Bad audience behavior - revisited- Page 4

[HBG]

Posted: 4/15/06 at 7:28pm

Okay, I've got one. I was at Hairspray on Thursday night, and someone in the audience kept screaming things to the actors onstage, like when Amber says, "Link, come!" this woman screamed out, "Oh no she didn't!" Similar outbursts were heard throughout. Have any of you guys ever seen Scary Movie 2, where the girl is in the movie theater and keeps commenting loudly at the screen, and then everyone in the theater starts stabbing her until she dies and then they all cheer...well, let's just say the thought crossed my mind once or twice during the show.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 4/15/06 at 7:55pm

I've got one:

When I saw RENT over the summer, there was a group of elderly people sitting behind me (I was in the front row). They complained form the minute they sat down,a bout how the set looked like it came from somebody's basement, and they didn't even know what the shwo was about... it went on, until about 5 mintues into the first act. Then, when Angel and Collins kissed at the end of "I'll Cover You," the group behind me proceeded to yell "Eww!"

Really, grow up.

[Piazzaslight]

Posted: 4/15/06 at 7:56pm

HBG: Actually, that was Scary Movie. Not Scary Movie 2.

And yes, that was a hysterical scene.

[Holly Therese]

Posted: 4/15/06 at 8:31pm

Lizzie-Yes it was Les Mis, I ended up going a second time because I enjoyed it so much the first. For last night I just got some nosebleeds in the upperbalcony, which is apparently Rude People Central. But yes our death stares did work.

[Marguerite Chauvelin]

Posted: 4/15/06 at 11:03pm

I have Season Passes for all the shows that come through national tours in Cincinnati, so do the women in front of us who always come in 5 minutes late. Today they came in with water bottles, cell phones, and loud, wrapped candy that they ate during the preformance. Luckily, the cell phones didn't go off, they were just illuminated as the women played with them during the show.

[harris007]

Posted: 4/15/06 at 11:21pm

I can add one

Last night was at the tour of TMM. and this group of 4 "women" and one guy came in 20 mins late. and they talk though the entire 1st act, i mean non stop. I got a good look at them and intermission and i was'nt shocked . they were dressed like there were going to the rodeo or something, and they talked all thought the 2nd act.


BUT the best part was. after the show as we were leaving the theater, one of the women said, i could'nt follow it at all it was dumb. and this lil old woman i gonna say she looked about 80's or so said to her "WELL MAYBE IF YOU SHUT THE HELL UP FOR TEN MINUTES YOU COULD HAVE"

[sheila2]

Posted: 4/15/06 at 11:29pm

I was at the Rent tour in Chicago this week, and I have to say-- when did they start allowing food and candy in the theater?!?!? It was NUTS! If you can't control your appetite for an hour and a half until intermission, then stay home.

But then I ordered my glass of wine and was told that I couldn't bring it into the theater. Let me get this right. I can bring in bottled water and rattle around junior mints or unwrap twizzlers during the whole show, but can't sip a plastic glass of wine?

????????

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 4/15/06 at 11:35pm

When I was at STUFF HAPPENS at the Public a few weeks ago, there were two very old women one row in front of me. The both had on the hearing devices. Just as the first words of dialogue were being spoken, the one lady very loudly said to the other, "OH MY GOD. THEY TOTALLY REDID THIS THEATRE FROM THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE. IT'S TOTALLY DIFFERENT." She got about 100 angry stares and "ssshhhhhs".

[overthemoon419]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 4:11am

My favorite "rude audience" story (in a thread started by yours truly):
https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=867244

Question, though. I understand that dressing up like a character is kind of, well, weird, but... I have a MarkScarf, and it's the only scarf I wear in the winter because it's the warmest. I often wear it even if I'm not wearing a coat. In fact, I even wore it to the movie, and to the show the last time I saw it. What's so wrong with that? I mean, if it was all-out, glasses-maroon-and-blue-sweater-scarf-and-camera, I'd see the point, but... I love my MarkScarf, and I don't see how my wearing it (or anyone else wearing theirs) could really disrupt someone else's theatre experience. I mean, it's not like we're twirling them over our heads like a lasso.

[Claire2141]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 6:31am

Has anyone mentioned 'Singing along' yet?! Biggest annoyance, sat through Les Mis once with someone singing of key...death stares didn't work.

Although I did see Chitty in the UK where it was treated like a pantomime more than a musical...and we were encouraged to sing along to the title song. Same with We Will Rock You, you're told to stand up and dance to B/Rapsody.

When I saw Lion King we were in the last row of the stalls and this group of 4 people kept leaning in to talk 'Oh look at that acrobat'....blocking our view in the process.

Grrrr

[kec]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 7:15am

"Although I did see Chitty in the UK where it was treated like a pantomime more than a musical...and we were encouraged to sing along to the title song."

I, too, saw Chitty in the UK, but there was never any "encouragement" to sing along to the title song during the show, only at the curtain call. I saw the show several times and never heard anyone sing along at all during the show itself.

