Posted: 8/17/19 at 10:37pm
I was at a concert last night (not theater) and the girl behind me was singing at the top of her lungs. She was awful, off key and didn't know the words. I kept on looking at her. I know I can't sing, so I would never torture anybody around me. Are people so delusional nowadays or do they really don't care?
Posted: 8/17/19 at 10:55pm
veronicamae said: "Today at a "Make Believe" matinee (at which I was the youngest audience member by at least a decade), the presumably sweet elderly woman next to me spent the first 30 mins of the show trying to figure out how to work the hearing assist device she rented (I have no idea how they work either) aka high-pitched feedback, squealing, and buzzing, paired with full-voice conversation with her friend about not knowing how to work it until she finally gave up and then fell asleep. The falling asleep resulted in every time she nodded off, the earpieces would get too close to the receiver on the device and it would buzz LOUDLY. Sometimes this would wake her up. Sometimes I had to nudge her.
She was shushed several times throughout the show and it sucked feeling like I was her keeper by doing what I could to at least keep her awake to stop the constant buzzing since she wouldn't just turn it off altogether.
(I'm sure she would have preferred to not be a disturbance as well.)
Sigh."
From start to finish, yet another post that stinks of ageism. "Sigh" indeed.
Updated On: 8/17/19 at 10:55 PM
Posted: 8/17/19 at 11:11pm
Posted: 8/17/19 at 11:48pm
Jacaranda2 said: "From start to finish, yet another post that stinks of ageism. "Sigh" indeed."
Could you please elaborate on this?
Posted: 8/18/19 at 2:15am
Posted: 8/18/19 at 1:04pm
ArtMan said: "I was at a concert last night (not theater) and the girl behind me was singing at the top of her lungs. She was awful, off key and didn't know the words. I kept on looking at her. I know I can't sing, so I would never torture anybody around me. Are people so delusional nowadays or do they really don't care?"
Delusional. And it's getting worse. Pretty much any concert these days is just a chorus of female fans loudly singing along, an octave higher than the performer. I can't stand it. Even happens at quiet acoustic shows in very small venues.
When I saw the Darren Criss / Lea Michele tour last summer, Darren politely asked the fans NOT to sing along with him during a couple of songs he was playing very quietly by himself on the piano. I absolutely applaud him for having the b*lls to make that request of his audience. Brilliant move on his part. More artists should follow suit, instead of encouraging obnoxious singalongs.
Updated On: 8/18/19 at 01:04 PM
Posted: 8/18/19 at 3:18pm
I don't mind sing-a-longs at concerts. Everyone does it including me and I am extremely tone deaf. Isn't that part of the fun of watching your favorite artist?
Posted: 8/18/19 at 5:51pm
djoko84 said: "I don't mind sing-a-longs at concerts. Everyone does it including me and I am extremely tone deaf.Isn't that part of the fun of watching your favorite artist?"
Since you asked: No. I'd rather hear my favorite artist. Save your sing-a-alongs for home (unless an event is specifically advertised as such).
Posted: 8/18/19 at 7:11pm
djoko84 said: "I don't mind sing-a-longs at concerts. Everyone does it including me and I am extremely tone deaf.Isn't that part of the fun of watching your favorite artist?"
If I wanted to hear nobodies sing songs badly I'd go to a free karaoke bar.
When I pay $200+ to go see a singer sing, you will shut up unless said singers asks you to sing along for 'A' chorus of 'A' song x
Posted: 9/9/19 at 8:56pm
I've seen Oklahoma! several times and without fail, there will be at least 1 rude person who will turn on their phone during the complete blackout scene in the smokehouse with Curly and Judd. Once, this lady texted throughout Act 1 - the usher walked so slowly to where the patron was (Row F247 - second to last row on aisle) that she was able to put away her phone when she was spoken to only to pull it out again when the usher left. I'm surprised the people surrounding her didn't seem phased by it at all. Thankfully she never returned for Act 2.
At Moulin Rouge sitting in the Can Can seats, the people behind me would not stop talking (occasionally whispering but most of the time at full volume). It was so bad, I couldn't even hear the show's dialogue. No amount of shushing or exorcist-heading-turning-evil-eye-stare down worked.
