Bravo Ramin

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/14/14 at 5:07pm

Reported in the post today that he stopped the show (Saturday - not sure if matinee or evening) and gave a looks that could kill stare @ an idiot whose cell phone was not turned off and started ringing while he was singing. Hopefully it was not Bring Him Home. Making an announcement re cell phones is a waste of time as are commercials not to drive while drunk. These idiots will continue to do these actions no matter how many times they are told. They are uneducatable

Have a device that deactivates cell phones once a performance starts & for drunk drivers stiffen penalties for those who maim or kill while bombed

[HBBrock]

Posted: 4/14/14 at 5:17pm

Link?

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/14/14 at 5:17pm

Apparently, it was the scene where Valjean encounters Javert on the barricade. http://robhouchen.tumblr.com/post/82632320106/at-the-les-mis-matinee-yesterday-someones-phone

"At the les mis matinee yesterday, someone’s phone went off really loudly at “you’ve hungered for this all your life” and Ramin just froze and stared at one spot in the audience for at least 10 seconds AND IT WAS REALLY SCARY AND TENSE AND I THOUGHT HE MIGHT PULL A LUPONE"

I can't find anything in the Post. I can't wait until BWW makes an article about this and thinks Rob Houchen actually runs that blog.

EDIT: Link in the Post: http://pagesix.com/2014/04/14/sightings-1688/

Updated On: 4/14/14 at 05:17 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/14/14 at 5:23pm

Imagine if something like this happened to Merman

She would have gone into the audience and ripped the person's heart out

Updated On: 4/14/14 at 05:23 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/14/14 at 5:24pm

She probably would have wondered what that strange noise was since cell phones didn't exist.

I can't wait for your response telling me you can't see what I wrote since I'm blocked.

[Emobacca2]

Posted: 4/14/14 at 5:29pm

I was at Saturday's matinee and can indeed confirm this happened

He was at the edge of the stage far left and I heard the phone go off (I was sitting orch center row Q so not that far off from where it went off) and Ramin stopped and stared at the person and gave the death stares to end all death stares. It lasted probably 5 seconds before he started up again. It was not Bring Him Home (which brought the show to a stop thanks to the thunderous applause). It was the scene where Valjean pretends to execute Javert.

Also since it is remotely on-topic, I can never remember hearing so much background noise from an audience during a show, ever. Constant coughing, rustling of bags, swirling of ice in drinks, etc. It was getting very distracting which is why Bring Him Home was such a welcome change because you could hear a pin drop during that performance. It really was something to behold.

Ramin was incredible. I really hope he takes the Tony. Also I hope the actor portraying Thernadier is in the Featured Actor mix.



Updated On: 4/14/14 at 05:29 PM

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/14/14 at 5:50pm

Emobacca2, so what happened? Did the sh*thead answer the phone? Shut it off and was embarrassed? Get thrown out? Did an usher go and yell at them?

I agree you regarding this new thing of people thinking they're at the movies. People texting, talking the entire show, and crackling their bags of M & Ms need a class before going to the theater again. After being slapped, of course.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 4/14/14 at 6:19pm

I think at this point that actors should just keep moving on rather than stopping the show if a cell phone rings. Do they stop the show every time someone starts coughing? It's just a part of our lives these days and there will always be one thoughtless clod who doesn't turn theirs off. Why punish the other 1299 people in the audience?

PS: I remember the days when audience members were asked to leave their beepers with the house managers.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/14/14 at 6:31pm

Yes, I can see how a cell phone going off and driving drunk are things that should be compared.

You'd never be able to collect all the cell phones, we are close to 90% (and possibly higher) of the adult community having one!

I think its a fine line....I don't believe that faux pas should be ignored....how can one learn to change their behavior if we act as if its ok.

I saw three shows this weekend...didn't have a single phone disruption.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 4/14/14 at 6:46pm

I must lead a charmed existence. I have never had a show where someone's cell phone went off!

[rjm516]

Posted: 4/14/14 at 6:50pm

Excellent Ramin!
While it is still horrible, I have a tiny bit more tolerance for people who *may have* forgotten to turn their phone off and it rings (not that that is what happened here) than people who actively use their phone checking email and text. That's clearly worse. I feel that Ramin responded correctly to someone's phone ringing. If it was someone actively texting/&c, then I'd like to see a Merman/LuPone style heart-ripping.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/14/14 at 7:12pm

Also since it is remotely on-topic, I can never remember hearing so much background noise from an audience during a show, ever. Constant coughing, rustling of bags, swirling of ice in drinks, etc. It was getting very distracting which is why Bring Him Home was such a welcome change because you could hear a pin drop during that performance. It really was something to behold.


This was pretty much my experience back in previews, and a main reason why I haven't been back, even though LM is one of my favorite shows. Imperial staff, step it up! The only other more disruptive audience I've been unfortunate enough to be a part of is Jersey Boys.

SNAFU, I need to see a show with you, I think.

Updated On: 4/14/14 at 07:12 PM

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/14/14 at 7:21pm

"I have a tiny bit more tolerance for people who *may have* forgotten to turn their phone off and it rings"

There is an announcement at the beginning of the show, and the ushers tell everyone to turn their phone off several times. They don't forget, they legitimately don't care. I attended a show last week, and during the quietest moment, a phone went off. They let it ring seven times before it went to voicemail. They didn't care enough to push ignore or stop it from ringing. People like that shouldn't be allowed in a theater.

