Front Row Follies- Sequel to Lupone's Audience Behavior

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 3:46pm

Patti's really a wild and crazy kinda gal and her audience antics are right on the money, unfortunately too often.

Actors CAN see and sometimes hear everything in the first few rows; nose pickers, picnicers, snorkers, sneezers, farters, chatters, sleepers, smilers, etc. Have we no class!

It's a great place to see most shows. I thought I'd share a few personal front row follies. This took place at the Plymouth Thea. during the run of Jekyll & Hyde. Front row at the Plymouth is 6" from the lip of the stage (orchestra pit is upper stage left) so you are really "part of the action" onstage.

This can be a bad thing if you are a spitting actor and a front row patron. One patron, quite familiar with Rob Evan's flowing juices, used her souviner program as a shield during "The Confrontation" scene to avoid any projectile liquids. Rob nearly lost it as he looked down at her.

Another Plymouth show involved an actor's final performance, (details shall remain nameless). He dared us to "tomatoe him" for his final curtain call. As we proceeded to line up plastic tomatoes on the edge of the stage, he went stark white and used another leading man as a decoy to avoid being a target. The audience wasn't sure what was going on as he held his hands close to his face in a praying position during his final bows.

Also, beware of actors who see you sitting in the front rows and have the urge to "connect" with you either visually or physcially. This can be fatal during an innapropiate time if you get a case of the giggles...onstage or in the seats.

Lastly, never bring a container of tuna salad within the first few rows of an overheated theater. It wasn't me, but trust me, it travels.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 3:52pm

Speaking of spitters, wear noreaster gear if you are in the first row of any show with Briane O Bryne ( if spelling is wrong I apologize )

[Katurian2]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 4:15pm

lol- The wonderful Michael Cerveris is a little bit of a spitter as well. People didn't resort to programs, but they leaned away from his firing range as he went to the front of the stage.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 5:31pm

There's something mesmerizing about watching the spitters, um, spit.

[emo_geek]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 5:38pm

I was in the front row of Night Mother and it took the life of me to act like i was interested and not fall asleep because I thought that would be rude.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 5:44pm

"This can be fatal during an innapropiate time if you get a case of the giggles...onstage or in the seats."

That happened to me at Rent during Seasons of Love one time. I made the actor playing Mark laugh and he screwed up the song. At least it wasn't Angel's funeral or something.

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/22/06 at 1:10am

The first time I saw The Color Purple (front row rush tix) I was kinda chair dancing during "Miss Celie's Pants" (what can I say, I liked the beat), and I swear that one of the Church Ladies winked at me.

Then tonight (as posted in my other thread) my friend and I who won the Wicked lotto got a "yeah I saw you in the front row" from Eden as she was making her way down the stage door line.
Updated On: 1/22/06 at 01:10 AM

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 1/22/06 at 1:15am

The spitter is a great story, it made me laugh. I'm not sure i would put smilers in a list of the bad myself.

[SirLiir]

Posted: 1/22/06 at 1:45am

John Lithgow...oh my. I think his spit traveled to the third row.

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 1/22/06 at 10:43pm

I adore Michael Cerveris. But wow. He could turn spitting into an olympic sport.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 1/22/06 at 10:50pm

haha- Bring an umbrella to Sweeney Todd

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 1/22/06 at 11:31pm

just thought of another front row experience, and pray this gentleman doesn't visit BWW. I have a very, very robustly large theater friend who squeezed himself a 2nd row seat of a certain popular show. His pants pocket caught on the end of the arm of the chair during the standing ovation and he ripped his trousers from his pocket to his thigh, about an 8" tear.

People behind us were gasping. He hadn't realized he was taking on major air in his pants. The best I could do was offer him my full length leather coat to drape over his shoulder,
kinda casual sheik style. The poor guy didn't remove the coat the entire night. As the wind caught the coat there was a major moon sighting in the streets of NYC that night.

[ken8631]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 4:18pm

Boy From Oz was quite a front row experience. Lots of audience interaction. Saw the show 28 times, all but 3 from the front row.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 4:27pm

Michael Rupert
La Chanze
Stephen Bogardus

All spitters!

[BSoBW3]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 5:53pm

Notice - the GOOD ones are the ones who spit.