If Your Children are talking and restless-take them out

Unfortunately common sense seems to be overlooked these days. If only we could have an app for that

<<edited by BWW staff>>

Sarah, it’s not just you, I promise. And it’s not just parents of young children. Even the other night at MEDEA, I had to tell the people in front of me to stop filming the show four times. It was 80 minutes long. Audience behavior is only getting worse.

Updated On: 1/27/20 at 06:55 PM

Highland Guy said: "SarahNYC2 said: "I am just in shock by the whole incident."



In a 2018 thread, you also complained about parents bringing babies andtoddlers to the theater. You will survive. Get over it.

"

No customer should get over anything that prevents them to fully enjoy the experience they paid for. As a mother of two teens, who used to be toddlers, I would have said something too. I started bringing the kids to the theater when they turned 7-8. I had to take out my daughter from the Nutcraker (she was 5 I think) because she got bored during the second act, so we both don't disrupt the performance for people around us who paid an arm and a leg for the mid orchestra tickets. If I go to a theater, even a family musical like Aladdin, I expect no constant disruption either. Theater isn't a Disneyworld.

iluvtheatertrash said: "Highland, you are insufferable. Do you have nothing better to do than go into every thread and insult people? Get a hobby,

Sarah, it’s not just you, I promise. And it’s not just parents of young children. Even the other night at MEDEA, I had to tell the people in front of me to stop filming the show four times. It was 80 minutes long. Audience behavior is only getting worse."

They don't even bother to hide it anymore. I see blatant bootlegs of shows like Moulin Rouge! on social media all the time. Audiences respecting performers seems to have gone WAY downhill.

I've seen a general slide in behavior at theaters over the past few years, and in cinemas/movie theaters too. (I don't think i've seen a movie recently where people haven't talked throughout.)

The thing is, I can kind of understand that when you're watching a film it's a reasonably cheap night out so there will be a range of people in the audience. Theater though? Who can afford to pay $100+ for a ticket and then miss most of the show by talking through it?! Aside from spoiling everyone else's night, you're just wasting your money.

Children I suppose it's a bit different, as some will be having their first experience of the theater and the parents won't know if they'll be quiet/well behaved or not, but it's still their responsibility to take reasonable steps to either encourage good behavior or take them out. Disney shows must be the worst for that, people often seem to assume that because it's family orientated that it's solely for kids and therefore they can behave how they like. The first time I saw Lion King was like a school assembly with them all taking really loudly between each scene, it was dreadful. (Thankfully second time was must better, proving that well behaved kids do exist too!)

Seeing Hadestown last year was amazing. We were at the back of one of the boxes, and the 4 people in front left at the intermission. There was nobody in the immediate vicinity to distract me at all, I was so happy!

I did not know children that young could go to a show.

Highland Guy said: "SarahNYC2 said: "I am just in shock by the whole incident."



In a 2018 thread, you also complained about parents bringing babies andtoddlers to the theater. You will survive. Get over it.

I might have posted that-I think it was about Frozen and a crying baby. This annoys the heck out of me, and I think it should be addressed by theaters all over. I have an 11 year old daughter. She has been going to shows since age 3. At 3 I took her to Mary Poppins-the 2nd half she began to get restless. I took her to the room where they had a video where we could watch. I waited another year before taking her to the theater. The next time no issue. I find out OUTRAGEOUS that a parent/caretaker would think it was ok to allow their child(ten) to get up/sit down/whine/cry. I have season tickets to Orlando's Broadway shows-it's less expensive than seeing shows in NYC, however it still costs money-these 3 seats were almost 200 dollars and I went to brunch as we made a day out of it. I do not want it ruined by something like this. So I am not going to just get over it.

Now I have made the decision that I am no longer going to Disney musicals. I know this can happen at any show, but I think it happens more at Disney Broadway theater. I suspect Frozen may be touring next year and I plan to not go see it because I know I'll be aggravated. I also plan to email the theater as I did not feel the usher addressed this situation.
"

SarahNYC2 said: "Highland Guy said: "SarahNYC2 said: "I am just in shock by the whole incident."

In a 2018 thread, you also complained about parents bringing babies andtoddlers to the theater. You will survive. Get over it.

I might have posted that-I think it was about Frozen and a crying baby. This annoys the heck out of me, and I think it should be addressed by theaters all over. I have an 11 year old daughter. She has been going to shows since age 3. At 3 I took her to Mary Poppins-the 2nd half she began to get restless. I took her to the room where they had a video where we could watch. I waited another year before taking her to the theater. The next time no issue. I find out OUTRAGEOUS that a parent/caretaker would think it was ok to allow their child(ten) to get up/sit down/whine/cry. I have season tickets to Orlando's Broadway shows-it's less expensive than seeing shows in NYC, however it still costs money-these 3 seats were almost 200 dollars and I went to brunch as we made a day out of it. I do not want it ruined by something like this. So I am not going to just get over it.

Now I have made the decision that I am no longer going to Disney musicals. I know this can happen at any show, but I think it happens more at Disney Broadway theater. I suspect Frozen may be touring next year and I plan to not go see it because I know I'll be aggravated. I also plan to email the theater as I did not feel the usher addressed this situation.
""

I completely agree with you and will now only go see Disney shows on weeknights. I also had a situation with a crying infant in the theater the 1st time I saw Frozen. There were also a lot of little kids making noise throughout the show. The St. James doesn't seem to honor the posted policy about the show being for ages 4 and above. Though I don't think this is limited to Disney shows. In one of the Tina threads, a poster recently posted about someone at the box office trying buy a ticket for their infant.

It's too bad that the Disney touring shows don't have the monitor and video feeds in the lobby the way their Broadway counterparts do. I get why it's hard to do on the road but I do think it's helpful.

yankeefan7 said: "I did not know children that young could go to a show."

This is the weird thing - Broadway theatres sometimes explicitly have house rules about minimum ages. But in my experience, they are not always enforced at 'family' shows.

qolbinau said: "yankeefan7 said: "I did not know children that young could go to a show."

This is the weird thing - Broadway theatres sometimes explicitly have house rules about minimum ages. But in my experience, they are not always enforced at 'family' shows."

And the irony is that most people bend over backwards NOT to complain when kids are the problem; of course, the parents who bring them, and do not have the good sense to take them to the lobby for awhile if they are acting up, are the real problem.

You are the one who is not living in reality. Why should someone pay good money to see a live performance, only to have that enjoyment shot in the head by bad behavior.

Completely agree, with everything you've said. No one is entitled to screw up your enjoyment of any performance, let no one tell you differently.

Updated On: 1/27/20 at 05:12 PM