An Australian woman’s recent night at the theater turned out to be unforgettable when her boyfriend proposed in a unique way. Elise Turnbull was invited by her boyfriend, Jacob Houston, to see an opera performance at Melbourne’s Eltham Little Theatre, but the theater was actually empty because he’d rented it for his surprise proposal. After an usher seated them, the romantic groom-to-be secretly went backstage to prepare.
Houston, an indie game developer, had rehearsed with friends over several weekends, even pretending to be busy with gardening to keep the secret. The proposal comes at the end of a “1-for-1 rendition” of “The Nightman Cometh,” a musical from an episode of the TV show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” Houston nervously waits backstage as his friends set the stage, and despite a few hiccups, he finally takes the stage, with Turnbull’s emotional reaction confirming the surprise was a success.
After the big moment, she shared the proposal video on social media, where it quickly went viral, receiving over 3.4-million views. Turnbull says she’s grateful for her future husband, calling him the funniest and most thoughtful person she knows. For his part, Houston says that just seeing people enjoy their special moment made his day. He jokes that to top his proposal he’s going to need to do something even bigger for their wedding day, saying, “I might have to hire an orchestra, or the Cirque Du Soleil.”