Laura Benanti Gave A Classy Read Last Night At MY FAIR LADY — Page 2

Pose2 said: "SmoothLover said: "She should not have broke character. Patrons are paying way too much money to have an actress break character and lecture them about phone etiquette. She know better."

Oh give it a rest. You try doing a three hour show 6 times a week, where people disrespect you, day after day. She is a human being. I doubt you would have acted any different. She knows better? She is not a child, don't treat her like one. She was right to call them out, each and every time. I hope she keeps doing it for the next few weeks."



No, I would not have done the same thing out of respect for the audience and my fellow performers. And if I was getting paid what she is getting paid, I would not have done it out of respect for Lincoln Center. I am sure they were less than thrilled. Phone issues are resolved between the stage manager and the front of house.

Updated On: 6/21/19 at 02:52 AM

to me the way Lin Manuel Miranda did it works best...he worked it into the song/rap and it was clear and in character. The Patti Lupone method of castrating the person is jarring and I think Laura should have just stayed in character and said politely SHUT THE FKG PHONE OFF lol..it would have been funny and effective. I hate when they go off..but I do see more people texting and that is a bigger distraction as the light on the phone keeps going on and on.. I just think people are clueless now

ArtMan said: "The sad reality is when the guilty party got home, he or she told everyone they knew how terrible they were treated at the theatre, instead of learning a lesson about turning off their phone, especially when reminded."



Agreed. Along with an unflattering Yelp review. I think phones will be checked in the future by an independent security company. The zip lock bag solution which has been discussed in other threads has worked very well in other theatres.

If I had been at the show and a phone went off and Laura had stopped the show to lecture the person with the phone, I would have been very disappointed. Get over yourself Laura.

LizzieCurry said: "I feel like the joy a lot of people find in telling actors what to do is just another facet of this problem."

!!!!!!!!!

PREACH!

I always power my phone off while entering the theater or shortly after getting to my seat.

I am the first to be annoyed all night at people who check their phones or don't turn them off - the theatre to me is an experience I want to immerse myself in and I paid a lot of money to do so... however, I don't think collecting up to 1900 phones and handing them back out when they all look the same and are often majorly expensive? Sounds like an accident waiting to happen. Not to mention the privacy issue, the insurance issue, the "this wasn't scratched before" issue... I don't see it happen, realistically. Personally, I wouldn't want to part ways with my phone either - it just isn't a coat.

Even if we did collect phones it won't stop people from bringing in noisy food (some of which is sold at the bar), talk, sing along in none-sing-along-shows/moments, be drunk or, just in general, rude in other ways.

I'd be so happy if actors would not have to break characters anymore to tell people to just enjoy the thing they paid for in a way that enables everybody else (including actors) to enjoy it also. I also understand that a handful of ushers may have a hard time to keep up to 1900 people in check. I have yet to find a solution to this problem that I think is realistic and practical without punishing every patron that decides to buy a ticket.

Regarding the pouch use at Freestyle Love Supreme, it should be noted, that production is paying for it not Shubert. I just feel that it is very important to point out. I just don't want someone down the line to make the incorrect assumption that if the are doing it at The Booth for that show, then other theaters can too. Within reasonable limits, the production can request the ability to do things that they think are reasonable. They wanted this set up, fine. But, Shubert essentially said that if they are wanting this to happen, it's on their dime.

And, sad to say, the pouches will never be a thing on Broadway. No company wants to take the extra financial annoyance of all this. People will complain, they will yell at the ushers about this, and it would be a big mess all around.

People already know what they are suppose to do. They just don't care. Until Producers and Theatre Owners tell their staff to remove the person with no refund it's just going to keep on happening. It's no different with movie theatres. Grow some and don't worry about a poor review or a call to Corporate.

There was an article a while back about the Apple I phones saying that the inventor had no idea that people would become so dependent on them and that they would have the capability to do the things that they can do. The inventor thought they would be used primarily for emergencies. I have noticed over the last few years that there has been less phone ringing and picture taking in the theatres in general. I can only deduct that people are slowly becoming more educated.

Updated On: 6/23/19 at 07:22 PM