put your phone away and behave yourself! Thanks for tuning in to this video! We love theatre, and want her to get the love she deserves. So make sure you're respectful the next time you attend a show! Thanks for being here. - Sam & Ryan
whenever i am on stage, my family likes to scream my name and it makes me so mad because it's really disrespectful to me and to my fellow cast mates. so i agree with you guys 100% in the fact that theatre etiquette is gone.
@@christianfranz2686 yep. but they also LOVE to do it in the MIDDLE of the show too and it distracts me and takes me out of the scene. i've tried to explain to my mom that it's rude but she isn't the type to listen to her children lol💀
It almost feels like concert culture has seeped into theatre and not in a good way. The filming, the singing along, the screaming at anytime. They are not the same medium.
I performed as Glinda and so many people sung along in No one mourns the wicked, to the point where an usher had to kick like 5 people out. it was ridiculous, and it's so important to actually talk about this online ❤❤
i saw heathers live last week and i was super excited since its my favorite musical ever, and whenever some fav parts of my favorite songs started playing, i would LIPSYNC from time to time, just of excitement like "hell yeah i love this part" but i was super super silent, because it was lipsyncing, i didnt make a sound, and even then i sometimes felt like "is this wrong?" i obviously know it didnt bother anyone because all i did was slightly move my lips (i wasnt doing it like a tiktoker or moving anything else 😭). i can NOT belive that people think theyre entitled to sing along to a live performance of a musical, its obviously pathetic and tells me so much about them as a person
I lipsync (not making any noise) at Broadway shows all the time. There is no problem with that, as long as it isn't distracting to anyone around you. This is another added benefit of masks in theater, nobody can see you moving your lips. I did this when I saw Wicked on Broadway
I am an Usher with a theater company in Canada based in Ontario, "Drayton Entertainment". our role is to ensure your experience at the theater is the best as possible, and the obvious, showing people to their seats. During the show, we have to watch the audience incase people are doing any form of photography and videography, and in the event of evacuation, evacuate our guests. When we see someone copyrighting the show (in any degree) we are told to gently ask them to put their phone away and to not film/take photos during the show, and they put their phones away for the rest of that performance. It can get complicated when they are not on an isle, but we do try to do our best to stop them. :)
hello fellow ontario theatre practioner! i used to do shows in Oakville! i can confirm your experience. most if not every show i saw in and around toronto (including Stratford), had very capable and strict ushers. many would shine flashlights and get people to stop using their phone.
Hey! Usher in Manitoba here and same! The last show I worked, I had to stop filming multiple times (our protocol is actually to escort them to the house manager, who has to actually see them delete their photos or video), guided some people to the bathroom mid show and removed a disruptive patron who was having their own experience that was super detrimental to everyone else's enjoyment. The problem with this is that I'm a volunteer, we have 0 paid ushers. And I'm having trouble going back because I was almost injured in the process of escorting a patron (fortunately for me, I work in hospitality and have been trained to deal with these situations)
I'm a theatre (dance) person in Toronto as well. Personally, I've only had good experiences with ushers, and never witnessed anything along the lines of the nightmares discussed in this video. Maybe I'm just lucky, but it baffles me that people lack what feels like basic social etiquitte: dont be a dick
I was actually at the show in Manchester and it was the most disgusting situation. Not only did I have so much sympathy for the cast who had to abandon the last 10 minutes of the show but the fact that the drunk audience members put up a fight when being removed and actually hit a lady in the face (who had done nothing wrong) just because they were being removed. Anyone who says it is okay to sing during a performance needs to check where they are. They are not at a concert. Theatre tickets are expensive and a luxury to many, it is not okay to ruin it for people who have spent so much money to be there.
@@mar-ui2sr well, no. They are two different places meant for two different types of entertaining. Theatre is to appreciate the artists and the music. Concerts are to support the artist and appreciate the music. People pay to see theatre to watch OTHER people perform. Concert tickets are bought to hang out and support your favorite artist and just vibe. Different types of performances call for different types of etiquette.
