Punches Thrown At Chicago Symphony Orchestra Performance

It’s not often one goes to the theater expecting to eat a right hand, but a sixty-seven year old man suffered that exact fate Thursday night at Orchestra Hall in Chicago. He was reportedly watching the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in one of the expensive boxes when he began arguing with a thirty something in the same location. The exchange quickly turned into shouts, which turned into punches, which shocked the audience and the music director.

Riccardo Muti was onstage winding down the second movement of Brahms Symphony No. 2 when the commotion happened. According to The Chicago Sun-Times, he kept on conducting through the entire fight, only glancing over his shoulder twice to first give an annoyed look and later to get a thumbs up that the mess was cleaned up from an official. The third movement continued not long after, requiring many fans to compose themselves and get their focus back on the entertainment.

Authorities arrived not too long after the scuffle, but by the time they did, the younger dude had left. Police reportedly think the disagreement happened over seating arrangements and that the mystery assailant was the aggressor. It takes a certain kind of stupid to hit a man in his late sixties. I wouldn’t have thought that quality would be found in many opera patrons sitting in the nice seats, but I guess you learn something new everyday.

It’s unclear how zealously police might pursue this assault, but if anything comes of it, we’ll let you know.