‘Bodyguard’ Musical Halted by ‘Mini-Riot,’ as Rowdy Theatergoers Loudly Singing Along With ‘I Will Always Love You’ Are Dragged Out

A touring production of the stage version of “The Bodyguard” was brought to a halt and canceled in Manchester, England on Friday night after patrons would not stop singing along with the musical’s songs, leading to house lights coming up during the climactic number “I Will Always Love You.” Two women were forcibly pulled out of the theater by security, and several police cars arrived to oversee the evacuation of the theater after what patrons on social media described as “fights in the aisles” and even “a mini-riot.”

According to news reports out of Manchester and tweets from those inside the Palace Theatre, the show — based on the hit 1992 film — had already been temporarily halted once during the first act because of the disruptive audience sing-alongs, but was resumed. Later, though, with only about 10 minutes to go before the end, it was put on pause again while its star, Pussycat Dolls member Melody Thornton, attempted to sing the climactic song made famous in the movie by Whitney Houston, “I Will Always Love You,” over the sound of tuneless howling coming from audience members. Thornton’s mic was cut mid-song, the house lights came up and offenders were evicted — struggling against being pulled out by their shoulders, in video footage captured by attendees — and the show was officially called off.

Local police questioned the women who were thrown out. A statement said that “a decision about any further action will be made once the evidence has been reviewed.”

Stories about the incident immediately began to be exchanged among patrons of the British theater scene, and soon internationally as well, as the most egregious examples yet of what some see as a growing scourge of rudeness and even aggressive behavior threatening the traditional decorum of the theater.