Avenue Q ushers

Saw it this afternoon and noticed that the ushers and security people they have employed are some of the nastiest people I've ever encountered. One ticket taker in the mezz. area grabbed a ticket out of an older lady's hand, who reacted by screaming at her and calling the manager over. In the auditorium, an usher-ette who resembled Atilla the Hun almost tackled people when they even took out their cell phones.

Anyone have an experience like this there?

Updated On: 8/24/05 at 06:28 PM

I didn't find the Avenue Q users to be that terrible, only the person who was taking tickets got all upset because my dad, who I was standing with, was holding both of our tickets, and when I was waiting outside the theater for my dad to pick up our tickets one yelled at me about loitering and so I just kind of walked away from him, but I've experienced worst.

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One of the elderly woman ushers had a spasm when she saw someone with a camera phone. "Get that camera away!"
"It's not a camera!" "Get that camera away!" "It's a phone!" "Get that camera away now or I'll call the police!" "Jeez, fine lady."

I've found many of the Hairspray ushers to be rude.

When I went to Q I noticed the same thing. Anyone who had a phone out when they walked inside were blasted by the ushers. Granted phones shouldn't be in the theater, but it was kinda weird.

I'm surprised to hear that some of you think the ushers are so nasty at Avenue Q. Last time I was there the woman that showed me to my seat was nothing but polite. During intermission, I stayed at my seat and the same woman came up to me and asked if it was my first time there and if I was enjoying the show and the like. I had a very nice conversation with her. When the show was over, she asked me if I had plans to see it again. I told her no, but then won the lotto two days later. I sat in the same section as before and she was the usher to show me to my seat. She remembered me from two days prior and even congratulated me on winning the lotto.

I did notice the thing about the phones though, which pissed me off at first, but they shouldn't be used in the theatre anyway so I soon got over it.

Sorry for the novel.

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Y'know, after Ringing Phone Incident #52,473, I don't blame ushers for getting strict.

I used to bartend at the Royale and the ushers could get a little short with people. But, honestly some theatre goers can be a bit aloof

Some ushers catch you being bad/know when you are doing something bad and some don't. That doesn't change the fact that patrons should follows rules and etiquette.

--No cameras EVER
--Don't touch or lean on the stage
--no cellphones
--no food or drink

etc etc etc etc etc

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lol--if you heard a booming usher voice at WONDERFUL TOWN, chances are--it was ME!

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I din't experience anything like that before (well I haven't seen Avenue Q either.......lol.) But I usher and you should give them a break. It's not fun to tell people 20+ time to turn off their damn phones. Be glad they do, because it would ruin the performance for you if they went off. Taking pictures is illegal so they have to be strict about that.
And seating people can be a pain, because think they are too smart for this, march straight past you and then find out ten minutes later that they can't find their aisles/seat/etc

I understand how it must feel after an usher yells at you, and it isn't fair. (I agree there's nothing wrong w/having a cellphone out- you just might be turning it off- before the performance, or coming back from the bathroom, or whatever.)

HOWEVER, the theatres are probably facing a HUGE cell phone problem right now. I saw POTO, and the guy in front of me not only had his cell phone on, but TOOK the call, RIGHT THERE IN HIS SEAT. He sat there in front of the stage talking on the phone. So, b/c of the bad majority, the good minority gets punished to. It's sad, but it's life.

Just as we would like the ushers to show us respect, we have to respect the ushers, and understand that they have to put up with all sorts of bad behavior every night and they can't neccessarily take the time to make a distinction between your cell phone and the guy in the third row who's talking on his during the performance.

Personally, I like to listen to the ushers' conversations. When I saw Tracy, the ushers were discussing how at the matinee the guy who played Edna called the Tracy by her real name. Its amusing to pick up tidbits like that. :-P

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Updated On: 8/24/05 at 09:18 PM

Ok, Mr. Cool Avatar (though, I think we all need to admit that it is tango COLLINS ), THAT (the EMERGENCY on a cell-phone DURING INTERMISSION) is an example when the usher's behavior is really and truly obnoxious and (I would say) unexcusable.

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Updated On: 8/24/05 at 09:27 PM