Rush Line Drama?

Posted: 8/24/19 at 1:07pm

Hi everyone! 

So last week I rushed Ain't Too Proud. I got there at around 8 AM and was 3rd in line. Got a nice seat at a great price. Show was electrifying, powerful, hilarious, exciting. Absolutely loved it! However, there was an experience that morning in the rush line that really caught me off guard.

Basically, we were down to the last 15 minutes or so before the box office opened. Since it's a student rush and most NY schools were not in session at the time there were only about 10 people total. A man who appeared to be in his 50's showed up around 9:50. There had been rain that morning so the line wasn't really formed as a line because everyone wanted to sit under the Imperial's small marquee overhang. We all knew our order and towards the end we got into our order. When the previously mentioned man in his 50's arrived we still weren't formed in our line. So, the box office doors open and we are asked to come in. He attempts to walk in the door first. Most of us look puzzled and are like "Sorry, but we've been here for a few hours waiting." He said "there's no line. It doesn't matter." So another woman in line went back and forth with him about the rules and such. A worker in the Imperial came out and explained to him about how we all had been there for a long time and this is a strict "first come, first served" business. He started shouting obscenities and claiming that this was a racist act against a "middle aged black man". What's odd is that the man who was working at the Imperial was also a middle aged black man, not to mention the majority of the rush line was African American. He hesitantly walked to the back of the line but we could still hear him talking under his breath. 

After I got my tickets I talked to someone from the line that I had become friendly with. We were gonna grab something at Pret nearby and talk about shows we've seen, etc (We had a great time! Yay for new theatre buddies!). As we were planning and checking our seats on a seating chart, the same man was finally up to his turn at the box office. He asked for THREE rush tickets. The lady at the box office kindly explained that it was 1. A Student Rush. 2. Limited to Two tickets per person. He again started to shout obscenities about her racism and lack of respect and her stupidity. The poor woman was on the verge of tears, she only replied "Sir, I'm just trying to do my job." I really felt for her. How can you respond to this when you're simply going by the rules. He ended up storming out of the lobby screaming at all of us. We all waited a few minutes to leave so we would feel safer. It's just so sad and frankly disturbing. I thought maybe some people may have similar experiences with short tempered customers in the theatre? Care to share?

Updated On: 8/24/19 at 01:07 PM

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 8/24/19 at 1:32pm

Wow. That’s horrible. Only thing I can think of is back in January, I rushed with a friend on a Saturday for American Son. I was dragging ass that morning so we didnt get there until 9:22. There were 16 or more people ahead of us. We got 2 of 3 of the last rush tickets left for the matinee (evening rush tickets were already gone by time we got to window) so good thing we weren’t there any later. Anyway there was a man behind us who wanted two tickets, but it was now clear he would only get one rush ticket. He called someone as we we were waiting to get our tickets. (As I recall since the seats weren’t located together, they were sold separately so we each had to purchase separately). Anyway, he got out of line and went out side door next to box office window. Then he came back through same door probably a minute or less later and reclaimed his place in line. Woman behind him said something and he brushed it off and she didn’t pursue it further. As far as I know, he got the last rush ticket. I honestly could see both sides. He did forfeit his place in line when he got out of it, but he also wasn’t gone long.

[CarmenA3]

Posted: 8/24/19 at 1:44pm

ND_2000: So sorry you had to see that, it was totally uncalled for on his part. Based on his behavior, I have a feeling that this is his M.O. Get super aggressive and loud so that people are intimidated and cave in. I feel terrible for the ticket agent!

Rush line drama always makes me so uncomfortable - true, there are no "written in stone" rules and you never know who you're getting into a disagreement with, but I wish everyone would behave properly. Didn't their parents teach them better?

My worst peeve are the last-minute line joiners who meet up with their friends who've been in line all along. It "steals" a spot from someone down the line that got their butt to the theatre early.

Glad you had a good time at the show and definitely YEY for rush line friends :)

[Theater3232]

Posted: 8/24/19 at 2:05pm

So this individual played the "race card" and was given 3 rush tickets in violation of the rules?  Very unfair for the person who needed that last rush ticket.  Of course if they called the police or security, the politicians would play the race card and say how unfairly he was treated.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 8/24/19 at 2:09pm

Yes, I hate those placeholders who have friends join them in line. If it’s only one person joining, I try to assume the best that they were only getting two tickets total anyway, but sometimes it’s quite clear that’s not the case.

