Oh yeah....have I got stories.....! I do a lot of traveling so when
1) Miss Saigon. This was the first time I spoke up. I can't really do that too often because I've been told I'm a "scary dude". Big and bulky, you know....I look like I should be playing offensive tackle not going to Broadway shows. Anyway, these two women, an Asian mother and daughter, had a running conversation in which the daughter was translating the entire show, only stopping to answer her CELL PHONE when it rang. So I confronted her at intermission with an usher because I didn't want my words to be convoluted into intimidation. I told them they were ruining my enjoyment of the show, and oh by the way, the "Cell phone was a NICE TOUCH!!!" They moved. I saw them after the show. The daughter gave me a dirty look; the mother a slightly terrified look....I wonder what MY words were translated as....!
2) Latecomers....I have dealt with them a number of times, climbing over me to get to their seats. I am nover polite or friendly. My feeling is: You show up late for a show; you stand in back and get seated at intermission. My favorite line: "Are you serious!?" in a stage whisper. Like I said I can be a scary dude.
3) Recently at Light in the Piazza, I had a wonderful seating arrangement, I was sitting in third seat in Row 2 on Orchestra right next to an old couple with their relatives or friends, slightly younger but still considerably older than me sitting in the first four seats behind me with one young child next to them. So I geared myself up for a show. The child was wonderful and amazingly well-behaved, but as for the rest, the older you got the ruder and less couth you got. Anyway, it took a good half hour for the people around me to figure out part of the play was in Itailian and eventually they figured you were only supposed to get a feel for what they said if you didn't speak Itailian. Halfway through Act one, I threw up my hands and sighed and most of them got the point. I said something to an usher who said something to them at intermission. As Act 2 starts, the old couple next to me lapsed into a total tangential conversation so bit of trivia on the stage, and finally I leaned forward and asked "Excuse me, are you DONE yet?" They talked softer the rest of the show.
BLAH BLAH BLAH