Beauty and The Beast=Worst Audience in History!- Page 2

Posted: 1/8/07 at 5:47am

I think the thing about photography at Disney shows is they have the same principle as in their parks...in the parks they set up photo locations and lines JUST SO YOU CAN GET YOUR PICTURE OF THE DISNEY CHARACTER. It perpetuates their image and their brand to get photos floating around out there and making the guests happy that they encountered the character. People see Belle on stage and they must have a picture of her, just like at the park. And they don't stop them from taking pictures, because that is part of what they are selling.

I was kinda taken aback when I saw BATB last April...people were walking the aisles selling merchandise and maybe even candy? as if we were at a baseball game!

But anyway, I'm seeing Mary Poppins this March so I hope it's a little better audience-wise. I will avoid the early Tuesday show and the matinees, for sure.

About kids though, honestly I think it is ridiculous to take kids of certain ages to certain things. Even Disneyland, the kids under 3 can't be having that much fun. Taking them is more for the parents than for the kid, so they can say "we took you to see (BLANK) when you were 2!" and show off the pictures...

O and about cameras/phones, I agree that they should just be confiscated or checked or something. I went to the seediest of male strip clubs in Hollywood for my friend's 18th birthday, and even THEY were better about this, confiscating just the batteries from everyone's cameras...

[MamawhoBoreme]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 10:16am

this is why i dont go to see Disney on Broadway. I cant even stand it when people at the movie theatre talk its ridiculous! forget about on Broadway i would freak out. its funny when i went to go see RENT in October. some girls were taking pictures of the stage while everyone was seating and the ushers yelled at them. i wish it was like that everywhere. you pay soo much money to go and enjoy something and then their are people who ruin it for you and obviously dont care about the money they just spent going there. ugh!

[mirramar]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 10:36am

I had a similar problem when I went to see BATB. That's what happens when you go see a "child-friendly" show - kid's are a pain!!!!!

Posted: 1/8/07 at 12:26pm

{That's what happens when you go see a "child-friendly" show - kid's are a pain!!!!!}

I disagree: that's what happens when you have parents who are too rude and inconsiderate to teach their children how to behave at live theatre -- or worse, show their kids by bad example.

My children are 6 and 11 and absolutely know how to behave during a live theatre performance because we've instilled it in them for *years* -- they sit through AND enjoy countless performances (some of which are shows you wouldn't think a child would like, let alone behave through) and they are often better audience members than a lot of the adults around them. AND they get annoyed at the adults around them who talk and chat and kick and behave like children themselves.

It's not the kids fault at BaTB or any of the other Disney shows: it's the parents, who are often just as bad (or worse) themselves. And that drives me NUTS. *My* kids know how to behave during a live performance - these idiots (*and* their kids) should do the same.

[HollyImposter]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 1:20pm

You shouldn't have to expect that when you see a show. That is absolutely ridiculous and very disappointing because I think B&tB is such a wonderful show.

[D2]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 1:38pm

"That's what happens when you go see a "child-friendly" show - kid's are a pain!!!!! "

I also disagree, and as you can plainly see from the multiple threads that have sprouted about this, the bad behavior isn't limited to the Disney franchises.

And it isn't always the kids themselves. They don't know any better unless they are taught, and clearly - how can they be taught if their elders don't know how to behave in public, let alone the theater?

My friends have a four year old daughter I am taking to see MARY POPPINS on Wednesday. I was a little leery at first, so I took her to a movie this past summer, and then to a children's theater production this fall, and then we watched "The Sound of Music" - all three hours of it. The child was perfectly behaved each time, interested and totally focused. Her parents are strict with her, and THAT IS THEIR JOB. She's still only four with all of the naturally attendant quirks of her age, but she knows how to behave in public.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 1:41pm

It's not the kids fault at BaTB or any of the other Disney shows: it's the parents, who are often just as bad (or worse) themselves.

People need to stop being parents, that's all. There are enough kids in the world, and too many of their predecessors are ruining my theatrical experiences!

My mom always said the best birth control was to keep an aspirin between your knees...

[mattnyc2]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 1:51pm

I'm glad to see others agree with me. My partner and I were joking that it would be great if BATB had an "Adults twenty-one and over ONLY" night. At least that would solve some of the problems.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 1:58pm

"Y'know what's sad? A local theatre who always has The Rocky Horror Show over the summer has stricter rules about cell phones and cameras than Broadway.

What they do is check your bag, and if they see a camera or cell phone, they will remove it and place it on a table in the little room outside of the theatre itself, and at the end of the performance, you can go back and get it. Of course, it's guarded so no one can just come in and take away everyone's cameras and such. But I'll tell you something -- their method works."

But, see, that's a community theater. The capacity of a Broadway theater is MUCH bigger. I assume the majority of the people who go to shows have cell phones, and it would be an absolute zoo trying to get everyone's cell phone back to the original owner. Sure, the method works, but it isn't ideal for Broadway theaters.

