7:00 PM curtain on a Saturday night...what????

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 10:36pm

Why on Earth does the curtain go up on all of Papermill's shows, including Saturday nights, at 7 PM? I totally understand starting earlier on a weeknight...I like that. But on a Saturday night, why start so early? What if people want to go out and have dinner before the show?

Is this so their mostly older (read: 65+) audience can be home and tucked into bed by 10 PM?

[willep]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 10:57pm

Are people not able to eat dinner before 7?

[jpbran]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 11:02pm

Maybe so audiences get home in time for SNL?

(in all seriousness, maybe because a lot of people take the train there, and it's easier to get home)

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 11:03pm

Who wants to sit down for a nice leisurely dinner at 5:00?

Why can't one performance a week start at the traditional time?

ETA...as a longtime attendee of Papermill shows, I can assure you the vast majority of their audience isn't arriving by train. They're driving in. Updated On: 10/1/10 at 11:03 PM

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 11:05pm

I imagine it's because of the train, the family/senior citizen crowd and maybe the fact that a lot of people wouldn't want to be driving home that late.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/1/10 at 11:09pm

It's to get the Manhattanites back into Manhattan before the gate closes.

[vodkastinger]

Posted: 10/2/10 at 1:35am

"Who wants to sit down for a nice leisurely dinner at 5:00?"

The general demo of the subscribers at Paper Mill Playhouse.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 10/2/10 at 2:02am

As an actor, I love an earlier curtain because I can get home before midnight.

As an audience member I eat my dinner at 5 anyway so I don't see the problem.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 10/2/10 at 5:43am

And you can beat the crowds by needing to dine earlier. And you can still go out AFTERWARDS if you so choose.


I don't really see a problem except for expectations. (But if you've been going to the Papermill for years, why is it a big deal now?)

[Marianne2]

Posted: 10/2/10 at 8:48am

I'm going to take a guess that Papermill thinks Hairspray is a family show, so that's why. I know, they don't do that on Broadway, but we are talking about 2 different things now.

[kooky]

Posted: 10/2/10 at 9:18am

have drinkies & some picking food first .... then dinner after the show.... let all the people who have driven far or taken a train .... get on their way home! Be flexible!

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/2/10 at 10:54am

But if you've been going to the Papermill for years, why is it a big deal now?

This is the first season that all of their evening performances began at 7. In years past, Friday and Saturdays started at 8.

I'm going to take a guess that Papermill thinks Hairspray is a family show, so that's why.

Every production of this season begins at 7, not 8. It isn't just Hairspray.

[musicalsFan]

Posted: 10/2/10 at 1:15pm

Besides the new start times for new evening performances, they have apparently disassociated themselves from NJArtstix.org which offerered 1/2 tickets a day in advance.

I won't be seeing Hairpsray.

[prayerforaduck]

Posted: 10/3/10 at 9:52pm

5. When are your performances?

Performances are Wednesday through Sunday. Please check your tickets.

Hairspray, Les Miserables
Wednesday/Friday: 7:00pm
Thursday/Saturday/Sunday: 1:30pm & 7:00pm

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Curtains
Wednesday: 7:30pm
Thursday: 1:30pm & 7:30pm
Friday: 8:00pm
Saturday: 1:30pm & 8:00pm
Sunday: 1:30pm & 7:00pm

http://papermill.org/faqs/show-a-ticket-questions.html

[dramamama611]

Posted: 10/3/10 at 9:56pm

Ah....I see. You hadn't mentioned this was a change to their schedule of years past. (or at least I didn't see that you had.)

(You do know that I adore you, right AdamGreer?)