Bad Audience Behavior — Page 2

When I saw The Pillowman people's cellphones kept going off. It happened four times. One of them was at a very suspensful part and the actor's had to wait because the persons cell was going off. The worst part was that the person did not turn it off, it just kept ringing. Finally it went off on its own and the play continuted.

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Updated On: 10/23/05 at 07:57 PM

ok, slightly on topic question: have y'all experienced an increase in sitting near (well, within hearing distance of) people who are at shows w/people who do not speak English, and so they spend a lot of time explaining what is happening on stage in another language? and is this 'bad' behavior?

I've had three shows now where I've been near people who are translating, and while it kinda annoys I'm not sure if I would call it 'bad' audience behavior, since what else are you gonna do for your non English speaking friend? I mean it's not like they have booths in the lobby selling translation headsets like they sell those sound amplifying headsets and stuff...

Or should I be more annoyed than I am? :)

At the Broadway by the Bay production of The Sound of Music, my mom and I were sitting next to a really, really large woman who takes out a smelly, nasty looking salami or pastrami or sausage sandwich as soon as Maria sings "The hills are alive with the sound of music" and begins eating it. Then she starts burping!! We could smell her burps...it was awful! My mom and I left at intermission right after I told her she had no class.

"Actually, most operas do have sub or super titles. It's only really big "prestigous" companies like the Met which uphold the no supertitles tradition."

The Met does indeed have subtitles. However, they are not projected; rather, there are little electronic displays on the back of the seat in front of you. If you don't want the subtitles, you can turn off the display.

Back to the thread topic, however. My "favorite" instances of bad audience behavior:

1. Years ago, I was seeing the play "Otherwise Engaged" with Tom Courtenay. I was seated next to a gentleman with a handlebar moustache. During Act I, he took out a tube of moustache wax and proceeded to wax his moustache. It wasn't noisy but it was distracting nonetheless. Later, during Act II, he clasped his hands together, held them up to his chin, and proceeded to tap his thumbnails agains his front teeth. That was noisy.

2. A common problem with revivals is audience members who sing along with the performers on stage. It also happened this week when I saw JERSEY BOYS: the songs were of course familiar to most in the audience and I was seated in front of a row of hausfraus who sang along with every song.

3. Earlier this year when I saw Encores' THE APPLE TREE, a kid behind me ate dinner during the performance.

I'm sorry that I am so angry in these posts, but it really bothers me...

I have had a few bad experiences with audiences AND ushers. Audiences are losing respect...

1) July 9, 2005- I saw WICKED on Broadway with my best friend this summer. It was my second time seeing the show, ehr first. We were sitting in the Rear Mezz. A group of people were sitting next to her and talking during act one about "Did y'all heah what Sgelly did back home?!" or when they occasionally looked at the stage "WOW! WOULD Y';ALL LOOK AT THAT!!!" During intermission they took out a big bag of FRITOS and were loudly talking and eating them at the beginning of the second act. A minute into it I had had ENOUGH. I reached over my friend went right up to the closest lady's face and said "WIll you PLEASE be quiet? I am watching this show, but you are DISTRACTING!!!" and they did not ay another word for the rest of the show.

2) August 3, 2005-CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG on Bway had the worst audience I have ever had the displeaure of sitting with. You do not know how badly I wanted to yell and scream atr people during intermission! First off, poeople were lookign at their silent cell phone meus during the show, the lights shining into my face! Two parents sitting behind me were talking about home, a two partents and their two kids came late and kept moving around, talking and playtingh and sitting ont heir parents' laps. A mom sitting across from me kept going into her plastic bag. I regret not saying something to these people. I was disgusted beyond words.

3) November 16, 2003-LES MIZ in Boston at the Colonial Theatre. The Colonial has cramped seating because it was built in 1900. A large man sitting next mne felt the need to rudely spread his legs. because of this they were cramping my sapce and hitting me. I tapped his leg with mine and he didn't do it again.

4) May 15, 2005-THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA at The Boston Opera House. I was sitting on the side and ushers had the bneed to talk and laugh at the show during the first half of act 1.

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What is it about people eating in the theatre? I was at a recent performance of Forbidden Broadway and a group of French-speaking tourists practically set up a picnic in the balcony. All that was missing was a bottle of wine and a checkered tablecloth. I'm 48 and I don't remember this happening a few years ago. Is is that ticket prices are so expensive that people cannot afford to eat out anymore before or after the show? Are people so pressed for time that they don't have time to eat in a restaurant? I hate bag searches as much as the next person, but I would love to see a doorman snatch a Quizno's sub out of somebody's Macy's canvas tote. Is it too much to ask for an announcement about no eating along with the cell phone and pagers reminder?

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"The Met does indeed have subtitles. However, they are not projected; rather, there are little electronic displays on the back of the seat in front of you. If you don't want the subtitles, you can turn off the display."

Ooops! My mistake! I was sure they were the one company that had shunned the use of subtitles. Maybe I'm thinking of another company. I personally don't see the problem with sub or supertitles. If you want to read them, then read them, if not, don't. Plus, they make opera much more accessible to more people. I did an opera unit with my 4th graders last spring, and as long as it was in English and they could follow along, they were entranced!

okay, when i saw 42nd st. in december, there was this old guy sitting next to me with his grandchildren i guess sitting in front of him, and during THE WHOLE show he kept leaning over to them, and explainging all this stuff to them, and during the songs (espcieally LULLABY OF BROADWAY) he kept singing along with them,and it was very annoying.
yeah, oh well...

Way back in 2001, when I was 14, I had gone with a *large* school group to see a matinee for 'Beauty and the Beast' - most members of the group were not Broadway enthusiasts ... and it ended up being one of the most mortifying experiences I've had seeing a show.

The show went without too much of a hitch, until it got towards the end of Act 2. By that time, people in my group were shouting things at the stage and laughing at everything, whether it was appropriate or not. But the worst thing was when Steve Blanchard came out as the Prince at the end.

Because a large group of girls afrom my school went 'UHHHEEWWWWWWWWW' loudly.

I think I died of embarassment in my seat.

(But I did get Christopher Sieber's autograph afterwards.)

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"1. Years ago, I was seeing the play "Otherwise Engaged" with Tom Courtenay. I was seated next to a gentleman with a handlebar moustache. During Act I, he took out a tube of moustache wax and proceeded to wax his moustache."

I think all men who still wear handlebar moustache's should be tackled, held down and shaved. Why oh why do they think it looks good??? Seriously, those waxed beasts make me gag.

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To the person with the issue with non-English speaking audience members, there actually are devices for translating shows on Broadway. They're available in most major languages (French, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Itallian, German, etc.) at pretty much all the major shows. They don't translate everything, obviously, but they serve as a transaltion guide

At a recent performance of the Odd Couple, when the curtain went up, an audience member shouted out in a booming voice, "JUST DEAL THE CARDS MURRAY." This same bore got up several times during the show and disturbed all the people unlucky enough to be in his aisle. The rest of us were less than enthralled with him as well.

One thing that really annoys me is when people get up an leave before the curtian call. When I saw Spelling Bee a man in the front row got up and left while the cast was taking their bows and one of the cast members (I think it was Jose)saw it.

When I saw Forbidden Broadway back in July a women from the thrid row got up during the "Wickeder" number and Megan Lewis saw the person get up and she looked kinda annoyed.

Can people just wait a few minutes these people are working their buts off the least you can do is stay and clap for them.

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