During the intermission, I spoke with the usher for that section about making a general statement about the excess chatter... her response, " Oh, we really don't do that here." WTF!! Of course she didn't do anything and Act 2 was more of the same - "OMG I LOVE THIS SONG!" When leaving, my friend mentioned that he was so tempted to sing along during certain songs and I told him, well thank god you didn't! Another older lady behind me gleefully exclaimed, "Oh, I did!" ::eyeroll::
Most recently, Audience Rewards VIP offered tix to Sea Wall/A Life with a meet and greet with Jake and Tom. No less than 3 phones went off after multiple announcements to turn them off and one loudly rang in the first few rows, right before Jake's line of repeatedly calling his recently deceased father's cellphone. The people sitting diagonally behind me were ravenously chowing down on candy and popcorn; the loud cackling during both parts didn't help either.
The young lady sitting to my left reeked of urine so every time she moved, the odor would waft my way. UGH. She spent the entirety of Act 2 (Jake's monologue - the one most impactful for me) finger combing out her waist length greasy looking hair and occasionally checking her phone hidden in her bag. You would think one would at least take a shower or don some clean clothes before a meet and greet! While waiting for them in the Ambassador Lounge, the AR reps asked us if we had attended or were going to attend other events. She excitedly said she was going to see Benanti and Keenan-Bolger at Sardi's so it's definitely not like she didn't have money because that particular one was $100 plus XX,000 of points!
Betrayal is another super quiet show so every rustle, whisper and disturbance is amplified (glad they decided to confiscate crinkly water bottles at the door). Anyways, this time the offender was me... or rather my stomach... I was running late so didn't eat the snack I had bought with me and heard my stomach loudly grumbling! It was so embarrassing but I thought it would've been worse to open the noisy packaging ::face palm::
Updated On: 9/10/19 at 08:56 PM
Posted: 9/9/19 at 9:33pm
Posted: 9/9/19 at 11:55pm
YvanEhtNioj said: "After years of seeing shows, I finally had my first bad experience.
Friday at Moulin Rouge, there was an older couple sitting directly in front of me [at least 60+]. When the show started, the woman took her phone out and took a picture. The first time, I let it go. Then once the second number of the show started, she started trying to bootleg - bright lights and everything. I looked around like "...is no one gonna say anything to this b***h?". They were pretending nothing was happening but it was so bright..I tapped her on the shoulder and said "can you not do that?" Which scared her. She put her iPhone away and her husband gives me THE DIRTIEST look. Fast forward 3 minutes, and her phone goes off. Her husband says nothing, but she turns out off.
After Backstage Romance, I gave a standing ovation along with a couple other people in my area. The audience let out a few inevitable yells then I sat down and went back to quietly enjoying the show. Her husband turns directly to me, again, and says "YOU'RE TOO LOUD". I quietly, yet firmly, leaned towards him and said "don't ****ing correct me on theatre Etiquette when your wife is taking a whole ****ing bootleg."
He wasn’t upset at the fact that people were yelling during a round of applause but the fact that I had told his wife to put her phone away in the first place."
Really tried adding a picture but couldn't figure it out so just imagine that reaction meme of Lucille Bluth saying "Good for her."
Updated On: 9/9/19 at 11:55 PM
Posted: 9/10/19 at 5:35am
MX888 said: "Betrayal is another super quiet so so every rustle, whisper and disturbance is amplified (glad they decided to confiscate crinkly water bottles at the door). Anyways, this time the offender was me... or rather my stomach... I was running late so didn't eat the snack I had bought with me and heard my stomach loudly grumbling! It was so embarrassing but I thought it would've been worse to open the noisypackaging ::face palm::"
Same thing happened to me at Betrayal in London. I was very hungry but didn’t have time to eat so I produced some great rumblings. I was too far away from the stage at that time for any of the actors to hear but I got a few looks from people around me. More amused than mad thankfully. It stopped after a while when my body gave up trying so I wasn’t that much of a distraction... 
Posted: 9/10/19 at 7:36am
Posted: 9/10/19 at 8:05am
The Waitress situation with people leaving before the show is even over is making my blood, Most people are perfectly fine; then there are those who have been leaving during She Used To Be Mine, Everything Changes, before the show is even OVER just so they can get a good spot at the staegedoor. I am in NO WAY blaming Colleen. But these people need to learn!! People who most likely haven't even seen the show that day are lining up before the show even starts or as soon as the barricades go up. They're calling out Colleen's name during the show. They're filming--the actors can see them!! The whole situation has gotten way out of hand. I'm THRILLED that more people are discovering the show because of this casting. But it breaks my heart that people are disrespecting Alison, Mark, and everyone else in the cast. It's just so frustrating.
Posted: 9/10/19 at 8:57am
magictodo123 said: "...before the show is even OVER just so they can get a good spot at the staegedoor. I am in NO WAY blaming Colleen."
