Do Ushers on Broadway Get Tips- Page 2

[bluetuna]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 5:09am

I'm sure a lot of people going to the theatre expect the ushers' courtesy to be paid for in the price of their tickets.

I've never seen anyone tip, and the usher usually just points you in the direction of your seat or to another usher. If you're on a line of people, it just seems like it would be weird to pull out money and hand it to the usher for telling you which direction to go, especially when you're generally required to go to the usher.

I know the ushers generally walk people to their seats in the orchestra, but tipping doesn't really seem to be common there either. Updated On: 1/14/08 at 05:09 AM

[Urban]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 7:22am

Granted I come from a country that doesn't tip (you know, liveable wage laws and all), but when I lived in the State I did enjoy tipping alot. Heck when I do visit NYC, I would definately try to tip if I have the chance (granted if the crowd is fast moving it might not be so practical).

[Jane2]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 7:49am

"I've never seen anyone tip, and the usher usually just points you in the direction of your seat or to another usher. If you're on a line of people, it just seems like it would be weird to pull out money and hand it to the usher for telling you which direction to go, especially when you're generally required to go to the usher."

The practice of tipping was common when ushers did walk you to your seats.

[robbiej]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 10:45am

The most I've made at my off-Broadway theatre has been $13. Not too shabby. And not to profile, but Jersey Italians are the best tippers in my experience!

[Fosse76]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 10:55am

"The practice of tipping was common when ushers did walk you to your seats."

Umm, they do walk you to your seats, unless your one of the cheap people who sit in the Mezzanine all the time, where ushers are not required to bring people to their seats.

[Jane2]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 11:15am

I'm amending this post because the topic is about broadway, and I was also factoring in off broadway.

When I attend a broadway performance, the first couple of ushers usually point me to the next usher. The last usher in line will sometimes walk me to my seat, and sometimes just point.

Back in the 'day' you were always walked to your seat.

Updated On: 1/14/08 at 11:15 AM

Posted: 1/14/08 at 11:44am

I am really surprised to read that so many people here are positively INDIGNANT about tipping someone in a service position.

Yes, you can certainly tip ushers at a Broadway theatre. $1-2 is sufficient for a party of 2. People usually tip in the orchestra where they are walked ot their seat. You should not give money for being moved to a better seat because they can get fired for doing that. The ushers that do so make life very difficult on the people following the rules. Besides, this is not Yankee Stadium, there is different etiquette for a Broadway theatre.

If an usher does something extraordinary, which happens more often that the peope posting here like to think, you should certainly tip. Having said that, I know there is some confusion. I have been unnecessarily offered tips for advising on nearby restaurants when asked and getting a complimentary soda for a sick patron to settle an upset stomach. That's just being friendly & kind -- it was nice of the people to offer a tip, but it wasn't necessary. I have also turned down tips from people I didn't walk to their seats or whom I accidentally placed in the wrong seats & then had to move. It just seemed wrong to take their money!

[mikem]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 1:17pm

"Umm, they do walk you to your seats, unless your one of the cheap people who sit in the Mezzanine all the time, where ushers are not required to bring people to their seats."

Is that an established practice, where people in the orchestra get walked to their seats but people in the mezzanine don't? The one time in a Broadway theater that I remember being completely left to fend for myself (I wasn't even given a Playbill) was in the mezzanine, but I didn't realize it was because I was in the mezzanine, so to speak.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 1:37pm

The mezzanine has stairs, and it's hard to run up and down stairs for every single person who comes in. That's why we don't walk them in the mezz. Plus, in the orchestra, one usher handles the back rows while another handles the front rows, while in the mezz there are usually only ushers by the doors handling one entire side of the mezz. Of course, this varies by theatre. Mike, you shouldn't have been "left to fend for yourself," but I will say that a lot of times people just breeze right by me even as I'm trying to tell them where to go and don't take a Playbill - you better believe I hear about that later. "I didn't get a Playbill and I don't know where to go!!" "Where's my Playbill?! You didn't give me one!!" Well, maybe if you'd stopped for five seconds you would have gotten all the information you'd needed. Not saying this was the case with you but this often happens.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 1:39pm

"Is that an established practice, where people in the orchestra get walked to their seats but people in the mezzanine don't?"

