Audience Behavior- Page 4

[quizking101]

Posted: 4/19/11 at 9:25am

I understand some are foreign require some translation, but they should have the courtesy to keep it to a VERY LOW WHISPER.

At PRISCILLA, there was this Eastern European couple (Whether they were Russian, Polish, or Ukrainian was anybody's guess). The wife was translating for the husband (rather loudly), and I turned around and shot them a dirty look, which they returned.

...Thank God they left at intermission.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/19/11 at 10:19am

My favorite are almonds they sell in the extremely flimsy and crinkly wax paper cones at touring shows. Are they just ASKING for noise?

Updated On: 4/19/11 at 10:19 AM

[Moneyspider]

Posted: 4/19/11 at 2:47pm

Basing a show off any existing material is akin to a libretto. I mean, isn't Priscilla better than Jersey Shore?

Cole Haan sells shoes with Nike soles.

Try to arrange a sitfown meal before your show.

If you must go into Hershey's before your show, I really would suggest getting the bath product set or a cute t-shirt instead, but the Hershey drops are discrete.

Enjoy the show, and if a song moves you, maybe the Colony has the sheet music.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/22/11 at 9:36pm

Looks like I spoke too soon about being lucky. My luck ended last night at CMIYC. The young lady (aged anywhere from 17 to low 20s) must have hit me with her jacket at least a dozen times: coat on, coat off, searching for something in the pocket. Then she sat with her ratty shoes on the seat in front of her...and only removed them once the patrons arrived. She hooted and screamed after any song that Tveit sang and then again for Kerry Butler. She practically moaned each time Aaron was shirtless. And she wouldn't stop talking to her mom. The very first time she spoke in Act II, however, I called her on it and she acted all offended -- but at least she stayed quiet.

BTW....I was incredibly disappointed with the show itself.

[winston89]

Posted: 4/22/11 at 10:18pm

Awhile ago I saw Billy Elliot again. At the end of Solidarity the curtain went down and they announced a short pause in the show due to technical difficulties. There were some women in front of me who were texting the entire time leading up to this point. I told the quietly more then once to stop as it was not only rude and bothersome to me but to the people around me. They didn't and instead covered up the texting with their jackets etc.

When the curtain came down I had to rush to the bathroom (actually there being a pause at that particular time was a saving grace.) But, in any event I ran like a bullet up to the bathroom, and back with time to spare. They yelled at me for yelling at them about texting. Yet, they acted as if I came up, out of my seat as the show was going to go to the bathroom as if I was creating some sort of double standard. I told them that what they were doing was rude and shouldn't take palace at all during the show. I got up and ran to the bathroom when the curtain was down and house lights up. And, therefor no show going on. They looked at me as if I had two heads.

[ArtMan]

Posted: 4/23/11 at 9:07am

A couple of years ago, I was deciding between A Chorus Line revival and Company. Well, I won the lottery for A Chorus Line so I went to see that. The woman behind me smacked her bubble gum for the entire show. Well if anyone saw this revival, it wasn't that great to begin with and the addition of smacking gum, made it an unpleasant experience. I turned around several times and gave her "the look", but it did nothing. It wasn't till I saw Company on PBS, that I kicked myself for choosing the wrong show. What I don't understand, in almost all these situations, this behavior has to bother everyone around. But why does only one person complain to the people responsible about it? Does it not bother the others around us...are they scared to confront someone? Or have they gotten so use to obnoxious behavior, that it doesn't faze them. I personally don't go to movies anymore, something that I loved to do, because more chances than not, someone in the audience was not going to behave appropriately. I rather rent the dvd and watch it at home.