@@imateakettleRight! Exactly. Concerts are extremely audience centered, that's like essentially what they're for. Theatre is acting, and you're not supposed to acknowledge the audience (depending on the style but in general), therefore the audience shouldn't make themselves known.
For real. What has happened? I recently went and saw a production of “The Wizard of Oz” with my aunt. It was a very good show, but there was a man on his phone who didn’t care that he could be seen, the glare was so obnoxious. Proper theater etiquette HAS to come back!! Also I was in a funny play about this exact issue a few years ago: “Inappropriate Audience Behavior.” I played a character called Melina and me and my co star would get scared and scream at the scary parts 😂❤ it’s on RU-vid funnily enough.
I feel this. Went to see the national tour of beetlejuice (my first time seeing the musical) and there was a group of old ladies behind me loudly laughing and repeating the funny parts that the actors said and then would loudly ask the others what just happened and then the other ladies would loudly explain back what happened. I have now experienced this so many times since then and it really ruins the show for whoever is in the audience. Definitely would say my beetlejuice experience was ruined all because of those ladies.
omg this exact thing happened to me but with a movie! i was so excited for the downton abbey movie and the elderly women next to me were doing exactly that!! it completely ruined the experience 😭
Honestly kids are kids, but I went to go see Mario in theaters, and there were 10 year old kids LITERALLY doing cartwheels in front of the screen, and running back and forth in front of it. And the parents just yelled throughout the theater about how "its okay, its a really good movie"
omg yes one time (for a different movie) a little girl was running up and down the row behind me, yanking on my chair (and everyone’s) every. single. time. and the mom was just sitting there not caring 😩
Great video guys and thanks for calling this out! The UK has a really big problem with this right now! I’ve been in several shows in the UK filled with bad behaviour that is being ignored by so many people. I think the problem in the UK is three fold 1. People are coming to the Theatre and getting very drunk, people often come to the theatre drunk and then drink excessively while they are there so by the time they get to ‘I will always love you’ or ‘El Tango De Roxanne’ they are so far gone 2. After Covid people’s behaviour has changed and they don’t like being told what to do and 3. Our Government has been doing everything it can for over a decade to shit on the arts wherever it can and that attitude has seeped into the general population for sure!
It doesnt help when our national TV presenters are preaching the bad behaviour either!! Bottom line is that the audience members dont even care when our ushers tell them to stop, and I've heard some horrific stories from some people who work FOH. Best point made in this video is the idea that telling people how to behave in a theatre is seen as "classist".
Listen, I absolutely *love* musical theatre and so I completely understand the urge to sing along to your favourite songs from your favourite musicals. But people have to remember that musicals are not concerts! I went to my nephew’s school production of Beauty & the Beast recently and a bunch of the audience were young children (they had a princess costume contest during intermission). All of the kids attending the show were SO well behaved.
My theory is this stems from the behavior in concerts. When people go to concerts, they sing along with their favorite bands and engage with the show. Certain shows with a more concert style, such as Six or Moulin Rouge tend to blur these lines. With the rise of social media and the growing spread of cast albums online, people WANT to sing along, and engage with the songs they know so well like they would in a concert. They mean it to be a compliment to the song and creators. That’s why they don’t understand it’s wrong. It’s obviously very different, but I understand the thought process.
When I saw Hamilton, I literally wanted to sing EVERY SONG, but I tried my best and didn't burst out singing. I love that soundtrack sooooo much, but I wouldn't actually sing out, that seems just rude
Also I remember one time my phone rang during a performance when I thought it was off and I wanted to sink in my chair from embarrassment. How can people act like this and not be embarrassed?
Theater etiquette has gotten out of hand. When I saw mean girls on your the people behind me started singing the song and eating food and the parents didn’t stop them. DO BETTER WE DIDNT PAY TO HEAR THE AUDIENCE SING
I saw swan lake professionally a while ago and the amount of disrespect in the audience was insane. People were texting on their phones on full brightness, taking photos with flash, people coming in late using their phone flashlights to find their seats, multiple people brought literal BABIES to the show and wouldn’t take them out of the theater when they were crying. And the last straw for me was people leaving during the bows. Like the performers did not deal with your absolute lack of respect for you to not even stay for the part where we thank them for their performance. It was absolutely ridiculous
I just recently performed in a pantomime and thank goodness I was that one main character that broke the 4th wall. I was calling people out the whole season in character. Unfortunately, only a pantomime can allow this to happen so naturally as opposed to more serious theatre.