I saw Ramin in Toronto and there was barely a sound during the entire performance. Respect....it's kind of a big deal.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 4/14/14 at 11:06pm

I also had a lot of background noise (mostly rustling) in the audience when I saw "Billy Elliott"- must be the acoustics in the house.

[RachelJean]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 12:30am

In response to LizzieCurry and Emobacca2, I went during previews as well and it was one of the worst audiences I've ever witnessed. The four teenage girls sitting in front of me were all on their phones for most of act one, and there were many latecomers who were filing in and practically shouting during the first scene. Really bizarre.

Ramin has expressed his anger on Twitter a few times now regarding disrespectful audience members, so I'm not surprised that this happened.

[James885]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 2:17am

I consider myself very lucky in that out of all the shows I've seen (I admit I usually don't get to NYC more than once or twice a year, however, I see a lot more national tours and regional theatre) I've only once been at a show where a cell phone rang. It was during The Lion King tour during Endless Night.

I applaud Ramin for dealing with the disturbance the way he did.

[Rainbowhigh23]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 10:23am

"Also since it is remotely on-topic, I can never remember hearing so much background noise from an audience during a show, ever. Constant coughing, rustling of bags, swirling of ice in drinks, etc. It was getting very distracting which is why Bring Him Home was such a welcome change because you could hear a pin drop during that performance. It really was something to behold."

This has been my experience seeing Les Miserables since 1992. I was poor then so the $18 seats in the last row of the mezzanine were my home for a few performances. Every time I went the ambient noise of the audience drove me nuts, especially during the more subtle, quieter parts. For the March 26 performance this year - which was FANTASTIC, btw - I was able to afford a seat in the second row of mezz center and, of course, I experienced the same audience behavior for most of the show. These three jackasses next to me did EVERYTHING that Emobacca2 described. And like old times I told them a thing or two and they left early. After the show I decided to sit in the last row of mezz for a moment to make the evening feel complete. I was happy to see an incredible show but nothing has changed since 1992.

It's interesting how at The Bridges of Madison County, though, you could have heard a pin drop the entire show. The applause was thunderous after every song but nothing annoying from the crowd.

Updated On: 4/15/14 at 10:23 AM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 10:37am

That's really interesting, because that kind of noise was rarely the case for me seeing the tour in 5 states in the late '90s/early 2000s and at the Broadhurst. I'm not saying you're wrong at all, but what is it about the Imperial?!

[Rainbowhigh23]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 10:52am

It could be that since it's a classic show there were more touristy people in the audience who thought they were at the movies (I saw a tweet from the first preview that said, "A lady next to me just said 'This show is based on the movie, right?' Please stab yourself, lady, now!" LOL). I laughed when I noticed the noise happening this year - I was like, "Wow, just like old times!" The sound is great at the Imperial but there were parts of the score that come across very quiet, and that's when the touristy people decided it's time to pass the potato chips.

I was very happy that the producers decided to bring back the definitive version of the musical rather than trying to change it to capitalize on the movie (such as adding "Suddenly" or star casting). We all saw what happened with the latest revival of "Evita" when they tried that.





Updated On: 4/15/14 at 10:52 AM

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 11:00am

Some Ramin tweets:

"I would do this again in a heartbeat. http://pagesix.com/2014/04/14/sightings-1688/ … We can get theatre etiquette back folks, surely."

"If you see a patron recording, feel free to flick their ear, tell them to stop and then say, 'that was from JVJ'. I thank you."

"“@thewillswenson: To the man in the 5th or 6th row who was texting during my "soliloquy" --You f'ing suck. Everyone else... I love.” Truth"

I like him more already, heh.

[MCfan2]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 11:18am

Audiences in general seem to be ramping up the weirdness lately. I was at "Carmen" Friday night here in Northern Va. (GMU's Center for the Arts) and a guy at the back of the balcony started yelling at someone in the middle of the "Habanera." Actually YELLING! Something about "You have no right" to do something or other. Half of us in the balcony were turning around to stare at him! He finally shut up -- I'm not sure who made him stop, but I'd like to give a medal to whoever it was.

[winston89]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 12:03pm

Forgive me for going on a soapbox rant, but there are a few things on this subject. First of all, any actor who does this is not at all acting professionally. By yelling at an audience member, not only does your performance lack professionalism, but rather than focusing your energy on the dozens of people who paid to see the show, you're focusing it on someone who, as a result of their actions doesn't deserve the time of day.

I am far from a professional actor. I do theatre for the fun and the pleasure it gives me and nothing more. I have been in shows where there is a cell phone that goes off. You know what I do, I either have plowed through it or take a deep breath and continued. If amateur performers can do it, I don't see why professionals can't either. And, it's not like I have never been in a show where a cell phone went off. While I do feel that stories of cell phone usage in the theatre are embellished on here just a tad, they aren't without merit. I remember seeing a performance of Rabbit Hole on Broadway. During the last emotional scene, someone's phone started ringing. You know what Cynthia Nixon did? She continued. Of course, it should be worth mentioning that during the speech a the end for BC/EFA she said that the person who's phone went off should donate a little more. And, that got a little laugh from the audience. Point of my soapbox rand is that it does happen, but don't be a baby about it.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 12:14pm

By yelling at an audience member

You did realize that Ramin addressed this particular phone incident with 5-10 seconds of silence, right?

Silence.

Like, not yelling.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 12:40pm

To be fair, he was probably screaming internally.

[Rainbowhigh23]

Posted: 4/15/14 at 12:55pm

Or reference to the LuPwne incident.

Updated On: 4/15/14 at 12:55 PM