Appalling audience behavior at Little Mermaid last night

[ashley0139]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 11:32am

During the second act of the show last night, I saw the most appalling, disgusting, intolerable behavior I have EVER seen in a theatre. I was sitting in the fourth row just off the center, and in the third row dead center there was this woman and her three year old daughter. She was speaking loudly to her daughter constantly, singing the songs, raising her hands in the air and waving them around, TAKING PICTURES, and standing her daughter on her lap to see better. The audience went nuts. People half back in the orchestra were shushing this crazy lady. Whenever people would sush her or tell her to shut up she would YELL, "Are you serious?! I have a three year old! SHUT UP." This one guy behind her tried to get her to shut up and she yelled "f**k you" and gave him the finger. Twice. In the middle of the show. The three year old was amazingly well behaved. She was adorable, and didn't say more than two words the entire act. Her mother was CRAZY. She was also yelling things out in the middle of the scenes. When Ariel was going to give her voice to Urusula, she was like, "No Ariel, NO ARIEL!!!" She thought she was in a private showing. I have NEVER seen anything like it in my life. She almost got into a fist fight with the woman sitting next to her who kept telling her to shut up. Finally, someone went to get an usher. I don't really know what happened after that because it took the ushers a while to come and I think they were waiting until after the show (don't know why). I couldn't concentrate at all on the second act because there would be an episode every 5 minutes. I found out after the show that she was completely wasted. The guy behind her said he smelled alcohol on her. It was just crazy. I'm still in shock.

Updated On: 6/1/08 at 11:32 AM

[misschung]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 11:34am

It's ridiculous that they didn't escort her out in between songs or something. I would have complained to the manager.

[suicidalmickeymouse]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 11:35am

Oh.My.God.

That's crazy! A drunk mother at little mermaid. That poor girl. Could the cast tell what was going on? What did they do?

You should ask for your money back! 110 bucks (maybe more?) for *that*??

Updated On: 6/1/08 at 11:35 AM

[nmartin]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 11:39am

How could the cast not notice a drunk yelling "F**k You!"?

[ashley0139]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 11:42am

I did not pay that much to see it, but I know people around me did and am hoping they asked for their money back.

And yes, I believe the cast did notice. Especially during curtain call, I saw a ton of looks in that direction.

I've never actually been in a bad audience situation, so for some reason it didn't occur to me to get an usher/house manager. I don't know why. However, the woman sitting next to her was not going to let the mother just leave after the show.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 11:42am

Welcome to the theater.

[Marinacat]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 11:43am

Oh good, I still have a shot at "Mother of the Year" award.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 11:45am

Welcome to a Disney show !!! The theatre mangt NEVER pays attention to the guidelines--- Wife and I went a Weds mat of "TLM" a month back, and there were children at the show that were still in diapers !!!

[morosco]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 11:45am

drunk and belligerent mother + 3 year old child = call the police

[gonepishing]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 11:46am

I feel bad for the little girl who had to wander around with a drunk mother. But seriously...How did an usher NOT get on that ASAP?

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 11:49am

What a story!

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 11:52am

Wow, that's crazy!

I was at TLM Friday night, and I guess I lucked out with my timing. The only incident at all was a baby/little child (don't know how old) crying, but the parents would take him/her out when it started. I actually thought about what a great audience it was for a Disney show.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 11:54am

The stories i hear about the Front Of House staff in NY theatre amazes me.If we had someone like that at our theatre (manchester palace in the UK) they would be out in a second

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 11:58am

I bet that this story will be in the Playbill Yearbook.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 12:04pm

I never pay attention, but don't the ushers stand at the back of the house? I know when I saw August: Osage in December and we had all of the cell phones going off, those poor ushers were running all over the theater trying to locate them.

We have ushers stationed all over the inside of the theater during performances. When there is a problem, they jump right on it and have no problem asking disruptive people to leave.

Updated On: 6/1/08 at 12:04 PM

[winston89]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 12:09pm

That is because August played at the Imperial and then the Music Box. Both Shubert houses. The Shubert organization is more strict about things like cell phones, eating in the theatre, and things like that. The Little Mermaid is playing at the Lunt which is owned by the Nederlanders. Who are the total opposite of the Shuberts in how they handel house issues.

[heathurrr]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 12:11pm

Yep, sounds about right. When I went I encountered a lot of the same annoying things. Kids singing, pictures being taken and a LOUD lady talking on her cell phone during the entire overture. In that case two seperate ushers spoke to her and yet she yapped away. Made me beyond angry.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 12:17pm

Something similar happened to me in Mary Poppins, although not as hardcore as this.

This woman was verbally abusing his nine-year-old son, commanding him to enjoy the show! She was also shouting how much she had spent for her ticket. Everyone was very annoyed.

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 12:29pm

Someone should have called the cops on her. She could have put that three year old in danger wandering around NYC drunk.

How horrible.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 12:34pm

They should do what some movie theaters do here. They give a device to random patrons. If there is a disruption in the theater, the patron presses a button and it calls a manager. If the disruption is obvious when the manager walks into the theater he/she handles it. If not, you can get the manager's attention to have it taken care of.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 12:37pm

From the lips of numerous Broadway actors --yes, believe it or not -- the actors on stage can HEAR everything, even when they're upstage and sometimes even in the wings. They can also see clearly the front portion of the orchestra and any activity in the orchestra section and front mezzanine. Even if someone is walking at the back of the house (behind the orchestra section), they can also see this, so yes... they DID see the little girl standing on her mother's lap as well as every annoying nuance this woman was doing. I'm surprised someone in the cast didn't say something to the stage manager and have him pass word to the house manager. Its been done in the past.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 12:44pm

That's absurd. I can't imagine how the ushers didn't notice something like that.

[gypsy4]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 1:02pm

I think one of the actors should have gotten out of character and slapt that mother in the face.Even when I was a little kid I always hated when audience menbers would be disruptive.and why do people think they can talk during the overture are they not important anymore
Updated On: 6/1/08 at 01:02 PM

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 1:32pm

Well - it is a Disney show. This is exactly why I am cautious about purchasing a ticket to a Disney show on Broadway. At least when it is on tour, there are other showings if there are disruptions.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/1/08 at 1:39pm

Sierra should have channeled Patti. That would have taken care of the situation!