The Brooks Atkinson Bathrooms

[GreatPorcelainWay]

Posted: 7/15/16 at 3:03pm

We're back! We've slowed down our schedule for the summer, and are posting one #BwayBathrooms review per month.

Here for your reading pleasure is our review of the restrooms at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre!

http://www.thegreatporcelainway.com/single-post/2016/07/15/Serving-You-Pie-on-a-PooPoo-Platter-The-Brooks-Atkinson

We love hearing your thoughts, stories and insights on your experiences at the theaters we review, so be sure to let us know in this thread, or on Twitter, Facebook or Snapchat! 

Happy Flushing!

 

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 7/15/16 at 3:49pm

I can't believe your friend's wait was only 12 minutes for the ladies room at intermission. The ladies room situation at the BA is reprehensible and once you do make it through the magical doors, you're correct that the layout is old and absurd.

[GreatPorcelainWay]

Posted: 7/15/16 at 7:32pm

I'm surprised to hear that 12 minutes is a short wait at intermission! That only leaves 3 minutes at either end of the intermission break!

"Reprehensible" is a word choice I can get behind.

thanks for reading!!!! :)

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 7/15/16 at 9:46pm

I hope the theatre owners are taking notes.

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 7/15/16 at 10:27pm

GreatPorcelainWay said: "I'm surprised to hear that 12 minutes is a short wait at intermission! That only leaves 3 minutes at either end of the intermission break!

"Reprehensible" is a word choice I can get behind.

thanks for reading!!!! :)"

I've seen fights practically break out and very grown women just flat out cut the line because somehow the concept a line didn't seem fair to them. With an audience that's 80% women (more?) it's really an awful scenario. I also can't believe the men's room has been renovated! After the line the appearance of the ladies room (and its tiny saloon stalls) adds insult to injury. 

[Notreallysilent 2]

Posted: 7/16/16 at 12:24am

Yeah the bathroom there is insane. Both when I saw spring awakening and waitress there they ended up making the boys bathroom unisex

[GreatPorcelainWay]

Posted: 7/16/16 at 9:35am

I really like to think that they're trying, and obviously there's nothing that can be done in the middle of a run, which is really unfortunate. It makes me wonder, though, the theaters housed the same number of people (relatively) back when they were built... so why is a higher percentage using the restrooms?

I suspect the culprit is allowing drinks in the auditorium. 

[10086sunset]

Posted: 7/16/16 at 11:25am

Welcome back guys! Love your reviews.

Just from looking, the B.A. ladies room line is shameful. 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 7/16/16 at 12:05pm

Aren't a lot of theatres having intermission last 18 to 20 minutes now, but only telling people it's 15, for this very reason?

[GreatPorcelainWay]

Posted: 7/16/16 at 12:14pm

I'm glad you enjoy the reviews! I was really surprised by th B.A., especially since I find Nederlander theaters have scored pretty high in the past! 

 

[GreatPorcelainWay]

Posted: 7/16/16 at 12:16pm

LizzieCurry said: "Aren't a lot of theatres having intermission last 18 to 20 minutes now, but only telling people it's 15, for this very reason?

 

"

I've really got to start looking into that. looks like I've got to get a stopwatch...

[bfreak]

Posted: 7/16/16 at 12:29pm

LizzieCurry said: "Aren't a lot of theatres having intermission last 18 to 20 minutes now, but only telling people it's 15, for this very reason?

 

For some reason, I feel that intermission had gone by faster and faster. I saw The Crucible the other night and intermission felt like 7-8 minutes max. I couldn't believe it and could've used a few more minutes, especially for a show that long and dense.

 

[Notreallysilent 2]

Posted: 7/16/16 at 12:33pm

LizzieCurry said: "Aren't a lot of theatres having intermission last 18 to 20 minutes now, but only telling people it's 15, for this very reason?

 

"Actually when I went to see waitress the intermission lasted 20 minutes.

 

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 7/16/16 at 3:06pm

Notreallysilent 2 said: "LizzieCurry said: "Aren't a lot of theatres having intermission last 18 to 20 minutes now, but only telling people it's 15, for this very reason?

 Actually when I went to see waitress the intermission lasted 20 minutes."

