Worst Experience Right Now at MATILDA

[LYLS3637]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 2:26pm

So on a whim, I noticed Matilda had a matinee today and hoped on tix4students and bought balcony seats, last row.

The entire rest of the balcony is two huge school groups, one of which did not arrive until the show started and then took literally 30 minutes to get seated-- a full 30 minutes. The rest of act 1 wasn't much better with students and chaperones on phones, one chaperone even took a call.

its intermission now and I moved to the side orchestra where it looks like seats are available. Do I say something or write a letter to someone?  30 minutes to seat a noisy school group is ridiculous. But I realize I got discounted tickets for a matinee of a children's show, so do I have a right to complain?

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 2:29pm

If you moved, you should be fine. You could talk to the house manager, who would probably move you, but since you moved yourself, I don't know what the house manager would do.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 2:31pm

No matter what you've paid, a distraction of that magnitude should be addressed.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 2:31pm

I would still tell the house manager. S/he needs to know the ushers aren't doing their jobs properly up there. 

[Elfuhbuh]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 2:33pm

Definitely complain. It doesn't matter when you saw the show, that should NEVER excuse you having a bad experience.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 2:44pm

1.  I agree that it must have been incredibly frustrating.

2.  however, the theater can't help when a bus load of school kids show up.   If they were not "theater kids" they have no real concept of appropriate behavior -- regardless what the ushers may have done.

3.  Yes, I'd still complain as your experience was hindered.

 

4.  Smack the adults.

[matildathemiracle2]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 2:55pm

I had a similar experience with Wicked. Three school groups came and were very distracting from my mezzanine seat. At intermission I told an usher, who alerted the stage manager, who moved me to orchestra and was very appreciative that I told him.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 3:00pm

This is why I haven't seen Matilda yet. Ugh. Sorry that happened!

[matildathemiracle2]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 3:17pm

"This is why I haven't seen Matilda yet. Ugh. Sorry that happened!"

 It really is an amazing show- seen it twice, going back next weekend, and would gladly see it 100 more times- but your best bet is to avoid a matinee to avoid the clans of children.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 3:21pm

Yeah. I've heard great things about the show itself. I just can't stand being around large groups of children. (Unless they're performing, I guess!) I really should've seen this on a weeknight in the dead of winter. 

[followspot]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 3:32pm

Although Shubert Alley is a natural shortcut for me, I don't go near it or the Shubert Theater on MATILDA matinee days.  Those school group salespeople are certainly doing their jobs.  It's like a sea of children.  Revolting.  

[Dr. Jaykll]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 4:23pm

Was at the same performance.

Could definitely tell there were big school groups in the balcony when Trunchbull hit the the button to activate the lasers/chokey

 

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 8:39pm

I have seen many Matilda matinees and night time performances and have rarely had a problem. That said, I would avoid the balcony like the plague on matinee days (well actually at any time but especially at matinees) because that's where the school groups are seated 95% of the time.

I would take a chance on the lottery if you don't want to spend a lot of bucks..because they are almost always downstairs side orchestra...and the audiences are just fine. I haven't noticed huge lottery crowds these days - and then they often sell lower price tickets to those who don't win.

I certainly wouldn't let this color my decision about whether or not to see the show. I have been at worse audiences without any kids near by at all..

[Jane2]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 8:45pm

Moving your seat is the only and best solution.

I can't tell you how many bus loads of kids arrive at the theater late. So, here we have a group of maybe 50 up to hundreds of kids late to the show. Then there's the problem of scanning them in. Some teachers have given each child their own ticket and scanning them each takes time. Some teachers are holding the tickets in large packets and each one still has to be scanned. Then there's the problem of escorting them into the house, and to save time (really) just fill up the rows as quickly as possible. Sometimes this isn't smooth when the kids want to sit next to their friends.

The ushers in these cases are more than doing their jobs. It's a nightmare for everyone.

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 11:32pm

There was a large school group in the loge at yesterday's matinee of THE KING AND I. Aside from hearing one or two "shushes," they were shockingly well behaved. I did not even realize a school group was there until I was leaving the loge.

[gleek4114]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 11:35pm

What a nightmare. Just another reason I try to avoid family aimed shows. I have, however seen Matilda twice. Once in September of 2013 and once in March 2015. The first year (a Friday night) we had no problems what so ever. The second year (a Thursday night, also not the show I picked to see) all started well until a non-English speaking woman behind behind me, would start talking during scenes and scene changes. It got on my nerves pretty quickly, and I kept trying to throw glares towards her and her friend. They eventually stopped, but soon a big group (maybe 25-30) got there towards the beginning of Act 1. They got seated fairly quickly, but it was still about 10 minutes of inconsistent viewing. I was there with my school (High School), and I just don't understand how hard it is to arrive on time. Our teachers made it very clear to meet at the theater at 7:30 for an 8:00pm curtain. We were all in our seats by 7:45, and everyone was well behaved (to be fair, we are an advanced a capella group of 30ish). 

Also I think its odd that most school groups get seated in the balcony. My group had amazing seats in the center orch. row R. 

Long story short: I'm a 17 year old who likes his shows raunchy, profane, and profound. 