[Broadway4Life2]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 2:11pm

That's very disappointing (but not surprising) to hear that's going on w/ the Disney shows on Broadway. I'll confess that I'm a total Disney freak, but I save my "theme-park" behavior for the parks. Not the theatre.

Just to throw in my two cents, I had taken my boyfriend to see the RENT tour in SF. Seeing as he is an actor himself he should know how to behave in a theatre. But boy, was I wrong. So he starts singing along w/ the score. At first I thought it was cute and that he would stop after one or two songs. But it got very annoying. I was going to say something (and should've) but didn't have the heart. It wasn't until after "Another Day" that the lady sitting next to us said "It's great that you know all the words but I need to hear them sing". And that finally shut him up the rest of the show.

[HamletWasBipolar]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 2:14pm

People need to realize that cell phones are not the problem. It's the people that USE them. People are inherently rude or they have manners. This has nothing to do with the cell phone in their pocket. The cell phone just gives them another outlet for the obnoxiousness. For every obnoxious cell phone user, there are 50 in the audience that have the courtesy not to use them. I guarantee you that if you took those cell phones away, they would be talking or humming along, or opening packages of Fritos, or something else to disrupt the performance. Best advice? And its not surefire...but hit a weeknight performance, tues or thurs and sit in the orchestra. Avoid weekends and matinees, and any night where children will be up late. Or as in New York, most theatre goers attend before a show is a cliche, bonafide tourist trap. Use common sense...the reality is...if you go to a Saturday matinee of a Disney show, you deseve what you get for having about as much common sense as the people who are DOING the disrupting. OMG, the ambiance at Chuck Cheeses was terrible the other night...how was I supposed to have a romantic dinner with all these children jumping in balls?????

[avab802]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 2:25pm

Use common sense...the reality is...if you go to a Saturday matinee of a Disney show, you deseve what you get for having about as much common sense as the people who are DOING the disrupting. OMG, the ambiance at Chuck Cheeses was terrible the other night...how was I supposed to have a romantic dinner with all these children jumping in balls?????

I see your point Hamlet, and I do try to avoid matinees, etc. But a Broadway show *should* demand a certain level of behavior, regardless of what day and/or time it is. I think the poster who quoted "Class" put it best, because people just don't seem to have any these days.

[TWSFan4Ever]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 3:52pm

Sorry for your bad time at the show. It really is a wonderful show when people aren't interrupting it! haha

Next time it all happens though, go tell an Usher, but how people were behaving for you, it's a surprise they didn't have to stop the show and have the director or whomever come out and tell people to behave! I mean, don't they have respect? Even if you don't know how to behave in a theatre, people are working there butts off up on stage performing FOR YOU and all they do is take pictures like it's a concert and enter 30 minutes late like it's some school assembly!

[HamletWasBipolar]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 3:58pm

The reality is that just because an "entertainment" is occupying a theatre on Broadway, you cant always expect the classic Broadway experience. There are no rules for decorum, in society anymore, anywhere. I used to work in a funeral home, believe me, I've seen it all.
If you want a safe night at the theatre, one should adapt their tastes to the arena where manors are still practiced. Go see Doubt or The Lieutenant of Inishmore...go see Grey Gardens. The only thing that would get me into a Disney show would be comp tix, and even then, I'd have to weigh where my sanity and tolerance are on that particular day. Of course, thats not to say some blue hair wont be talking about how wonderful Ebersole is during her big number, but you are certainly hedging your bets. Ihavent been to a mainstream movie theatre in 8 years for the aforementioned reasons, however,I do go to independent theatres for foreign and indies. Guess what? My tastes generally attract an audience that I can tolerate. I dont complain about noisy theatres, because I dont go anymore..it's a lost cause.
By the way, Xanadu is coming to Broadway next year, excited??? One less theatre where something of quality might otherwise inhabit.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 4:03pm

I think Broadway theatres should take a cue from Celine's Dions camp at Caesars. You are practically stripped naked to get into the theatre and then the aisles are policed regularly. Two people were escorted out who snapped photos. One of the good things about Vegas is they expect nonsense and are prepared for it. They have a zero tolerance for shenanigans that aren't planned for.

In general, etiquette is out the window. At the film Dreamgirls, the couple behind me shared their opinions through the whole film and the 3 teen girls in front of me were texting on their phones through the whole film. I mean, honestly, why did they even go to a movie.

It makes me feel like an old troll when I go to movies and plays and get crotchety about silence. I try to be flexible but ignorant people keep pusing the line. It is astounding.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 4:10pm

"Use common sense...the reality is...if you go to a Saturday matinee of a Disney show, you deseve what you get for having about as much common sense as the people who are DOING the disrupting. OMG, the ambiance at Chuck Cheeses was terrible the other night...how was I supposed to have a romantic dinner with all these children jumping in balls?????"

