Mom rents theater for Wicked screening – but bans her kids because of ‘no singing’ rule

A mother has rented out an entire theater for a screening of Evil. While she expects more than 110 guests to attend, the two people she excluded from the event are none other than her children.

Directed by John M. Chu, the big screen adaptation of the musical stars of Broadway Ariana Grande like Glinda and Cynthia Erivo like Elphaba. The film – which has been split into two parts – hits cinemas on Friday (November 22), while part two won’t be released until November 21, 2025.

Ariane Tyler, a 39-year-old special education teacher from Illinois, rented out her local theater for a showing of the highly anticipated movie musical on Saturday. She had originally hoped to host the private screening for herself and her friends, but as word quickly spread of her plans, 115 people expressed their interest in the screening.

As a result, she created a private Facebook group to outline her rules and regulations for Evil screening. Her number one rule? No song.

“Unless you’ve won a Tony, no singing will be allowed,” Tyler warned his friends, according to The Wall Street Journal.

But her strict no-singing policy meant her own son and daughter, aged eight and five respectively, were likely to spoil the experience for others in attendance.

“This is nothing to joke about,” Tyler, who has seen more than half a dozen touring productions of Eviltold the outlet. “I am so serious when I talk about these rules.”

Among her other guidelines included required costumes, no loud chewing and no bathroom breaks during the two hour and 40 minute film. Her two pregnant friends have been exempted from the no bathroom break rule, but she has advised them to choose aisle seats for the screening.

Tyler isn’t the only fan concerned about the unwelcome Evil sing along. AMC Theaters recently issued a warning to moviegoers, reminding them that singing in the theater is prohibited at all times.

“At AMC Theatres, silence is golden. No talk. No text messages. No song. No whining. No flirting. And absolutely no naming. Enjoy the magic of movies,” reads an advisory video preceding the film.

speaks to Indy Star, AMC spokesman Ryan Noonan explained that this has been the theater’s “longstanding policy” to prevent “disruptive behavior.” However, they wanted to emphasize these rules, especially now before the musical debuts in the theaters.

“The Evil pre-show spot incorporates the film’s themes as a fun, engaging reminder to moviegoers not to disrupt the experience of those around them while enjoying the show,” Noonan said in a statement.

But fans looking to belt out musical classics like “Defying Gravity” and “Popular” shouldn’t worry. Approximately 1,000 theaters across North America will offer sing-along screenings of Evil begins on December 25.

Evil hits theaters in the US on November 22.