Tonight I had the distinct honor of sitting in front of a woman eating Twizzlers and M & Ms during Sweeney Todd. I get that theatres need to make money but can’t they sell soft candy in thin wrappers (like a Mounds bar).
I know you all know what eating Twizzlers sounds like. Folding open that hard plastic bag each time you need to rip off another licorice. And M & Ms?!? Let’s not even go there.
It’s insane to me that people can’t go a few hours without shoveling copious amounts of candy into their pie hole like it’s the circus. Theatre owners should be ashamed. Patrons should have some decency and think about others. There’s no recourse for a patron because the venues sell the garbage.
While I long for the days of no food or drink in the theatre, I came around to the idea of drinks with lids. The rest feels like an abomination.
Walking out of the theatre and seeing littered with crumbs and candy wrappers just made me sad. How gross.
Sweeney is right. People are vermin. Lol
In Australia all lollies are given in cups to cancel any noise during the performance.
I know your pain. I had a friggin family of four each with their own bag of M & M’s behind me at City Center during Parade. It really is a disgusting circus.
My theory is that people who make noises in theaters, by incessant coughing, hacking, rustling of candy wrappers, etc. are actually trying to inject themselves into the performance.
Also how much do those twizzlers and M&Ms cost nowadays? $10 each?
Wick3 said: "Also how much do those twizzlers and M&Ms cost nowadays? $10 each?"
Just about. Bottle of water is $6. Glass of wine is $18 but if you order a double, it's only $31. I'm always shocked when someone buys any concessions in a Broadway theater.
Chorus Member Joined: 10/28/12
I'll up you one. Pringles at Camelot. An usher said LC had no control over what the vendor sold. That I find hard to believe.
Understudy Joined: 6/14/21
Yeah - chips are the f’in worst. I know they have M&M’s (and most other candies) in boxes so theaters should seriously work together to only get those packages from their vendors. Twizzlers are kind of a perfect food to sell because they make no noise but those damn bags. I will 100% say to someone next to me now if so see them, that I really hope they’re not planning on making noise with the bag during the show. Gotta nip that in the bud.
And don’t get me started on cups filled with ice.
Understudy Joined: 6/14/21
Those are Shubert prices. Sweeney is at the Lunt, which is a Nederlander property, where water is $5, wine is $14 for a 5 oz pour (but you get the souvenir cup), and a double wine is $28.
Nederlander:
Shelf liquor is $14 for a single, $28 for a double.
Premium liquor is $19 for a single, $38 for a double.
Specialty drinks are $18-24 for a single, obviously twice that for a double.
Wine is $14, $28, $42.
Beer is $12 or $14.
Snacks are $6-10.
Sodas: $9, but no refills
Water: $5
Chorus Member Joined: 10/25/17
While I too despise loud and rude theatre patrons that have no regard for the space they are in... I'd consider the possibility that this person may have been pressed for time and needed to eat something, and thats all the theatre had to offer.
When I saw Sweeney I was on zero sleep, having dealt with a flight cancellation, overnight at the airport, and one direct flight turned into a connection and frantic ride from LGA to Manhattan to make it to the Lunt Fontanne by 1:30pm.
Perhaps this person was in a similar scenario.
Swing Joined: 7/12/14
We saw Sweeney last Friday. I could not believe the constant noise from people eating food and those cheap bottles cracking. The more tourist we get, the more noise. It was so nice when Broadway opened up right after COVID and no food or drinks were allowed. I think theaters should sell water in paper bottles. The cheap poland springs water bottles are too loud.
It bogles my mind that theaters know they can buy candy in boxes and they don't. They can make patrons pour their candy in a plastic cup. And they don't. They could sell beverages in bottles that don't crinkle (or pour it into a glass) and they don't.
These are such easy fixes that wouldn't impact patron satisfaction or have much impact on the concession bottom line.
The disregard for the patron experience as ticket costs continue to soar has made the difference about buying tickets for certain shows for me.
