Neil Patrick Harris reportedly spit water at a woman on purpose during a performance of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" last week, but Broadway representatives insist the bit was all part of the show.
A source told the New York Post's Page Six that Harris, who won a Best Actor Tony for his role as transgender East German punk rocker Hedwig, was in character when he confronted an audience member who had reportedly been snapping pictures during Thursday's show at the Belasco Theatre.
The source told the Post that Harris "leaned down into the audience and asked a woman, 'Are you drunk?' She waved her arms in the air and everyone assumed it was part of the act. Neil then berated her for taking photos, telling the audience she was sitting in seat 3A. He then sniffed, 'I hate you,' and turned on his high heels."
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When it came time for Harris to spit water into the audience as part of the performance, he targeted the shutterbug audience member and "spat the water straight the woman," the source told Page Six. "It was all a bit frosty and awkward. His anger was spectacular, especially the 'I hate you' bit. The audience went into a stunned silence. You could cut the atmosphere with a knife."
It's not the first time Harris has been accused of confronting an audience member during his play. In April, the former "How I Met Your Mother" star was
accused of angrily cursing at a fan during another performance.
During the April incident, a fan reportedly yelled out "I love you, Neil" mid-performance, while Harris responded, "I'm doing something up here, motherf*****."
A representative for show told the New York Post after the latest Harris incident that the play was designed for a certain amount of give-and-take with the crowd watching.
"There is always an element of audience interaction in each show, and it is all in character," the representative told the newspaper.
Andrew Rannells, who has starred on HBO's hit show "Girls," will replace Harris as
Hedwig from Aug. 20 to Oct. 12, according to Variety. Rannells had been nominated for a Tony for his performance in "The Book of Morman" and once starred in "Hedwig" in an Austin, Texas, production in 2001.
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