Hilarious Comments Overheard By Tourists and Audience Members- Page 97

[quitetheatrical23]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 3:33pm

as people were leaving Next to Normal a few weeks ago, "Gee, I really think I need to be on some of those drugs." and someone approaching the merch table saying in a whisper "can I have one of the pillboxes please."

[Jane2]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 4:21pm

"jane...you've been around these boards often enough to know that THAT is never going to change. Some people just feel good about being nasty.

MOST of the posts here are innocent and fun. Berating all for a few that aren't isn't useful."

it's the very nature of this thread is what I object to. The purpose of this thread is to point how how "hilarious" (which is in the title) it is when a theater patron makes a mistake or doesn't know something that the geniuses on this board think they know about theater. As long as it exists, I'll complain.

[Biff AKA Levi]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 7:22pm

So complain to someone else, Jane. Maybe Rob or another moderator. Obviously, those in charge have no problem with this thread. If you don't like it so much, just don't read it. We're not hurting anyone's feelings. We're making a joke on their behalf, but isn't that life?

Back on point:
I don't think he was making fun of the "Ze" part... the German tourists said "Ze Colored People" instead of "The Color Purple". It's not just a mispronunciation, it's shockingly stupid.

He lives in Germany and last I heard, English is spoken throughout Europe and he has no excuse. It isn't like I went to Germany and butchered a German word because I'm some ignorant American.

[followyourbliss23]

Posted: 3/10/10 at 12:09pm

thanks biff for understanding where i was coming from. isn't it a long running joke that jfk said "i am a donut" ("ich bin ein berliner") instead of "i am a citizen of berlin" ("ich bin berliner") when speaking in berlin in the 60s?

i'm sure the germans had a good chuckle at that one.

anyways, lets get back to talking about theatre. and by the way, i'm a girl

[artscallion]

Posted: 3/10/10 at 1:40pm

That's an urban legend. Nobody back then thought he said he was a doughnut. that legend came much later by people trying to discredit Kennedy.

The indefinite article ein is omitted when speaking of an individual's profession or residence but is necessary when speaking in a figurative sense as Kennedy did. Since the president was not literally from Berlin but only declaring his solidarity with its citizens, "Ich bin Berliner" would not have been correct. So, he spoke correctly.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 3/10/10 at 1:56pm

"
as people were leaving Next to Normal a few weeks ago, "Gee, I really think I need to be on some of those drugs." and someone approaching the merch table saying in a whisper "can I have one of the pillboxes please.""

Wow.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 3/10/10 at 2:43pm

"it's the very nature of this thread is what I object to. The purpose of this thread is to point how how "hilarious" (which is in the title) it is when a theater patron makes a mistake or doesn't know something that the geniuses on this board think they know about theater. As long as it exists, I'll complain."

Jane2, Yes. It is hilarious. Why complain? The thread is targeted to the "geniuses on this board" with a knowledge that tourists do not. I don't find anything wrong with that.

"No, but you are most definitely saying things like "I can't believe how stupid people are", or how "unbelievable the ignorance is", etc.

Don't be making value judgments of people because they pronounced a stage actor's name wrong. Perhaps the personal insults could be left out of the posts."

I do agree with you there. It was never my intent when I created this thread to refer to the tourists who make these comments as "stupid." The humor comes from them being uninformed or thinking they know something but they don't. It doesn't make them "stupid"...just uninformed.

Updated On: 3/10/10 at 02:43 PM

[Sean2]

Posted: 3/10/10 at 4:58pm

Here's my little contribution to this very funny thread.

Years ago, here in London, I was leaving a play (which I think was Arthur Miller's 'The Ride Down Mount Morgan' [awful, don't ask]) and as usual the audience was talking away, but I heard two separate comments that were timed so brilliantly, it's made me laugh ever since:

Man (over on my right): Yeah, it was good. I laughed, I cried...

And then immediately off to my left, I heard:

Other Man: I had a bowel movement.


So, ever since, I have referred to great productions as "I laughed, I cried, I had a bowel movement."

Could there ever be a higher mark of quality?

[I'mNOTthatGIRL72]

Posted: 3/10/10 at 5:24pm

spelling bee...epic win...

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 3/10/10 at 5:32pm

I had a fun buncha folks behind me at Hair on Sunday. I, along with everyone else in the mezzanine, had the unmitigated gall to stand up to clap after Aquarius. The elderly woman started shrieking, "Harold, make her sit down! I can't see anything!" After I sat down she told me I ought to be ashamed and she would call the ushers if I 'pulled another stunt like that.'

She also freaked out during Sodomy and told her husband that they needed to go to Church after the show. After I Got Life, I looked behind me to see their reaction. She had her fingers in her ears and her husband was snoring.

