Broadway Ushering- Page 2
Broadway Ushering
#25re: Broadway Ushering
Posted: 3/17/06 at 2:02am
Yeah, that's all well and nice (and true) in theory, but we know that's not the way it plays out.
I always make sure that I'm more than friendly to people that serve me - whether it be in a clothing store, at a restaurant, or an usher. Always. I've done work like that - I know what it does to your day to deal with rude assholes.
I have never once "snapped" an illegal photo, talked on my cell phone in a theatre, stormed down the aisle attempting to seat myself, or disrespected an usher in any way, shape or form. Ever. I make it a point not to, actually.
However, more than half the time, I present my ticket to a crotchity hag who looks like she would rather throw herself off the balcony than assist one more patron. I'm sorry - if you don't like seating people, if you hate people, or if you just can't be nice, DO NOT BE AN USHER.
It's like teachers who hate kids. I don't get it. I realize that everyone has bad days, but there is no reason for half of the ushers to behave the way that they do.
About three years ago, I used to bartend in Broadway theatres. I used to constantly mingle with ushers from all of the different theatres - the Broadway, Shubert, Winter Garden, Ambassador, Majestic, Imperial, Lyceum - you name it. I was friends with quite a few ushers - in fact, the younger ushers were constantly pleased to be doing their job. However, the ones that were a bit older (particularly at the Broadway theatre), would literally sit down and BITCH about their job for the duration of act one while chainsmoking outside.
I've seen it first hand more times than i'd like to admit - most of them just hate their job. No matter how nice you are to people, you just can't break some of them.
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."
-Charlie Manson
#26re: Broadway Ushering
Posted: 3/17/06 at 2:09amI think the both of you capture much of the world of Broadway ushering. And, it does depend on the theatre.
#27re: Broadway Ushering
Posted: 3/17/06 at 2:16am
How does it depend on the theatre?
I all depends on the person...
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."
-Charlie Manson
#28re: Broadway Ushering
Posted: 3/17/06 at 2:19am
Well, of COURSE, it depends on the person. I was referring to how some houses feel nicer than others as a whole. That's an energy that comes from many factors. When I was ushering Wonderful Town, most nights one would agree that we had some of the nicest ushers. And, I'm betting the same is true at the Kerr.
It's also true that the bulk of ushers in both these instances leaned toward younger.
#29re: Broadway Ushering
Posted: 3/17/06 at 2:22amactually while younger is generally true, newer might be a better designation. Older ushers who are new are nicer in general.
#30re: Broadway Ushering
Posted: 3/17/06 at 2:22am
True. The younger ushers are generally the friendliest.
I have never encountered a miserable usher at the Nederlander.
The Eugene O'Neil, though, is chock-full of them.
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."
-Charlie Manson
#31re: Broadway Ushering
Posted: 3/17/06 at 8:39am
Yeah, the ushers at the Nederlander are like, a party all the time. I like them.
And the Eugene O'Neill definitely has some crotchety old ladies, but I think they're all in the orchestra. Every time I'm in the mezzanine, it's some sweet old lady who I wish was my Grandma.
Vespertine1228
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/30/05
#32re: Broadway Ushering
Posted: 3/17/06 at 10:37am
As previously stated, the only Broadway theatres with volunteer ushering at Roundabout's two spaces, the American Airlines Theatre and Studio 54. Manhattan Theatre Club does not offer volunteer ushering, as I've tried for both Rabbit Hole and Absurd Person Singular.
The huge majority of Off-Broadway shows DO take ushers though. You just have to plan in advance.
Some of the shows I've seen for free by ushering recently include [title of show], Abigail's Party, The Trip to Bountiful, Confessions of a Mormon Boy, The Little Dog Laughed, Almost Maine, Jump/Cut, Moscow Cats Theatre, and Blue Man Group. I have plans to see Show People, The Threepenny Opera, The Pajama Game, Entertaining Mr. Sloane, Red Light Winter, Grey Gardens, Pen, and George M. Cohan Tonight.
Needless to say, I'm a busy boy.
#33re: Broadway Ushering
Posted: 3/17/06 at 6:44pm
As to why the usher was like "Hitler"
I was seing POTO with my mom and my friend and we were standing in the back. My mom was on one side of the audio and my friend and I on the other. Well my mom came over because she was lonely and the usher yelled at her and told her to get back to her own side and not invade other peoples areas. When we explained to her she said she wasn't listening. Then during intermission my friend and I went to the bathroom and when we came back we sat against the wall you stand up behind and told us we had to stand but a lot of others were sitting and she did nothing to them...
#34re: Broadway Ushering
Posted: 3/17/06 at 7:14pm
If you were standing room only, you have to stand in the area designated. They can't let you move over if the area is sold out.
The second thing you mentioned sounds like she should have yelled at everyone. But, should you have been sitting like you were? Does it change that you shouldn't have just because she didn't get around to yelling at others?
#35re: Broadway Ushering
Posted: 3/17/06 at 7:19pm
No, I have sitten down before and the ushers have done nothing about it. Iwasn't blocking traffic or anything, I was up against the wall. And the standing room wasn't sold out infact we were the only ones standing.
EDIT : I have asked ushers the last time I went and they said that we could sit down as long as the show wasn't in progress and the only time we had to be in the designated standing room spots was when the show was in progress and if we weren't crowding other people, and we weren't because It was just us.
