First the cue cards, now this: Patti LaBelle just can’t catch a break around Christmastime, can she? The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Miss LaBelle was rushed off stage due to a bomb threat at a Saturday concert in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Riverside Theater, which was reportedly almost at its capacity of 2,450 people, was then evacuated. Milwaukee Police captain Warren E. Allen Jr. said in a later statement that no explosive devices were found after K9 units searched the building. “There is no threat to the public at this time,†he said.
Fan footage of the night shows security guards approaching the singer while she’s speaking to the audience. “Hold up. Wait!†she says as she is escorted away so abruptly that she drops her flowers. Attendee Catherine Brunson told the Journal Sentinel that the incident happened barely two songs into LaBelle’s performance. “Somebody got on a microphone and said we have to evacuate the building because there was a bomb threat,†she recalled. “We came out and police had the block taped off. … A whole lot of people were pretty upset. … It’s scary.†Pabst Theater Group, the event organizer, confirmed at around 1 a.m. on Sunday that the show would be postponed. “We are thankful for the efforts of the Milwaukee Police Department and our customers and staff for their safe and orderly exit,†the group said in a statement. “We are working with the artist to reschedule the show.â€