Patti LuPone on audience behavior — Page 3

She's awesome! I didn't get the chance to speak with her after seeing the matinee last Saturday but plan on seeing her again in the near future.

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"Obviously, neither have you, if you think someone that is so poor that they can't even own a single decent outfit for special occasions, will be wasting what little money they have saved on a Broadway theater ticket."

And let's be real here, there may be one or two audience members in the situation where they have nothing of nicer quality of wear but the majority of audience members are coming dressed that way these days. I can guarantee you that most of them own at least one nice piece of clothing they can put on.

We're not asking for mink coats and cocktail dresses here. $12 slacks from Walmart will suffice.

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Updated On: 1/20/06 at 02:18 PM

colleen, That's what I said in my previous post:

"If they've saved enough to see a show on Broadway, they can save enough to buy some $20 slacks at Wal-mart and a button down. No one says it has to be expensive designer clothing, just appropriate for the occasion."

Actually, I would think that the people the TRULY are scrimping to get by would go out of their way to dress up nicer, because they realize that a Broadway show is a big deal and possibly a once in a lifetime experience. They already know they're poor and out of their element, so they compensate by dressing nicer to fit in. The people dressing down are just spoiled and lazy.

Timmy, tell your friend to not bring his father to the theater again until he learns some manners.

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ugh people eating and sleeping in the audience-----

I understand the traveling problem, but if you are wearing nice jeans why can't you just wear decent khakis? or black pants? Jeans are jeans.

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I don't understand everyone's problem with dressing down to go to the theatre. I do it all the time. But just because I'm casual, I don't look like a slob. Some people just...look like slobs. It's a different story.

Anyway, I don't think it has anything to do with respect for the actors at all. I sure wouldn't care if people showed up to a show I was in wearing jeans. What's the big deal?

ok

let me break this down, and this goes for everything, even outside the theater. It's really quite easy

Getting dressed up, or dressed to a higher degree than you would for say, class. It takes effort. Maybe not that much, but it takes a little effort.

Putting effort in to something means you care about it, yes?

therefore

Dressing = Effort = Care

It shows that you care about what you're doing. Truly, it's quite elementary. 'Put your best foot forward'

I think this goes for anything in life, but in clothing/style it's a rule of thumb.

If you were holding a performance of something you worked on and cared about for months to years, and every person showed up in the audience wearing pajama pants, that means they didn't care enough to put the effort in to dressing nice for this thing that you've cared so much for. It's sort of common sense.

Using your logic, logan0215:


You say:

//If you were holding a performance of something you worked on and cared about for months to years, and every person showed up in the audience wearing pajama pants, that means they didn't care enough to put the effort in to dressing nice for this thing that you've cared so much for. It's sort of common sense. //

Going by your logic, why is it that every day I go to intern and the students dress like crap for me and for every other teacher? Some schools require teachers to dress really nicely, but the kids can wear jeans with half a leg missing and shirts to their navels....and some come to school wearing pajama pants.

It's not the same sort of logic, true, but every day I and millions of others) put on this elaborate show for an audience worse than any theatre-going audience that I've ever seen.

Part of it is today's generation and laissez-faire attitude. Some things being worn to the theatre (such as the above and worse) is unacceptable. When people try, however, I feel as though they shouldn't be bashed for doing so. Would you rather have the person sitting next to you fainting from heat stroke in the summer or sneezing and coughing all over you from catching a cold outside in the winter just so that you can have them sitting there in clothing that brought it on rather than something suited to the weather//activities required?


I still say that my biggest peeve is attitude in the theatres. No respect, no clapping, eating, sleeping, that kind of nonsense. I have more pity for those who come in jeans because I have done it before myself. I have also dressed very nicely for shows.

It always helps to play Devil's Advocate in life....you never know when you'll find yourself in a situation where the other person couldn't possibly see themselves in any shoes but his/her own.

If it takes the same amount of effort, then why don't you? I really find it ridiculous that nobody in here realizes the difference in effort put forth by people who look well put-together and people who look schleppy.

I never said that if you are dressed down you do not respect an artist, because that would be illogical, but I would ask you to think through the idea of presenting oneself in a clean/dressed up fashion as compared to thrown together.

You said slacks>jeans as an example of effort, and if you read my above posts I said jeans are fine in the right circumstance and that casual can be done right. Casual means "suited for everyday use," and what I've been describing is people going out in public in their comfort-wear. i.e uggs, sweats, tees, pajama pants, oversized clothing. I'm citing the difference between someone you see at a show in a nice suit, or even dressier jeans and a sweater/shirt tie to a person wearing oversized sweatpants and a t-shirt. I'm not going to hold your hand on what is and what isn't culturally acceptable as dressy, because I think you're playing dumb. Why didn't Idina just wear sweatpants to the TONYs then? They'd be just as comfortable and it doesn't mean she doesn't respect the establishment and prestige of what she's taking part in at all, does it?

Baine, I think you're agreeing with me, or at least hope you are. If you haven't had the chance to work somewhere that has a dress code for students, then you may not know the difference. I went to private Jesuit high school and this wasn't a uniform, but a dress code. For my graduation, every guy had to wear a tuxedo but with a White dinner jacket instead, a bow-tie, and a ceremonial Red carnation was put on each of our jackets by a teacher. Something was said prior to that night that stuck with me and I think applies when it comes to the way people dress in accordance with the way they act. The principal of the school while addressing us about the actual schedule for graduation said, "You'll wearing a tuxedos, act like it."

This has really gone off topic, but like I've said, I think dressing nice is a sign of respect to your surroundings, and when it comes to a Broadway show, what you're seeing.

Now, if you'll all excuse me I'm going to go pull on my sweat pants, a trucker hat and a wife-beater and go to the Waldorf-Astoria

Updated On: 1/20/06 at 09:07 PM

"If it takes the same amount of effort, then why don't you?"

Because I have one faded pair of black slacks, and sometimes I end up going to the theatre once a week or more. I'm not going to wear the same pair of pants every time I go out.

Sometimes I wear pair converse sneakers, jeans, and layered shirts to a show, and personally, I see no problem with it. I look put together. I don't look like a slob. I'm not just addressing you, logan, with this but everyone who thinks jeans are unacceptable. I'd say sloppy is unacceptable, but one can be very casual but still neat and put together.

"Why didn't Idina just wear sweatpants to the TONYs then?"
Again, your logic is making little sense. Need I even address this? The Tonys is an AWARDS show, a once a year event honoring the talent in theatre. It's a huge event, arguably the biggest annual one for theatre. There's a huge, HUGE difference between this and the 400 and some odd shows that she performed in that year.

When I'm going to a special theatre event, I do dress nice. For example, the Chess Benefit, the Hair Benefit...things of that nature. But I don't see the problem with wearing everday clothing while catching a running show.

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Updated On: 1/21/06 at 11:05 PM

SHe is too cute. I wish that she was not sick and that she was able to autograph items. It is ironic though, she was sick that night and I got sick after waiting for the cast that night. LOL

Thanks for the agreement

I'm gonna move on, someone who believes Converse All Stars are acceptable in a Broadway theater is clearly out of my sphere of influence.

I bid this thread adieu