Any Rude Audience Encounters?

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 5:44pm

One time I went to see 42nd Street national tour, and during the Finale Ultimo, some lady in front of me, out of all the people in the theater, happened to stand up to clap...that would have been fine, but no one else was standing up! She even sat down and stood back up. I have a few of your typical latecomer experiences also...it seems to me everytime I go, the latecomers are in a rown near you and they disturb you or obstruct your view.

[aspiringguy715]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 5:46pm

well my experience wasn't really rude as much as it was annoying
the huge line for the Gershwin bathroom the first time i saw Wicked caught up with the audience once Act 2 started. i was third row on the very end, and i think i had 6 people coming into my row just as the act started. i guess that's what you get sitting on the end, but come on, get back before the act starts so not to disturb others!

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 5:50pm

First time I saw Bare.. I went with BwayWorld's own DT and we were seated in the front row. To our left was a woman who looked like a cracked out Sally Struthers.. from her days in the "Annie" revival....

We were filling out the questionaires ncluded in the programs... sign up to recieve the sampler CD...give your opinions of the show...

first, she looks around and sees that people are drinking beer in the theatre, leans over, asks us where to get some. We tell her that they are selling it in the lobby. She gets up and CHARGES like a stampeding water buffalo out of the theatre to get beer....

THEN, she comes back, and while filling out the questionaire, leans over to us aand sks "How do you spell hermaphradite??" (one of the questions asked your gender)

and this was just before the show

[aspiringguy715]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 5:53pm

that's more scary in my eyes than rude lol
i've had some talkers/singers before, especially during my second Wicked experience with Eden
Little Girl: WHERE'S IDINA!!!?!?!?
Her Mom: She's out honey, there's another person in for her.
Little Girl: (smears tears from her green make up) BUT I WANTED IDINA!!! THIS IS GONNA STINK!!!!
Later in the show she starts singing along with "Wizard and I"
needless to say, i've never wanted to slap a child more in my life...

[BudFrump23]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 6:00pm

I must admit, I created quite a bit of theater rudeness in my time. Once, during a performance of Winter's Tale that I was ushering for, my friends and I spotted 3 empty seats in the last row. They were, however, all the way in against the wall, and blocked by a large man on the end. What do we do? We decide to climb over it, because its a long play, and hell, we don't want to stand. So as I put my foot over, the seat clomps down with a loud "thud!" About half the theater turns around. I smiled sweetly, removed my foot, and ran into the bathroom.

[mominator]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 6:01pm

Only a few times has it been rude. The most memorable was at a Saturday afternoon performance of "Wonderful Town". I swear the Mezz. was full of people who had their hearing aids turned off! All during the show it was "What did she say" or "Who's that?" I mean come on people...

[feinstein9]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 6:04pm

i'd say the worst was at the drama desk when Euan Morton was trying to sing "stranger" at the top of the second half, and a good portion of the audience came in and caused quite a ruckus. it was like, the entire audience came in five minutes late! it was very sad.

[JakeB]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 6:09pm

I just got back from an open-air theatre event and the people next to us ate McDonalds for the first 10 minutes. Not good, and they seemed to be business executives in their 30s too - I'm surprised.

[eyeonbroadway]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 6:13pm

Went to see Wicked last December and had great seats in the 5th or 6th row orchestra. Toward the end of the first act I realized that the woman sitting in front of me and the woman sitting in front of her were having an argument and it got louder and louder distracting everyone around them. Finally, an usher dragged them both out and I assumed we'd seen the last of them. After intermission, though, they returned just before the curtain went up and within 2 minutes they were at it again...only this time it got physical and even the guys with them got into it! They all got tossed out, as they should have been the first time, and the rest of could finally get back to watching the show.

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 7:15pm

I think i've posted this before so i'll post a shorter version:
-went to the touring production of the lion king in chicago
sat in front of a whole family who:
-carried a whole conversation with someone on her cell phone
-sang with EVERY song
-people gave them dirty looks (2 whole rows did) and they didnt stop.
-the kicked the chairs
-they talked throughout the show
-the teenagers with the family kept saying rude comments about the costumes in "Can You Feel the Love Tonight."

