Seeing Shows By Yourself- Page 4

[craig238]

Posted: 7/23/09 at 1:03am

Once a year I take a Wednesday off to see 2 shows all by my lonesome. My wife and daughter will only see musicals so it is my chance to see something they would never go to. I go where I want, can stage door before/after the show if I want, eat where I want, etc. Though I love my family to death, it is a day
I look forward to.

[Soliantu]

Posted: 7/23/09 at 1:08am

haha I think I've seen more shows by myself now than I have with other people.. not many people I know want to spend as much money on shows as I do, so I go by myself ALL the time.. It's totally fine, there's always a lot of people there doing the same thing. Go for it.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 7/23/09 at 2:47am

Yes, Ghost. I can understand when someone is talking to me.

I don't need you to point it out.


And your post shows just how immature you are.

Follow the rules of the board or don't post.

[broadwaygirl99]

Posted: 7/23/09 at 3:12am

Ive seen shows by myself and it is nice. You should definitly do it if you want to see the show.

[Plum]

Posted: 7/23/09 at 4:15am

I'm a rush and lotto fiend, and the flexibility required to watch shows that way is a lot harder to reach when you're trying to coordinate with someone else. The people in my life have different work schedules and other commitments, mostly lack student IDs, and definitely don't care to watch as many shows as I do. Which is okay. I like going to shows with other people, but when I don't, I get to catch up on reading and just veg out while I'm waiting for a show instead of always feeling I need to find something entertaining to do. It's cheaper, too. When I'm on my own there's no problem eating a hot dog or something instead of getting a full-on sit-down dinner. :P

[saveusmike]

Posted: 7/23/09 at 11:10am

Sometimes between shows its really nice to just sit down on the tkts steps and just listen to my ipod. I find alot of times even with my friends after a restaraunt I still have sometimes atleast a hour to spare till my next show.

If anywhere (to eat) I would suggest a nice little dinner at Ellens Stardust. My friend and I go their almost every saturday now and we just love it.

Once we went their just for a quick meal and wound up staying their for a hour and a half requesting songs and singing along and just enjoying ourselves.

Its a great atmosphere and I have personally seen people (by themselves) their who go just to kill time between shows.

[sgweirdo]

Posted: 7/23/09 at 11:45am

The first time I saw a show by myself was out of necessity (I just moved abroad to london for a semester and hadn't made friends yet and was so excited to hit up the west end) ... but the expirence was so amazing I have continued it for the last 4 years.

Sure- I still see a lot of shows with people , but whats better than picking your own show , getting the best seat (or the seat you can afford thats all the way in the back) , and not having a person with you to worry about. It's also the best when you've had a bad day and want to escape from the world!

In fact I haven't seen a show alone for a few months. It's time..

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 7/23/09 at 12:27pm

I go to shows alone all the time.

I just moved to the city a month ago and don't know anyone here yet (my job doesn't start for another week and a half) except for my roommates whom work 14 hour days.

Besides, I am all about discounts, rush and lotto which is harder to coordinate with a group. I am able to just go see a show on a whim instead of trying to work around a bunch of people's schedules.

And when I feel a deep desire to discuss what I've just seen with someone, I hop on BWW via my Blackberry and discuss away.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 7/23/09 at 12:50pm

What's wrong with the OT board?

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 7/23/09 at 4:36pm

There are crazy people over there...

[Katecab99]

Posted: 7/24/09 at 10:45am

I actually prefer seeing shows by myself, especially if it's my first time seeing it. I just feel like I'm much more focused that way.

Also, I'm always happy to stand or sit in less than perfect seats for less money, but not everyone is as laid-back about those kinds of things - not to mention, it's also often easier to score a single student/lottery/SRO ticket than to try to get more than one!

[Dawn Davenport]

Posted: 7/24/09 at 2:43pm

I have done it many times and when you're on your own you can usually score a really good seat. Go for it!

[Dawn Davenport]

Posted: 7/24/09 at 2:56pm

I dont live in New York, though I wish I will someday. I am from a suburban city in Ohio where everyone is kind of stuck up and snobby. If you were to do something like that here, you'd be judged and considered a loser. It's a very judgemental place and I can't wait to get out. So I'm just kind of used to that mindset unlike NYC's be free/we dont judge mindset :)

--------------------

There are so many people here in NY no one will notice if you're on your own anyway---tons of people do all sorts of things on their own here! :)

No need to feel weird about doing things solo here, or in any big city, honestly. The first time I went to the theatre alone was in London---I had no choice since I was travelling on my own. I thought I'd feel strange but I *loved* it and I still do it to this day---my husband doesn't have the love of Broadway shows that I do so I've gone many times without him. I've also seen concerts on my own that he wasn't interested in and friends didn't want to go to either. Getting one ticket saves us money, I get a great seat and I don't have to drag along a reluctant partner! :)

[Jane2]

Posted: 7/24/09 at 3:09pm

Y'all might be very surprised at how many people go solo to a show. At my job I'm able to see exactly how many. Lots of agents go alone also.

