Food in the Theatre- Page 2

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 5/28/07 at 7:20pm

the only reason theaters sell food and drinks is to make some extra money, which is very sad.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 5/28/07 at 7:36pm

"Spare me the hypoglacemic exceptions, I'm talking about a general rule."

Do you have hypoglycemia?

My hypoglycemia was acting up a few weeks ago, so I went to the doctor's. He said that people with hypoglycemia should be eating six smaller meals a day rather than three large meals. I've been to doctors in the past and they've mentioned to me to carry around a package of crackers. That way if I felt dizzy or sick, I could just eat a couple to hold me over until I could get some more food in my stomach.

"Hypoglycimia runs in my family and we can sit through shows without eating... "

Everybody's body is different. I can have a meal before a show and still get a small headache during the show. So unfortunately I sometimes have to buy those overpriced snacks they sell in the lobby. As long as I am not disturbing anyone or making a huge mess, sorry, my health comes first.

The bigger problem is people who act like they are at home in a Broadway theater and can do what they want - putting their feet up on the seat in front of them, talking loudly during the show, or (more related to this thread) eating meals in the theatre.

As for people who don't have health issues, I am for a ban on food in theaters as long as the theaters are banning their overpriced snacks from being brought inside and are restricted to the lobby area (although some theaters such as the Shubert have their concession stand in the back and not in a separate lobby).

Updated On: 5/28/07 at 07:36 PM

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 5/28/07 at 7:38pm

In most theatres, the food is sold to be eaten during intermission, not during the show to distract everyone around you. You should not be crinkling wrappers or chomping on M&Ms, peanuts and popcorn during dialogue.

millie, I'm hypoglycemic as well. The issue is that 99% of the audience probably isn't and just want an excuse to stuff their face.

And Roxy, a theatre is NOT the same as a baseball stadium. If you can't tell the difference, you and the wife need lessons in etiquette (or basic observation skills).

Updated On: 5/28/07 at 07:38 PM

[winston89]

Posted: 5/28/07 at 7:39pm

In all the Nederlander theatres they let you bring food to your seats. I recall when I was at hairspray a couple of years ago they sold popcorn at the downstaris bar and let you take it to your seats. At Rent they have one of those sprayers that despence soda and its 4 bucks for a medium plastic cup of coke. Now that, is overpriced. Last time I went to a show and I knew I would want a soda during the break I went to a hot dog cart bought a can of coke and put it in my pocked. During intermission I went outside the theatre and drank it.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 5/28/07 at 7:41pm

"In most theatres, the food is sold to be eaten during intermission, not during the show."

Most theaters allow you to bring food back to your seats, so people abuse that privilege and noisily eat during the show. I've eaten during the show too, but that was when I started getting a headache. And again, I've only had small snacks.

[keybowvio]

Posted: 5/28/07 at 8:12pm

Why not sell twizzlers and other types of quiet snacks and re-wrap them in cloth napkins?

I mean, you're already paying, what $7? for a container of twizzlers?

Hey an even better idea, charge $8 and on the way out, collect the clothe napkins and give a $1 rebate to those who return the napkins!

cloth napkin = no krinkle noise!

oh wait, there's still the problem of people being rude and obnoxious and chomping down loudly on their snacks.

hmmm... a perplixing problem: even if the theater sells their food in "quiet" wrappers, people will still most likely be obnoxious when they eat it.

The way I see it, there will always be rude people in the theater. No matter what anyone does (except eject them from the theater). However, the fact that the theater sells food that is noisy when eating/unwrapping no matter what the consumer does (such as M&MS), just facilitates this problem.

The theater should not be to blame for rude and distracting behavior by patrons, but sadly, in the case of allowing people to bring noisy food items back to there seat and consume them during the performance, they are.

In the case of Millie and others in his(her?) situation, they do diserve an exception, as long as they use common curtousey and make an effort to avoid needing to eat such food during the performance (like eating beforehand), or are quiet if they do have to eat something during the performance.

IMO- food does not belong in the theater, in general, it is distracting to others around the person eating and possibly performers. Hey, why not allow extensive cell phone usage, or even loud, obnoxious animalistic sex? so long as you're enjoying the show, right? Who cares about the person next to you?
Unfortunately, this seems to be the attitude of to many people who frequent the theater today.
Updated On: 5/28/07 at 08:12 PM

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 5/28/07 at 10:11pm

Keybowvio is right, there's always going to be rude people in theaters whether or not there is a food ban.

The point Mr. Roxy and I are trying to make is that it's pretty ironic that theaters sell food that is allowed to be brought into the theaters when they supposedly have a rule that doesn't allow outside food into theaters.

[keybowvio]

Posted: 5/28/07 at 10:37pm

It's not ironic, its called ripping their patrons off. I mean, they already took $100 out of your pocket and then they charge two times more (at least) for food items, and they don't allow you to bring food in.

once again, it's not irony, its ripping people off.

If you are trying to say that it is unfair or a rule made in poor taste, then I have to agree with you though.

off topic:
just out of curiosity (and convenience for the next time that I use a personal pronoun to refer to you) Millie, are you a guy or a gal?

