Changing seats at intermission- Page 2

[TheatreFreak05]

Posted: 9/26/08 at 9:58pm

When I saw 9 to 5, I had seats up in the balcony. It was super far away and I couldn't stand it, so during intermission I went down to the orchestra and kinda just stood there waiting for people to get back in their seats so I could spot an empty one. An usher noticed what I was doing and told me that when the house lights went down I could sit in an empty seat.

He was really sweet and he ended up showing me a great seat after the lights went down. He told me that the Ahmanson theater actually permits switching seats.

[logan0215]

Posted: 9/26/08 at 10:00pm

I'd love it if Broadway adopted the Vegas (or at least Cirque du Soleil's Mystere) policy:

Once the show starts, you are free to move to any free seat and the person arriving for that seat is left to the discretion of the usher and placed in another empty seat in the theater.

I'd especially love this in City Center as the seats are so dated and spring-loaded that late comers causing people to stand after the performance started sounded like bombs being dropped on Nagasaki.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 9/26/08 at 10:36pm

Just one more angle to this post. Several times, I have been very uncomfortable in my assigned seat (I really need leg room at this time of my life) and, at intermission, have seen someone in standing room with whom I exchange tickets for the second half. Most standees are happy to sit down, just as I am happy not to be cramped in a narrow chair.

[italianpride888]

Posted: 9/26/08 at 10:38pm

On a slightly different note, when I saw the Smashing Pumpkins at the local theater in my hometown, the theater manager said at the beginning of the show while making announcements (with his hands cupped over his eyes), Those of you in the very back row can move up to the front.... when you become a lifetime member of Ruth Eckerd Hall. There was definitely a collective groan. I thought it was funny.

[GIZMO2]

Posted: 9/27/08 at 12:58am

Changing seats before intermission: bad.
Changing seats after intermission: why not?

I also agree with those on this post who say they move seats due to comfort. How many times have I actually taken WORSE seats, just so I can have elbow or leg room?

I've noticed that it sometimes confuses/befuddles ushers to observe me move (always during intermission, never before) to seats FARTHER BACK. But when you're 6'3" like me, and really don't feel the need to snuggle with the chatty tourists in from middle America, sometimes it's worth it.

[SweeneyPhanatic]

Posted: 9/27/08 at 2:01am

At the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, the ushers are usually really nice, and before the show starts (usually when the pre-show announcement starts) they'll usually tell people where there are empty seats they can take. This happened when I saw "Evita." Less than 700 seats had been sold for the performance, so I got to move from my mile-away nosebleed seat to the front of the balcony. At intermission, I met a friend in the lobby...who took me to the empty seat next to her in the 4th row of orchestra. I loved being so close, but I did miss some of the things I could see from the higher view (like the lights in the floor).

I also got to move closer when I saw "12 Angry Men." bought a cheap nosebleed seat, and again moved to the front on the balcony. Being a one-act play, I didn't get to discover any empty orchestra seats.

[dshnookie]

Posted: 9/28/08 at 5:36pm

I got a student rush ticket for today's matinee of All My Sons. Sat in the first box on the left, first seat .. the seat was fine, but I saw an orchestra center aisle seat ROW D that was empty, and I moved :)

[HPMagicWand]

Posted: 9/29/08 at 5:16pm

to the OP: the head usher isn't a house manager, it's the person who the ushers report to. head ushers are allowed to make some decisions about patrons as well, although if you put up a fight you could go over their head to the house manager. PMing you about the rest.......

[Lisatwin-2]

Posted: 9/30/08 at 12:07am

I do the opposite at times...I have season tickets to the two main theatres here in Seattle, very close to the stage. If I am not totally "into" the show I will actually move BACK! To the back of the theatre that usually has 10 or more empty rows (not every show has that many)
Then I can get antsy in my seat and have no one behind me that I may be bugging.(And some shows the last rows are not far enough back and I end up leaving!)

[thtrbear]

Posted: 9/30/08 at 4:40am

In the real world, you do not, in a New York theater, need to ask an usher's permission to move during intermission.

No one has mentioned though that sometimes a seat is empty cause someonee's friend or member of their party couldn't come, and they do not want you to sit in the seat they bought. While I think this is ungracious, I haven't pushed it by asking for the house manager (which might very well not work anyway).

There are times when your seat is on an aisle and you can quietly move up to a better aisle seat during Act 1, especially after the show's been on for a bit and it's still empty.

