Ushers at Once
Ushers at Once
#1Ushers at Once
Posted: 4/21/12 at 5:54pmI saw Once this afternoon, absolutely loved it, but I was appalled by how rude the ushers were. The woman who seated me didn't give my mother a playbill, and when she asked for one the woman snapped at her, and wouldn't give her one "because they're free". I don't get the logic there. Another group had to walk past us to get to their seats, and rather than asking me to le them through, the same woman waved her flashlight in my face and yelled "HELLO?" Has anyone else had such a bad experience, or was I just there on a bad day? And who should I write to to complain? I realize I may be opening myself up to some scrutiny around these parts, but I would really like to know what to do now. I've been coming to New York for years, and this has never happened to me before. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!
#2Ushers at Once
Posted: 4/21/12 at 5:57pmContact their house management. Not sure who owns the theater but you may want to call their offices.
emilyfaye48
Broadway Star Joined: 3/19/09
#3Ushers at Once
Posted: 4/21/12 at 6:04pmyou probably had the same usher I had. she was horrible.
Harpz2006
Broadway Star Joined: 1/3/08
#4Ushers at Once
Posted: 4/21/12 at 6:21pmYeah, I went three weeks ago and asked for a playbill and the usher said I could get one off the floor?? I did find a pile behind a seat and grabbed one... lol but is that normal??
#5Ushers at Once
Posted: 4/21/12 at 6:40pm
Ushers are a funny breed. They tend to like routine and consistency. Managing the house at ONCE is a new set of challenges with the stage bar and the melee that ensues with non orchestra audience members mulling about in the orchestra, the timing of intermission and other such challenges.
I'm not justifying the crap behavior of her, but I am sure the crowds at ONCE are harder to manage. No excuse to be rude though.
I was talking to an usher at another theatre and she was saying she heard it was a nightmare at ONCE and was glad she didn't have to usher there. It's probably like herding cats.
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#6Ushers at Once
Posted: 4/21/12 at 6:41pmNo, that's not normal. And yes, you should write and complain.
#7Ushers at Once
Posted: 4/21/12 at 6:48pm
Were you in the mezz? A white lady with black hair maybe her in her 40s?
If so, I had the same usher at the Jacobs a few weeks ago and she was awful. She shined her flashlight throughout the show seemingly randomly in peoples' eyes who I don't think were talking or using a camera or anything. She also paced back and forth throughout the show, very distracting. At the end of the show, someone asked for a playbill because they lost one (she had a stack of a hundred on the floor in front of her) and she said "My job isn't to bend down. Maybe someone downstairs will be nicer."
#8Ushers at Once
Posted: 4/21/12 at 6:51pmGood point Bettyboy. The ushers in the orchestra when I went onstage definitely seemed a bit flustered as they were trying to direct people and some rudely pushed past them to get to the stage. It didn't look like a fun job; however, they were all very kind. The usher I encountered was in the mezzanine though so she doesn't really have an excuse.
#9Ushers at Once
Posted: 4/21/12 at 7:33pmSame! I asked for a playbill and she said harshly "let me see your ticket." and i told her i'd already been seated, but she just said even more harshly "not until i've seen your ticket!" she was being really rude. yeah, it's probably the same usher.
#10Ushers at Once
Posted: 4/21/12 at 7:34pm
"Yeah, I went three weeks ago and asked for a playbill and the usher said I could get one off the floor??"
That had to be AFTER the show, as there wouldn't be playbills on the floor before the show. She gave you good advice. During the show, playbills may have been put away. After the show, there is a plethora of playbills on seats and floors left by patrons. Instead of trashing them or recycling them, there's nothing wrong with you taking one of those.
um, am I correct in assuming you were asking for an additional playbill to the one you got entering the theater?
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#11Ushers at Once
Posted: 4/21/12 at 7:55pm
They aren't put away -- as another poster mentioned, there is a store of them at the back of each of the rows.
Even is recycling is good -- she shouldn't be rude to patrons.
