'all" before the movie began and it worked out fine".

"I watched on Wednesday, nobody sang but almost the entire audience including myself applauded at the end of 'Defying Gravity'," someone else noted.

A fourth person commented: "The theater should definitely do singalong showings for movies like this but yeah, absolutely not during a general viewing".

Elsewhere, Wicked director hits back at claims the film looks 'washed out' in cinemas, and Universal responds to viral rumours Wicked star Grande was paid more than Erivo.

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