I think that's about right. I noticed that after the first bell rang, it was well over 5 minutes before the next one did.

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 7/16/16 at 9:57pm

Men were told to let women go instead when I went  to see Waitress. That didn't go over well. Then women yelled at men for entering. Twas a disaster. 

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 7/17/16 at 12:16am

I was there another night when the women used the men's room. It went very smoothly and everyone cooperated...and most of the men were out of the area by then already and the women were just grateful to have the opportunity.

It's just a very small theater in general. The desk that head ushers do their paperwork is sitting in the upstairs lobby right next to the concession area...in full public view. There is just not a lot of space to expand anywhere for anything.

That said, the ladies bathroom are the cleanest I have seen around. They definitely get cleaned a number of times during each show and there is a cold water drinking cooler in there as well.

[Leaf Coneybear]

Posted: 7/17/16 at 1:43am

Honestly this isn't just a problem for this particular theater. It's a problem for every one I've been to and it's a huge problem that doesn't have an easy fix 

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 7/17/16 at 2:11am

KathyNYC2 said: "I was there another night when the women used the men's room. It went very smoothly and everyone cooperated...and most of the men were out of the area by then already and the women were just grateful to have the opportunity."

Glad they have figured out how to ease the line by allowing women to use the men's room. I was there a couple of times (pre-Tony's) and there was a grouchy older usher who freaked out when any women tried to use the men's room. It is just a necessity with that small a bathroom and a show with an even higher than average female audience.  They cannot control the lack of space/bathroom size but they can control how they deal with the problem. 

I do agree that the restrooms are clean but man the stalls are ridiculously tiny. 

[GreatPorcelainWay]

Posted: 7/17/16 at 11:09am

Leaf Coneybear said: "Honestly this isn't just a problem for this particular theater. It's a problem for every one I've been to and it's a huge problem that doesn't have an easy fix 

"

Well, that's kind of the point of our blog! 

I do wish there was something to be done, but I don't know where that money would come from.

I'm sorry to admit I'm jealous I wasn't there when BroadwayNYC 2 saw all that drama happen-- would've made for a good story in the review! 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 7/17/16 at 12:08pm

GreatPorcelainWay said: "I really like to think that they're trying, and obviously there's nothing that can be done in the middle of a run, which is really unfortunate. It makes me wonder, though, the theaters housed the same number of people (relatively) back when they were built... so why is a higher percentage using the restrooms?

I suspect the culprit is allowing drinks in the auditorium. 

 

"

I think the same percentage of the audience is still using the bathroom as back then, but what has changed is the ratio between men and women. You could probably say more men were going to the theatre back when they theaters were built. It was probably a 50:50 ratio. Now it's overwhelmingly women. The solution would be expanding the women's bathroom taking away from the men's.

[mpkie]

Posted: 7/18/16 at 11:33am

The current Brooks Atkinson bathroom situation is pretty fubar. I was pretty sure you'd give it like 1 toilet paper roll (at least the facilities are clean)!

Not sure how they could resolve it. They would need to expand down because the restrooms are all upstairs in the same area as the concessions and memorabilia, creating one chaotic cluster. I agree with others that female-to-male ratio and drinks (and AC? it's always so cold in theaters!) are probably culprits. Haven't been there for Waitress yet, but I imagine it's even more skewed towards female patrons.

The St. James Theatre took advantage to make the ladies' room massive, and as a result it's the only theater where I've seen there being a [reasonable] line for the men's room while not having any for the women's... And it's pretty awesome!

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 7/18/16 at 3:04pm

Theatres that have the men's and women's restrooms back to back can pretty easily take from the men's to expand the women's, like the Sondheim did. This would be impossible at the Brooks Atkinson and many others. 

To add another strike to the BA, apparently the theatre is having real air conditioning problems lately. Patrons have tweeted about it as has Keala Settle, at length. Sheesh. 

[Jersey Girl2]

Posted: 7/19/16 at 2:26pm

There were many nights during the Rock Of Ages run that my friend and I would go next door to the Mean Fiddler during intermission and split a beer and use their bathroom.  

Even after the show the lines were insane.  Will Swenson let us use the men's Room one night.