I recently performed Footloose as Ariel and when audience members scream during numbers when people need to hear the music ( or any numbers in general ) it gets very distracting and I love that people are talking about this more.
I remember people singing along to “Let It Go” when I saw Frozen a year ago, and I was so happy the rest of the songs were Broadway exclusive, I didn’t have to hear kids sing the other ones
Whenever I bring a family member or a friend to a show I always give an essential Run down of rules 1. don't talk/sing 2. Don't get distracted (like phones or blatantly not looking at the actors) 3. Keep comments to yourself 4. All comments should be positive or not said at all
For 2, why does it matter what someone else does, as long as they aren't distracting others? What if someone is easily distracted and they are still enjoying the show?
For 4, I don't think they should all be positive. If you don't like a show, you should be able to say so. Just say it in a nice way with a good explanation. Don't say I hated it, simply say I didn't enjoy that part because of this or because I feel like- You shouldn't always have to be positive or quiet, but if you're negative simply be constructive and respectful about it
Totally agree with number 4. I hate it when someone whispers in my ear while I’m watching a show like, “wow that was off key geez” like yeah Janice it was off key but can you please wait till the show is over and not distract me from the artistry I am watching. It’s like going to a restaurant and just saying very loudly “ew this food is nasty” like shush you are embarrassing me 💀💀
Never a better timed video to what just happened at my 30ish Broadway show, so thanks to you both for making this video!❤ Been going to theater since I was a teenager so I get the tickets through Lucky Seat and I have never seen so many people being so disrespectful to other theater goers in the past 2 to 3 years. I just saw the Chicago tour this past week and while it is a great show to cheer for there were 3 ladies next to me who were 50+ and clearly drunk at the 2 p.m. showing who werw shouting after each amazing note even when the song was not done. They couldn't stop snorting laughing, and waving their hands in the air to conduct the orchestra. It was a great show but so hard to get though as company next to me made it a less than experience. And like what Sam said for the MR show they were singing as well and it was sometimes hard to pay attention. The 12 year olds in the audience were better behaved.😮 But I agree that I don't know why the ushers are there for if they can't them after people point them out so calm down. LOL, thanks for coming to my rant!😂😂
someone BELTED along to firework during ashley loren’s final performance in moulin rouge and they consistently were singing along the rest of the show i was in shock😭
I love you guys so much. Ryan I’ve been a fan since Liv and Maddie. It’s crazy how much you look the same 😭 but also, this is a topic that really has to be spoken about! Anyway, LOVE YOU GUYS
To make things worse with the The Bodyguard situation, because it went viral it then got spoken about on This Morning (a morning talk show in England) and the hosts were agreeing with people singing, one of them even said something along the lines of you can’t expect me to go see wicked and not belt defying gravity, just perpetuating the idea that it’s ok to act like this!! I’ve seen so many responses to the I didn’t pay to listen to you sing out of tune I paid to see the show comment that go something along the lines of ‘they’ve paid to be there too let them have their fun’ I don’t get it, how are you defending these people!!!!!! My mums phone went of ONCE when she thought she’d turned it off and I was so embarrassed that now every time we see a show I make her give me her phone so I can check it’s off myself, I literally check my phone is off like 10 times coz I’m so scared it’ll go off 😂
RAISE TICKET PRICES!!! I grew up in a theater-going household and I am SHOCKED and APPALLED that anyone would think its ok to act like this! I’ve been warning people ever since Hamilton was unceremoniously dumped on Disney+ that it would open the flood gates of people who think a night at the theater is the same as half-watching Netflix while scrolling through TikTok!!! When my Dad takes us to the theater, if he can’t get the tickets through work then he ALWAYS pays full price for them and we ALWAYS observe theater etiquette. If we raise the prices of tickets it will ensure the only people there are the people who truly value theater as an art form.
