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

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 6/21/19 at 2:52am

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

[Pose2]

Posted: 6/21/19 at 4:52am

Except they weren't. They did nothing, it kept on ringing. She stood up for herself and you seem to have a real problem with that. Sorry, unless you've done her job, you have no idea what it's like or what you would actually do. Sometimes, it's not about the money. She did the right thing in respecting herself. 

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 6/21/19 at 5:54am

“Phone issues are resolved between the stage manager and the front of house.”

In an ideal world, yes. Reality? Not always the case.

The audience was already taken out of the show when an iPhone goes off in what is supposed to be 1912. IMO, Laura actually helped end the moment sooner - if the idiot hadn’t been called out, they would have let it keep going.

[ArtMan]

Posted: 6/21/19 at 7:41am

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.

[bryan2]

Posted: 6/21/19 at 9:08am

 

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

[kdogg36]

Posted: 6/21/19 at 9:35am

OffOnBwayHi said: "The phones just need to be checked, that the only way, I believe."

I hope we can find a solution that does not in any way inconvenience those of us who are absolutely fastidious about turning our cell phones off at every performance.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 6/21/19 at 1:53pm

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.

 

 

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 6/21/19 at 2:22pm

Get over yourself. Every time I have been at a show when a cell phone rings, I am already taken out of the show. Now my attention is completely on the ringing noise and where it's coming from, and when the guilty party just lets it ring and ring I can't even concentrate on what is being said onstage. I've already missed the next part of the scene, they should stop the show and shame the person involved. If people actually had consequences for their actions maybe they would learn.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/21/19 at 2:25pm

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

[Pose2]

Posted: 6/21/19 at 2:51pm

Get over yourself. 

Yup.  

[OffOnBwayHi]

Posted: 6/21/19 at 4:27pm

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!

[MyFavoriteBrunette]

Posted: 6/21/19 at 6:01pm

Islander_fan said: "I usher as you may already know. And, when I hear a phone go off, I jump up to find out where the sound is coming from. However, there are many times where it's turned off before I can see where exactly it's coming from. We do try, and, it's not like we don't care. But, there's only so much we can do."

As as a sub-usher, I agree with Islander_Fan’s statement here and also one can’t police the cell phones to the point of ruining someone else’s experience of theater in the mix.  One can only approach a patron so many times before it needs to be escalated. The person next to them can be more annoyed by us and our flashlights than the person on their phone.  But we are always present for every ring, every bright phone display, every video or photo capture, social media scrolling during a show and are there to help make the performance a little more enjoyable for others by minimizing distractions.  I can beg on my knees before the show to please turn off your cell phones and people just don’t wanna do it.  Something really important is gonna happen in that phone that can’t wait an hour til intermission 

 

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/21/19 at 6:08pm

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

[MyFavoriteBrunette]

Posted: 6/21/19 at 6:18pm

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

And for this... we thank you!  (takes bow) 

[Erzlump]

Posted: 6/21/19 at 8:03pm

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.

[schubox]

Posted: 6/21/19 at 9:02pm

Looks like they’re using the phone pouches for Freestyle Love Supreme

[Elfuhbuh]

Posted: 6/21/19 at 9:45pm

I personally wouldn't feel comfortable letting security take my phone at the door, and that's speaking as someone who always turns their phone off before the show. Soundproof bags sound like a much better option.

[Pose2]

Posted: 6/21/19 at 11:39pm

Yes, Yondr is changing concerts, theater, and even places like court rooms.  Love their company.  FLS has used them before and will continue to, all Broadway shows should take note. 

[Islander_fan]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 6:28am

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.

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 9:03am

Perhaps a compromise solution would be for the action to freeze on stage with some change in lighting.  The house crew could address the problem in the audience and when it’s over and any resulting commotion silenced, the stage lights would return as before and the action would resume without missing a beat.  

I’m not pretending I know how the cast would be alerted to the interruption so that everyone’s in sync.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 12:16pm

That gives the audience a LOT of control over what's happening on stage. Granted, they already do, in a way, but this is even more inviting of mischief.

[JennH]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 12:36pm

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."

Umm...people are also paying too much money to have phones go off during a live performance so your argument doesn't hold. I also normally would have mixed feelings about actors breaking character for this, not because "I paid money" but because "show must go on", but phones audibly going off has become an epidemic. It still happens even after many an actor has stopped a show for a bit to call it out. These are also well documented in and of themselves. Actors are tired of this nonsense. Regular patrons are tired of this nonsense. This is 2019, I honestly have just about nil empathy even for first time theatre goers, there's NO excuse for disruptive behavior or phones going off anymore. Theatre etiquette is not a secret, and even if it were, it's just COMMON SENSE. It's a live show, it should be fairly obvious that these things would disrupt it. 

[ArtMan]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 4:41pm

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.

[Olivia11]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 5:36pm

ArtMan said: "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."

EXACTLY.   Don’t come up with ways to inconvenience everyone, instead of just doing what needs to be done with the violators. 

I must be very lucky as I have never heard a phone ring or had really bad experiences with phones. I do tend to sit in first couple of rows on an aisle of the orchestra, so I have fewer people directly around me, so maybe that helps. My phone is powered off before the show starts. I may check it at intermission (usually in the interminable ladies room line), but it is powered back off before start of second half. 

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 7:22pm

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