Fight nearly breaks out in audience at LOVEMUSIK

[CapnHook]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 12:28pm

If you think the kids at BATB/TARZAN are bad...what about the kids at LOVEMUSIK? You know...the gray-haired ones...

On the Saturday matinee this past weekend, I attended LOVEMUSIK. Sat in the balcony (mezz), right section second row. In the center section second row, there was a rather large elderly gentleman sitting on the aisle seat with his wife to his left.

30 minutes into Act II, a couple was ushered in (during a blackout), and they were sitting in his row. He refused to get up in the first moment. "Oh they should be shot," he said. As he was shh'ed by the usher and got up, he continued to loudly state "They should be shot. They shouldn't have been admitted." Audience members shh'ed him and things cooled down...for the moment.

Toward the end of Act I, there is a part of a scene where the action is played far downstage. The railing is obstructing our view of that area. The angry gentleman's wife decides to stand up and hunch over to see. Her chin bumps the head of the woman, also elderly, sitting in front of her. The woman turns around and says "Do you mind sitting down!?" and third elderly woman sitting behind the wife said very harshly and loudly "TAKE YOUR SEAT AND SIT DOWN!!!!" As the wife turns to sit, the woman sitting behind her slaps her face. It wasn't a harsh slap, it was actually like a slight smack...perhaps better described as a "tap to the head." Nonetheless, she put her hands on her. She was stunned and I expected the worst. But she sat down and the rest of the Act was smooth sailing.

At intermission, the gentleman and his wife stood slowly and elegantly, she took his arm, and they gracefully and in their snooty own way, walked out giving evil glares to the audience. They didn't return for Act II.

I hate people sometimes. I can tolerate the kids at the Disney shows, but these are ADULTS and people who have lived my lifespan thus far four times over. You'd think they'd be better behaved.

[misschung]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 12:29pm

woah! she slapped her?

people never cease to amaze me

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 12:30pm

They SHOULD have been shot. I really think the admittance of late-comers shouldn't happen.

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 12:48pm

Why shouldn't late comers be seated during a black out? If it doesn't disturb the performance they should be seated. Just because a big jack-monster doesn't want to move doesn't mean people should have to miss the performance they paid for.

If it disturbs the performance... then no... they should have to wait for a break...or be seated in a box, on a side seat or somewhere else that would not disturb the performance.

Admittance of late-comeres shouldn't happen? Why? To punish them for being bad? Give me a break.


kmc

[FosseForever3]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 12:49pm

OH my! She slapped her? Wow...I know you don't mean like decked her, but still, touched her face? I hate late comers too, but wow.

The worst audience behavior I've ever seen was at Phantom: a lady sitting next to me rolled up her playbill and bopped the women sitting in front of her on the head for whispering. No, I'm not joking.

[StageFan2]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 12:50pm

Unreal! What ever happened to simple respect and courtesy? We have a local theatre here in Albany that explictly forbids entrance to a show after the production has started. Assuming such a policy would be at the discretion of the theatre; does anyone know if this has ever been tried on Broadway or if there's a theatre with such a policy in place? Updated On: 5/7/07 at 12:50 PM

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 12:52pm

Wow. That is crazy.

I can't believe that would happen at a Broadway show!

[gumbo2]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 12:56pm

He's got his reviews of a few shows, including Lovemusik, posted a few threads down.

That is such a ridiculous thing to have happen in the theatre. I can't believe she hit her.

[MaronaDavies]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 12:56pm

That's just wild...for some reason, senior audiences seem to be really crabby sometimes. They're ruder and worse than the kids by far.

For the latecomners: tickets are a lot of money, traffic and mass transit in NYC can really suck, and if someone comes late and can be seated in an appropriate pause, it's not a worry to me. Ideally everyone should arrive on time, but when it comes down to it, a latecomer's much less of an annoyance to me than someone who won't stop talking during the show, someone who has slathered themselves in perfume or someone who feels the need to whip out the camera or cell phone.

