Spongebob and the Right to be Upset (Rant)- Page 2

[greenifyme2]

Posted: 2/6/18 at 12:21am

Last time I went I sat in the very last seat in the rear orch next to the sound guy (terrible lottery win seat). He was getting so frustrated with the chatter behind him from staff. He shot dagger eyes, shook his head, and eventually told them to be quiet. I’m just trying to watch the show and poor guy is trying to just do his job.

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 2/6/18 at 1:18am

When I was at a show in Columbus OH I was way up top in the last row of the balcony. One usher had 3 bags of chips and 2 cans of soda that she opened at the top of act 2 and proceeded to eat. It took me 2 minutes to walk over to her to tell her she was distracting. She apologized and wen t into a stairwell that was there.

The ushers at Hershey Theatre in Hershey PA are the worst. I was sitting in a seat near the back of the orchestra where not many people are since shows here don't sell all that well. About 20 minutes into the show all the ushers started filing in all around me talking and eating while making me get up from the seat I paid for so they could get in the row. One had the strongest perfume on too that I finally moved during intermission to a seat way closer to the stage.

[finebydesign]

Posted: 2/6/18 at 9:50am

It's been a awhile since I saw show a at the Palace, but as I mentioned I'd bet money it was the ones upstairs.  Most people working at the theatre are not interested in watching the show over and over again.  The ushers have to stand guard at the back of the house to look for cellphones and people fainting or whatever.  I actually expected Spongebob to have a louder sound but it is oddly a tasteful mix.  I've seen shows in the Palace that blasted out any noise from the back.  I'm also guessing the consensus from the staff that this one is a themepark thing for kids so noise doesn't really matter.  

Def reach out to the house manager.  The ushers will inevitably blame merchandise but I don't think those kids would be up chatting in the balcony.  Usually those break times are super valuable and at least with Disney much respect was given to the house staff.  The bar and merchandise are not affiliated with them at all.  Everyone is friendly and cordial but the bar staff in particular is not there to play.  They do their job and don't stand in the back of the theatre watching the show or chatting loudly.  The last place they want to be is in that theatre.  The merchandise kids are usually eager to watch the show from various entry points, but again the union ushers will scold them and report their asses to management.  Disney had some problems a long time ago with their loud merchandise crew and the house manager just wont have it.

[John Adams]

Posted: 2/6/18 at 11:22am

mjp14018 said: "I agree with saying that my experience may have been different if I had spoken to them sooner, but I don't think it is right for the audience member to have to go out of their way to talk to the staff during a show,which is the whole issue I have with the situation."

You get no argument from me that it's not right for an audience member to have to talk with staff regarding their behavior, and in regards to your original post, you DO have a right to be upset. It's expected that the staff should always act professionally and courteously to patrons.

There are instances, however, when people just don't do what they're supposed to do, as you've seen. As others have said, in those unfortunate instances you can alert the house manager if needed, but you also have the option and the 'right' to ask them to quiet down rather than having to suffer through all of Act One and into Act Two.  Even if they respond positively, and DO quiet down, you always, still have the option to report their behavior to the house manager because it shouldn't have happened in the first place.

To my mind, it's better to at least attempt the very small effort to get what you want (asking them to quiet down so you can enjoy the show without interruption) than to suffer through their behavior for most of the show just because "you shouldn't have to" make that effort.

Updated On: 2/6/18 at 11:22 AM

[BwayDude2]

Posted: 2/6/18 at 12:12pm

I had same kind of experience when I saw School of Rock at the Winter Garden. I was in last row of the mez, and an Usher was sitting behind on her phone, playing games with the volume on. I was so frustrated! Then, she in the middle of the performance she came down and yelled at people who had their cell phone on their lap and it accidentally went off... and after she yelled at them, she went back to sitting on her phone! 

[EthelMae]

Posted: 2/6/18 at 12:48pm

I think a lot of people, myself included, don't want to have to get up in the middle of the show, miss some of the show you paid for, climb over other audience members and search out the House Manager who could be anywhere and then if you find them, climb over audience members again and try to get back into the show. So, you usually suffer through the annoyance and wait for intermission to fiind someone who might be able to help. Frustrating all around no matter how you deal with it.

[faceleg]

Posted: 2/6/18 at 9:08pm

When I first started reading this thread, I was so afraid this post was about me cause I was at that same performance and I have a very loud laugh that has upset fellow audience members before. Though other audiences and actors do like it. Anywho, yes you should be upset. I was at Phantom on Thursday and EVERYONE in the read mez was talking. The people in front of me, all the kids in the middle section, ushers telling the kids to quit talking and to tell people to get off the phone. Luckily the front row of the rear mez was completely empty at intermission so the lovely woman sitting next to me and I moved to there and it was much better. 

[mjp14018]

Posted: 2/6/18 at 9:19pm

faceleg said: "When I first started reading this thread, I was so afraid this post was about me cause I was at that same performance and I have a very loud laugh that has upset fellow audience members before. Though other audiences and actors do like it. Anywho, yes you should be upset. I was at Phantom on Thursday and EVERYONE in the read mez was talking. The people in front of me, all the kids in the middle section, ushers telling the kids to quit talking and to tell people to get off the phone. Luckily the front row of the rear mez was completely empty at intermission so the lovely woman sitting next to me and I moved to there and it was much better."

 

OMG my laugh is obnoxious, my mom has slapped my arm before for how loud my laugh is. I don't mind audience reactions to shows, as long as they are respectful and are actually watching the show ( aka not looking at technology or talking throughout scenes)