I also saw a kid at Billy Elliot sobbing because 'he wanted to see the one with the crazy lady.'

[quitetheatrical23]

Posted: 3/31/10 at 2:00am

oveheard tonight at Lend me a Tenor, as someone saw David Hyde Pierce sitting in the audience:

"Is Curtains still playing?"

[fetzles1490]

Posted: 3/31/10 at 12:17pm

A friend who works as one of the water sellers at various shows told me this story:

While working at A View From The Bridge, she saw an usher offer a woman a playbill. The woman declined, saying she "already got one at Bye Bye Birdie."

[jamiekennywicked]

Posted: 3/31/10 at 2:04pm

Not Broadway but:

Oliver! at Drury Lane. After 'I Shall Scream' a woman behind me said: 'I thought this was based on the movie. That scene wasn't in the movie.'

Sister Act: Whoopi makes the pre show announcement and I heard this after she finished:
Woman: Wow, imagine coming all the way to England just to make a 2 minute long announcement
Man: Maybe she'll make a cameo
Woman: Deloris' Mum! (They Both Laugh)

Chicago uk tour: When Mary Sunshine came on stage for the first time and sang a man behind me says: 'She'd make a good Mary Poppins'.

[MeggilyWeggily08]

Posted: 4/1/10 at 11:01pm

When I was walking past the McDonals on 8th, which was overcrowded with spring breakers (obviously) I heard someone say (looking at the N2N billboard across the street) "I heard that, that show Next To Normal has some incredible dancing."
Not that I can't agree that Aaron and Kyle Dean's swinging around the poles is awesome; but it certainly made me laugh!

[Jane2]

Posted: 4/1/10 at 11:56pm

"So complain to someone else, Jane."

Nope. I'll post here because I can.

[Jane2]

Posted: 4/1/10 at 11:59pm

" She had her fingers in her ears and her husband was snoring. "

HAHAHA Now this is funny!

[Eos]

Posted: 5/26/10 at 11:28pm

"Lend Me a Tender! I think it's Lend Me a Tender!" Overheard at the TKTS booth today.
True story.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 5/26/10 at 11:40pm

When I was in NY at the end of last April, there was a woman in front of the entrance to Times Square Info Center who was dressed in a costume resembling one of the dancers in CHICAGO (she was passing out flyers for the Broadway production). Some Asian tourists approached her for photos. And by "some" I mean a large group of about 20.

A boy and his mother walk by and see the crowd and camera and wonder what the commotion is, so they're looking in that direction and the boy shouts out "Mom, LOOK, it's the girl from CHICAGO!! Can we get her autograph PLEASE mom?"

They approach the woman and ask her for her autograph. The mother says "we saw you last night, you were FANTASTIC!! How nice that you guys come out and promote your show."

[RKO Legend]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 2:12am

Back in I think it was 99, I saw the civil war musical and before the show started I heard this...

lady #1 - The south won the war right?
lady #2 - of course they did.

[singtopher]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 8:55am

Capn- That happens to the "Chicago" girls all the time.


More tales from the front lines (aka TKTS booth):

"ROCK OF AGES? That sounds biblical"

"What's Sodom on Sodom about?"

"If I can't get a ticket to the half price show, how do I get a ticket to the real show?"

[rjm516]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 10:41pm

Sodom on Sodom is hilarious!

[Piper3500]

Posted: 5/28/10 at 10:11am

"I had a fun buncha folks behind me at Hair on Sunday. I, along with everyone else in the mezzanine, had the unmitigated gall to stand up to clap after Aquarius. The elderly woman started shrieking, "Harold, make her sit down! I can't see anything!" After I sat down she told me I ought to be ashamed and she would call the ushers if I 'pulled another stunt like that.'

She also freaked out during Sodomy and told her husband that they needed to go to Church after the show. After I Got Life, I looked behind me to see their reaction. She had her fingers in her ears and her husband was snoring. "

that is funny. i would have had a few choice words for her to make her go to church sooner. what was her reaction to three-five-zero-zero?

[Tori_Ann]

Posted: 7/29/10 at 4:53pm

*BUMP*

This thread makes me laugh. Sorry I don't have anything to contribute.

[AvenueQResident]

Posted: 7/29/10 at 4:58pm

At the UK tour of 'Hairspray', a lady was complaining that it had been advertised with Michael Ball (Edna Turnblad) in the leading role (the sole reason why she came) - she was ranting over the fact that the lead was being played by a woman.

...

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 7/29/10 at 5:05pm

I work at a show in NYC...I won't say which cause I don't want to get in trouble.

BUT, there were a bunch of walk-outs last night. Two couples left and one woman turned to me and said, 'It was like root canal. I was about to slap the person in front of me in the back of the head because he was laughing.'

I had to run into the bathroom, I was laughing so hard.