[misschung]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 12:56pm

a lady sitting next to me rolled up her playbill and bopped the women sitting in front of her on the head for whispering.

lol! Oh wow... I love the word choice "bop" too.
I feel fortunate that I have never experienced this myself. The only thing that annoys me is when people have "Shhh-ed" me for laughing during a show. They did that during Hairspray when Harvey Fierstein had a funny line, I was like are you kidding me?

[mateo]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 12:57pm

wow, all the drama. I love it.

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 12:58pm

Eh, I don't know...I've wanted to slap some gum-MUNCHERS in my time.

[2373]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 12:59pm

oh my God I would have PAID to see that. I LOVE old people..

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 1:00pm

The worst audience behavior I've ever seen was at Phantom: a lady sitting next to me rolled up her playbill and bopped the women sitting in front of her on the head for whispering. No, I'm not joking.

Didn't Andrew Lippa write a column on Broadway.com suggesting the Playbill bop?

[madbrian]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 1:03pm

I would prefer that latecomers not be seated until intermission. In some cases, there could be an appropriate break, and seating someone on the aisle could be done with little distraction. However, if someone is sitting smack in the middle of row 10, center orch, it's hard to imagine getting them seated without disturbing those who arrived on time.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 1:04pm

Well, that teaches you that "older" doesn't always come along with "wiser"
When I was a kid, I always assumed older people were wiser and more mature. I was VERY wrong. All I wanted to say.

[StageFan2]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 1:08pm

"He's got his reviews of a few shows, including Lovemusik, posted a few threads down."

Thanks gumbo, I saw the thread after I posted and edited appropraitely.

[worrell4077]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 2:11pm

I think latecomers should be seated at intermission and during Act I should be in the back with the SRO.

"As the wife turns to sit, the woman sitting behind her slaps her face. It wasn't a harsh slap, it was actually like a slight smack...perhaps better described as a "tap to the head.""

Elderly catfight. You know, I don't care what someone does during a show even if it means sitting up, that doesn't give a person the right to physically touch them or hit them. The only reason for hitting someone is to defend yourself, not because they couldn't see and stood up to see.

"At intermission, the gentleman and his wife stood slowly and elegantly, she took his arm, and they gracefully and in their snooty own way, walked out giving evil glares to the audience. They didn't return for Act II."

So I guess it's not alright to P*** off old people huh????

Haven't these two and the rest of the people involved every heard of this thing called act your age. You expect this behavior from children, an elderly couple or any other senior citizens.

[*thinkpink18*]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 2:19pm

omg that is crazy. It's so stupid it's funny. I can't believe people actually behave like that, especially adults!

[misschung]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 2:19pm

Sometimes I think people assume that being older gives them permission to act however the heck they want.

I just remembered that my aunt threw a program at this woman's back at the NY Philharmonic, crazy lady that she is. I totally forgot about that, but this thread reminded me.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 3:09pm

Part of this is expected with subscriber audiences. But I agree that latecomers should never be seated until intermission. That was the rule for "Julia Roberts on Broadway" AKA THREE DAYS OF RAIN, which had plenty of blackouts throughout the first act, so why shouldn't it be the rule at any other show?

[LuPonatic]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 3:31pm

"so why shouldn't it be the rule at any other show?" because life happens and these people payed good money for their seats, just like you! Sometimes unforeseeable things happen and people should not be punished for them!

[Kringas]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 3:34pm

Somehow I doubt that 90% of latecomers are late for any reason other than they didn't care to plan enough to be on time.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 3:39pm

LuPonatic, the people who arrived on time paid good money to enjoy an uninterrupted Broadway performance throughout which they could sit and focus on what was happening on stage.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 3:40pm

Well I do know that when I saw Wicked, me and my family came up from South PA, the day before Easter. We left at 10:00 from home and because of the heavy traffic, we were late to the show. Thankfully, we were on the aisle, so we could be seated during an applause break. However, I see no problem seating latecomers at a blackout.