Worst Experience Right Now at MATILDA

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?

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

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

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.

"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.

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.

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..

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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

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