Broadway needs to start using Yondr pouches

I just saw John Mulaney and like most comedians he requires Yondr pitches for all phones do smart watches.

No phones rang, no one took pics mid performance, no on watched a game during the show (this happened to me last Sunday at Gutenberg ugh).

It’s time for Broadway to start using these. Phones are a major nuisance now and just getting worse.

A discourse as old as time.

They managed to figure it out for TAKE ME OUT, but it still wasn’t 100% effective as hoped. If anything, the pouches are going to become an additional expenditure for productions (since they can cost in upwards of $25K to rent the equipment and staff for them).

Would I like it? Yes. Would it require years of fine tuning and planning and still probably become a logistical nightmare? Also, yes.

There's just a wee problem: national emergency alerts are now mobile phone based. You cannot expect an entire audience to be cut off from warnings of imminent disaster just to watch a performance.

Impeach2017 said: "There's just a wee problem: national emergency alerts are now mobile phone based. You cannot expect an entire audience to be cut off from warnings of imminent disaster just to watch a performance."

There are other ways to inform the audience of any imminent disaster than them all having their phones on them. The main issue as a it relates to what you’re talking about is testing. There was recently a situation where apple was to test one of it’s warning alerts on a Wednesday a 2 PM. Not an ideal time on Broadway for sure. I know a couple of shows waited a couple of extra min to start to avoid the issue of the performance being impacted altogether.

But, the real issue is a customer service one. We go out of our way to make sure that the patrons are having an enjoyable time at the theatre, specially with what they paid to see the show. It’s one thing to say that the pouches have to be used because there’s nudity in the case of Take Me Out. Or, the performers don’t want to run the risk of anything they come up with as is the case with Freestyle Love Supreme.

Yet, to say to a patron you have to use a Yondr pouch simply because we don’t trust you to not use your phones, well, that is a nightmare waiting to occur for sure. And, keep in mind, The Shuberts, for example, had zero issue with them being used for the aforementioned shows. Their mindset was that if a production wanted to use them for a particular reason, more power to them. However, the production would have to cover it on their own dime.

It makes more sense for big name comedians because they don't want people recording the audio, especially if they are still "working on material" for their next special and don't want any leaks to the public. It is not because they don't want people taking pics.



sppunk said: "I just saw John Mulaney and like most comedians he requires Yondr pitches for all phones do smart watches.

No phones rang, no one took pics mid performance, no on watched a game during the show (this happened to me last Sunday at Gutenberg ugh).

It’s time for Broadway to start using these. Phones are a major nuisance now and just getting worse."

Updated On: 11/5/23 at 08:41 AM

BrodyFosse123 said: "Tom5 said: "I'm generally against them as well, but as for a national emergency I'm sure someone back stage would/should have one on and would halt the show."

The Yondr pouches are for audience members. The house staff and everyone backstage still use their phones so in the event an emergency does come into play - such as a sick audience member or a national emergency - countless people are in control to handle such situation immediately."

And to expand on that: having the situation handled by the production or house staff will help mitigate panic and ensuring everybody knows what’s happening, as opposed to a general grow of panic as people check their phones or become aware of disturbance in other parts of the house.

Updated On: 11/5/23 at 08:56 AM

I personally hate them. I turn off my phone before the show starts and don't turn it on again until it's over and Yonder pouches make it difficult to then put my phone in my pocket and I'm stuck holding it. I find it so frustrating that people can't just follow a simple instruction and turn them off. I can understand using the pouches as an added level of security when there is nudity on stage, but otherwise, I really hope it does not become the norm on Broadway.

ardiem said: "I would hate to have pouch use imposed on me and would rather tolerate the isolated incidents of peoples phones going off than to be treated like a child."

I don't doubt others, perhaps a fair percentage of people, would feel similarly.

And yet, theaters and auditoriums limit the size of bags we can bring to our seats. The local coffeehouse I most frequent does not allow laptops at all and any calls must be taken outside. Some gyms do the same. All sorts of restaurants have dress codes. . I'm sure other comparable examples exist.

I don't suggest these examples are all apples to apples, but they share a common underlying principle: establishments determining the rules for their spaces.

FWIW, I'm not advocating for the pouches. Just thinking out loud about their implications.

Updated On: 11/5/23 at 10:55 AM

RunnyBabbit said: "I know they tell people to turn off their phones before putting them in the pouches, but I’m just picturing all the same people who don’t even silence their phones during shows still not silencing them, and now they’re ringing in a pouch where the person can’t even figure out how to stop it."

I cannot even begin to tell you how many times that occurred when I was working at Take Me Out.

JasonC3 said: "And yet, theaters and auditoriums limit the size of bags we can bring to our seats. The local coffeehouse I most frequent does not allow laptops at all and any calls must be taken outside. Some gyms do the same. All sorts of restaurants have dress codes. . I'm sure other comparable examples exist."

A cup of coffee costs $6 max. Broadway tickets are often well over $150. Stuff like bag size limits are the norm for luxury events because of coat check. Stuff like taking away your cell phone is not. People don’t want to pay for a luxury experience only to be told how to act.

raddersons said: "JasonC3 said: "And yet, theaters and auditoriums limit the size of bags we can bring to our seats. The local coffeehouse I most frequent does not allow laptops at all and any calls must be taken outside. Some gyms do the same. All sorts of restaurants have dress codes. . I'm sure other comparable examples exist."

A cup of coffee costs $6 max. Broadway tickets are often well over $150. Stuff like bag size limits are the norm for luxury events because of coat check. Stuff like taking away your cell phone is not. People don’t want to pay for a luxury experience only to be told how to act."

I think you've probably hit on the underlying principle that would prevent this from becoming amajor theater norm: the more people pay for something, the more some of them feel entitled to not be restricted. The exception probably is if the event has mass desire or highly devoted fans like a Taylor Swift concert.

And yet, people a comedy shows I've attended seem to comply pretty regularly and those tickets aren't always expensive. Human behavior and expectations. Not always predictable.

Are people still really opposed to this? Phones are going off at every performance I've attended this past year. I feel like the situation is totally out of hand and something has to change.