[Claire2141]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 7:21am

^ Sorry I should have put 'at the end' in there - that's me not editing properly.

Although everyone (when I saw it) sang along during the reprise of the song at the end as well as the curtain call and clapped in time with the song.

[kec]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 8:17am

"Although everyone (when I saw it) sang along during the reprise of the song at the end as well as the curtain call and clapped in time with the song. "

Hmmm... don't remember people singing during the final song, but I suppose it might be possible. Clapping along? Yep, that happened too -- even during the show most times I saw it. The title song more or less "invites" that participation, just by the nature of the tune.

Thanks for the clarification.

Updated On: 4/17/06 at 08:17 AM

[Claire2141]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 8:47am

Yes the clapping happened thoughout really, also the boo-ing and hissing at the baddies. Something I would normally condem but with this show it didn't seem so much of an issue, hence the pantomime reference.

But yes we deffinatly sang to the reprise, I remember thinking I would never be doing this at any other show. Well apart from Rocky Horror...

[LeaGirl]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 9:50am

Singing along, or even MOUTHING ALONG PASSIONATELY right beside me, emoting and jerking about, is quite possibly the worst.

This always happens to me at Rent. Yes, you know the words. Good for you. You, me and every other Renthead on the planet. The cast doesn't give a crap that you know them, so shut up and sit still.

I also horrified my friend one time by asking an 8 year old girl to stop singing during "Wicked" - I can't help it, my mother never would have allowed me to sing, and I don't want to hear the kid. Her mother seemed embarassed, but it stopped, and that's all I cared about.

I think I'm getting bitter with age.

[Claire2141]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 9:57am

Lol my Mum only just about let me sing during the end of Chitty. She would have marched me out if I'd done it anywhere else. Although she had issues when she took us to see SoM at a very young age where my brother shouted that 'Freidrich shouldn't be taller than Liesle Mummy!' Luckily people understood and laughed. After the telling off he got he was very quiet.

I feel I was bought up with good theater manners why shouldn't other people have them?

Maybe I'm getting bitter too...

[theaterlover45]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 9:59am

When I saw Brooklyn there were 5 kids sitting directly in front of us and 2 other older women. The kids were eating so much candy. It was distracting beacause they were ripping bags of candy open. It was horrible. They kept turning around and sitting on tere knees so they could see over the seats to look behind them. The 2 women did nothing about it. It really made me mad.

[Calvin]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 10:05am

Harris, darling, the women couldn't follow The Music Man? Good grief. No wonder they were talking if that intricate plot was too much for them. Perhaps next time they should just stay home and read "Go, Dog, Go." Or at least the Cliff's Notes of it.

[astonishing1985]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 10:18am

When I saw Gypsy with Bernadette Peters this old lady behind me sang along to "You'll never get away from Me." She got a lot of angry stares.

[All_For_Laura]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 11:00am

The Color Purple...

Anytime anything remotely funny or exciting happened, a lot of the audience screamed and hollered! It was actually kind of fun, but at the same time annoying. Especially when the lady next to me gasped after anything remotely sexual was said.

[moljul]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 2:53pm

Astonishing, Your post reminds me of a dilemma I have in a similar situation. I want to turn around and nicely, but firmly say "I paid to hear Ms. Peters sing, not you, please be quiet". But I wonder if my reprimand of the audience member will be more distracting to the performer than the original rudeness. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[astonishing1985]

Posted: 4/17/06 at 2:56pm

Well, you're probably going to distract the performer more but that's not the case here. You are also doing this for yourself because you paid a lot of money to see someone and you don't want to hear a 90 year old lady singing.

[mrslovett7]

Posted: 4/20/06 at 4:23pm

harris007: "WELL MAYBE IF YOU SHUT THE HELL UP FOR TEN MINUTES YOU COULD HAVE"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!! OMG that just made my day!!! I was literally laughing so hard at that, that my mom who is downstairs heard me. that is too funny.


I forgot to mention when i saw The Producers I was sitting next to these 2 old women who obviously didn't know anything about the show at all so everytime someone swore or said something racy they would gasp or say, "that's not very nice". My god their facial expressions during Springtime for Hitler...i almost died laughing, i wasn't even irratated by them anymore because they looked so funny

[leadfootlouie]

Posted: 4/20/06 at 4:46pm

This is what I love about Lincoln Center.

I have seen Security decend on a woman who opened a wrapper loudly and was told three times by patrons to stop. At Intermission, they removed her and her husband and THREW THEM OUT!

I have seen Security throw out someone who dared bring bottled water to her seat.

I have seen Security yell at a man who had a coughing fit during an aria. The Guard told him "Your sick! Why are you here anyway?!"




It's a whole other world 20 blocks uptown!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/20/06 at 5:01pm

"to be honest, i jst cnt understand y ppl who r so rude shud even be near or go 2 theatre in Broadway or West End. coz im not bein funny or anyfin, it's just that it's really skank for the rest of the audience."

Wow. That's as far as I could get in that post. The rest just starts to look like hieroglyphics. Is it so difficult to type words?