My best rush experience was Book of Mormon in November 2012. Stood in line (I started the line) for 6 hours in for Standing Room tickets in forty degree weather. Young woman joined me soon after I started the line. We didn’t win the lottery, but obviously got SRO tickets (she got one for her and for her fiancée). We three celebrated across the street pre-theater at a now closed restaurant (RIP E&E Grill House). They’re married now and we’re still friends and though they live in California now, I got to see them last year when they swung though OKC. Yes, unexpected theater friends are the BEST!

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/24/19 at 2:12pm

I’d bet that if you ask any theatre employee (or any person who works in customer service for that matter) to recount experience with rude people like this, they can probably rattle off several instances without missing a beat. It’s a sad truth that there are just a lot of angry, entitled people in the world.

As for personal stories about rush lines: the most scandalous thing I can think of is when someone offers money to people at the front of the line to buy a ticket for them. I saw this happen once, and on another occasion, someone actually offered ME money to get them an extra ticket. And of course I very decisively told them no.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 8/24/19 at 2:13pm

Theater3232 said: "So this individual played the "race card" and was given 3 rush tickets in violation of the rules? Very unfair for the person who needed that last rushticket. Of course if they called the police or security, the politicians would play the race card and say how unfairly he was treated."

Where did you read that he got any tickets? The OP clearly states he stormed out after being denied any tickets. His behavior was atrocious, but yours isn’t too far behind: misrepresentation of the facts to support your thinly veiled racist agenda. 

[dumphim]

Posted: 8/24/19 at 2:22pm

I've been in line waiting to buy non-rush tickets and overheard customers yelling about how student rush was "discriminatory" and/or "ageist" multiple times. Making theatre available to students (typically people with less income/savings) has a specific purpose, and it's the people who can 100% afford full price tickets on the regular that complain about it. Anyone of any age can be a student/go back to school. I typically have good experience in general rush line, but have seen plenty of short tempered people in student rushes.

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 8/24/19 at 2:36pm

That story could have happened at literally any customer service job (and happens to me at least 10 times a day). Certainly nothing special or specific to the rush line.

Posted: 8/24/19 at 3:50pm

Yes, just to be clear he was not able to buy tickets.

Posted: 8/24/19 at 4:02pm

n2nbaby said: "That story could have happened at literally any customer service job (and happens to me at least 10 times a day). Certainly nothing special or specific to the rush line."

Absolutely. So common.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 8/24/19 at 7:37pm

CarmenA3 said: "My worst peeve are the last-minute line joiners who meet up with their friends who've been in line all along. It "steals" a spot from someone down the line that got their butt to the theatre early."

This. Of course it's different if each person is allowed 2 tickets and one person just got there later and they're only getting 2 tickets. It makes sense that if you're waiting an hour or more in line, you might like company even if only one person needs to be there. 

When I did rush more frequently in the past, I was usually seeing a less popular show or just early enough to be one of the first few people. But if you're not, it's hard to get into an argument with people ahead of you. I can't remember a time when the line successfully called out someone whose friend joined later. 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 8/25/19 at 12:03am

What I especially hate is when people are already in line, you join it, and they DON'T tell you they have a friend coming in a few minutes — if it's a low-demand show and/or we're the first two people, fine, but you should, as a courtesy, tell the next person that the count isn't going to be what it appears. And if that friend is late enough where the line has built up by 2 or 3 more, the first person and that friend should go to the back or split up/assume they won't be sitting together.

[taylortrensch]

Posted: 8/25/19 at 12:52am

LizzieCurry said: "What I especially hate is when people are already in line, you join it, and they DON'T tell you they have a friend coming in a few minutes — if it's a low-demand show and/or we're the first two people, fine, but you should, as a courtesy, tell the next person that the count isn't going to be what it appears. And if that friend is late enough where the line has built up by 2 or 3 more, the first person and that friend should go to the back or split up/assume they won't be sitting together."

if only everyone was this courteous. i wish! 

 

regarding student rush, is it only available to US students? i'd like to see ATP but i'm an international student 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/25/19 at 1:17am

taylortrensch said: "regarding student rush, is it only available to US students? i'd like to see ATP but i'm an international student"

 

I don't want to say anything with 100% certainty, but I very much doubt that you'll have any issue.

[djoko84]

Posted: 8/25/19 at 1:55am

Obviously, he has done this before and has gotten his way by crying "racism" when there isn't any. Except this time, they didn't let him get his way. 

