Times article regarding eating in the theatre — Page 5

I'm bumping this thread because of an irritating experience I had at a Nederlander theatre last week. First off, because of the fact that Nederlander theatres allow food and drink to be brought back to the seats, there is no pre-show announcement regarding "unwrapping candy wrappers before the show begins."

I sat through GREASE at the Brooks-Atkinson last week having to listen to the crinkling of a bag of skittles, and the crunching of them throughout the first act. The child consuming the skittles was sitting directly behind me. During intermission I approached an usher and was told there was nothing she could do or say, because food and drink are allowed at the seats and are allowed to be consumed during the show.

The second act begins, and the father of the little girl who was eating the skittles during Act I bought a beer that he drank throughout the first half of Act II, along with a bag of peanuts. The beer smelled awful, not to mention the distracting sipping sound, the crinkling of the peanuts bag, and the crunching of the peanuts.

Is it possible to just buy a ticket to a show anymore and expect to take in the show without ridiculous audience distractions?

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If I want to sit next to some smelly beer-swillers, I'll go to Yankee Stadium. And if I want to get crumbs in the upholstery while I watch a show, I'll do it in my own living room. I'm really boggled by the idea that high ticket prices give you the right to do what you like in theaters. Why is it so hard to think of theaters as being like restaurants? In McDonald's you can eat with your fingers and let your kids smear ketchup on the table. The money you pay at an expensive restaurant most certainly doesn't give you the right to do the same- on the contrary, you go in wearing a tie because the money is supposed to indicate a certain level of class.

And let's not blame all this on tourists. The candy-crinkling hag I sat next to when I saw Bug was definitely a New Yorker- it's down to being a rude asshole, not your geography. Luckily I'm not eager to see a single show currently playing at a Nederlander theatre.

"Logic is in the eye of the beholder
One thought these people have is that they paid their $120 and should be able to do what they want
But that's faulty logic because
The person next to you paid their $120 and should be able to enjoy the show they came to see - free from distractions
When you buy a ticket (as it's been said) you are entering into a contract between the ticket holder and the venue. The rules and regulations set up by that venue "goes" You aren't entitled to any more, or any less."

Bravo Craig!

*applauds logic*