Is something going on with the ushers at Shrek?

[Parks]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 12:29am

I saw Shrek a few nights ago and something was kind of strange with the ushers that night... one of them, who was in the rear mezz, was a man who was being VERY difficult. I'm assuming it was the house manager who came up to the mezz and yelled to him to take off his vest (since it wasn't part of his uniform, I'm assuming) and the usher yelled back, "It's too cold. Tell them to turn up the heat and I will!" Later, there was a flash in the audience and one of the other ushers told this man usher that there was a flash in the front mezz, to which he responded, "It's not in my section."

The ushers were telling people to turn off their cell phones a good 10 minutes before the show--yelling at people who were texting. I felt like I was in middle school again, being yelled at for being on my phone. I know to turn off my phone before the show begins, but honestly, it doesn't have to be off 10 minutes before the show. I know she was just trying to do her job, but she was being pretty rude. There's a pre-show announcement for a reason.

At the curtain call, there was a flash from the front mezz (where I moved to for act 2) and an usher in front house left of the orchestra--SHINED his flashlight up in the mezz for a few seconds, blinding us.

It was the first time I really noticed a house having a distractingly strict/unpleasant staff. Maybe they're all just on edge because of all of the little kids talking during the shows?

[etoile]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 12:44am

I was under the impression that cell phones were not permitted to be on inside the theatre starting at the lobby. Period. Not 10 minutes before a performance, not during a performance. How difficult is it to comply? Or rather is it a case of how important do people really think they are?

[Winston3]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 1:07am

There is nothing wrong with being on your phone before the show starts or at intermission. It is being on the phone or using it when the show starts that is a problem. I have never run into a situation where someone standing in the corner of the theatre talking during intermission got yelled at by an usher before. I have seen people texting or just playing around on their phones getting yelled at because the ushers fear that they might take a picture of the set which is against the law.

Other then that using your cell phone to make a call in the lobby during intermission or things of that nature aren't breaking the rules in any way at all.

I do think that the ushers there were over the top in the way that they were acting and handling things.

[alxscrz2]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 1:17am

I never turn my phone off when im at a show. I always put it on on vibrate. I don't care what any usher says about turning off my phone because god forbid something happens to one of my family members and my family needs me and can't get in contact with me because my phone is off. My family comes first then any show

[Tag]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 1:20am

So you didn't leave the house before the invention of cell phones?

[BarockosModernLife]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 1:20am

how about u not bring ur phone at all? duh lol that would fix the problem!

[lakezurich]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 1:24am

alxscrz2, I respectfully don't agree with that at all. Especially since when someone's phone goes off in the middle of a show they usually turn to everyone around them and say "Sorry, I thought I put it on vibrate." Would it not just be easier to turn off the phone, and if you are really concerned about your family turn your phone on during intermission and check if you have a voicemail, or text message?

One time when I was seeing Wicked the phone of the lady sitting next to me started ringing and she did the embarrassed "Sorry, I thought I put it on Vibrate." I was so tempted to smack her. It's just so very disrespectful.

Updated On: 1/16/09 at 01:24 AM

[alxscrz2]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 1:28am

I always make sure its on vibrate. Actually I never take my phone off of vibrate. The ringer annoys me, lol

[etoile]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 1:28am

Why do some continue to try and justify bad behavior?

"There is nothing wrong with being on your phone before the show starts or at intermission." So says you, but is it your theatre?

I wish more ushers, and doormen, were more over the top. I love it when some egocentric poster gets their nose bent out of shape and runs here to post about.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 1:35am

"I'm assuming it was the house manager who came up to the mezz and yelled to him to take off his vest (since it wasn't part of his uniform, I'm assuming) and the usher yelled back, 'It's too cold. Tell them to turn up the heat and I will!'"

I have a hard time believing it was the house manager...he wouldn't go up to the mezzanine during walk-in for that, when the Broadway is one of the only theaters that has an entire heirarchy of usher management.

If it was a husky black man in a suit...then it was the house manager.

"There is nothing wrong with being on your phone before the show starts or at intermission."

Actually there is. Technically speaking, there is a New York City law that bans the use of cell phones in Broadway theaters and cinemas, etc. "Use" is defined as listening to or talking into a cell phone. It's not really enforceable, but it is is still illegal nonetheless. Aside from that, by using your ticket to enter a theater, you are entering a contract where you agree to abide by the theater's rules. If they want you to shut off your cell phone ten minutes prior to the performance, you have no legal right to refuse. They'll mostly just keep hounding you, though. I find it funny that people always applaud the pre-show announcement, yet they leave their cell phones on!

"I never turn my phone off when im at a show. I always put it on on vibrate. I don't care what any usher says about turning off my phone because god forbid something happens to one of my family members and my family needs me and can't get in contact with me because my phone is off. My family comes first then any show"

Then maybe you shouldn't be at the theater, but rather stay at home. What did you do back before there were no cell phones? The odds are low that something would happen while you are at a theater. As I said above, if you see a show, you are agreeing to abide by the theater's rules and have no actual legal right to refuse. Your response demonstrates the selfish society we live in as if you are more inportant than the people you are disturbing.

[rjjn]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 1:45am

I don't understand why people get to extremely angry about this. Sure, it's rude to the performers and the audience, but you have to remember that it might be the first Broadway show for some, and don't know the extent of the rules besides avoiding the phone going off during the performance. A simple reminder or comment would fix it, without any rudeness whatsoever from the ushers (or other audience members).