[Anakela]

Posted: 8/25/19 at 5:15am

At least no one was punched in the face and knocked unconscious and taken to the ER? 

Posted: 8/25/19 at 12:20pm

Anakela said: "At least no one was punched in the face and knocked unconscious and taken to the ER?"

Oh my goodness.That is absolutely horrible.

[Just_John]

Posted: 8/25/19 at 4:22pm

For the final performance of Gypsy with Patti LuPone, I got on line at 8 PM the night before with my ex. There were two people waiting and the first person told me that she had something like ten other people that would join her later (they were in the theatre to watch the 8 PM show and one of these girls was the one who audio recorded the whole show which had Patti yelling at the photographer who took a pic (another girl on line later convinced her to share it with her, by PROMISING she wouldn’t share it anywhere)) I told her that’s not how this works, and that they would have to join the end of the line if they weren’t back in the next few minutes. I went inside to tell someone at the box office that the single first girl in line planned to have a bunch of friends join her hours from now and he came out and told us he’d be there tomorrow and the first four of us that he saw on line now better be the 4 of us that he’s looking at tomorrow. After the show, all the girls cut the line and I told them to get to the back. A cop got involved because he saw them waiting in line all day. I told him I didn’t care if they’d been waiting all year, they chose to go do something other than a bathroom break or food run and they forfeited their spots, he threatened to take me to Bellevue so I stopped complaining, but later in the night I informed them of the box office managers involvement and you’ll all be removed in the morning. I didn’t have much support from other people in the line, so I gave up trying to get them to go to the back after they decided to let me be first in line, which was good because the box office manager wasn’t there like he told us he’d be, but they were extremely entitled and rude and I’m pretty sure they had all long graduated school.

Updated On: 8/25/19 at 04:22 PM

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 8/25/19 at 5:04pm

God. This thread reminds me why I don't do rush. So many crazy and entitled people out there.

[magictodo123]

Posted: 8/26/19 at 7:47am

I haven't had an experience like this, but that's awful! I'm so sorry you had to deal with that  

[magictodo123]

Posted: 8/26/19 at 7:50am

CarmenA3 said: "ND_2000: So sorry you had to see that, it was totally uncalled for on his part. Based on his behavior, I have a feeling that this is his M.O. Get super aggressive and loud so that people are intimidated and cave in. I feel terrible for the ticket agent!

Rush line drama always makes me so uncomfortable - true, there are no "written in stone" rules and you never know who you're getting into a disagreement with, but I wish everyone would behave properly. Didn't their parents teach them better?

My worst peeve are the last-minute line joiners who meet up with their friends who've been in line all along. It "steals" a spot from someone down the line that got their butt to the theatre early.

Glad you had a good time at the show and definitely YEY for rush line friends :)"

 

I rushed Waitress on Saturday and definitely had some awesome conversations with others who were waiting. There were two people behind me who had never rushed before, so it was fun for me and other people in line to tell them all about rush, what it is, but to also talk about other shows (they were from out of town) and just have general pleasant conversation. That's my favorite part of rush :) 

 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/26/19 at 8:04am

And tnese stories are (at least in part) why more and more shows have moved to online lotteries and rush.

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 8/26/19 at 10:53am

Caissie Levys last show in Les Mis I decided to rush. I was 4th in line when the kid in front of me tells me that at least 20 other kids will be joining them later. They were theatre kids and annoying af singing and dancing the whole time. Stepping on people sitting there waiting. When 12pm hit someone came out and said that all the kids in that group were to stand to the side and everyone else to come in to start getting our tickets. Not sure if that whole group got in or not. I rushed once since then for Waitress earlier this year.

[JuneJune]

Posted: 8/27/19 at 8:51am

I guess I've been lucky enough to never hit rush line drama thus far. Though I guess I've only done 4 shows, 5 if you consider picking up tickets for King Kong at 12:00.

If anything, I was first for Waitress back in January. An employee at the Brooks Atkinson kept nudging my shoulder and pushing my back (albeit very lightly, but still unsolicited) saying that I was starting the line too far ahead and that it was dangerous. Apparently because the handicap door button could electrocute me? Wasn't even near it, but okay. Benefit of the doubt, but I was annoyed and didn't want to start trouble since, as I said, I was first in line and would be beyond livid if I got kicked off of the line for this. After more people showed up, he stopped though. So there's that.

More like my own personal nuisance than line drama though.

Updated On: 8/27/19 at 08:51 AM