Chicago Today

[Kicks8567]

Posted: 4/7/04 at 9:07pm

I saw Chicago today, and loved the show; howver, it was one of the rudest audiences I have ever been in. People were wandering around the theater DURING the show, people singing along to the music, others talking DURING the performance, and some just sat there and slept through the show. Just curious if this type of behavior has happened with anyone else?

[NuggetMonkeys]

Posted: 4/7/04 at 9:15pm

hasn't happened to me (yet), but I hear the audiences at RAISIN are horrible...pardon me if I have wrong information, but it's THIS VERY BOARD. so THERE.


d.b.j

[NuggetMonkeys]

Posted: 4/7/04 at 9:15pm

hasn't happened to me (yet), but I hear the audiences at RAISIN are horrible...pardon me if I have wrong information, but it's THIS VERY BOARD. so THERE.


d.b.j

[NuggetMonkeys]

Posted: 4/7/04 at 9:16pm

oops. i definetly put that twice.

a little bit mouse-happy.

sorry.

d.b.j

[StraightToHeaven]

Posted: 4/7/04 at 10:20pm

When I saw The Lion King there was lots of little kids who were very annoying. One sitting in back of me was pulling my hair and crying to his grandfather because he wanted to go home. I imagine I would have enjoyed the show more if they had been more respectful.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/7/04 at 10:22pm

I can't STAND IT when people bring children to Disney shows.

[CJR]

Posted: 4/7/04 at 10:38pm

That's actually happened to me at Chicago a few times, with a few different scenarios. The last time it happened was actually my friend Tracy's closing night. I was 2nd row center orchestra (last July at the Ambassador) and I knew the woman on my left was going to be trouble from the moment she and her husband sat down. She talked to him (rather loudly) all through All That Jazz, had a coughing fit through Cell Block Tango and then snored (yes, she snored and it wouldn't surprise me one bit if everyone onstage heard her -- I know they saw her sleeping) through the Roxie Monologue and Roxie. I actually nudged her and woke her up several times... didn't matter though, cause she only nodded back off. Not only was it rude to me and the other people sitting around her trying to enjoy the show, it was also incredibly rude to Tracy and the rest of the cast. Several times she said to her husband (again, rather loudly) how bored she was, how much she disliked the show and could they please leave. All through intermission I sat in my seat PRAYING they would leave, and I'm assuming they did because they never came back.

There have been other instances on a much smaller level... people being seated late in the front row who then talked through most of the performance.... There was another time I was 2nd row and this large group of people was seated around me. Half of them in the row in front of me, two of them sitting next to me and the rest in the row behind me. They insisted on talking to each other (and to their friends in the other rows) through the whole show.... then the part of the group sitting behind me *actually* had the balls to get mad at me for standing at the end of the show because I was "in their way."

More often than not though, it has been people getting mad at me for standing at the end of the show. I'm not going to go into the whole standing ovation thing now, but if your performance is worthy, I'm standing up. If you're sitting behind me and you don't like it, tough.

Most scenarios go like this:

*I stand*
*person behind me tugs on my shirt*
Person: Can you sit?
Me: No
Person: I can't see
Me: What's your point?
Person: I can't see
Me: So stand up

I hate stupidity.... Unfortunately though, I've only encountered these kind of people at Chicago... and of course I'm extra testy then lol

I'll shut up now

~Heather

BTW -- Kicks, glad to hear you enjoyed the show.... did you see any understudies or were all the leads on? What'd you think of Roz Ryan?

Updated On: 4/7/04 at 10:38 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 4/8/04 at 12:15am

Chicago is at the point in its long run in which it attracts alot of non regular theater going tourists. I walked by the theater today and I saw a busload of 15 year olds going in. I can't even imagine what that theater was like.

[stop!]

Posted: 4/8/04 at 1:32am

i agree with theatermafia, but i also believe these audiences at chicago arent normal theater audiences, but rather "hey i saw the movie, with that girl from jerry maguire i liked it lets go see it live" audiences. Not realizing the actors can hear them and see them(for most part).

my experiences...first annie get your gun, some lady from the south took of her shoes sat indian style in her jean shorts and tank top, and yelled ooh thats the guy from dukes of hazzard, then ate (REAL FOOD) out of her purse not candy but like a meal.

second...seussical with rosie..she brought in all the house wives from long island and jersey who dragged their husbands and kids to see their idol. the husbands were bored, kids restless and them obnoxious...then they all wipped put juice boxes, and snadwiches...and argued with ushers and house managers...fun!

oh and movin out...must the audiences truly sing along to everysong.....one thing if you truly no the lyrics!!

[Kicks8567]

Posted: 4/8/04 at 8:40am

Roz Ryan was great as Mama. I don't think Brenda Braxton was an udnerstudy Velma, I think she is just new to the cast, and they did not update the playbill yet.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 4/8/04 at 8:58am

Kicks,For some reason something tellls me you might be one of those audience members we are talking about on this thread.

[NBC]

Posted: 4/8/04 at 10:39am

Brenda Braxton's last performances were yesterday...and they had already updated the playbills with the new Velma's name, Pia Douwes.

[Kicks8567]

Posted: 4/8/04 at 11:08am

Thanks for the info NBC. Theatermafia, I may be 15, but I am old enough to know not to sleep, talk, or sing along with the show, and I have seen it before the movie came out (FYI, not to be rude).

[Unknown User]

Posted: 4/8/04 at 1:16pm

I stand corrected Kicks. My wrong conclusion was reached when you changed the tone of the thread and started talking about Roz Ryan and so. I am glad you loved the show enough to see it twice. It is definitely worth many repeat visits. Updated On: 4/8/04 at 01:16 PM

[NYCbabe3789]

Posted: 4/8/04 at 1:21pm

The worst audience experience I ever had to deal with was at a tour performance of MAMMA MIA. The people sitting behind me were quite obviously drunk. They sang along (I mean BELTED, thank goodness the music is loud anyway) with every single song. They chatted throughout the show and laughed for minutes after jokes had ended. It drove me insane. At intermission they ran back to the bar yelling "Time for some wine!" DREADFUL.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 4/8/04 at 1:55pm

You all need to complain when these things happen to management and putting these abnoxious theatergoers in their place. I remember once during Guys And Dolls at the Martin Beck I had to get a usher to quiet someone down and they were removed from the theater and I was given a free cd. ( I also happen to be 6'2 and live for the gym; so no one is going to mess with me) Updated On: 4/8/04 at 01:55 PM