Sweeney Todd yesterday...cell phones and Patti LuPone- Page 6

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 1:11pm

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.


That's part of the show...

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 1:27pm

Oh, and Skittles, we're just expressing our opinions, I don't see why you need to argue it, as if your snide remarks are going to get us to conform to your thoughts.

WickedGeek, it's called a debate. If you're so worried I will "conform" you to my thoughts just by disagreeing with you, maybe you should work on a decent argument before speaking up.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 1:45pm

This isn't a debate, it's a freakin' message board! lol

[Illegally Blondish]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 2:58pm

According to a source on the "inside", if you will, it apparently didn't happen exactly that way. Donna Lynne apparently didn't break character for a second and not much in the scene was disturbed outside of Patti breaking character. I'm sure over all it threw off the dynamic of the scene, but all in all, it sounds like it wasn't quite as dramatic.

However, I say kudos to Patti. She obviously loves that show. I'd be pissed, too, if someone was as ignorant as to not shut off their phone AFTER someone else's phone already rang. These people are working their butts off up there. It's such an intense show... it's just rude to everyone around you. The people on stage and off alike.

[kyguy78]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 3:05pm

I'm a teacher and I absolutely detest cell phones. They're great in concept, but so many people don't practice any kind of responsiblity with them, so that's why I don't like them.

The thing that makes me the maddest is when a kid will be in the middle of class and say, "My mom's calling, can I answer it?" I've started just answering the phone and telling the parent/boyfriend/etc. that the person they're calling is in the middle of class and they should call back at a more appropriate time.

And before anyone says, but what if it's emergency! Our school policy outlines that students can be reached through the main office if there is an emergency of any kids. The parent can call the office, the office will transfer the call to my room, and the kid can take the call.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 4/14/06 at 3:29pm

This isn't a debate, it's a freakin' message board! lol

Exactly, it's a message board with thousands of posters. If you can't handle anyone else expressing their opinion, get a blog instead.

Illegally Blondish, it's good to know it didn't completely disrupt the show for the actors. And I agree, the second phone ringing is worse than the first. Did they need a bigger hint than Patti LuPone calling someone out to double-check their phone?

Updated On: 4/14/06 at 03:29 PM

[gillygalls]

Posted: 4/15/06 at 9:22pm

I will never begin to understand why a parent will call there child knowing the child is in school... some people really do not think before they act.

/cell in school rant.

:)

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 1:17am

Ulgh...perfect thread to post this in.

In Awake and Sing's matinee today, 4 friggin cell phones went off! Four!

[C is for Company]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 1:18am

One went off today in Lestat right in the opening so Hugh Panaro stopped singing and yelled at them....


j/k, but one did ring like literally as soon as he came out onstage in the very beginning

[neomystyk29]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 1:29am

I've been doing my show, HONK! in a small thrust stage theatre. A theatre where you can see the audience and they can see you, and therefore can very easily HEAR the audience and they can hear you. HONK! is a cute show in that it appeals very much to little kids. Well... all week I've had Patti Lupone in my head saying "Stop acting and tell the kid to shove it.... stop your song and ask the person to stop crinkling the plastic....kick the cell phone a**hole out". I'm really slowly becoming a schizophrenic.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 2:09am

What I don't understand is how, after all the announcements, the huge insert in Awake and Sing, the signs, etc. People will not take a second to turn off their cell phone. They'll chuckle at whatever cutesy way they tell you turn it off, but not turn it off. Or they'll set it to vibrate, which I just don't get. Are you going to answer it? No? Then what's the point of leaving it on? WE CAN HEAR THE VIBRATION! WE CAN SEE THE LIGHT! IF IT'S SO IMPORTANT, STAY HOME, FOR F*CK's SAKE!

Anyway, I hate that Patti had to stop the show, but it's a judgement call, and you can't fault the indiviual for doing what they have to do.

But yeah, I can't wait to hear the first story of Richard Griffiths on the attack!

[C is for Company]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 2:13am

"Oh hahaha that Piazza announcement is so funny"......completely disregards the purpose for it.

Some people are absolutely unbelievable and their disruptive theater behavior is disrespectful on so many levels: to fellow patrons, to the people onstage working hard to string a story together, it just is not right. Especially a loud device that just beeps loudly or makes music and serves no purpose to you during the course of a show.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 6:26am

I think that Cell Phones are absolutely ruining the world. They cause normally sane people to suddenly become greedy, needy, and completely without good manners. The world was a much better place before their invention.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 4/16/06 at 7:48am

The only reason I have a cell phone is to tell my parents where I'll be and to make sure I have rides from school et cetera as I don't have a car and there's no bus to my school.

Whenever I ahev to bring it into the theatre, I turn it off before I even walk into the theatre. I can't comprehend the shere stupidity of people who can't just turn their cell phones off!

[MarkRascati]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 8:35pm

The reason they didn't answer it is because it's embarrassing to be the one who's cellphone went off in the middle of a broadway show... Patti did nothing good for the matter. It was unprofessional, and it's easier to ignore a cellphone and continue to watch a show, than to have the cell phone go off, AND the actors stop the show as well.


edit: excuse me for bumping an old thread btw Updated On: 7/29/07 at 08:35 PM

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 8:49pm

Please. People's phones will go off multiple times during the show and they still don't learn any better from the "embarrassment". I'd rather have the actors stop the show to call them out and have them be so humiliated that they'll never forget to turn off their phones ever again. Not to mention the rest of the audience learning from example to not be "that guy". The longterm benefits outweigh the temporary interruption.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 10:17pm

I agree, skittles.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 3:11pm

I really wouldn't want to get into this again, but why didn't the person just silence the phone immediately instead of waiting or turn it off so it would not ring again during the performance? And also, even if they were taught a lesson, what are the chances you would be in the audience with them again that it benefits you once you've already been interrupted as well? It's bad enough to have one problem, but once the show is stopped then it turns into an "UGH" moment.

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 3:38pm

For me, when a phone rings, the show is stopped. So if an actor responds to the ringing phone, that is fine with me. The ringing phone has already become a distraction and has taken me "out of the moment" of the show.