Some people, including my mom, sit in a very good seat that's not on their ticket before Act 1 starts and hope for the best, moving if necessary before the show starts.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 9/30/08 at 7:41am

There are times when your seat is on an aisle and you can quietly move up to a better aisle seat during Act 1, especially after the show's been on for a bit and it's still empty.

That's what all of us in student seats did the second time I saw Rock n Roll. We slowly scurried down to more central seats in the rear mezz without incident. At intermission, the usher closest to me said if I wanted to move to the front row of the front mezz (where there were seats) I could. So I did! :)

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 9/30/08 at 10:18am

the last two Encores shows I saw (Juno and No, No Nanette) had a lot of empty seats, and the ushers told us we could move at intermission (they specifically said during intermission at No, No Nanette). at Juno, my friend and I moved from the first row of the rear balcony to...maybe the third or fourth row of the dress circle, after lots of scouting for seats. my mom, sister and I had the same front row rear balcony seats for No, No Nanette but decided not to move. I mean, you can't beat the leg room in those seats.

my friend and I also switched out front row balcony seats for front side orchestra seats at Grey Gardens at intermission. and what a difference! that was our third time seeing the show and the first time we had noticed the gauzey film over the ghosts' clothes in "Entering Grey Gardens".

[Okayfine]

Posted: 9/30/08 at 3:09pm

Please bear with me because I have a lot of interest in this issue & a lot of experience. I am a FOH employee on Broadway & feel that I can speak with some reliable authority on policies, procedures, & personalities.

The Usher Chief at the James is very experienced & professional & is counted on by house management to enforce house rules. If the house rules are to move you back, she will move you back. I cannot say with certainity that this is the person with whom you spoke, but the same is true for the entire house staff at the James. (No, I do not work at the James, but have done so occasionally.)

It is not fair to say she called you a little liar, because I'm betting that that is a gross exaggeration of anything she might have actually said. At virtually every performance, FOH staff are faced with innumerable little liars & we never call them that while they're in earshot. Were you lying? I don't know. The typical exchange is, "The usher told me I could move when the show started." No usher I know would be dumb enough to say that, not only because most houses don't allow you to move until intermission, but because then you have to accommodate latecomers & it is a domino effect. I have had people say, "SHE told me I could move when the show starts," to which I must honestly reply, "No, sir, I was standing next to her at the time & what she said was that you have to speak with the house manager if you wish to move now." I AM NOT MAKING THAT UP. Incredibly stupid, but true.

Ushers don't, in general, wish to make you miserable. They are doing their jobs as dictated by the house mgt & often the producers. They, in general, don't get testy with people until they do their jobs & then get theirs heads handed to them by a patron who believes that the rule is stupid & he/she ought to be the exception. Please don't trouble yourself giving me innumerable examples of an usher who came out with both guns smoking because we all know they exist. I am speaking in generalities.

Shows that are not selling well, as most everyone on the boards knows, often dress the house by moving people from on high to specific seats closer to the stage. Almost invariably, there is someone who thinks that being moved from the rear mezz to the front mezz side is not good enough & insists on sitting in the front row ctr mezz. If it were you having to deal with being blamed by a house mgr for not following direction & moving someone into the wrong spot, it would irk you as well.

You get my point, no doubt. Don't give the ushers too much credit for decision-making.

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 9/30/08 at 5:58pm

I believe it is fair to say that she called me a little liar because she said it to my face with a great big smile. She is one of the rudest people I have ever encountered. I have said before that most ushers are lovely people (I have friends who are ushers). The seat I attempted to move to was clearly not purchased as the same 16 seats on either side of the house were unoccupied.

[ICantResist]

Posted: 9/30/08 at 10:28pm

You never know if a seat is really empty. It amazes me how late people can come to a show. I haven't sat in someone else's seat at a show or concert, but have sat next to people that come in and take empty seats. Only to have the real ticket-holders come in to claim the seats and cause a major hassle that detracted from the show. I don't get people who pay a lot for tickets and come in over halfway through, but there are such people. Something to keep in mind if you move to a seat that isn't yours.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 9/30/08 at 11:05pm

"I find it odd because I was trying to move to a less expensive seat."

Usually at shows I have been to, the ushers never had a problem with people moving to an unused seat; however, there is no policy that states that people can or cannot move to an unused seat...I think it is more something that is at the discretion of management.

