Drinking before the Theater

Who has ever gone drunk or "tipsy" to a show? Did you have to make many pee breaks during the show? Is it better to go drunk to a show like Xanadu, Mamma Mia or to a show like The Diary of Anne Frank? Does it matter?

After a few Strongbows, I was pleasantly buzzed when I went to see Closer to Heaven in London. I had another at intermission just to get through the Act II, which was a teensy bit of a mistake (though it made viewing the show far more tolerable). I totally embarrassed myself when chatting with Sandra Bernhardt after the show.

Live and learn.

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I highly recommend it, unless it's a show with high drama. Everything feels warmer and fuzzier when you're tipsy.

Yeah, me too. On both counts.

Stop drinking about half hour to 45 minutes before curtain and go pee, then go again just before curtain (there's usualy no line then), and you should be alright.
During intermission, if there is one, the lines are a mile long, and there's a big difference for males and females.

Updated On: 2/9/09 at 07:01 PM

Ditto on the wishing to have been drunk during "Legally Blonde."

They need to air that on a Thursday night, I would totally have a "Legally Bacardi" party.

During my drinking days, I had four martinis before dinner and then went to see AMADEUS. I stayed awake, but lost my sense of comprehension of this brilliant play--what a waste of an evening at the theatre. I no longer drink at all--yes, I am a recovering alcoholic.

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Updated On: 10/30/07 at 07:44 PM

I had so much wine at din-din I had to watch an entire performance of "Substance Of Fire" with one eye closed. Even with double vision, I was aware the play was superb though, and beat myself up mercilessly afterwards.

Not so with some Stoppard mystery thing starring Stockard Channing. (Again at the Beaumont, what is it with me and that barn?) I tried for about half and hour, but was not hooked, threw in the towel, and much to the chagrin of my colleagues, allowed myself to totally pass out.

Now Ms. Channing, being one of my favorite actors, years later, when pressed for "a bottom" at an AA meeting, I used this episode as an example of how low I had fallen. Needless to say, it didn't resonate with anybody. (Mind you, it was some gay meeting in the bowels of South Florida.) They all believed their bottoms to be far lower than mine:
waking up and finding blood on their bumper,
not knowing how they had gotten home,
or who it was in bed next to them,
or where they parked their car.

Am I an elitist, if I find falling asleep at a Stockard Channing performance just as horrifying?

And was it alcoholism or Stoppard?

I love to go to the theatre a little tipsy. I try to get just to the point that I am very pleased wth myself, but I try to carry myself with dignity still. I rarely drink, and think to have only one drink is a waste of time, calories, and money. Now, give me three nice Cosmos and, say, a second row seat to something like, I don't know, maybe Raul's Company - nice night!

I went a little heavy on a sangria pitcher on Restaurant Row before a Wednesday matinee of The Woman in White. The whole thing was like a pleasant dream.

It depends on the show whether I want to tip back a few. I went into "Little Shop of Horrors" a little buzzed, and it was AWESOME- except that my friend and I couldn't stop laughing during "It's Just the Gas" heh. But for a more serious fare, I would never go impaired. I need all I've got to follow some of those productions sometimes.

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I now have a rule that I NEVER drink before theatre. Two reasons:

Reason 1. I feel like going to see theatre is a part of my job as an actor. I would not go to work drunk or want to be impaired in any way. I have to focus even if it's really bad. I want to know why it's really bad. I can't just see a show and discuss it with someone and have to say, "I don't know, I was kinda drunk."

Reason 2. I had a few beers with dinner before "Doubt" and I was in the middle of the row. There was no intermission and the scene changes were pretty fast. I had to pee SO INCREDIBLY BAD!!!! I have never felt the peeing pain so bad in my life. I got up and stumbled over pissed off people (they were pissed off with good reason) and I rushed to the bathroom and had to watch the rest of the show from the stairs to the balcony. The really awful part was that the scene that I missed was the ONLY scene that Adriane Lenox was in and she won the Tony for THAT SCENE ALONE!! I felt just awful!!

Do what you will, but I NEVER drink before a show.