No. Theater etiquette should apply to all the times. Comparing it to Chuck E Cheeses is irrelevant, because it is a totally different environment at the theater. I've been to plenty of matinee shows where the audience behavior was fine.

[HamletWasBipolar]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 4:31pm

Etiquette is a difficult term to use. Etiquette is a standard accepted behavior. Obviously, the behavior is being tolerated and accepted by certain houses, so it has therefore become proper etiquette to act like an imbecile in certain shows. I GUARANTEE you if a child was acting up in Doubt, it would have been corrected IMMEDIATELY. The comparison to chucky cheese is valid. You can go out to eat at fine restaraunts and expect a certain etiquette that will be enforced, such as "no hats in the dining room", " must wear a jacket" or you can go to Chuck E Cheese which is a free for all. There are many Broadway shows and other forums, where generic idiocy is NOT tolerated. You may either choose Chuck E Cheese for dining, or Le Cirque. Tarzan or Parade? But be ready for the accepted etiquette at the venue.

[D2]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 5:19pm

Hamlet: look up the post about behavior at yesterday's performance of GREY GARDENS.

[Weez]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 5:23pm

People need to stop being parents, that's all.

No, people need to START being parents. Spewing out a child is fine and dandy, but once you've done that, you need to take responsibility and teach it to be a productive and not-**** member of society, ie PARENT the child. And that's what people are failing to do. XP

Updated On: 1/8/07 at 05:23 PM

[HamletWasBipolar]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 5:25pm

Oh yeah, I saw that...lol. Blue hairs are everywhere. I think I put that discalimer in one of my previous posts. As an actor in NY, I go to the theatre as much as possible, and I usually see 4-5 Bway, off Bway, and off-off Bway shows per week. You really do see it all when it comes to the general public, but like in blackjack, while you may hit on 18 and get lucky occasionally, in the long run the odds say to stay. Public venues are usually like that, there are safer bets than others. Orchestra seats at the Met are pretty safe, butnothing in this world is guaranteed. The difference in the Grey Garden scenario and BatB, is that the offenders were corrected, I believe I stated there are venues that will not tolerate that kind of behavior, and that is one of them.

[D2]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 5:30pm

The offenders at Grey Gardens were not blue-hairs, they were middle-aged. And I agree that the problem was corrected, albeit in a highly public way that distracted from the production itself.

But it speaks to a larger issue about behavior, and not just at the Disney shows. There have been at least 4 separate threads about this phenomenon over the last few days alone, so obviously it is an issue that merits discussion.

[TheCatherine]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 5:30pm

I wasn't there, but I wish I had been: I once read a report about a performance of COCO with Katharine Hepburn playing Chanel. During one of the early scenes, a patron popped off a flash camera. La Hepburn interrupted the performance, gave the rude patron a lecture about inconsiderate behavior, had the curtain rung down, and began the performance all over again.

I don't know the answer to the proliferation of inconsiderate theatre behavior. I go to the movies often, and there are occasionally people who get a cell phone call during the movie. It's never enough of an irritation to spur me to action. I love the new pre-movie spot where a director, I think it's Sydney Pollack, interrupts this guy who is calling his ex to beg her to take him back. Pollack gives a critique of the phone call, then says, "Oh, I'm sorry, am I interrupting your conversation." I think it is a Cingular spot, and it urges patrons to turn off their cell phones. Why can't people listen?

[B3TA07]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 5:39pm

Piercemn - what's wrong with that?

[HamletWasBipolar]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 6:21pm

I think this problem was greater in recent weeks due to the influx of more tourists than usual this past couple weeks. Shows that were averaging 80% were at 100%, probably 20% bonehead. The same theory about amateur night at bars on NY Eve applied. There were alot of amateurs attending theatre the past few weeks. I stayed out of Manhattan for 4 days for that reason, and I live 20 minutes away. Ill go to Macy's around Jan.15th, thank you. I wouldn't touch Times Square on NY Eve, nor listen to the person who was silly enough to put them in the mess, and then complain about the crowds and the subway thereafter.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 1/8/07 at 7:59pm

I haven't attended a Disney Broadway show for fear that this would be my experience too! But the Broadway theater ushers do not seem to feel it is their obligation to enforce the rules. As one of the earlier posters noted, at the Metropolitan Opera if you use a flash camera, it will generally be confiscated until after the opera is over. But the cell phone/talking thing is pandemic! It must be Murphy's Law that a cell phone with an obnoxious ring tone will go off at the quietest point of any major production. The worst I saw was at "I Am My Own Wife" which, as you recall, was a one-man show, one patron's cell phone went off twice during both acts. I think the rest of the audience was prepared to lynch the owner.