Stop The Insanity! Rude Audiences Revisited! Whoopi Fights Back!

[Corine2]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 7:50pm

I must applaud Whoopi Goldberg. The woman rocks.
At the theater this afternoon a woman talked on her cellphone in the middle of her performance.
CAN YOU F'BELIEVE THAT?
And WHOOPI told her to give her cell to the usher or leave the theater.
The show was great, but the audience drama was better!
I applaud WHOOPI.
This was the worst case of rudeness I have seen. In addition to that there was a woman behind me unwrapping candies.
Stop the insanity. No talking on cells during a show please!

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 7:50pm

great story!

[Corine2]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 8:09pm

It is really pathetic.
How would you feel if someone chatted on a cell during your show.
I can't believe that.

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 8:19pm

It's getting bad. When I was in New York, at all 3 shows I saw ("La Cage," "Wonderful Town," and "Phantom") people had their cell phones out. It's so distracting because you can see their phone light up when they open them and that diverts your attention away from the stage. What did we do when not everyone had a cell phone way back in 1998?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 8:21pm

Lived normal lives

Cell phones are a status symbol. People feel important with them

[Corine2]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 8:24pm

But this woman did the worst thing ever!
She MADE A CALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SHOW.
WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE????

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 8:26pm

Had that happen at "Brooklyn" in Denver. And the woman refused to get off of the phone until our entire row and the row behind and in front of her just turned and looked at her and two of us had to say out loud to get off of the phone. Had there been an intermission, I am certain she would not have returned. She dashed for the door as soon as the show was over. Had 2 ladies next to me at "A Raisin in the Sun", second row dead center, commenting during the whole 1st act. Drove us crazy. After the announcement before the second act to open candy before curtain, of course, they dug into their purses right after the second act curtain went up. Stares did not deterr them. Shh's did not deterr them. But the final straw was when the one right next to me dug around in her purse for about 30 seconds and came up with a fingernail file!!! I grabbed her hand and said "I'm sorry but that is the last straw. You have been very rude during the performance and I will not have you filing you nails next to me during the show. It's rude". She put the nail file back and didn't say a word to her friend for the rest of the show! Everyone around me noticed what I did and thanked me when the show was over. I know that "A Raisin..." drew a lot of people to the theatre that don't normally go or have never been. But that is no excuse for manners. And these ladies had to be in their 60's!

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 8:30pm

bravo whoopi!

[billygoatgirl300]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 8:31pm

I have be very lucky to not have rude people around me during a show. My dad makes sure his phone is off. Also my watch beeps on the hour and I don't know how to turn it off so I go far enough to put it in my bag so it won't bug people around me.

[Corine2]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 8:31pm

I hope they took her cell from her. She disturbed the show and WHOOPI.
They need to enforce this or it will continue.
BRAVA WHOOPI DARLING! Updated On: 12/30/04 at 08:31 PM

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 8:33pm

Sorry about that Corine...but on a lighter note...how was "Whoopi"? I've been wanting to see it.

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 8:34pm

snaps for whoopi!!

[Corine2]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 8:37pm

I loved it. She really took some shots at George.
I loved everything about her show. She had me in stitches.
But the audience was the rudest bunch I have seen in years.
It is worth the trip.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 8:41pm

The cast of NAKED BOYS SINGING! has it even worse: people whip out their camera phones and try to send their friends photos of the naked boys. I must say, though, that the ushers at that theater are pretty quick to act and confiscate the phones.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 8:50pm

Has the Whoopi audience become less 'choir?' To whom she can preach comfortably? When I saw it in Nov, 99.9 % were people who welcome any negativity on the Bush Regime. But that we 2 1/2 weeks after the election. By now, she may have more 'mainstream' folk, and some of them might find the opening piece, a bravura political reworking of that great character who went to Anne Frank's house and loaded with barbs at W, not to their liking. Hope so, because it must be electric to watch the Whoopster handle em. She's fearless, and of course, I think she's 200% right, so I'm with her in spirit.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 8:53pm

Haha! Hope that lady was humiliated enough!!!

[magruder]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 9:00pm

Actually, you can be fined for using your cell phone in a theatre. Where were the ushers?!

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 9:06pm

our ushers were nowhere to be found in Denver at Brooklyn. But we told them about it after the show and pointed the lady out as she was running for the door.

[Corine2]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 9:18pm

I hope they took her cell and stomped it to bits!
And threw in a $500 fine.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 9:23pm

Sorry, but nobody beats the great Ethel Merman. Love the Stritch story where she tells about Merm and the drunk in the audience.

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 9:23pm

I've found that a rolled up playbill, used as a head thumping device, works as a great deterrent to that kind of behavior.

[Corine2]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 9:51pm

If Whoopi had the usher take her phone and stomp on at on stage people would think twice!

[zippyjen]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 10:09pm

Yeah whoopi! I hate cells and not just in the theater. In movies, in restaurants they just piss me off.

[Peppermint Patty]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 10:10pm

During Spanglish (I saw it with Bernie) the people behind me wouldn't stop talking on their cell phones and the people in front of me kept yelling.I don't remember what happened in the movie.

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 12/30/04 at 10:15pm

Not that I'm personally recommending this handy device (it is illegal in the U.S.), I'm just pointing out its existence, in case anyone was interested...

http://www.globalgadgetuk.com/Personal.htm