This is such a problem, Colleen has mentioned multiple times she won't sign playbills of folks who leave before bows. I get wanting to get a good spot, I'm always the person to be late to the stagedoor and being stuck behind a million people, but god what is wrong with people?
Posted: 9/10/19 at 9:30am
I wasn’t there on Sunday but word is that at Reeve Carney’s Green Room 42 show, he asked for requests like he usually does and people began jeering and asking for him and Eva to do a song together. This wasn’t a duo show, it was a solo concert and she was just sitting in the front supporting him.
They tried to get off of the subject by saying like “Oh, we don’t have anything prepared that we can do!” but people just kept throwing out duets for them to do.
Some people asked for them to do ‘Sun and Moon’ from Miss Saigon and Eva said he didn’t know Saigon so they were able to get off topic by talking about that but wow was it awkward. Someone recorded that show (allowed at the venue btw!) and I heard it the interaction.
A show is a solo show for a reason. Stick to it
Posted: 9/10/19 at 9:41am
Not sure how people feel, but what is everyones thoughts on recording curtain calls? I personally don't like it, but it seems as if theaters don't really care if you film or take pictures then? I find it so rude, its really the only time the performers are specifically looking for a reaction from an audience. If I was an Evan who just gave my ALL on stage only to see 5 or 6 cameras in the front recording my bow id be annoyed frankly. Seems as if there isn't an issue though, the 2 girls infront of me at Frozen last week were able to record the entire curtain call with no one stopping them. Idk I found it weird.
Posted: 9/10/19 at 9:56am
Mike Barrett said: "Not sure how people feel, but what is everyones thoughts on recording curtain calls? I personally don't like it, but it seems as if theaters don't really care if you film or take pictures then? I find it so rude, its really the only time the performers are specifically looking for a reaction from an audience. If I was an Evan who just gave my ALL on stage only to see 5 or 6 cameras in the front recording my bow id be annoyed frankly. Seems as if there isn't an issue though, the 2 girls infront of me at Frozen last week were able to record the entire curtain call with no one stopping them. Idk I found it weird."
Personally, I'm against it. I still think it's part of the show until the last cast member exits the stage. I totally agree with you. It's also very distracting to people behind those who think it's okay to do so. I don't want to miss someone taking their bow because someone just has to record or take a photo. Plus, aren't there professionally taken photos of curtain calls? I don't care if actors thank people sometimes for curtain call videos/photos- I still don't think it's okay. When I was an usher in Central Park, we would always be facing the audience and telling people to put away their phones because they weren't allowed to record/take photos of the curtain call. Unless it's specifically stated that you CAN (I think Six allows this?), I'd say stay in the moment and do not record curtain call.
Posted: 9/10/19 at 10:04am
magictodo123 said: "Mike Barrett said: "Not sure how people feel, but what is everyones thoughts on recording curtain calls? I personally don't like it, but it seems as if theaters don't really care if you film or take pictures then? I find it so rude, its really the only time the performers are specifically looking for a reaction from an audience. If I was an Evan who just gave my ALL on stage only to see 5 or 6 cameras in the front recording my bow id be annoyed frankly. Seems as if there isn't an issue though, the 2 girls infront of me at Frozen last week were able to record the entire curtain call with no one stopping them. Idk I found it weird."
Personally, I'm against it. I still think it's part of the show until the last cast member exits the stage. I totally agree with you. It's also very distracting to people behind those who think it's okay to do so. I don't want to miss someone taking their bow because someone just has to record or take a photo. Plus, aren't there professionally taken photos of curtain calls? I don't care if actors thank people sometimes for curtain call videos/photos- I still don't think it's okay. When I was an usher in Central Park, we would always be facing the audience and telling people to put away their phones because they weren't allowed to record/take photos of the curtain call. Unless it's specifically stated that you CAN (I think Six allows this?), I'd say stay in the moment and do not record curtain call.
"
I’m on the fence about it. Some actors love for the curtain calls to be recorded, to be able to go online and see the moment relived. Others don’t like it at all. I think for the special dates like an opening, closing, debut, a last performance of an actor, etc. it’s alright but other than that, put the phone away.
And yes, Six does allow for filming of their final song/curtain call (“Get your phones out, you’re gonna wanna film this!)
Posted: 9/10/19 at 10:11am
Went to see Cursed Child this past weekend (amazing), and from the moment the lights went down, the only two people who were talking in my section were directly behind me. Even though they were whispering, it was extremely distracting. I gave them a look at first, and when it continued, I turned around with, "Ladies, could you please be quiet? Thank you."
Luckily, they took the hint.