[Broadwaydreaming]

Posted: 5/22/15 at 3:31am

Sorry to hear about the experience. It's a bad time of year for Wed. mats. Coming from someone with experience, it's almost never the fault of the ushers or house management. Schools should be considerate and arrive before the show starts. I've chaperoned groups with 30 kids, and all went well. We arrived early and settled before the show. I really can't blame the teacher, especially if he or she is lacking chaperones. Kids are a lot, and if they are young, they most likely don't care to see the show anyway.

I saw Matilda on a Sunday mat, and it was great! I was really concerned about the amount of kids that would be there. I sat in the balcony and was able to enjoy the show. There were kids around, but none of them were rowdy at all. Kids are a hit and miss thing. I paid 100+ for orchestra for Spiderman and ended up next to two screaming five year olds. Paid 30 something for Matilda and had a great time. 

[blm2323]

Posted: 5/22/15 at 3:38am

That's too bad you had  a poor experience. I saw Matilda for the second time at a matinee filled with elementary school aged kids (I was in 8th or 9th row).  It was a wonderful afternoon - I loved hearing their reactions and seeing their sheer delight in the story.

That being said, they were young enough to not have cell phones, there were teachers sitting about every 5 to 6 kids, and it was clear they had practiced what appropriate behavior is for the theater.  As a high school teacher it made me happy 

I get more annoyed by adult and teenage behavior at the theater than the younger kiddos...

[LYLS3637]

Posted: 5/22/15 at 10:17am

Thank you! I did not say anything after the show (honestly, because I didn't want anything to damper my enthusiasm for a show I found incredibly enjoyable).

I do feel the need to send a letter if only because of the way the late school group was seated. It look a whole 30 minutes to seat them because the ushers were making sure that every student was in the seat on their ticket. Clearly, the first four rows of the balcony were for this group. I don't understand why they were so focused on ensuring little Johnny was seated in seat 105 instead of 104. 

[Jane2]

Posted: 5/22/15 at 11:22am

^ is that really what the ushers were doing? In that case, a letter is necessary, and perhaps suggest to them that in cases where they're half hour late, quickly filling up the rows is the only way to do it, no matter who sits where.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 5/23/15 at 11:05am

"I get more annoyed by adult and teenage behavior at the theater than the younger kiddos..."

I posted this in Bad Behavior, but actually when I saw Cinderella last year, there were teenage girls behind me, who were 14, who would not stop talking & making fun of the show, and even pretending to SNORE during the chase scene. And the parents joined in. And there was another set of teenagers who even complained that there's TOO much singing. When I saw Aladdin, there was a 16 yr old, next to my dad, who slept the WHOLE show. And at the stage door, there was the rudest set of 12 year olds I ever saw, who pushed poor Iago around. Bless Adam and James, who volunteered to go on their school bus to sign the their playbills. Funny how little kids have better manners than teenagers and adults.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 5/23/15 at 11:31am

The ushers are required to check every ticket.  Contrary to popular belief, theaters do not hold blocks of seats from sale to sell solely to groups. It is not unusual for groups to be split between rows, obviously, but it is also not unusual for a group to be split within the same row. It's just as big a headache for the ushers as it is for the audience. And unless the group organizer brought with them the print-out they receive that lists their seats, the house staff will have no idea if they do in fact have the entire empty section.  The box office doesn't have access to that information; only that the seats are sold.  They did exactly what they were required to do.  Whether you like it or not.

 

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 5/23/15 at 11:47am

my experience with Matilda was also a terrible experience: I had to see the entire first act.

[starcatchers]

Posted: 5/23/15 at 8:47pm

"my experience with Matilda was also a terrible experience: I had to see the entire first act."

 

 

Unnecessary.

 

I've had some really unfortunate experiences in the Shubert. Most recently would be watching the show from standing room, and hearing "Bring Him Home" blasting from an usher's phone during the show.

[forgetmenotnyc]

Posted: 5/24/15 at 9:23am

Broadway is almost getting away from us. Sometimes I feel very little difference from what it used to be like seeing the circus at Madison Sq. Garden. I had a similaringly most frustrating experience in the rearish mezz. A group of kids w/few adults not properly spaced so that they couldn't really get to & correct offending noises.

In this case it was CANDY EATING & just how distracting one BAG a totally self-centered child can make.

Considering how difficult the dialect can make comprehension, when I encountered the theatre vendors at INTERMISSION ACTIVELY SELLING CANDY TO KIDS from a group, without adult supervision - I became angry enough to email a letter to the theatre which never received any response making me feel that no one cares - but you never know - maybe policy was changed? And YES, 2nd Act candy noise doubled.

Candy sales at Bway shows really need to be controlled as much as selling alcohol drinks to minors would be.

Haven't seen the show again but still rate it among my current best.

(Oh, & to correct an earlier posting from "Matilathemiracle2" which mentions an usher coordinating a seat move with a stage manager? Surely you meant house manager. The only thing a stage mgr. does with the house is recieve a signal communicating all is clear or if pic/vid. taking is seen from the stage to alert the house mgr. of it.)

Updated On: 5/24/15 at 09:23 AM