Rude People in Theatres- Page 2

[CostumeMistress]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 6:32pm

People who sing along with shows drive me nuts. I understand being excited about a song you know, and there's certainly nothing wrong with mouthing along with the words. But don't make noise!

Posted: 9/12/05 at 6:36pm

Why did you have to wash your khakis? Did you have an accident?

[LyTeMyCanDyI]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 6:40pm

I saw Fosse when I was maybe 11 or 12. There was this older couple behind me who didn't shut up! I heard the wife tell the husband Bob Fosse's life story. I could have rented All That Jazz for 5 bucks if I wanted that.
The week before I saw Chicago...same thing. Old people talking, this time about bad parking. Then the man fell asleep and snored.
My dad slept through RENT up to Light My Candle when I finally smacked him awake.

[greatdct]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 6:46pm

That's weird Bal, twice when I saw CCBB the ushers allowed me to move up to front row because it was COMPLETELY empty.

[RockabyeHamlet]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 7:04pm

I dont mind if people mouth the words, but I want to shoot them if they start to sing. Except for once, this little 5 year old was singing really quietly during a song she really liked in Wicked and I looked at her, not meanly jut glancing, and shes like " oh im sorry I didn't mean to bother you" So cute.

Once I was at Charity and thse people kept elbowing me in the back at the Stage Door, I said something to them and they gave me a dirty look and kept doing it, and after like a minute Denis O'Hare said something to them.

Updated On: 9/12/05 at 07:04 PM

[erniesgirl96]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 7:31pm

I think they were right to say something. I mean if you wanted to sit there maybe you should of brought tickets for those seats. It is really unfair for someone to pay all that money for a seat and then have someone pay less and move up. Maybe he could of said it in a nicer way, but he was right.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 8:11pm

There is no policy in ANY theatre in the country that allows people to "move up" if seats are unsold or empty. Often times the House Manager (in consultation with the Company manager) might move entire sections of people to make the theatre look more full (if scattered seating). Ushers generally let people move up into empty seats mainly because they are empty and if it's the same section they don't really care. Though, ususally, they don't like people moving from Balcony to Orchestra, etc.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 8:17pm

There may not be an official policy, but it is quite common in Broadway theatres not only to allow, but encourage people to move closer to the stage. In more than one theatre, on more than one occasion, I've seen balconies closed and all balcony patrons moved to orchestra or mezz level.

Can't imagine why a company manager would have any say in the matter.

[bostonbroadwayfan]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 8:31pm

I wrote about this in May when I saw Movin Out in Providence. I had two guys sitting behind me who decided they would comment on almost every scene.
They were also making juvenile remarks about the women's short skirts or other attributes. I felt like I was at a strip joint or something.
People don't realize how voices travel even if there a live band.

[Kringas]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 8:32pm

I think they were right to say something. I mean if you wanted to sit there maybe you should of brought tickets for those seats. It is really unfair for someone to pay all that money for a seat and then have someone pay less and move up. Maybe he could of said it in a nicer way, but he was right.

What about lottery seats that are in the front? Is it unfair to someone in the third row that someone in front of them paid a quarter of the price they did?

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 9:03pm

Kringas, I agree with you.

erniesgirl96 , so people that pay the most for their tickets are supposed to be front and center? That argument may have existed back when everyone was buying their tickets directly from the box office, but not today. What about people that pay more because they got them from some online ticket vendors? Or the people that got them cheaper from TKTS or used a discount of something? They were both orchestra seats, so according to the house, they were the same value, regardless of how much you actually paid for them.

[minettamandy]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 12:32am

I work in a box office and the one thing that drives me crazy is when people move 10 min before the show even starts b/c they see empty seats. Hello!! The people probably aren't there yet. and if you move when the show starts, don't get pissed when the people show up at the late seat cue and you have to move! It is extremely disruptive to get up and move in the middle of a show. Intermission is a different matter, but really. The nerve of some people!

[toodramatic]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 12:55am

When I went to see "Bounce" at the Goodman a couple of years ago...as soon as the overture started these two rich middle aged women began talking about like their SUVs, not whispering either. This was a new Sondheim show and they were really killing my buzz, but I figured they would stop once the first scene started. NOPE, they kept going so after about 3 min the guy behind them leans over and goes: "Alright you 2 need to shut the f*** up." Their faces turned bright red.