Posted: 9/10/19 at 12:12pm
broadway86 said: "Went to see Cursed Child this past weekend (amazing), and from the moment the lights went down, the only two people who were talking in my section were directly behind me. Even though they were whispering, it was extremely distracting. I gave them a look at first, and when it continued, I turned around with, "Ladies, could you please be quiet? Thank you."
Luckily, they took the hint."
Every time I've seen Cursed Child, there seem to be people (almost exclusively women) whispering about something. When it is related to something in the show (a shocked response) it doesn't bother me; but more often than not it is unnecessary commentary.
Posted: 9/10/19 at 2:34pm
MX888 said: "I've seen Oklahoma! several times and without fail, there will be at least 1 rude person who will turn on their phoneduring the complete blackout scene in the smokehousewith Curly and Judd. Once, this lady texted throughout Act 1 - the usher walked so slowly to where the patron was (Row F247 - second to last row on aisle) that she was able to put away her phone when she was spoken to only to pull it out again when the usher left. I'm surprised the people surrounding her didn't seemphased by it at all. Thankfully she never returned for Act 2::"
This happened when I saw it Saturday night. She was directly across from me so it was like a spotlight was on her face. It almost looked like she pulled it out because it was dark. Luckily she only had her phone out for about 30 seconds before finally putting it away
Posted: 9/10/19 at 2:38pm
Mike Barrett said: "Not sure how people feel, but what is everyones thoughts on recording curtain calls? I personally don't like it, but it seems as if theaters don't really care if you film or take pictures then? I find it so rude, its really the only time the performers are specifically looking for a reaction from an audience. If I was an Evan who just gave my ALL on stage only to see 5 or 6 cameras in the front recording my bow id be annoyed frankly. Seems as if there isn't an issue though, the 2 girls infront of me at Frozen last week were able to record the entire curtain call with no one stopping them. Idk I found it weird."
I don’t have strong feelings about it, but at Betrayal the ushers we’re pretty vigilant about stopping people from taking pictures/filming the bows
Posted: 11/18/19 at 9:33pm
The 16th Anniversary of Wicked - mother and son duo wouldn't stop their full volume talking during Act 1. After the first song, the son asked, "Wow, I wonder if they lip-sync." Apparently they were a part of bigger group that were scattered around the theatre because he kept on texting with them throughout the show (at least the screen was at the dimmest setting?). Another couple came late and the lady pulled out her phone to video/take photos. I guess the guy in my row thought it was ok so he did too. At intermission, I asked him to keep the chatter down and put his phone away. He did apologize but proceeded to loudly snack on his intermission candy. Had to endure the beginning of Act 2 with the sound of raisinets rolling back and forth in the box quickly followed by the jumbo crinkly bag of m&ms. He did pull out his phone again but his mom tried shielding it from my peripheral view. I understand Wicked is harder because it might be someone's first show or that it caters to tourists but dang, I swear those people lived under a rock!
First preview of Jagged Little Pill: the singing along and never-ending chatter during Act 1 from the 2 people behind me...
A couple of weeks ago during Glick's run at Little Shop - some lady arrived late, house right. Everyone in her row had to get up for her to shuffle down to her seat (second to last seat in the center section, row K, house LEFT). At one point she or her son pulled out their phone to video/take pictures but the usher quickly decended and told them to put it away. Loud whispering ensued which was incredibly disruptive to everyone around them. At intermission, she made a complaint to the house manager and claimed that the usher slapped the phone out of her hand. He apologized on behalf of the usher, if that actually happened, but told her that she would be asked to leave if they tried doing that it again. Thankfully they behaved for Act 2. My neighbor was pretty annoying too cuz he kept on checking/double tapping his Fitbit-like device. UGH!
At the 250th performance of Oklahoma! some lady two, seats to my left, decided to take off her shoes (sometimes crossing her legs or stretching them out - which touched the coat of the lady sitting at the table seat! in front of her ::barf::). At intermission, she would barely move out of the way - was tempted to step on her toes! The 2 ladies sitting to my right, with the non-stop cackling... 
At Cyrano on Saturday evening, some lady in the middle of the second row, snapped several pictures of Dinklage. An usher quickly came and asked her to stop but was obviously very distracting. During intermission, he came over again and asked her to delete her pics on her camera roll and in the 'recently deleted pics' folder... he told her that he had to watch her through the process. At stage door, she was complaining how she paid $250 for her ticket and that it was her right to snap a couple of pics. She was so annoying and tried hogging all of Peter's time when he finally came out...
.jpg?format=auto&width=365)
