Ave. Q drinking at New World

[snarkywannabedreamer]

Posted: 10/6/09 at 10:18am

I found it curious to see an Ad for Avenue Q right above this message board not advertising the show but advertising the ability to have "More drinks" and "Bring them to your seat." I know ROA has taken a lot of shots for promoting drinking in the theater... the fans called "trashy" and "the dregs"... Does this glorious distinction now pertain to Avenue Q? I hope so! I know ROA has never put the fact that you can drink in it's advertising... much less made it the ONLY thing advertised about the show.

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 10/6/09 at 10:23am

I remember you could drink at the Nederlander when Rent was there

[Leia947]

Posted: 10/6/09 at 10:34am

There's a difference between the New World Stage shows and RoA, though. NWS does not have waiter service. You can bring a drink or 2 to your seat, but that's it. No one walks up and down the aisles giving you more. I think I've seen almost every show (and others) at the NWS and I have never seen what I have seen at RoA.

[dchesnutny]

Posted: 10/6/09 at 10:42am

has anyone been to Wicked lately? They sell cocktails in "wicked green" plastic tumblers that everyone takes back to their seats after intermission. It's great hearing the sound of ice cubes in plastic cups all through the second act.

All they need to complete the setting is to start selling stinky hot dogs and get Slurpee machine.

[yeomansden]

Posted: 10/6/09 at 10:54am

I also don't think the drinking in and of itself caused the bad feelings about the ROA audiences (personally, I have no opinion. Haven't seent he show, haven't run across the audiences...) It is more the inappropriate behavior of some audience members, which may have been fueled by the alcohol. ROA has taken shots for promoting drinking, because it is felt that the bad behavior could be curtailed by not encouraging the drinking. Should similiar issues happen at Q, I'm sure they will take some shots as well.

(Of course, I think the idea of advertising the drinking using the Bad Idea Bears is a stroke of brilliance. If someone has an issue with it, they can always say, "Well, you should know better than to listen to the Bad Idea Bears.") LOL!

[BroadwayBound115]

Posted: 10/6/09 at 11:30am

Most shows sell drinks don't they? I remember there was a bar at Spring Awakening and Mary Poppins. As for the waiter service like Rock of Ages, that is the first time I have seen that in the theater

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/6/09 at 11:39am

Certainly now, anyone who sees Avenue Q at NWS will be dregs.

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/6/09 at 11:43am

"There's a difference between the New World Stage shows and RoA, though. NWS does not have waiter service."

watchutalkinboutwillis. The waiter service for ROA began at NWS.

[yeomansden]

Posted: 10/6/09 at 11:46am

Actually, now that you mention it, I seem to remember guys coming around hawking beers (not exactly waiter service, more like beer guys at baseball games) at Toxic Avenger at NWS. So, yeah, they do have at-seat sales.

[Leia947]

Posted: 10/6/09 at 11:50am

They stand outside the theater with the boxes. Candy and water. No beer or drinks. That's only available at the TONY Bar. They don't come around during the show. And yes, I know RoA started at New World. Again, that's the only show that did and still does waiter service.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 10/6/09 at 11:54am

When EVIL DEAD was playing at NWS, they had waiter service. I don't think it was during the show, but they definitely walked up and down the aisles before and during intermission selling drinks.

It's not a new thing that ROA invented. Their audiences have just taken in to obnoxious, inappropriate levels.

[yeomansden]

Posted: 10/6/09 at 11:55am

Oh, I didn't mean during the show. This was at intermission. Definitely came around during intermission with candy and water. And I'll admit, my memory is hazy, but I swear they had beer as well. I could be wrong...

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 10/6/09 at 11:58am

I haven't seen TOXIC AVENGER yet, but I know they sold alcoholic drinks in the aisles at EVIL DEAD.

I repeat, ROCK OF AGES did not invent this concept. Ever since it opened off-Broadway, people have acted like this is a revelation. It's a New World Stages thing that they took with them when they moved to Broadway. Now they're finally realizing why it might have been a bad idea.

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/6/09 at 12:59pm

"I haven't seen TOXIC AVENGER yet, but I know they sold alcoholic drinks in the aisles at EVIL DEAD."

Toxic does not have waiter service in the house.

"I repeat, ROCK OF AGES did not invent this concept."

No one said they did. When I said it began at NWS, I was responding to another poster who said the waiter service at ROA was only on broadway, and that NWS never had it.

"It's a New World Stages thing that they took with them when they moved to Broadway. Now they're finally realizing why it might have been a bad idea."

Where did you get that info from?

Updated On: 10/6/09 at 12:59 PM

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 10/6/09 at 1:06pm

The thread about the drunk women being kicked out, and obnoxious drunk behavior in the audience in general. I meant that the fans are now realizing it was a bad idea, not the producers (although they might be, too). I should have worded that more clearly.

I don't have a specific thread or post in mind, but I just remember everyone talking about the drink service at ROA while it was off-Broadway and how it was so cool how they came up with the idea to do that, and then how they were going to keep that going when they moved to Broadway. No one specifically said that ROA invented the concept, but a lot of the comments felt, to me, as if that was the idea behind it. I was not responding to this thread, least of all you in particular, just to the sentiment in general that I've been hearing for months.

It's possible I'm projecting because I just don't like the show, but even before I saw it, that's how I interpreted those posts, and it bothered me then.

Updated On: 10/6/09 at 01:06 PM

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/6/09 at 1:23pm

Thanks for your reply.

As far as waiter service goes, maybe you've heard some people complain about it at ROA, but as I mentioned in another thread, until and IF attendance changes, no mistake will be realized.

And I guess NWS for one, has not realized it as a bad idea, since the plans are to continue it in Ave. Q.

We'll see.