Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
lisa902652
Stand-by Joined: 4/10/05
#1Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/13/08 at 4:02pmThere is a thread posted on annieorphans.com that says broadway ushers do not get tips. Julie Stevens who runs the website says ushers get paid well and do not get tips, you would tip the coat check person but not the usher. I disagree. I think Tipping is common practice on Broadway.
#2re: Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/13/08 at 4:04pmCall me naive, but I've never in my life heard of tipping an usher...
#3re: Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/13/08 at 4:07pm
It's not common, but, yes, ushers get tips from an occasional patron.
They can not live on what they make. It is only a supplement to other income.
#4re: Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/13/08 at 4:17pmTipping an usher? I would feel weird doing that. I'm sure it's been done before... Just curious, anyone done it? How'd you do it and how much?
#5re: Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/13/08 at 4:19pm
Some people tip $1 - $3. Some $5. Some $10. Some $20.
It's not expected.
Middle class folk tip better than the rich folk. lol
Cape Twirl of Doom
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/2/05
#6re: Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/13/08 at 4:29pmI've never tipped an usher, I've never seen anyone tip an usher, and it would never even have crossed my mind that anyone would tip an usher. How would that even work? Most of the times they hand me a Playbill and point to the row I am supposed to be in. When would you even have time to hand them money? And it's not like I can't get to my seat on my own either. I don't know why some people have a hard time finding where they are sitting, it's written right there on the ticket.
"It's Phantom meets Hamlet... Phamlet!"
Yankeefan007
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/20/04
#8re: Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/13/08 at 4:34pm
Well, it's almost always when the usher escorts the person to their seat. It's given when the usher has finished showing them the seats and handing them the Playbills. It's simply courtesy. It's not required.
It's certainly not something to be bewildered by.
BroadwayBound86
Leading Actor Joined: 1/24/07
#9re: Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/13/08 at 4:36pmI've never heard of tipping an usher. Maybe it's just me, but I've only even been handed my playbill and pointed to my seat. Most of the time I take the playbill and tell them I can find my seat myself, it's not that hard to do...
BroadwayBound86
Leading Actor Joined: 1/24/07
#10re: Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/13/08 at 4:36pmEDIT: Sorry....double post! Updated On: 1/13/08 at 04:36 PM
#11re: Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/13/08 at 4:51pm
Perhaps those who never heard of tipping an usher are too young to remember, but I remember back in the day, it was a common occurance. I remember my parents doing it, and even when I started going to shows alone, I'd always have the dollar ready to hand them. You'd hand it to them as you entered your row, and they handed you the playbill.
Even now, there's the occasional patron who will tip. I see it happening more often when the usher is able to move the patron to a better seat!
Also, I have to echo that ushers are not, I repeat not, paid well.
<-----I'M TOTES ROLLING MY EYES
Updated On: 1/13/08 at 04:51 PM
TheatreDiva90016
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/04
#12re: Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/13/08 at 5:10pm
Correct Jane (as always),
It really doesn't happen any more, but, back when theatre going was an experience, tipping did happen.
TIPS stands for To Insure Proper Service, and that's how folks thanked the usher.
"TheatreDiva90016 - another good reason to frequent these boards less."<<>>
“I hesitate to give this line of discussion the validation it so desperately craves by perpetuating it, but the light from logic is getting further and further away with your every successive post.” <<>>
-whatever2
#13re: Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/13/08 at 5:14pmhttp://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/tip.asp
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
#14re: Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/13/08 at 5:14pmI sometimes usher at an off broadway theatre, and on many occasions i've recieved tips from 1- 5 dollars. Usually at least one patron a day would provide some kind of tip, but its still really always a surprise.
#15re: Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/13/08 at 5:18pmbe honest... do you think they do it so they may get better seats?
"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around."
jordangirl
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/1/06
#16re: Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/13/08 at 5:20pmThe usher on the left side of the mid-mezz at the Lunt last night definitely didn't deserve anything. She was AWFUL!! There was no one at the bottom telling us where to go, so we found our own seats (had the row to ourselves as it was n the side and there were 4 of us), and she glared at us as we went in. Though she made no effort to move towards us; just stood in the middle of the stairs. When we asked for Playbills, she glared some more and demanded to see our tickets before she handed them down to us.
Experience live theater. Experience paintings. Experience books. Live, look and listen like artists! ~ imaginethis
LIVE THAT LESSON!!!!!!
LIVE THAT LESSON!!!!!!
#17re: Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/13/08 at 5:21pm
I just can't picture myself tipping an usher. Even if I got to know them on BWW... 
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
ShbrtAlley44
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/1/03
#18re: Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/13/08 at 5:29pm
I get tips occasionally. Usually it'll happen if I'm working the orchestra, and generally it's a couple of dollars and sometimes a five. One time someone asked me if they could move to the box on a particularly empty day and I said it would be fine, and she slipped a twenty into my pocket. I tried to refuse it but she insisted. One man presented me with fifty cents, which I found hilarious. Dammit, I'm not even worth a dollar????
#19re: Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/13/08 at 5:38pm
"be honest... do you think they do it so they may get better seats?"
I don't know about that but what I was referring to was on occasion, there will be patrons who don't even request better seats, but are given them by our own decision. Then, the tip is given after the seats were changed!
<-----I'M TOTES ROLLING MY EYES
popular_elphie
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/3/05
#20re: Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/13/08 at 7:01pm
I never heard of tipping an usher until I became one myself. I never got tips when I worked off-Broadway. I get a lot of tips at one particular theatre I work at. They're usually around one to five dollars (I got a three dollar tip just yesterday). They're especially good if you do late seating - I led someone to their front orchestra seat after a cue, and he slipped me a twenty.
And yes, middle class people tip better than high class. I got tipped more working in the balcony one show than I ever did in the orchestra.
Juliash
Broadway Star Joined: 3/6/07
#21re: Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/13/08 at 7:04pm
"Middle class folk tip better than the rich folk. lol"
I'm a waitress and THATS SO TRUE!!!
#22re: Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/13/08 at 7:41pmI saw an usher get tipped at Spring Awakening last month.
"Everytime you step on that stage it is somebody's first Broadway show and somebody's last Broadway show. Make it count."
alterego
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/5/03
#23re: Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/13/08 at 9:20pmGood God I hope not! Where does tipping end?
#24re: Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/14/08 at 12:15amAlways used to tip ushers. No reason not to, but these days, audiences are all discounts and that sort of crowd doesn't tip, I guess. People used to get dressed up for the theater too, but, ah well, what are you gonna do?
bluetuna
Leading Actor Joined: 11/15/07
#25re: Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips
Posted: 1/14/08 at 5:09am
I'm sure a lot of people going to the theatre expect the ushers' courtesy to be paid for in the price of their tickets.
I've never seen anyone tip, and the usher usually just points you in the direction of your seat or to another usher. If you're on a line of people, it just seems like it would be weird to pull out money and hand it to the usher for telling you which direction to go, especially when you're generally required to go to the usher.
I know the ushers generally walk people to their seats in the orchestra, but tipping doesn't really seem to be common there either.
Updated On: 1/14/08 at 05:09 AM
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