Attention Ushers & House Managers: WAKE UP!- Page 2

[Broadway Matt]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 3:12am

orangeskittles, everything you said is totally valid and there's no excuse for those experiences where ushers have really dropped the ball or done something unacceptable like talking loudly during the show.

i've worked with a lot of these people and I won't apologize or defend anything they may or may not have done. it's in the past, and your chance to exercise the right to file a complaint is long gone. it's too bad that some theatregoers come away from a show upset because "the lady was mean to me!" just like it's too bad that so many fulltime ushers regularly come away from the show having been yelled at, physically threatened, or called names for refusing to jeopardize their jobs by bending the rules. if u want a sterile, facile experience free of human interaction and surprises, upgrade your Netflix account.

and I know i'm a good usher! if something's worth doing, it's worth doing right. otherwise, why bother leaving the house? if u don't believe me, all you have to do is buy some tickets (full-price is preferable) and I will show u ushering the likes of which you've only dreamt of!

Updated On: 1/9/07 at 03:12 AM

[D2]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 7:24am

First let me say that for the most part I have had generally good experiences with front of house staff. (Except for one outrageous experience at the Hirschfeld involving my father, his wheelchair and an absolutely dense, rude and unecessarily combative usher and house manager.)

Secondly, I am not one of those theater goers who feels that the price of my ticket entitles me to act however I please in the theater. I arrive on time, my cell phone is off, my food is home in my refrigerator, all personal articles of clothing remain on my person (well I do take off my coat in the winter) my gum remains in its wrapper, I pop in a Listerine strip before the show starts even though I keep my mouth shut throughout the show.

HOWEVER, I do feel that the price of my ticket entitles me to a pleasant experience from all employees of the theater whether on stage and off. If a member of the front of house staff is disgruntled, unhappy, stressed out - I'm sorry, but I don't want to know about it. Not my problem. I am paying throught the nose for my evening/afternoon in the theater (I'm one of the lucky ones who can afford full-price and don't mind paying it for a good seat) and I expect a first-class experience from the minute I walk in the door until the minute I leave. In other words, ushers and other front of house staff, like Broadway Matt stated, are working in a service industry and have to remember that, no matter how horrible the job is. Dealing with the public is hard work, I agree. Eight shows a week is a tough schedule, but the front of house staff need to be as up to the task as the performers onstage. They are part of the show too.

[avab802]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 9:15am

Eight shows a week is a tough schedule, but the front of house staff need to be as up to the task as the performers onstage. They are part of the show too.

Very well said, D2. I worked selling merchandise at one of the Disney shows and we were considered "Cast Members" just like the people who work in the Disney theme parks. We had certain standards we were expected to uphold so that the patrons would have a pleasant experience from the time they walked in the door until the time they walked out.

[Julian2]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 9:28am

Having read similar threads like this before, when I saw my first shows in NY, I was pleased to have no bad experiences with ushers. And because I knew what a stress that it can be sometimes, I was very appriciative that all the ushers I encountered were so very kind.

[D2]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 11:35am

And for the most part, they are kind and helpful. The young gentleman who was running the mezzanine at SPRING AWAKENING on Saturday night was terrific - personable, friendly, helpful but at the same time no-nonsense and efficient.

It only takes one bad apple, though...

[Jane2]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 12:07pm

Please, there are good and bad in every job.

As for seating, the rules are usually set up by the production, not the house. So if an usher is told that as long as it isn't a musical number, they can seat latecomers, then you're going to see people being seated during a scene. Again, the rules come down from the production. Contact the producers if you have a problem with that.

[Steve2]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 12:39pm

I have never had a bad experience with an usher. What a difficult job to have do deal with all those people every day and night.

I cannot expect them to stop people from eating or talking during a performance. That is just not possible unless they were patroling the aisles which is not acceptable.

Perhaps there needs to be an announcement prior to the show advising the audience of correct theatre behavior (much like they do with cell phones).

When I was at Mary Poppins, the girl next to me kept asking her mom for candy, juice boxes, etc (and getting it) and was talking a lot. I shooshed them and the mom told me I was "too uptight". I told her "Don't talk or eat in the theatre!". They quieted down some after that. An usher wouldn't have noticed what was going on, only the unfortunate people sitting around them.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 1:35pm

orangeskittles, I agree that ushers should know better, but again, sometimes they don't - there have been numerous mentions of the few bad apples who don't take their jobs seriously. I've often been pulled aside by loud head ushers letting me know about my break time in the middle of the first scene and talking at full volume, and it's embarrassing. But neddyfrank shouldn't have just stood there and ignored the noise; he should have told them to be quiet.

Posted: 1/9/07 at 1:42pm

I've complained twice to ushers about audience members constantly talking during a performance. The first was during the original run of Promises Promises and the second time was during the original run of Evita. The ushers did nothing either time. In fact, the Evita usher told me that the situation generally worsens if theatre staff gets involved.

Posted: 1/9/07 at 1:42pm

I've complained twice to ushers about audience members constantly talking during a performance. The first was during the original run of Promises Promises and the second time was during the original run of Evita. The ushers did nothing either time. In fact, the Evita usher told me that the situation generally worsens if theatre staff gets involved.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 1/9/07 at 9:05pm

neddyfrank shouldn't have just stood there and ignored the noise; he should have told them to be quiet.

ShbrtAlley44- That wasn't me who had ushers talking behind me the whole show.