[Katia2]

Posted: 4/23/11 at 6:44pm

A while ago I had to bring my (twenty year old, seemingly mature, I have no idea) friend to the Shrek musical because it was her birthday and I felt guilty because she'd been chattering about it for months. I completely expected for it to be a miserable experience-- a bunch of aggressive twelve year olds opening candy and playing games. We were seated among a bunch of couples who appeared to be in their late thirties though, so I figured OK, this might be alright.
Ten minutes in, two of the couples got into their candy. They continued rustling around the wrappers the entire time. At least three of the surrounding people were humming along or quietly singing. The man in back of me kept trying to put his feet on the empty seat next to me-- right next to my face. When I turned around and sort of gestured asking for him to please put his god damn boots down, he SHUSHED me.
During intermission my friend coughed into her elbow (not even a gross, phlegm cough, just a normal cough) and the woman next to her gave her the dirtiest look. I was so close to going off. Like excuse me, Miss J. Crew, but you've been singing along to a man dressed in a donkey suit for the past hour-- do you even what are you some sort of what is this. But my friend didn't seem to care too much, she was so into the show, so I held it all in.

Seriously though... adults at shows geared toward children. Only thing worse than the children.

[theminutepast]

Posted: 4/24/11 at 9:19am

Are ushers able to do anything about people who won't stop texting?

[wendilin622]

Posted: 4/24/11 at 9:26am

Whenever I see people texting, the teacher in me kicks in and I just want to confiscate their phone.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/24/11 at 11:21am

Some ushers will step in if they see it. I know any time I've complained to an usher they have approached the patron...but I'm not likely to do that except at intermission.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 4/24/11 at 3:10pm

Texting has gotten way out of control. Last Sunday (Palm Sunday, when lots of people who never go to church decide to go to church), I had the misfortune of sitting next to a 20-ish girl who was text and checking the menu of a local restaurant online. As The Passion was being read, I asked her if she planned to continue using her I-Phone of Blueberry or whatever it was. She gave me a dirty look and turned off her gizmo. No I normally shut my phone off when I go to church but I obviously forgot that day and moments later it rang. My ringtone is Louis Armstrong's "Hello, Dolly!". I wanted to crawl out of the church and die!

[AvenueQResident]

Posted: 4/24/11 at 7:16pm

The lights coming from the mobile/cell phones are very noticeable...even from a distance!

Sat in the front row of the balcony for Ghetto Klown...and I could clearly see a man in the front row of the mezzaine on his phone non-stop through-out the show!

Whether they're right next to you or three levels down, it's equally as distracting!

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/24/11 at 7:48pm

When I saw Phantom at the Majestic, some people were on their phones during the 30 or so seconds between the pre-show announcement and start. The ushers on the balcony shined their flashlights down on them to get their attention. The Majestic has some of the strictest and meanest ushers, but with a show like Phantom that has so many tourists, this is a good thing.

[JenM9]

Posted: 4/25/11 at 1:30pm

For me, one of the most annoying audience behaviors come from people who have seen the show before. I like to go into shows knowing as little about the plot and music as possible. I'll avoid all threads and reviews until I've seen a show only to walk into the theater and have the show spoiled five minutes before curtain by inconsiderate people wondering how a new actor will handle a particular scene or talking about how good/bad an actor did such and such a scene the last time they saw the show.

My worst experience with this was when the couple sitting next to me decided to very loudly reveal every plot twist in Next to Normal in a three minute pre-curtain chat. Of course it's okay to talk before the prelude starts up and at intermission but it'd be nice if people remembered there are audience members who haven't seen the show yet.

[spike3]

Posted: 5/28/11 at 2:11pm

i cant stand people who bring food, and those damn cups back to the seat. Eat and drink before, you idiots. This is a theatre, not your living room, not an arena, and not the movies. Have some respect for the actors, your fellow theatre goers, and most of all for yourself. And if you cant, stay the heck home.

[uncageg]

Posted: 5/28/11 at 2:28pm

The lights from the phones are not only visible to people around the person but sometimes even from the stage, which is distracting for the actors. I know the ushers over at NWS are very good about making people turn off phones and catching people taking pictures.

I was in a theater last week and this woman was actually sprawled out over three seats with her shoes off like she was on a sofa. She was told at some point to sit upright in her seat. I wanted to walk over to her and ask if she wanted the remote.

