Bad audience behavior - revisited- Page 8

[danaonotlater]

Posted: 10/3/06 at 3:11pm

I ran into a couple of the most obnoxious theatre goers this weekend. It was at a NYMF show and to top it all of these people were the volunteer ushers! I ushered for about 10 shows and ushered for two others the day before, but this is one that I happened to pay for.

Anyway, when I went to go find a seat there was a man in front of me. He said he was just putting jackets on the seats next to me to save them for some other people. At that point I didn't know they were the ushers, and I didn't really care. But a couple of minutes before the show started, they climbed over everyone to get to their seats...first row center. They then proceeded to chatter about how great it was that they didn't have to stand. Note that this peformance was practically sold out! and that as ushers we were told that we were not guarenteed seats.

To make matters worse, at least one of them was dosing during the first act and THEN, during intermission they decided that they needed to eat something. So they took out sandwiches and began eating. (also note that there was no eating or drinking allowed in this theatre...as they should well know...they were the ushers for goodness sake!!!!) The one lady didn't finish her sandwich before the second act started, so she continued eating as the performers sang and danced two feet in front of her. I could totally tell that they were thinking 'wtf lady!'

It was probably the most ridiculous thing I have witnessed. Just the fact that they were the Ushers blew me away!

[worrell4077]

Posted: 10/3/06 at 3:12pm

After reading a good amount of these stories I just have to say..."Oh Dear God!"

You know I think the only rude thing that has happened to me directly was two years ago when I went to see The Producers, and I had my Producers hat on and this old guy behind said to me, "Do you mind taking your hat off" and you know I respected him and took it off, but then he said "I want to see the show as much as you do." Okay, I don't know if he knows it, but he crossed the line when he said that. Oh, how I wanted to say something, but I relaxed and didn't say anything to him. Also, during Springtime For Hitler, my sister heard him and wife saying how inapproiate it was and yada-yada-yada. Honestly, the number is making fun of Hitler not praising him. Also, around this time, my sister was in a phase where she would give a standing ovation to everyone cause she wanted to be the first one up, and she said that when she stood up at the curtain call, they apparently told her to sit down cause they couldn't see. Okay, it's the curtain call you really don't need to see anything.

One of my biggest pet peeves is cell phones ringing during a show, and because of it, I have become literally OCD about it cause before the show I check at least three times that my phone is off and I always make sure my mom's phone and my sister's phone are off as well.

One final note, anyone who bring food into the theatre and eats them during the show and not before/after or at intermission, lets their cell phones ring, talks loudly during the show, sleeps in the middle of it(there is really no call for it cause I've rushed Jersey Boys I don't know how many times and the last couple of times I've got up at 3am just to take a shower and get ready and I haven't fallen asleep once), or displays any rude behavior during a show, should be thrown out of the theatre immediately.

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 10/3/06 at 3:26pm

I got a few...
I saw Rent last year, and every five minutes, these rude teens behind me commeneted on the songs. They had heard them before but never had seen the show. (Example: "Oh, I love this song!! Can't wait to see the dance). Then during Seasons of Love they all screamed 'Team America presents "LEASE'".

[AugustBurns2]

Posted: 10/3/06 at 3:35pm

I am currently in a production of Urinetown at a community college. Last Saturday night, we could could hear a small child fussing during ACT I. It became really loud during the ACT I Finale, but then it stopped. Some of the cast (including myself)run (in slow motion, of course) up the aisles at the end of ACT I and then through the lobby. I saw the mother holding the child! I didn't hear the child during ACT II.

I've had many bad experiences at the movies - people talking on cell phones, talking, etc.

My biggest complaint at the theater has been people coming in late, even after intermission!!! I feel bad for the people behind me because I have to stand to let them get to their seats.

I've seen "O" at the Bellagio twice now and at both times, people from foreign countries talk through the entire show! I know there are no words during the show, but I think it's very rude. I mean what are they talking about that can't wait until after the show?!?!?!

Updated On: 10/3/06 at 03:35 PM

[*brina-doll*]

Posted: 10/10/06 at 9:07pm

Well, mine are both RENT based...this summer was my first time seeing the show (it was the Non-Equity tour) The first minute the character Mark comes on stage someones cell phone started ringing. EVERYONE in the theatre turned directly at the group, and someone yelled "Shut that damn thing off and let Mark sing!" (which was rather amusing). The other thing that bugged me was when I first saw the film, someone pointed and laughed during Angel's funeral...which was terrible.

