Sweeney Todd yesterday...cell phones and Patti LuPone- Page 4

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 7:50pm

This isn't nearly as bad, I suppose, but the last time I saw Bernarda Alba, when the house lighst went down and the show was about to begin, someone decided to open up their obxnoxiously bright, blue cellphone and text message someone or something. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but the theatre is TINY, in a semi-circle, and this person was SMACK in the middle! It practically lit up the whole audience...it was ridiculous.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 8:06pm

SHAME is a big motivator to get people to behave. Better yet, being shamed in a crowd just after everyone around you is shooting daggers after just a split second.

*applauds Patti LuPone*

[PJ]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 8:08pm

Add me to the list of paranoid patrons with phones. I check at least half a dozen times while I'm there.

And kudos to Patti. I realize it could be easy to forget to turn your phone off before a show, but not when there is always an announcement beforehand instructing you to do so.

I was at The Wedding Singer Monday night and this happened. I student rushed so I was in first row center of the orchestra. About ten minutes into the show the girl beside me's phone rang. Instead of feeling embarassed, she and her friend thought it was hysterical.

Also, when I was at the first preview of The Drowsy Chaperone, I had the luck of sitting behind a school group. I overheard them talking about how someone in the show is affiliated with their school, or something to that effect. Anyway, these young kids were chatting, eating candy, and text messaging like it was no one's business. Eventually the man a few seats down, who appeared to be an avid theatre goer, verbally gave one of the girls a nasty slap down. It was pretty funny.

[mrslovett7]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 8:11pm

I just think it is so disrespectful and disgusing that people leave their damn cell phones on, i mean really, no one paid that much money to hear a phone ring!

ugh horrible. I remember reading on Patti's website that people are like falling asleep, eating and one person got drunk and made michael cerveris high-five him at the curtain call.

I mean, come on! it's theatre! it's something we need to appreciate, not everyone has the luxury of going to see shows, especially Sweeney Todd lol.

that is so upsetting to hear

[PJ]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 8:16pm

You haven't seen drunk at a theatre until you've seen Jersey Boys on a Friday night. Those Jersey people come in so liquored up, the lobby literally wreaks of alcohol after the walk-in.

[dirty rotten guy]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 8:17pm

Thats insane!

I mean I know that Patti has a temper (sometimes she scolds someone in the front few rows if they were rude during curtain call), but I had no idea that she would go as far as to go out of character in the middle of such an intense show. I say Patti was totally justified.

Audiences are getting so rude, its getting out of hand fast. I would have loved to see it go down but I feel bad for anyone who was seeing it for the first time as it must have been terribly distracting from their experience.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 8:30pm

Bravo to Patti!

No matter how many reminders there are, at least one cell phone goes off during every show I see. Sometimes the people are embarassed and shut it off right away. Sometimes it rings 4-5 times. A couple of times people have answered it, and like previously stated, to say they're seeing a show...[name of show], it's ok, etc.

But once this was the worst...someone answered their phone to have a conversation! Nothing to do with the show just was chatting away...I finally went to get an usher and she got off when she saw the usher coming. Ulgh!

What exactly is the job of the usher in terms of cell phones going off? I want to say I don't think they're doing their jobs since this happens so much, but I don't know the authority they have. I think people should be thrown out of the show if there cell phone goes off, and this should be listed and announced all over the place. Knowing that, a mistake wouldn't even be okay.

It doesn't ruin the show, but sometimes it can ruin a great moment in the show.

[DG]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 8:34pm

Last year during the first professional public reading of THE RABBIT HOLE, someone's phone rang. And rang. And Rang. The two actors - who had been dillengently trying to 'carry on' whilst playing the final penultimate moment - finally stopped. The male actor turned to the audience and said, "This isn't fair to you, it isn't fair to us - and it most certainly isn't fair to the playright - PLEASE turn that off." At that point, the audience burst into applause.

It was then that, a woman in about 3rd row center bent down and got the phone out of her purse and turned it off (I SWEAR after about 25-30 rings.) She then had the gall to look straight up into the actor's face and say, "Are you satisfied now?"