#12Ushers at Once
Posted: 4/21/12 at 7:59pm
deleted
#13Ushers at Once
Posted: 4/21/12 at 10:03pmI'm guess it was the way she said it that made it seem rude
#14Ushers at Once
Posted: 4/21/12 at 10:29pm
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#15Ushers at Once
Posted: 4/21/12 at 10:50pmStill...a patron asks for a playbill - you give them one.
Harpz2006
Broadway Star Joined: 1/3/08
#17Ushers at Once
Posted: 4/21/12 at 11:27pmNo, it was before and I didn't have one yet- they were on the floor in piles behind certain rows... I mean, it was April Fool's Day too... lol
xoffender45
Broadway Star Joined: 8/12/07
#18Ushers at Once
Posted: 4/23/12 at 9:48am
When I went to see Once, I was using my phone during intermission. It was a good 5-7 minutes before intermission was over when the mezzanine usher from hell came up to me and asked me to shut off my phone. I thought she meant to shut it off right before the show starts, which I would have obviously done. So I nodded and kept on typing. Then she screamed "Now!" at me. I turned around and told her that I would turn it off as I normally do, right before the show begins. Again, she was screaming at me that I will turn it off when SHE says to turn it off, or else she'll have me kicked out of the theater. Say what you will about me being on my phone during intermission (as I'm sure somebody here will) but this lady is on a power trip.
Updated On: 4/23/12 at 09:48 AM
#19Ushers at Once
Posted: 4/23/12 at 10:43amMy favorite seats for most shows are front row mezzanine. I am intelligent enough to realize that you don't put a Playbill or other item on the ledge, so that it might fall down into the orchestra. And I don't mind the usher mentioning that fact. But I can't tell you the number of times when I'm simply being seated that an usher has literally yelled at me as if I were a complete idiot something like "and don't you DARE put anything on that ledge." I realize that they must often run into people who do that, but to assume everyone is going to and actually turn the mention into a rude attack is beyond comprehension to me. It starts my evening off with a low, not a high!
#20Ushers at Once
Posted: 4/23/12 at 10:55am
#21Ushers at Once
Posted: 4/23/12 at 3:13pmJane2, I don't think anyone is arguing with you about that example you give. Most posts about rude ushers have been about totally unprovoked episodes of rudeness. If an usher is rude without any cause -- perhaps they need to move on to a job where they can smile a bit.
Fosse76
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/21/05
#22Ushers at Once
Posted: 4/23/12 at 3:25pm
"Same! I asked for a playbill and she said harshly "let me see your ticket." and i told her i'd already been seated, but she just said even more harshly "not until i've seen your ticket!" she was being really rude. yeah, it's probably the same usher."
Generally speaking, if a seated patron does not have a Playbill, that signals the usher that the patron seated himself. Asking for a ticket prior to handing you a Playbill is their "check" to make sure you are in the correct seat. All it takes is one person to sit in the wrong seat and one person arriving late to disrupt the performance. I know an usher who won't give anyone a Playbill who doesn't present a ticket, though he usually asks nicely. While the ushers shouldn't be rude about it, they have every right to verify your seat. Also, keep in mind, they actually don't have an unlimited supply of programs. They generally only take what they believe they need to pass out each evening. And sometimes that "extra supply" behind the seats are old programs with inserts, or if there are inserts that evening they can programs without inserts, or they can be programs with different inserts. Don't just assume those Playbills are current, because you never know.
#23Ushers at Once
Posted: 4/23/12 at 3:47pm
"It's not my job to bend down"
HAHAHAHA!!!
Regardless of the discussion here either way, that is just a classic diva line. Was she a drag queen by any chance?
#24Ushers at Once
Posted: 4/23/12 at 4:32pmPersonally, I'd find the House Manager on duty immediately if an usher was that rude and unprovoked. I ushered for almost 10 years and despite how rude audiences can be, being rude back not only makes one a hypocrite, but also clearly illustrates they are not right for the job. There are many people out there who are excellent at being firm and in control without being a-holes. If an usher doesn't want to hand someone a Playbill, they shouldn't be an usher. That's just ridiculous.
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