[spike3]

Posted: 5/28/11 at 3:39pm

one of the main problems of late, is that theatre has lowered itself to the lowest standards set by the potential audience, rather than trying to bring the potential audience up to a higher standard.
Basically it is a dumbing down in response to what is around these days.
I am not saying one should be elitist, but what is wrong with being shown a little class and culture? Perhaps something they have not experienced before?
But of course this is a business, and so unfortunatly the public is given what it wants and expects. Thus the spate of shows that encourage clapping and singing along, dancing in the aisles etc. And all the theatre owners are so afraid to "offend" their paying customers, (lest they lose their future business)that really nothing is done to curb the rather boorish and pedestrian attitudes and actions of today. There are one or two house mgrs that I have known that do not put up with the crap, but they are exceptions to the rule. But please know, that not only is this rude behavior distruptive to some audience members, it is at times disruptive to those of us onstage.

[MermansMan]

Posted: 5/28/11 at 4:40pm

I was at a performance of the John Doyle Sweeney Todd in it's last week on Broadway. The audience in that theatre were absoloute ANIMALS... I understand almost every musical theatre lover, if not loves, has a deep respect for this musical. There was no call for people to treat it like a "Sound of Music Sing Along".... I was deeply embarrased for all involved...

[hairspraydude1962]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 12:43am

When I saw Catch Me if You Can, two people, sitting directly behind me, were whispering back and forth. Finally, the woman next to me "shushed" them. They got into a small argument, until the whispering couple decided to get up and find another place to sit.

Then, during the second act, a man's cell phone began to ring. Not only did he let it ring for a little while, he actually answered it!

I could not believe it... Some people have no respect.

Posted: 7/16/11 at 1:39am

In regards to foreigners, I suppose there is some element of stereotypes that are true, but I'm in an area with a massive Japanese tourist element, and they tend to come in large groups to the shows. I've never met a quieter audience whatsoever, in fact if anything they were paying such close, quiet attention it would be unerving--and then very appreciative, but still very quiet applause after (thankfully on average they didn't subscribe to the current Western audience belief of giving everything a standing O no matter what).

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 6:49am

A response to talking theatregoers in back of you that I have occasionally used is to glare at the culprits and say, "I'm sorry, but the actors on stage are making so much noise that I can hardly hear you". This usually shuts people up, at least for the time being.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 9:30am

One of my all-time favourite moments in a Broadway theatre was maybe eight years ago, when I took my then b/f to see CHICAGO. We managed to score seats on the second row and were having a blast, despite the rather constant subtle rumble of conversation from the back of the orchestra seating. I dont know who was talking, but it was just loud enough to be slightly annoying.

In the middle of the second act, tho, they were in the middle of a scene when suddenly from the back of the theatre comes the voice of one very irate little old lady: WOULD YOU PEOPLE SHUT THE H*** UP? It was so loud that even the actors were momentarily stunned, and then Roxie looks out and, in character, says "Y'know, she's right. You reslly should shut the h*** up."

[AC126748]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 10:56am

Two middle-aged women (in the second row, no less) were loudly doing callbacks at SISTER ACT last week. I lost it when Marla Mindelle sings her solo in "Raise Your Voice" and the one lady screamed "SING IT, WHITE GIRL!"

Posted: 7/16/11 at 8:29pm

As a kid, I used to get truly annoyed how people would continue to talk during overtures. Now, I suppose, I sort of take it for granted, and it's true that often an overture does seem to serve as a way to get audiences to finish their conversations and settle into the show, but it still annoys me when some audiences don't even use it for that, but seem to think it's merely background music to accompany their chitchat.

[tcamp1]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 9:39pm

The children kicking my chair and rolling on the ground behind me in the orchestra of 'Beauty and the Beast' a few years back was immensely distracting.
What takes the cake is when I saw 'Arcadia' at the end of May. The woman next to me came 5 minutes late, stage whispered some questions to me, and then ate take-out food!! She disappeared after intermission, so I was able to focus on the show more.
However, audience behavior I didn't mind was at 'Love, Loss and What I Wore'. I thought it was cute when women responded in various ways when certain type of clothing or fashion was mentioned. It was apparent the show connected with them, which was nice to see.