Shia LaBeouf has a front-row seat to the Broadway show he left

Actor Shia LaBeouf, who exited the Broadway play “Orphans” under unusual (and tweetable) circumstances, turned up in the front row Tuesday night for the show’s first preview performance.

The “Transformers” star was also the first to his feet for a standing ovation at the close of the show, then quickly left the Schoenfeld Theater after curtain call, The New York Times reported.

A spokeswoman for the show told The Times that LaBeouf bought his ticket Tuesday and didn’t inform the production team he would be in the audience.

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In February, LaBeouf was a week into rehearsals for “Orphans,” his would-be Broadway debut, when producers announced that the 26-year-old actor was leaving over “creative differences.”

LaBeouf surprised the New York theater world, which tends to keep backstage drama private, by tweeting screenshots of emails apparently from director Daniel Sullivan about LaBeouf and his costar Alec Baldwin.

“You’re one hell of an actor,” Sullivan wrote to LaBeouf. “Alec is who he is. you are who you are. You two are incompatible. i should have known it.”

In another email, Baldwin wrote to LaBeouf, “I don’t have an unkind word to say about you. You have my word.” To which LaBeouf responded, “same. ... good luck on the play. you’ll be great.”

Film veteran Ben Foster (“The Messenger,” “3:10 to Yuma”) replaced LaBeouf in the role of Treat, one of two orphaned brothers who take a rich man (Baldwin) hostage.

“Orphans,” which debuted in Los Angeles in 1983 at the Matrix Theatre, is scheduled to open April 18.

ALSO:

Ben Foster replaces Shia LaBeouf on Broadway

Shia LaBeouf opens up on Twitter over ‘Orphans’ exit

Shia LaBeouf quits Broadway play over ‘creative differences’

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