Yup, all the worst things that a person can do during a performance happened.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 7:20pm

I think anyone who has ever seen THE LION KING will tell you they had people like that in the audience. That's a show that parents take their kids to and let them run around and sing and dance like they're at a club. Kids + Theatre = A Really Pissed Off Matt_G

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 7:21pm

amen to that

[judy_in_disguise]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 7:28pm

I went to see Gigi at the Stratford Festival with my then- boyfriend. Before the show even started I leaned over to whisper something to him quickly (we were SO not the PDA-type couple). The woman behind us kicked my chair and said "if you want to make out, go home, this is a theatre" or something to that effect.
I was so pissed off I couldn't even think of what to say. Of course, by the time the show was over I had plenty of things I would have said to her if I had a meaner spirit!

[mominator]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 7:35pm

Another amen to Matt_G

[Blair]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 8:12pm

I saw the national tour of Grease a few months ago. A couple decided to bring their baby, who must have been 2 or 3. The whole entire time the kid was crying, or walking around the aisles. During the second act, they decided to give it an empty water bottle to squeeze. I think the kid spilled something too. Oy.

[Gypsy2]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 8:20pm

I was at Wicked recently and had won the lottery. Sitting right behind me were these two little girls, one dressed like Glinda, the other dressed like Elphie. They looked cute, but they kept whispering, giggling at un-funny spots, kicking chairs and singing. Thank god they stopped when I asked them nicely during intermission. Their mother was nice. She and I were talking for a bit.

[MegGiry]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 8:33pm

The teenage girls when they saw Aaron Carter in Seussical. They are so annoying, screaming when they see him in the musical.

Meg

Updated On: 7/9/04 at 08:33 PM

Posted: 7/9/04 at 8:41pm

When I was doing PARTY in Denver (at a fairly intimate house) not only did a person have a cell phone ring, not only did he answer it - he started to carry on a conversation - in his normal voice. We stopped and stared out at him, but by that time the director, who happened to be in the booth going over notes for the next production, had flown out and was literally dragging him out like a rag doll.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 8:50pm

Ah yes, people with cell phones. Here is a conversation I heard once.

Actor #1 on stage: "...I have to go and audition!"
Actor #2 on stage: "It's the dream of a lifetime! I have to go
and watch you audition!"
Audience Member: "Hello? Oh, hey. Uh huh, after this is over. Okay, what do you want?...Just that?....Six inch or footlong?....Girl, you want mayonaise?....Uh huh.....Okay....Nah, it just started.....It's okay, I guess.....pickles?.....Okay, girl. I'll talk to you later"

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 8:56pm

LOL. I know what show you refer to Matt!

[Matt_G]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 9:06pm

You'd better know that show! You and I have snuck into it more times than I can count.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 9:07pm

usually I sneak into the dressingr ooms.. oops.


back to topic..............

I was in carousel and someoen had a small child who started SCREAMING during one of the book scenes

[Matt_G]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 9:10pm

If I had to sit through CAROUSEL, I'd start screaming, too.

[eyeonbroadway]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 9:15pm

Cellphones bug me worse than restless kids because, at least with kids you can give some credit to the idiot parents for at least making a misguided effort to expose their kids to theatre. But cellphone usage is just frickin' arrogant rudeness. I think playbills should boldly carry the caution, "If you use a cellphone in the theatre, the nearest four people are hereby authorized to grab it out of your hands and stick it up your a**"

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/9/04 at 9:22pm

One time I went to see The Scarlet Pimpernel at Starlight Musical Theatre here in San Diego, and this theatre has a crazy overweight woman (who is the CEO) and always wears the same thing, puts glitter all over her face and calls herself "The Starlight Lady". Think Glinda on speed. Anyway, my best friend and I love her to pieces, but we enjoy making fun of her as well, cuz' it's just too easy.

Anyway prior to the show she was delivering her half hour speech and my friend and I were laughing and giggling along, and this is still ten minutes to show time, people are still getting to there seats and so-fourth, and Ms. Starlight mentioned something about it being time for the kids to go back to school this month. My friend and I started laughing and giggling and I said, "How does she know? When did she have kids?" and my friend started laughing and joking around and said "Yeah, she should shut up, and like start the show now..." and we were both laughing and this guy in front of us with a mullet turned around and looked at us and told US to shut up. Like WE were the only ones talking! Which we weren't no one ever listens to her speeches. This guy was just rude! Who turns and tells a couple of kids to shut up!!?? I realize we were being a little rude, but we were having a good time and this guy was just flat out mean. Now, whenever we go back we look around for an ugly guy with a mullet....