Audiences

[actor61]

Last weekend, I saw the National Tour of "Once" in Chicago. It was superb. The woman sitting next to me enjoyed a lovely sandwich, chips, a bottle of water and candy during the first act. I'm so glad she had food; what a tragedy if she'd had to go an hour or so without the proper nourishment. Of course, she missed some of the dialogue as she hunted for and then unwrapped her food, so had to lean over to her husband and ask loudly, "What'd he say?" and her husband would then repeat the line. I'm so glad he was there to help her. What a shame if she'd missed something important while she enjoyed her picnic. Then, when she was done with lunch, she got out her cell phone. Well, I mean, what good is lunch and a show if you can't text people about it? I don't know why she got so upset with me when I leaned over to her and said, "If you don't put that fucking phone away right now, I'm getting the house manager." Geesh, some people. I thought it was a fairly polite request. So did the people behind me because they applauded.

[+ honcho]

I keep wishing for an "Unlike" or "Condolences" button . . . .

[RyanDean]

When I saw Bullets Over Broadway on Broadway last year (in itself a possible occasion for the "condolences" button, I know), I happened to be sitting near a gaggle of 40somethings who might have been related to Snooki. There were about a dozen of them and, at different points during the first act, each and every one of them (some in small groups, some as singles) got up from their seats in the middle of their row and excusemeexcuseme'd their way to the aisle and out to the lobby bar. They then returned with their drinkies & excusemeexcuseme-d their way back to their seats, only to repeat the ritual when their libation ran dry. Toward the end of the first act, the house management began to refuse them reentry from the lobby, which left the one remaining (and especially tan) young woman quite bewildered come intermission.

[bostonman]

I think some people think that going to live theatre is no different than going to the movies. The fallacy is that it seems to me most people behave better at the movies, lol.

[+ WilliamM]

When I saw Bullets Over Broadway on Broadway last year (in itself a possible occasion for the "condolences" button, I know), I happened to be sitting near a gaggle of 40somethings who might have been related to Snooki. There were about a dozen of them and, at different points during the first act, each and every one of them (some in small groups, some as singles) got up from their seats in the middle of their row and excusemeexcuseme'd their way to the aisle and out to the lobby bar. They then returned with their drinkies & excusemeexcuseme-d their way back to their seats, only to repeat the ritual when their libation ran dry. Toward the end of the first act, the house management began to refuse them reentry from the lobby, which left the one remaining (and especially tan) young woman quite bewildered come intermission.

 

I feel left out. Nothing like that has ever happened to me. At first, I guessed that attending so many rock concerts in my life (as well as a Judy Garland concert in 1961 -- have to be honest) has made me unaware. But, I have just been lucky. Excellent behavior at Boston Garden at the Garland concert, by the way.

[Boink]

Examples like these are precisely the reason I DETEST the farce of assigned seating in movie theaters.