[nexttoelectric]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 1:50am

THE MAKE A GOD DAMNED ANNOUNCEMENT BEFORE THE SHOW?


HOW COULD THEY NOT KNOW THAT TEHY SHOULD TURN OFF THEIR FU**ING PHONES IF THEY ARE THERE FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT? IT BEING THEIR FIRST SHOW IS NO EXCUSE. THEY MAKE A GOD DAMNED FU**ING ANNOUNCEMENT FOR CHRIST'S SAKE.

[Elke]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 1:53am

No need to shout. The OP said that the audience members were texting 10 minutes before curtain. So the announcement had not yet been made.

[nexttoelectric]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 1:57am

if you read the thread you'll see what my post was in response to


but thanks for playing.

[LadyRosecoe]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 2:02am

At least the ushers were doing something productive, rather than letting things slip by. If more ushers were proactive in preventing audience mishap then we wouldn't have Patti Lupone stopping shows to do it herself.

Posted: 1/16/09 at 2:06am

even though they make an announcement, people STILL won't turn off their phones. Then they ring during the show, people asnswer them and hold a conversation at normal speech level as though they are sitting at home in front of the t.v. It's as though the announcement was never made. I can't tell you how many shows I've been at where people were texting, talking on their phones are reading messages sent by others. It's distracting and rude to everyone around them and especially to the actors working there asses off up on the stage. THAT is why the ushers yell at you to turn off your phones. No one listens to the announcement because are probably talking on their phone or texting so the long suffering ushers have to yell at the audience like they are a bunch of animals to get them to abide by the rules. In my estimation, it is not the usher who are the problem. It's the audience.

[Parks]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 2:11am

Some of the ushers were over the top--but there was the one who was doing VERY little--the one who was being difficult.

and I believe it was a husky black man that came to tell him to take it off, if I remember correctly, actually. It may have just be another usher though--I don't know who is in charge of the ushers before shows, but somebody yelled at him to take it off.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 2:12am

Are you people ****ing serious?

[Elke]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 2:17am

if you read the thread you'll see what my post was in response to. but thanks for playing.

If you don't quote, then it gets kind of hard to guess to which post you are replying. And you're very welcome :)

On topic: I'm afraid that a lot of audience members don't even take those announcements seriously. Often, people actually *laugh* when they're asked to unwrap their candies before the start of the show. I mean, come on...

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 2:19am

Mm. Updated On: 1/16/09 at 02:19 AM

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 2:36am

Um, all you need to do is look around the city and know that people are rude and obnoxious. Why would you leave your newspaper on the subway when you know you'll be passing a trash can on your way out of the station? Why would you throw your empty soda can onto the train tracks when there's a trash can right next to you? Why would you pee all over a seat and not wipe it off? Because people don't care. It's just plain rude. Turn the phone on silent, and keep it in your lap. If it lights up, then you know you've got an incoming call or a text message, or something.

When I saw "Prayer for My Enemy," however, I had a horrible time (not to mention the play sucked). The guy behind me said he couldn't see if I slouched forward with my hands on my knees, which is mostly how I sit to watch a show. I mean, is it rude of me not to comply? I mean, sure I paid student prices, but I still paid to see the show. Why should I have to sit a certain way just so he can see a little better? (I did comply). And, the seating is stadium style, so I'm not sure how me leaning forward meant he couldn't see, but whatever. Anyways, the theater is relatively small, and my Ipod actually went off during the show because it was in my coat pocket which was on my lap. And it made a horribly obnoxious noise because the volume was way up. It was an accident, and with the man behind me yelling at me at the same time, I was just so over seeing the play and ready to leave. Moral of the story: You don't know other people's situations, and you don't know why things happen the way they do. So what if someone's cell phone goes off? Maybe they really did turn it to silent and accidently hit it? Who knows? Who cares? Usually it's 5 seconds of ringing, and then it's over. Did you really miss that much? I mean, it's freakin' Shrek: the musical. I don't think you missed any big plot points.

[etoile]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 3:11am

What part of turning your phone off so it doesn't light up on your lap don't you understand?

"Because people don't care. It's just plain rude." Or does that just apply to others?

[binau]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 3:15am

It's completely unreasonable for the ushers to expect you to turn off your phone 10 minutes early IMO - it isn't disturbing anyone.

I suppose they want to make sure everything is well and settled before the show though so I can understand a little, but still.

Power hungry ushers!!

[etoile]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 3:34am

It's completely illegal for the phone to be on. But I guess if you think you're the center of the universe you rationalize your bad behavior.

Power hungry patrons!!

[dancnqn5]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 4:04am

From someone who's worked on the technical side of theatre as well as performing, the turning off of cell phones isn't JUST that they are distracting as hell when they ring (and the blue screen/lights aren't any better, just turn them off!). It's also a big technical thing. Phones should be turned off (or at least set to airplane mode... not vibrate or silent) because it messes with the sound equiptment. Not to mention the headsets that are used to call a show. If you've ever had a cell phone close to a computer when it rings, you know that lovely little obnoxious sound the computer makes? The headsets do the same thing. Which could cause someone to miss a cue as well as be just plain annoying. That's why they tell you to turn them off. There are plenty of reasons, so why not just comply for a couple of hours (turn them on at intermission if need to to check if there's been some sort of emergency if you're that paranoid).