[AudreyTwoTwo]

Posted: 10/10/06 at 10:10pm

are you kidding? they actually ate in the theatre? Don't people check bags or something?

Anyway, that sucks. I have been fortunate enough to not really have that, but I will most likely deal with it.

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 10/10/06 at 11:55pm

"Another time at Rent, not so rude but cute - two pre-pubescent kids were giggling and giving each other the "WHOA! COOL!" looks to each other at every curse word. They asked me during intermission if during the second act people would be singing from the opera seats - I told them that like in the Lion King they're instead going to walk through the audience, but this time they'll be giving out drugs. I think they're still waiting for the stashes."

That's completely hilarious!

[Anakela]

Posted: 3/13/07 at 10:27pm

I have to get ranty here for a second...


I went to see Judy Gold's 25 QUESTIONS FOR A JEWISH MOTHER tonight (fyi- I was one of like 5 people there who was either not Jewish and/or not there with her mother, and I *loved* it), and four, that's one, two, there, four, cellphones went off during the show. The show is barely 80 minutes long to begin with!

What was worse though is that all four of the phones were on vibrate. You know what people? In a 150 (?) seat house, where the show is one person on stage, I can HEAR your phone on vibrate. Maye you can't hear it, but I can. That's why the warning says turn it OFF, not turn it on vibrate.

And then, three of the phones (or the one person whose phone rang three times, which it very well could have been) just buzzed, buzzed, buzzed until they stopped ringing, but the stupid bint in the row right next to me actually ANSWERED her phone, and started talking on it, as she got up from her third row center seat, and walked (off to the side somewhere) to finish her conversation. Must not have been too big of an emergency, though, as hers was the first phone of the evening that went off, I'd say within the first 10 minutes of the show, and when she was done she walked back in to her third row center seat and came back to watch the rest of the show.

Anyway, it was a lovely show, but there is a freaking difference between VIBRATE and OFF, so please: use it, learn it, live it, love it.

[jg4892]

Posted: 3/13/07 at 10:30pm

A teen girl was listening to her ipod during Grey Gardens last saturday.

[Jellylorum]

Posted: 3/13/07 at 10:53pm

During Avenue Q, the woman sitting next to me waved her hands around like a conductor while she sang along with some of the songs under her breath.

When I had just arrived at the theatre to see A Chorus Line and found my seat, the woman next to it had her purse on it. She scowled as she removed it from the seat, and I had to try really hard not to give her a dirty look. She probably wouldn't have noticed anyway because she had previously been playing around with a PDA and resumed doing so after removing the purse. When the show began, her PDA stopped receiving a signal, and she freaked out and complained about it to her husband for five minutes. She finally gave up, put it away, and started watching the show. She sat there sulking and looking very bored, so she then took out a bag of brownies and began eating them. She was quiet about eating them, but the smell was overpowering and distracting. I love brownies, but I do not want to smell them while I'm concentrating on watching a show. After she finished eating them, she noisily stuffed the plastic wrapper in her purse and went to sleep. She stayed asleep until they started singing "One." It seemed like she came to see the show solely to watch that number being performed live. What a waste of $110.

Updated On: 3/13/07 at 10:53 PM

[JKlock]

Posted: 3/13/07 at 11:02pm

At the matinee of the drowsy chaperone on March 3rd there was a man sitting a couple of seats down to the left of me in the same row and throughout the entire performance i heard crunching and faint sounds of someone spitting and after the show was over and the lights turned on, I walked past his seat and the floor was covered in sun flower seed shells, it was absolutely disgusting

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 12/27/08 at 4:40pm

Bad: talking during a movie

Worse: shooting the person who talks

http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/12/27/man-shot-for-talking-during-benjamin-button-movie-screening/

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 12/27/08 at 4:52pm

Wow.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 12/27/08 at 6:27pm

'Wow' is right... And I can't think of anything clever to say (though, uh, me being me, that's nothing new.)

[Yero]

Posted: 12/27/08 at 6:53pm

Last weekend, the performing arts department at my school put on The Polar Express, which left a local station and went into Boston, then came back. On the ride, the drama club reenacted scenes from the book/movie and gave out cookies, etc. There were 4 trips total, and during one trip alone, there were a ton of people talking, little kids walking in the aisle while the actors are trying to perform, one guy was not only listening to the football game on the radio, but also commentating on it. If you know the movie, they do a little hot chocolate dance. During that part, the guy with the radio said something about not being able to find his dollar bills. Keep in mind these are high schoolers performing. Thankfully, not all of the trips were this annoying and distracting.