It amazes me to this day that a riot didn't break out in that theatre. If I had been closer to her, I would have been arrested.

[BluCat500]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 8:36pm

Something similar happened the Saturday before last in Threepenny. Lauper stopped singing in the Middle of Mack the knife when a phone rang and said "someone answer that phone." There was a huge round of applause.

[dirty rotten guy]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 8:42pm

That suprises me that they still get cell phone rings in Threepenny. Before the show, as well as after intermission, they play a loud cell phone ring again and again over the speakers. It's obnoxious but I figured if anything would stop the ring problem, that would do it. Guess not though...

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 8:54pm

Why are people so stupid?

[mikem]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 9:15pm

I saw Rabbit Hole a couple of weeks ago, and a cell phone went off during the last minute of the play. It was a little muffled, but it was still disruptive.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 9:40pm

People who have a ringing cell phone merit a just punishment. They should be made to listen to Yoko Ono recordings for a whole day. THAT should cure them of their nasty habit. from Roman in Austin, Texas

[keatonbynumbers]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 9:42pm

Oh, Patti. MARRY ME. NOW.

I love that she did that. The cell phone situation is out of control.

[Doctor Dolittle]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 10:04pm

I've always said that if a person's cell phone goes off during a performance, they should be pelted with playbills from the audience, much like a stoning. They'll get the idea.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 10:38pm

"She is not paying to teach manners.

She's not getting paid for it, either. "

She is being paid to ACT so she better start doing it and not worrying about a man's manners.

Also, he payed his ridiculously high price so she should GET OVER IT!

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 10:43pm

EVERYBODY paid to be there. Just because that guy paid for his ticket, it doesn't give him special privleges over everyone else.

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 10:47pm

"She is not paying to teach manners.

She's not getting paid for it, either. "

She is being paid to ACT so she better start doing it and not worrying about a man's manners.

Also, he payed his ridiculously high price so she should GET OVER IT!

I hope the next time you see a show a cell phone rings about 5 times then you can realize how ridiculous you sound.

[kgee30]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 10:49pm

"She is being paid to ACT so she better start doing it and not worrying about a man's manners.

Also, he payed his ridiculously high price so she should GET OVER IT!"

I don't know -- this is the entitlement excuse I totally disagree with: "I paid $100 so I can sit in my seat and do anything I damn well please." Not true. The rest of pay the same amount of money and we're there to see a show, not to listen to someone else's obnoxious ringtone. It's called common courtesy, or civility, and it applies whenever you choose to place yourself in the public sector. If you want to sit at home and listen to that brilliant, carefully selected ringtone, be my guest. If you're sitting in front of me in the theater, turn the goddamn thing off, or I will ask you for my $100 back.

I understand that people make mistakes, for whatever reason, but I'm willing to bet a cell phone goes off at least once a week in this theater, and I would imagine she just had enough.
Updated On: 4/13/06 at 10:49 PM

[knows_too_much]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 10:50pm

OT: I have a friend who said that if he were a serial killer he would chose his victims based on how obnoxious they're cell phone ring was.

I always thought that ws a great idea

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 10:52pm

I'm definitely one of you all who checks to make sure my phone is turned off several times before the show. I can't imagine how horrifying it would be to be the one to disrupt the show.

Are you afraid it's gonna turn back on?

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 10:53pm

That's a stupid comeback.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 10:57pm

You people need to take a reading class.

I said he pays, what I did not say however is that since he pays, he can do as he pleases. He is worng to have his cell go off, no doubt.

Ummm yea, really stupids. Almost as good as your "hes not the only one that paid."

Like I didn't know. I thought the deal was one guy pays and the rest sit.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 11:00pm

Oy.

[brdwybound2]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 11:02pm

I can only imagine HOW that person must've felt when their cell phone rang. Not that I feel for them in the least, they DID have the nerve to keep it on and let it ring again. I just would NEVER EVER EVER want to be in that situation, and to be pointed out by Patti LuPone!