Updated On: 3/17/06 at 07:19 PM
#36re: Broadway Ushering
Posted: 3/17/06 at 7:32pmoh. Well, then it sounds like you got someone in a foul mood!
Fosse76
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/21/05
#37re: Broadway Ushering
Posted: 3/17/06 at 7:56pmAt no time should an usher EVER be rude. No matter how wrong the customer is. Granted, if an usher is reminding the same person for the fifth to not do something, then I can't begrudge him/her being rude. Even if the usher has warned a hundred people not to do something, and it's the first time (s)he has to warn you, there is no excuse to be mean or rude about it. One time while I was at Brooklyn waiting for the show I started playing a game on my cell phone. The usher (who was about 1000), rudely snapped at me that phone use was illegal and that if I didn't stop she'd confiscate it. Well, for one thing, only talking and listening into a cell phone is illegal (advantage of doing legal research for a living) so I wasn't doing anything remotely wrong; two, she has no power to confiscate anything, nor to threaten it, and three, she had absolutely no reason to be so nasty about it. She could have politely asked me to stop (which I would have refused anyway, since it was perfectly legal) but was instead rude. My experiences with ushers have been mostly positive other than her, but most don't seem happy at all.
#38re: Broadway Ushering
Posted: 3/17/06 at 11:02pm
I think most people understand being an usher isn't easy. However, like Fosse said, there is NO excuse for rudeness. If they can't handle their job without being rude, then they ought to find another profession.
I've had great experiences with ushers at the Hilton, Music Box, and Gershwin and horrendous experiences with the ushers at the Palace (the woman insisted our seats were in the balcony, when we knew they were in the orchestra), O'Neill (I was in the back of the orchestra and the ushers talked through most of act 1), and the Broadway (the usher overheard one of my friends say how awful some understudy in Miss Saigon was and proceeded to tell him he had no taste).
MaronaDavies
Featured Actor Joined: 3/17/06
#39re: Broadway Ushering
Posted: 3/18/06 at 12:05am
RE: the standing room issue...
The first time I saw Mamma Mia, I did standing room. People tried to sit at intermission and an usher did come around and tell everyone to get up.
I'd imagine they can't let people sit on the floor because it's a hazard. Even if you're out of the way--if someone trips over you, you'll get hurt, they'll get sued. The usher should have enforced the rules for everyone, but all the same, it doesn't sound as if she was asking you to do anything out of the ordinary. It doesn't matter if you were allowed to do it on another occasion...you should listen to whatever the usher tells you at the time. When I flew, I'd frequently have people tell me, "but on Air Canada/British Airways/etc./etc./etc. it's this way...when I flew last year on your airline, it was like this..." Policies change.
Also...you're in a Broadway theatre. Maybe it's not considered good etiquette to sit on the floor?!
Updated On: 3/18/06 at 12:05 AM
Thesbijean
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/9/04
#40re: Broadway Ushering
Posted: 3/18/06 at 12:13am
Isn't it pretty much bad etiquette to sit on the floor anywhere?
Except maybe in nursery school during story time...
#41re: Broadway Ushering
Posted: 3/18/06 at 12:40amhey, how old do you have to be to do this volunteer ushering thing?
#42re: Broadway Ushering
Posted: 3/18/06 at 3:23amWell, and it's also true of most any job that some people enforce the rules and others don't. Just because 3 ushers let you sit on the floor doesn't mean the 4th usher if wrong for telling you not to.
#43re: Broadway Ushering
Posted: 3/18/06 at 3:31am
I would say sitting on the floor (even in the designated standing room area) is common sense. It's an area of high traffic - who are you to sit there with your bags while people maneuver around you? It's just rude. Aside from rude, isn't it uncomfortable to be sitting on the floor with people constantly looking down and glaring at you because (as in most theatres, there's a bottleneck already) they're trying to get through?
But that's just me.
Speaking of sitting on floors, another HUGE pet peeve of mine is when you're in Barnes and Noble (doesn't seem to happen in Borders as much) and people feel like it's okay to set up camp in the middle of an aisle. When you come through to actually find a book, they act like you're in THEIR private space, moving aside with an unmistakable sneer. I can't stand it.
Okay, rant over.
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."
-Charlie Manson
#45re: Broadway Ushering
Posted: 3/18/06 at 4:06amWe seem to be in the same care a lot lately...
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."
-Charlie Manson
#47re: Broadway Ushering
Posted: 3/18/06 at 10:15amBut I have had some very nice encounters with ushers as well!
#48re: Broadway Ushering
Posted: 3/18/06 at 10:29amThe Ambassador has quite a few very nice ushers. And of course all of the ushers at the Circle in the Square Theater and great too.
"The hallmark of aristocracy is responsibility. Oh brother, that got me, that did me in!"
popular_elphie
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/3/05
#49re: Broadway Ushering
Posted: 3/18/06 at 10:41am
There are some nice ushers and then there are some mean ushers. At Jersey Boys, when I was waiting for the show to start, and I was in standing room, I saw a very pushy, rude usher, and a very nice blonde one. I think it just depends on the person.
An usher should not be rude. It's their job to deal with the people and seat them. They're a part of their theatre experience.
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