Just a few songs into her Christmas concert in Milwaukee, Patti LaBelle was immediately ushered off stage as officials evacuated the auditorium due to a bomb threat.
The 78-year-old LaBelle is shown on footage from the Riverside Theater on Saturday night appearing to be interrupted by two security guards as she converses with an audience member, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She was hurried from the stage. A short while later, someone made the announcement that the 2,500-seat theater needed to be evacuated due to a bomb threat.
My love goes out to you Patti Labelle. You tried to make it such a loving and joyful holiday and someone had to ruin it for you #pattilabelle #Milwaukee #riversidetheatre #threat pic.twitter.com/VBRqANgA3D
— ✨️Sunshine ⁷ ✨️ (@sunny_seokkie) December 11, 2022
According to Catherine Brunson, who recorded the evacuation on Facebook Live and told the newspaper that it took place at roughly 9:24 p.m., two songs into LaBelle’s performance, the evacuation took place.
“When we left, the block was blocked off by cops. Many individuals were really outraged about it. It’s ominous “Brunson remarked.
Everyone left the theater calmly, but Scott Pierce, who was also at the event, said it was “really horrible that someone does this.”
There was no threat to the general public, Milwaukee Police Capt. Warren Allen Jr. stated in a statement early on Sunday. K9 units searched the theater but found no explosive devices.
LaBelle hadn’t posted anything about the evacuation on social media as of Sunday morning. Pabst Theater Group, which runs the Riverside Theater, promised to work with LaBelle to reschedule the performance in the future.