When I went to see Camelot last year. These three old women sat behind me and made sexual comments through the show. It was HILARIOUS. In the second act Lancelot came out in really tight pants and she said loudly "I hope theres room in there for me" my friends and I nearly died laughing.

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 1:13am

I hate it when people talk during the Overture or Enter'acte; it's one of my biggest pet peeves. It's like it's not a part of the show.


WHen I saw Wicked there was a little boy behind my mom and I would decided he was going to tell his brother next to him (very loudly) what happens in the end of the show, and he brother was getting confused so he kept repeating loudly *SPOILERS* No, NO! She doesn't really MELT she just PRETENDS. And her boyfirend who becomes the Scarcrow. No! She doesn't really melt *End Spoilers* I know how the show ends but my mom didn't. What an ass. It didn't help that he was kicking my seat, and denied it when I told him to cut it out. Luckily his Dad was apologetic and switched seats with his son. But I mean, come on...

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 1:14am

As much as i hate children...i feel bad for that poor child who couldnt enjoy the show because you were blocking his view. They should have asked you to move back to your seat in a nice way. And yes...you can move to any seat you want unless you are disturbing another theatre-goer.

[zzannahk]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 2:10am

i would only do this with permission from an usher, just because the seats are empty does not mean you're entitled to them.

[MatthewAddison]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 2:29am

Chita...YES. An accident. And it was terrible.

From this point forward...I want only ugly people and friends to sit next to me.

I can't take another incident similar to my WhatevershowIsaw experience.

[ken8631]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 8:19am

My wife ALWAYS seems to be in the seat that the person behind her (usually a child) likes to kick throughout the performance. (Her pet peeve).

I am annoyed mainly by people talking during the performance - I usually will turn around (seems to always be behind me) and just stare at them a bit. I didn't come to the play to listen to tehem talk during the performance! That usually quiets them down. Once in awhile, a sssssssh is necessary if the staring doesn't work. Usually quite a few sssssssh's are heard in unison at that point.

We have been at many Broadway plays (we love going, and live 15 minutes out of NYC), on and on off...

The worst was at Mamma Mia!, we were in front row orch. There were three empty seats to our right, and to the right of those, the conductor stood (he sortof sticks out into the orch seats a bit in line with the front row). A man, woman and child sat in the three seats, and came with a large paper shopping bag full of food. They were eating the food (snacks mainly) throughout the whole performance, right in the front row and right next to the conductor! I couldn't believe it.

[Eastwickian]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 8:57am

During a preview performance of the Mary Poppins try-out in Bristol I spotted an empty seat on the centre aisle, so moved into it during the interval. However, just before Act Two started I was politly requested by an usher to move back as I'd moved into house seats which were needed by the creative team! So remember - in previews the seats might be empty for a reason

Posted: 9/13/05 at 9:22am

I sat behind this woman at the revival of One Mo' Time and she slurped an entire container of Egg Drop Soup! The smell was hideous as were the sounds. The usher escorted her OUT!
Updated On: 9/13/05 at 09:22 AM

[rent_fan626]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 9:25am

At Rent, we were in the standing room section and the ushers wouldn't let us move to any seats...maybe because we were in standing room...who know....but if the seats were empty, they should have let us move...

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 9:59am

I mean if you wanted to sit there maybe you should of brought tickets for those seats.

All I have to say is this:

Should HAVE and bought. OK?

[Magdalene]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 10:22am

As one who has ushered, if there is someone annoying you, get one of us---that's what we are there for. If you wish to move at intermission, there usually isn't a problem---if another patron has a problem with it, that is THEIR problem. There is no rule that you CAN move, but is it pretty much accepted---it makes the house look more full, and that is a good thing!

[Fosse76]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 10:24am

The mass moving of people (i.e, closing the balcony and moving everone down one level, etc.) is a financial decision. When they decide to do that, they are essentially pulling seats from sale (the decision to do this would occur prior to the theatre opening). Technically, the entire venue is under rental by the show, so only the company manager can say "close the balcony". The House Manager manages the house and serves in a customer service capacity (as well as emergency management). The House Manager moving someone to a better seat is not quite the same as closing an entire section.

[Magdalene]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 10:28am

I wasn't referring to a mass exodus---you are entirely correct as to the Company manager and House manager making those decisions (that happened at the Springsteen concert!). I am referring to the isolated pair of seats.