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 5/28/07 at 10:51pm

Granted, 3 hours isn't a long time but I am prone to kidney stones so drinking water is very important.

I went to bring a bottle of water in (with a cap) and they told me I couldn't and that I would have to buy it at the counter and couldn't bring it into the theatre. I wasn't about to argue so I just let it go and bought a tiny bottle of water for a ridiculous $4.00. I did end up bringing in the theatre because I put it in my coat pocket.

Another time, I went in with my bottle of water, sat down and began to watch the show. After the first song, 2 people behind me came in.
After a while I became thirsty so I quietly picked up my water bottle. As I was drinking it (quietly), one of the people who walked in late tapped me on the shoulder and said that I needed to stop drinking and throw it out because it's not allowed. I would have loved to say something to them about walking in late!

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 5/28/07 at 11:37pm

I'm a she.

It is ironic, and it is also a tactic they are using to try to lure theater patrons into buying the overpriced food. They sell overpriced crap at any live entertainment event nowadays.

[Jane2]

Posted: 5/28/07 at 11:53pm

"Do you have hypoglycemia? "

Yes, I do! I have to eat something every 2 or 3 hours. But with me it doesn't really matter what I eat, just as long as I have something. If I don't, I very quickly get dizzy, disoriented, irritable, and unable to continue.

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 5/29/07 at 12:04am

True story at Chicago last night.

A british couple took the standing room spots next to me after intermission and immediately started rustling their bag of pretzels, crunching obnoxiously and chatting to each other about their sexual prowess and whatnot. I gave them my patented "Please shut up" stare. The man then said to his girlfriend "She's glaring at me. She could always move." To which I said "You could always not be rude during the show." And he said "Try and stop me!"

WHAT ON EARTH. And suggesting I move when they weren't even in their correct seats. How utterly horrible. No food in the theater, please! I miss the unwrap your hard candy announcements, too.

[MaronaDavies]

Posted: 5/29/07 at 12:29am

I don't think anyone really has a problem with people who quietly sip a bottle of water or clandestinely eat a hard candy or a cough drop. Life is what it is, and sometimes you do need something to calm a sore throat, help keep your sugar stable, keep hydrated, etc.

Does someone need a bag of popcorn, a sandwich or a 32 oz cup of Pepsi? I don't think so. And more often than not, people behave like pigs...they crinkle wrappers, they eat noisily and they leave trails of garbage in their wake. I've been at shows where people have had the McDonald's out, and it's been repulsive. And I'm sure the theatre cleaners love having to get all that stuff out of the carpets and seats.

As to the prices of the food, yeah, it's a ripoff, but so is food at movie theaters, concerts, etc. Remember the theatre owners don't set the prices, though. The concessions people are always outside companies (you see them advertising for employees on Playbill a lot) and they make their own price lists.
Updated On: 5/29/07 at 12:29 AM

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 5/29/07 at 2:40am

shesamarshmallow: Where did the couple originally stand? Or were they sitting and decided to stand?

[mattonstage]

Posted: 5/29/07 at 8:03am

As someone who makes their living selling the overpriced items at the theater (if you can call the tips I get making a living, but that's another thread entirely), I don't think food should be allowed in the theater. Water bottles I have no problem with, but we sell pretzels, which always puzzles me. They ask for quiet, no talking, no cell phones, etc., but then we sell loud plastic bags of crunchy pretzels.

[Jane2]

Posted: 5/29/07 at 8:07am

"Remember the theatre owners don't set the prices, though"

Some do. There's a certain minimum price they charge in order to make a profit, and how far above that they go is up to them.

I've already worked in two theaters who do.

[Jane2]

Posted: 5/29/07 at 8:41am

"the only reason theaters sell food and drinks is to make some extra money, which is very sad".

In some theaters, the profit they make on concessions can't be considered "extra" in the way we think of it. That's what's sad to me.

[The Boy From Ohio]

Posted: 5/29/07 at 9:20am

If food is avalible than people will eat it. In Atlanta at the Fox they sell everything and by the end of the show there is trash and popcorn everywhere. Here in Ohio they sell alot snacks even high end candy and chocolates. There are sign's everywhere about no food in theater except bottled water. But people eat in the theater all the time. I guess I'm lucky I've never really been bothered by anyone eating around me, other than a few people unwrapping candy.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 5/29/07 at 9:49am

In terms of people who need to eat every three hours or so, why not eat right before you go into the theatre and then again right as you get out? Unless it's Moon or something else long, problem solved. I'm not affected with blood sugar issues, but what I see consistently is the "2-3 hour window"...so it just makes sense to me that if you eat right before you go in and right after you leave, you should be fine. If you have to eat something in the middle of the show, there's intermission. If it's a one act show, you're not even close to your window.

Twice at 110 I've had distraction issues with foods. The first time, the guy next to me bought peanuts at intermission and they were in a cellophane bag...and the dolt proceeded to remove the peanuts one at a time from the bag. I glared, the people in front of us glared, and finally the female half of the couple he and his date were with (his date did NOTHING) whispered loudly to pour them in his hand. I've never been so tempted to suddenly become allergic to peanuts in my life. Then on Sunday I swear someone behind us had a picnic lunch. We actually heard plates and silverware clinking! That is ridiculous.