[once a month]

Posted: 7/24/09 at 3:42pm

I've been to 147 Broadway productions alone, which is less than half...I've been to 300.

It's always better to go with some one else, unless you break up during the matinee and still have an evening of Exit the King to get thriough, but I digress.

[Ariella]

Posted: 7/24/09 at 5:01pm

It's not a big deal. As evidenced by the posts here, we've all done it.

[broadwaytourist]

Posted: 7/24/09 at 6:21pm

I'm in NYC from Memphis this weekend. Alone, I will be seeing the 3 Norman Conquests, Hair (2nd time) on Sunday, as well as N2N. Although DH is also in town, I planned trip first and he crashed. Hence he has no tickets. I prefer to go alone mostly. But I would love to meet up with you guys who love theatre and have no one in your life who loves it as much. Drinks after the final Norman Conquests tomorrow night?

[Libby1209]

Posted: 7/24/09 at 6:46pm

I'm sure there are other areas / people who would judge others as losers for going somewhere alone. I personally don't care what others think about me. I go alone b/c I want to, not b/c I have to. I find it liberating. Actually, many coworkers and family members are amazed that I go alone (which I don't get...who cares?).

So not a fan of Ellen's. I have been there twice with a friend...the lines are always long to get in, it was a long wait to get so-so food, and they screwed up my order. Yep, that was the last time I went there. Junior's on the other hand, is a place I frequent when in the city. If you don't like their food...there's always cheesecake!

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 7/24/09 at 6:53pm

For 10 years I missed a lot of theatre as I would not go alone, the fear being labeled 'ab-normal', childhood thing when I got bullied and called 'ab-normal' so carried this into my adult life, so missed a lot of theatre, so I did not get a stigma.

i got over it though and 99% of theatre I go to alone, which is great and not ab-normal! One of the best things I done.

When I head over for my yearly jaunt from London to New York, I would only do that alone as I can plan my theatre around what I want to do.

[SweeneyPhanatic]

Posted: 7/24/09 at 7:04pm

When I went to NYC in January, I saw GYPSY by myself. My dad went on the trip with me, but I knew he wouldn't want to see the show. I just told him how long it would be, and went off and did his own thing for almost 3 hours (it was my birthday gift to him, lol). In the theatre, I ended up meeting the nicest couple behind me who has seen the original Merman production on their honeymoon. Their memories of that night were so cool to hear, and talking to them at intermission was also a treat with the two of them comparing LuPone and Merman (if anyone cares: they still thought Merman was the best, but placed Patti right up there with her at the top of the list). A younger woman was with them (she was related somehow, I can't remember the details) and she had seen Bernadette Peters back in '03. So I got to enjoy some great conversation with regular NYC theatregoers that I would not have had if my mom, or my dad, or anyone else, really, had been with me! I'm actually looking forward to the next time I can go to a show alone!

[Tom's Cat]

Posted: 7/24/09 at 9:19pm

As you've (no doubt) gathered, going to the theatre is not only perfectly acceptable, it's even encouraged by many. I know I've been going by myself for years and I love the freedom that comes when I go alone.

My bigger problem in NY is finding a place to eat when I'm by myself. So many places simply don't want to seat a woman who's by herself and other places make you feel incredibly uncomfortable when you're sitting alone. Anybody have any recommendations for singles?

[Eris0303]

Posted: 7/24/09 at 10:24pm

Anybody have any recommendations for singles?

Find a place that will let you eat at the bar. It's much preferable to sitting at a table alone. This way you can watch whatever's on TV (since many of them have TVs) or chat with someone else who might be sitting alone. Junior's has a bar as does The Irish Rogue. Those are two right off of my head but, typically, any place with a bar will let you eat at it.

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 7/24/09 at 10:25pm

Waiting for people has (unknowingly at the time) forced me to miss shows. So I've decided that if people are screwing around with committing, I'll just go alone. I don't mind it at all.

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 7/24/09 at 10:51pm

While I do enjoy seeing shows with people, my friends who are into theatre either do not live in the city or do not have enough disposable income to see as many shows as I do. It's much easier for me to decide at 6:30pm, "Hey I think I'll like to see a show tonight," go to the theatre, and get a rush seat, than it would be for me to call my friend, hope I get through, see if he's busy, can he spend the money, etc...

[MichaelUK92]

Posted: 7/25/09 at 6:31am

It's the waiting for people to decide if they want to/can go which is annoying.

but also,

i went to see n2n and was so worried and concerned that the other person wouldn't like it, it took away from my enjoyment of it to a degree, so i went again by myself.
i feel when you go by yourself you can escape more into the story.