Archive Photos/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — A performance of Guillaume Tell at the Metropolitan Opera in New York ended early Saturday after an audience member “sprinkled an unidentified powdered substance into the orchestra pit,” according to a statement.
The incident happened during the second intermission of the program. When people returned to their seats, the orchestra pit was empty and surrounded by security guards.
Audience member Erika Williams told ABC News the crowd became rowdy after a delay of about 15 minutes, and then an employee with the Met took the stage.
“After several tries he’s able to make his announcement that no one is injured, and no one is ill, but they need to cancel the rest of the performance, and everybody needs to leave,” she told ABC News.
Williams said the audience was “definitely a little angry” and “you don’t expect a Met Opera to be kind of surly.”
Saturday night’s performance of L’Italiana in Algeri was also canceled while the New York Police Department investigated.
According to ABC News affiliate WABC-TV, the NYPD has not made any arrests and the person who sprinkled the unidentified powder fled the scene.
In a statement, the Met said anyone who was at the performance should contact the customer care department to see Guillaume Tell at another time.
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