The audiences at Sweeney have been absolutely dreadful since the first preview. It’s honestly a shame. It’s great seeing such a popular commercial production of a Sondheim show, but the audiences have been just terrible.
Also, I think the extremely high ticket prices for this show may embolden certain audience members to act however they want.
ljay889 said: "The audiences at Sweeney have been absolutely dreadful since the first preview. It’s honestly a shame. It’s great seeing such a popular commercial production of a Sondheim show, but the audiences have been just terrible.
Also, I think the extremely high ticket prices for this show may embolden certain audience members to act however they want."
Its not just the audiences. I was sitting in the back of the theater and the house staff was having conversations at full volume throughout the first act. One also kept moving around one chair for them to sit,
The Lunt staff has ALWAYS done that. Always. I used to do standing room for shows there and it was constant with them for every show, every time.
I had a woman unfold a 6in sub and eat it and then, once finished, took out her phone and proceeded to take pictures.
$38 for a double
That sh*t is HILARIOUS.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/14/20
Jordan Catalano said: "Yeah - chips are the f’in worst. I know they have M&M’s (and most other candies) in boxes so theaters should seriously work together to only get those packages from their vendors. Twizzlers are kind of a perfect food to sell because they make no noise but those damn bags. I will 100% say to someone next to me now if so see them, that I really hope they’re not planning on making noise with the bag during the show. Gotta nip that in the bud.
And don’t get me started on cups filled with ice."
When I was at Cursed Child someone had popcorn. Not as bad as chips but UGH
“Hairspray” was the first show I ever saw popcorn at. I thought I was in an alternate universe. And it was the same family who bought that, that had chicken they were eating. I always associate that with the beginning of the end.
It's not just the products sold at the theater that are a problem. People bring food into the theater and have no problem eating it any time during a performance. At the revival of Grease about 15 years ago, a family of six was sitting directly behind me. During "Freddy, my Love" they broke out a box of Ritz crackers, passing the sleeves between them. Between the crinkling of the packaging and the crunching (especially among the kids), I was in theater hell. They decided to finish the box during Act II - apparently eating a Intermission wasn't an option..
In a different thread someone mentioned people behind him eating tuna salad sandwiches - probably not a lot of crunching, but that odor!
Sutton Ross said: "$38 for a double
That sh*t is HILARIOUS."
I'm ok with them charging that if patrons are willing to pay that. I always thought bartenders who work at Broadway houses make good money from tips alone!
Broadway Star Joined: 5/8/19
StefanieBway said: "While I too despise loud and rude theatre patrons that have no regard for the space they are in... I'd consider the possibility that this person may have been pressed for time and needed to eat something, and thats all the theatre had to offer.
When I saw Sweeney I was on zero sleep, having dealt with a flight cancellation, overnight at the airport, and one direct flight turned into a connection and frantic ride from LGA to Manhattan to make it to the Lunt Fontanne by 1:30pm.
Perhaps this person was in a similar scenario."
That would be an incredibly selfish excuse for ruining the show for so many people.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
Nothing tops the gal who sat in front of me at MASTER CLASS slurping split pea soup.
As an actor, I was in a production of SOUTH PACIFIC at the Airport Playhouse here on Long Island when a woman brought fried chicken into the theater and fed her family with it during the performance. Many of us on stage were salivating. Management did nothing.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
jagman1062 said: "It's not just the products sold at the theater that are a problem. People bring food into the theater and have no problem eating it any time during a performance. At the revival of Grease about 15 years ago, a family of six was sitting directly behind me. During "Freddy, my Love" they broke out a box of Ritz crackers, passing the sleeves between them. Between the crinkling of the packaging and the crunching (especially among the kids), I was in theater hell. They decided to finish the box during Act II - apparently eating a Intermission wasn't an option..
In a different thread someone mentioned people behind him eating tuna salad sandwiches - probably not a lot of crunching, but that odor!"
Odor? What about the hotdogs and sauerkraut served at the Radio City Music Hall? I sat behind people who not only ate them during the Christmas Show but went back for seconds!
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