Bravo Ramin- Page 2

[Rainbowhigh23]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 12:55pm

Or reference to the LuPwne incident.

Updated On: 4/15/14 at 12:55 PM

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 3:28pm

"First of all, any actor who does this is not at all acting professionally."

It's crazy that you're making Ramin the problem. Over a decade ago, an actual law was passed banning cell phones from theaters. So, that person was not only disrespecting other patrons, the cast, and the crew, he was breaking the law. It's distracting to the performers, who are giving you their blood, sweat, and tears up there. It's common sense to not be an a$$hole at the theater, but there will always be people who don't care. Those people need to be called out, and thrown out. That is the only way they will learn. Performers would rather not have those people there anyway. They are universally hated people.

[beltingbaritone]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 4:00pm

Couldn't theatres invest in scramblers? We had them in high school, when the cellphone craze with teenagers was just starting. Essentially, it just jams the wireless and creates an effective dead zone service wise. I imagine they can't be too expensive if high schools have them, but does anyone know why they aren't or maybe can't put them in place?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 5:10pm

Scramblers are a great idea, Want to make a call @ intermission. Take it out to the street outside the theater.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 5:12pm

Couldn't theatres invest in scramblers?

No; they mess with the sound system.

Also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nord-Ost

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 5:16pm

Oh Well

Back to the drawing board.

[Jane2]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 5:17pm

" First of all, any actor who does this is not at all acting professionally. By yelling at an audience member, not only does your performance lack professionalism, but rather than focusing your energy on the dozens of people who paid to see the show, you're focusing it on someone who, as a result of their actions doesn't deserve the time of day. "

totally disagree. The gaddamn phone ringing has reached epidemic proportions. Nothing works to stop it. It has become so heinous an act for audience members, can you imagine how infuriating it is for the actors who are focused and in the moment of their character to have to be rudely interrupted by some imbecile? I say bravo for Ramin and all other actors who have had it up to HERE!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 5:20pm

Totally agree Jane2

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 5:38pm

http://www.broadway.com/buzz/175495/film-a-bootleg-get-an-ear-flick-the-official-guide-to-broadway-etiquette-by-ramin-karimloo-the-cast-of-les-miz/

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 10:42pm

Tonight, I witnessed the best cell phone ring in the theater in recent memory at "All The Way." It was right in the middle of MLK talking. He said...

"And then..."

And he took a beat, and in that silence, a cell phone rang out in the theater. So, he continued the rest of his line, which was:

..."the phone rings."

And he pointed to the section of the orchestra where the phone had been ringing, but never broke character, just pointed in that direction wistfully, as though it was part of the show.

The audience chuckled a bit, and the scene continued on perfectly.

Admittedly, it is hard to get them to ring at exactly the right time, so this method won't work in most cases.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 11:38pm

While still obnoxious, when it works with the show, I guess it's slightly better. Did you like the show?

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/16/14 at 12:23am

Well, it is a Bryan Cranston tour de force, but if you remove him, I can't imagine I'd go see a 3 hour drama about LBJ. But he really is that good in it. It was strange, since the place was loaded with secret service, and a motorcade pulled up to the theater right as I was about to enter. Turns out it was the undersecretary of agriculture or somesuch, which seems too low on the totem pole for police escorted motorcades to a Broadway show, no?

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 4/16/14 at 6:12am

I disagree with Winston. An actor has every right to deal with rude audience members as they see fit.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 4/16/14 at 7:11am

Did anyone ever consider that the audience member forgot to turn off their phone or thought they had but actually hadn't. I was at the movies last week and I thought I had silenced my phone because I always do. It turns out I hit the wrong button and my phone remained on and started ringing in the middle of the film. Yes, I got nasty glares and comments from the others in the audience but it was an honest-to-God accident. A crime was not committed. Everyone these days is so eager to jump down other people's throats and rip them " a new one" without even considering giving someone the benefit of the doubt.

And no Ramin Karmiloo does NOT have the right to be rude to an audience member. Being a performer on the stage does NOT EVER give him that privilege.







Updated On: 4/16/14 at 07:11 AM

[Jane2]

Posted: 4/16/14 at 8:41am

Carlos, my answer to you would be that for the person who forgot to turn off their phone, well, he still has to bear the consequence for his phone disrupting a production. Just like you did.

As for an actor not having the right to be rude to an audience member- I'm unaware of what the contract says about that, but the way I feel is after all the years of this problem existing and all the written and vocal announcements at the theater and all the people who still do it, I can't blame the outrage of some actors.

[winston89]

Posted: 4/16/14 at 9:52am

I think Carlos hit the nail on the head. I honestly feel that a vast majority of those who post here turn a small problem that is cell phone usage into an overblown bigger one. I go to the theatre just as often as everyone here. And, in my 18 years of going to the theatre, I think I can count on one hand the number of times that I have had an issue with someone and their cell phone.

