Tipping ushers at Broadway theaters?

You do not tip ushers unless they do something extravagant for you.

ETA: By that I mean if they go out of their way to find you a better seat, et cetera, without management knowing, for example.

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Updated On: 5/12/07 at 07:41 PM

I have many friends who are ushers in Broadway houses and once in a blue moon a customer will slip them some money, but it is very rare.

What is this Vegas? At 110 bucks a shot, the ushers should pat me on my a$$ and tell me I'm pretty.

that's what i thought too...tipping isn't common in theater, but thought i'd ask.

the guy insinuated something was wrong with me since i don't tip so i thought i'd ask bww-ers, the real theater experts :)

It would be more fun if it were like tipping cows.

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tipping ushers is ridiculous, their sole job is to show you to your seat, its not like they are doing anything out of the ordinary.

Tipping ushers is unnecessary in my opinion unless, they do something extraordinary for you. Their job is to show you to your seat, I don't see why you would feel the need to tip for that.

When I first started going to the theatre I would tip a dollar to the ushers. Over time I found that they would be more and more surprised to get a tip. Then I reached a point where I couldn't really afford it anymore, and to be honest I had forgotten all about it until this thread.

I think another thing that's happened is that it's more common for the ushers to not actually show you to your seat but hand you a Playbill and gesture and say "Down there, row D, three seats in." There were times back when I would still keep a dollar handy that I would decide to hang onto it when I found I wasn't actually going to be shown to my seat (not that I mind that, I just don't think it's the kind of service that deserves a tip if they don't have to move).

At any rate, it used to be somewhat common, but now I think it's pretty much stopped. I should ask some of my usher-friends how often they get tipped now.

Hey loser, do you think that the ushers set the price of tix? And BTW, as an usher, we have to put up with ingrates like you with bad attitudes every single show.

I've been seeing shows on Broadway since 1972 (okay, I was 7 years old then, so money issues didn't count then for me), and since then I've been venturing into Manhattan several times a year to see shows (yes...even to this day), and I've NEVER (nor felt I needed to) tip an usher in a Broadway house.

"Hey loser, do you think that the ushers set the price of tix? And BTW, as an usher, we have to put up with ingrates like you with bad attitudes every single show."

WTF is right. Actually, I've worked in customer service and I'm usually the one of the first people to stick up for the ushers. They put up with a lot of garbage on a daily basis, we know that.

Ushers don't depend on tips the way waiters do, as someone else mentioned. Their job description involves bringing people to the seats and handing out programs. I don't think they deserve some sort of special tips for simply doing their assigned jobs competently. And no, they don't set the ticket prices, but after spending that much money, I don't feel like throwing more around at the theatre on ANYTHING--merchandise, drinks, tips.

Updated On: 5/13/07 at 02:18 AM

Its always a nice thing to do, and always appreciated.