I have moved up many times before (and no, I never asked...sue me), but often I have heard ushers make comments that it is fine as long as the seat is empty after intermission.

I think that because it is at the management's discretion, if they tell you that you shouldn't move, and they catch you moving and make you go back, you should respect them. After all, they are only entitled to give you what you paid for, even if it means a better seat goes unused.

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 9/30/08 at 11:18pm

Okayfine:
1,000 % correct.
As a FOH employee for 30 yrs, most complainers are FOS (full of ****); only those who POLITELY approach mgmt. about a problem are respected and assisted. Otherwise, you're acting like a damn fool. IF, by chance you encounter really nice ushers, house mgrs., bartenders, etc. and they give you a break, you should worship at their feet, and maybe give a tip? You pay for a ticket for a PARTICULAR seat. Sit there. Don't act like you're soo special that you automatically *deserve* a better seat.
*Entitlement* is much over-hyped. It sucks, really...
Updated On: 10/1/08 at 11:18 PM

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 9/30/08 at 11:42pm

"The seat I attempted to move to was clearly not purchased as the same 16 seats on either side of the house were unoccupied."

While I see your point, you are only entitled to what you are paid for. The usher, while she could have been nicer, was only doing her job. If you really had your heart set on a better seat, you should have paid more.

There is nothing wrong with moving during intermission, in my opinion, but if an usher tells you to move back, spare them any argument and just listen.

[Luckydave14]

Posted: 10/1/08 at 1:35am

Tonight at Equus, the ushers told us in the last few rows of the mezzanine that we can move down to empty seats during intermission. I went from the last row mezz to second row center mezz :)

[Fosse76]

Posted: 10/1/08 at 11:45am

"In the real world, you do not, in a New York theater, need to ask an usher's permission to move during intermission."

True and not true at the same time! At no point does a theatergoer have any right to move to an unoccupied seat. The policy of ALL Broadway theaters is the ticketholder is entitled to sit ONLY in the seat they purchased. If they wish to move, only the house manager can officially change their seat. Generally, though. ushers don't care if people move at intermission because the liklihood of someone showing up that late is rare (it happens mainly on Tuesday nights, but not enough to cause problems). However, they do not have to allow it, and if they tell you to go back to your seat then you have to go back to your seat. But it's very rare that they would tell you that, and there would be a reaon for it.

Also, keep in mind, the more you argue with the house staff, the less likely they are to accomodate you. Never take it upon yourself to move without asking, otherwise you will find yourself being told to go back to your seat (if they catch you, of course). I know an usher who was really annoyed with two women from standing room who kept trying to sit down during the first act (they kept watching him to see if he was watching them) that when intermission came he made sure they remained in standing room for the rest of the show. And its not just the ushers. I know two house managers who never allow patrons to move and instructs their ushers to move them back.

[Okayfine]

Posted: 10/1/08 at 11:51am

I agree with everyone who said you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Besides, following rules is something grownups are supposed to do.

[HPMagicWand]

Posted: 10/1/08 at 2:59pm

Just throwing my two cents in, Okayfine, you and I have had different experience b/c I have worked at the James too and I can't stand the usher in question. she is condescending, she acts like she's in high school with gossiping about other ushers with a big smile on her face which it's one thing if you're just working but if you're the "in charge" person that's really unprofessinoal. I've also seen her deal with the public and be condescending before they have a chance to be rude to her. there are a lot of really nice people at that theatre too but her, I can't stand and I actually try to avoid working there b/c of her. (and she ahs never actually been rude to me, so it is nothing personal) I have no trouble believing she called defyinggravity a little liar. & for what its worth I do agree that if you move and an usher asks you to move back, you shouldn't argue with them, but the usher should also be professional when they ask you.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 10/1/08 at 9:21pm

"I have no trouble believing she called defyinggravity a little liar..."

Why do I have a feeling that HPMagicWand is actually defyinggravity? He just joined today and has no other posts...

[HPMagicWand]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 12:13am

No, not defyinggravity. Am I not allowed to join and post because this thread brought out a strong reaction from me? Someone sent me the link because they know I know this person, with a "look what ___ did this time!" Really kids.......it happens.

[SingingCats]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 1:59pm

I think it's fine to do it at intermission, but it annoys me when people move before the show and then the people show up and its distracting because everyone has to move around.

We got to move up at In The Heights next week because the front mezz was empty, so that was great. I'm glad I didn't pay more for the f-mezz seats.