And, for those that are on here, who jump up and down and say that it's against the law etc. My response is that it's a minor infraction, nothing more. Hell, in New York City jaywalking is technically against the law, but no cop ever tickets for it.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/16/14 at 9:57am

People HERE aren't just the ones getting outraged.

[Princeton Returns]

Posted: 4/16/14 at 9:59am

I always find Ramins outrage at people filming performances a bit of a double standard as he doesnt have the same problem with people recording the audio of a show. He has in the past posted it on his social networking sites.

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/16/14 at 10:16am

"Hell, in New York City jaywalking is technically against the law, but no cop ever tickets for it."

Well...

"Jaywalking tickets are up nearly eightfold this year, despite the mayor’s insistence that his plan for safer streets did not include singling out pedestrians. Through Feb. 9, there were 215 jaywalking summonses issued, compared with 27 over the same period last year; tickets issued to drivers were down slightly.

The jaywalking focus concerned cycling and pedestrian advocates, who have largely praised Mr. de Blasio’s plans, known as Vision Zero, as an effective way to curb the number of traffic deaths: In 2013, 176 pedestrians were killed in traffic in New York, according to police statistics."
Jaywalking crackdown in NYC

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/16/14 at 10:18am

"I always find Ramins outrage at people filming performances a bit of a double standard as he doesnt have the same problem with people recording the audio of a show. He has in the past posted it on his social networking sites."

Maybe he changed his mind? He recently tweeted:

"If you see a patron recording, feel free to flick their ear, tell them to stop and then say, 'that was from JVJ'. I thank you."

[Jane2]

Posted: 4/16/14 at 10:23am

"And, in my 18 years of going to the theatre, I think I can count on one hand the number of times that I have had an issue with someone and their cell phone. "

How fortunate can you get? First of all, let's not use your 18 years of going to the theater as part of your good luck. the problem with the cell phones has only been a large (yes I said large) issue for the past few years. Not only is the ringing of the phone a distraction, the simple turning on and off all night of the phones makes the house look like a rock concert with candles waving about. there are distractions left and right. I hope your luck continues.

Did you start attending theater at a few years old?

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/16/14 at 10:33am

There are a fair number of people who do remember to turn the ringer off, but then keep bringing their phone out to send texts and check Facebook all night. That is way more prevalent than the ringing. Not to mention the people who literally have their faces lit up after the house lights go down, throughout the overture, and wait until a few lines into the actual show before they can break away... it's so ridiculous.

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 4/16/14 at 10:39am

I have to agree with both Winston and Carlos on this one.

It is a great fear of mine for my phone to go off while in the theatre – I usually obsessively check it multiple times before the show, but, if I have nowhere else to put my phone other than my pocket, I always worry that a button will accidently get pushed and the phone or sound will come back on. In fact, there have been times a show has ended and I have checked my phone and it had gotten turned back on – I just, luckily, hadn’t received any texts or calls during the show.

Yes, it is extremely frustrating when a phone goes off during a show (was anyone else there when a “Hava Nagila” ringtone went off during the last performance of the most recent “Company”? I believe it was right around “Ladies Who Lunch” and was one of the most quiet and intense moments in the show) – but, unless the person answers the phone or is texting (or has been a disruptive audience member outside of the phone incident), I must give them the benefit of the doubt.

Everyone forgets once in a while. Some nasty looks or comments from audience members is one thing, but an actor on the stage stopping the show and glaring at you? Not only does it become MORE of a distraction to the moment in the show (had that ringing cell phone during “Company” that I mentioned been acknowledged by the cast, it would have completely taken us all out of the moment – instead, they kept going, the ringing stopped, and barely anything was lost from the show onstage), but to call more attention to and clearly embarrass someone in front of the entire theatre? That seems out of hand and a steep punishment – especially for something that could have been an accident.

I don’t think most people WANT their phone to go off in the theatre. More likely than not, it’s an accident – for whatever reason. And, when it goes off, they are likely embarrassed enough by just it happening – an actor stopping the show and glaring at that person is unnecessary and comes off a little, well…mean.

If it can be acknowledged in a playful way like the example at “All the Way” – that’s one thing. That is an actor working with what happens around him. It doesn’t seem like it was his intention to make that person feel even more embarrassed than they, likely, already were.

Texting or filming is one thing – those are deliberate acts that the audience member is conscious they are doing. A cell phone ringing can be a completely other thing.

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/16/14 at 10:41am

"It is a great fear of mine for my phone to go off while in the theatre – I usually obsessively check it multiple times before the show, but, if I have nowhere else to put my phone other than my pocket, I always worry that a button will accidently get pushed and the phone or sound will come back on."

They do turn off, btw.

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 4/16/14 at 10:43am

They do turn off, btw.

They can also accidently get turned back on by the buttons when you don’t have a touch screen. :)