Keira Knightley Finally Makes It To Broadway And Not Even A Screaming Man In The Audience Can Stop The Show

Keira Knightley made her long overdue Broadway debut on Thursday night at Studio 54 in the play, “Therese Raquin.” The premiere turned out to be a ghastly event, not due to Keira’s performance, but rather the behavior of a particular audience member who threw everyone in the theatre off; except Keira Knightley. As previously reported by the The Inquisitr, a man who seemed to be a fan of Knightley’s screamed out, “I love you,” which was only a small portion of his poor theatre etiquette outburst. In a recent interview, another guest of the show, Kacey Bange, told E! News about the abysmal experience.

“As soon as the play started, there was a guy who started yelling, ‘This was all looney tunes!’ I turned and noticed that there was a guy hanging off the mezzanine yelling stuff to the stage. ‘Keira, none of this is real! This is all an act! Christ was born of a virgin! He kept yelling before ending with a perfunctory, ‘Will you marry me?”

Theatre goers recalled the “screaming man” throwing a bouquet of flowers onto the stage in a final attempt to get Keira Knightley’s hand in marriage. The bouquet was kicked off the stage, inspiring an applause from the previously annoyed audience. In spite of the distraction, Keira Knightly reportedly kept performing her lines in the play until the show was finally temporarily shut down for a unscheduled intermission.

Recently, Studio 54 management released an official statement through representative Jessica Johnson, about the event and why the “screaming man” was removed from the theatre.

“Roundabout takes the safety of their actors and audiences very seriously and extra security will be added beginning tonight. For obvious reasons, we cannot comment on the exact nature of the additional security measures.”

With Knightley remaining so poised throughout the whole ordeal, and given her history of playing amazing period roles on the big screen, it’s a wonder why she has waited this long to tackle a Broadway play. According to recent reports her debut was a long time coming, as Keira made her West End debut in 2009 and has been waiting for a role like Therese to take on.

Based on the events at Studia 54 as Keira Knightley and company attempted to perform the debut show of the Emila Zola book adaptation, many could argue that screen actors have no place on the stage. This is due to the fact that their celebrity status is likely to attract the same crazed fans they encounter on a daily basis. However, if talent trumps status, Keira Knightley is right where she belongs according to many who were present that night. Play guest, Kacey Bange, also attested t this in her statement to E! News.

“I would say Keira did a very good job of keeping her composure. The guy kept yelling things and she kept going on with the play without missing a beat. Even after he threw the flowers, and the audience applauded as Gabriel Ebert kicked it away, she basically kept her cool and didn’t break a sweat. In fact, she kept reading her lines until the stage managers told her to stop. This was all professionalism. I respect it.”

In the play, Keira Knightley plays a women stuck in a loveless marriage with a overbearing mother-in-law until she encounters an old friend with whom she falls in love. After an exciting debut, the Oscar Award nominee will join a cast including David Patrick Kelly, Jeff Still, Glynis Bell, Ray Virta, Mary Wiseman, Alex Mickiewicz and Sara Topham on October 29, which is the official start date of the play. Keira Knightley’s first Broadway play will also star Matt Ryan and Tony Award winners Gabriel Ebert and Judith Light. Under the direction of Evan Cabnet, Keira Knightley is expected to be brilliant at opening night of “Therese Raquin.”

[Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images] [Body Images by Bruce Glikas/Getty Images]