Yes. That policy is universal in every Broadway theatre. An usher CAN escort you to your seat in the Mez, but isn't required to. It's due to the fact that the rows of the Mez are like stadium seats and the constant climbing would be exhausting, unlike the simple rake of the orchestra. Also on the orchestra level you generally have two ushers on the main aisles whereas the Mezzanine will have only one per aisle.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 1:40pm

Right, just more eloquently explained.

Posted: 1/14/08 at 4:08pm

"Yes. That policy is universal in every Broadway theatre"

Are you being facetious? Because while I agree with everything else you said, that's just plain silly.

[mikem]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 8:48pm

ShbrtAlley and Fosse76, thanks for the explanation about the difference between the orchestra and mezzanine -- makes a lot of sense. As for my specific experience that time in the mezzanine, I think the usher was just feeling overwhelmed. She didn't have Playbills in her arms and she was vaguely pointing and saying that she would bring Playbills to us later. I'm not sure exactly what was going on, because I could see the piles of Playbills just a few feet away -- in fact, that's where I eventually got mine from.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 8:50pm

Mike, were there understudies on that day? And were the Playbills tied together or loose?

[mikem]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 9:09pm

There was an understudy on that day -- I'm guessing that you're wondering whether the Playbills were stuffed with the understudy name and therefore ready to be distributed. I honestly don't remember -- I saw the understudy name on the board when I came in so I knew the situation before I entered the theater and I don't remember whether it was in the Playbill as well. I think the usher was just feeling harried for whatever reason, whether because the Playbills had to be stuffed at the last minute or a colleague called out or she was new or whatever -- she had that "I'm feeling overwhelmed" air about her, if you know what I mean. I'm sorry if I'm making it sound like it was a big deal -- I had thought at the time that she was harried because someone had called out since there was only one usher in the aisle, although it sounds like it's standard practice in the mezzanine to have one usher per aisle, so maybe she was overwhelmed for another reason (or multiple reasons).

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 10:06pm

She was probably working a short, from what you're describing.

[ljay889]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 10:08pm

My dad tips them sometimes. Just out of courtesy.

[DaintyJack]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 10:16pm

Yes- certainly. I get tipped nearly every show I work when I work in the orchestra. As little as $2 a show, up to $30. I've been given a $20 for showing people where the bathroom is, finding lost items, just bringing people to seats, just various things. People that treat the Broadway theater as an actual experience tip. People that are thankful for good service tip.

And ps, someone mentioned that courtesy should come with the ticket price. Not true. You can pay $251 for a premium seat, if you're a jerk, you're going to get treated like one. All I need to do is show you where your seat is, by pointing or walking you there- I don't need to be nice about it. Truth is, when there's 2 people to seat over 350 people (half kids) in 30 minutes, there isn't the time to be too personal and sweet about it.

[AKDPerformer]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 10:28pm

I always used to get tipped in the orchestra. The highest I made was $10 one night from a man who was in the third row and probably paid a pretty price for his tix.

[MuppetManiaMan]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 10:38pm

The fella in front of me at "Young Frankenstein" tipped quite handsomely. he shouln't have. The usher just stood in the side aisle and laughed really loudly and obnoxioulsy at everything Mel wishes the rest of the audience would.

[mikem]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 10:42pm

Sorry to be clueless: what does "working a short" mean?

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 10:49pm

Exactly what you thought - someone unexpectedly calls out so an usher who was previously on the early shift has the option of staying on and taking their place, thus ushering for two people.

[mikem]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 10:56pm

ShbrtAlley, thanks for the explanation!

[mc1227]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 11:07pm

I never realized that ushers got pay of any kind. I thought they were volunteers that wanted to be around theatre and see the shows for free and just accepted tips because they didn't receive pay.

[DaintyJack]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 11:10pm

In your dreams, mc1227. it's a job- union, benefits, pay, vacation days, you name it, it's there.