I also wonder if the whole thing is that people who usually don’t go to the theatre but usually go to concerts are going to the theatre. Concert etiquette vs theatre etiquette is a big one I feel, and I feel that some people don’t know that there’s a difference. Also I would add that Mickey Jo Theatre addressed this topic in two or three different videos and has mentioned Broadway and west end’s usage of pushing alcohol…and I’m sure that’s a factor as well.
Yes, I also think that there is probably a mix up between concert etiquette and theater etiquette, and as MickeyJo said, throwing alcohol into the mix is not helping anything.
The only time I understood and partook in clapping through stuff instead of after was at the last public show of Phantom. Like the music box got a whole 20 second applause. When I took a trip to Broadway just recently for the first time in my life, I experienced the worst theatre etiquette in my life. I have gone to shows locally for my whole life and it had never been even close to as bad as it was on Broadway. I saw people answering texts, singing along, dancing, and talking at a normal volume. Not even whispering, just talking. It was so crazy
My husband and I have been Mirvish* Subscribers for 14 years, so have spent A LOT of time at shows. There had been a decline in behaviour pre-pandemic, but it took a massive nosedive after the re-opening from the covid closures. When we returned, the first thing I noticed was the addition of security guards to front of house. Noisy snacks during the show, using their phone for f’ing GAMES during the show (!? Stay home!), and showing up really late, plus talking & singing along, is all far too common. It’s so disruptive having people come in THIRTY MINUTES into a show, flashlights showing them to seats, climbing over people to get to their seats. It’s terrible. The worst for me…woman & two kids showed up super late, for the TWO seats to my left. THREE PEOPLE in TWO seats. Kid kept kicking me as he was shifting on mom’s lap, so I went to an usher at intermission, told them about it & was asked “well, what do you want me to do about it?” Ummmmm, uphold policy of 1 bum to 1 seat? And asked to keep me out of it, since didn’t want it to reflect on me, since I had to sit there for second half. Instead, the Front of House Manager was called to come talk to ME, then spoke to the woman when they got back from intermission, learned they had 3 tix, but the other one was up in the balcony (we were orchestra level) & kids were too young to sit alone. The theatre allowed them to stay as 3 in 2 seats, telling me to “let the usher know if the disruption continues”. How? Stand up, walk to usher, interrupting my watching of the show and for those around me? Wave my arms to get their attention, again becoming the disruption myself? Definitely had a hugely negative impact on my enjoyment of the show. All this to say, I think the theatres themselves also need to look at what they are allowing, or even encouraging. The quantity & types of snacks being sold (& now allowed in the auditorium, where before it was in lobby areas only, so packaging, noisy chewing, passing snacks to companions during the show), volume of alcohol sold, escorting people in who arrive late (or even extremely late, I’ve seen people coming in even 30 min late), & not enforcing their own policies, are all contributing to the bad behaviour. (*for those who don’t know, Mirvish is the Toronto equivalent of Broadway, sometimes getting the Broadway casts before they move to Broadway, as in Come From Away).
OMDS SO TRUE I went on a school trip to a theatre and there was a school screaming and it was ok when everyone was clapping and thats kinda normal BUT THEY WERE SCREAMING AT RANDOM POINTS OR SHOUTING CATCALLING ONE OF THE MALE ACTORS ITS SO STUPID literally everyone else in the thearte was annoyed and they thought they were being funny it was so stupid
Ryan, Did kids sing along during Frozen? I understand that adults know better and shouldn’t but, did people allow their kids to sing during the show? I saw Frozen on tour in March 2020 (literally last show in Portland before the shut down) and we had a 5 year old quietly singing next to us. We didn’t mind. Her family told her to sing quietly but, didn’t want to ruin her first show. Love to hear your thoughts!
I saw six the musical a few months ago and halfway through “don’t loose your head” this girl behind me started singing along. My mom and me just looked at each other and turned to stare at her for like ten seconds before she shut up. It was really annoying and awkward for all of us.
I think Six is in a weird position honestly. It markets and presents itself as a very 'concert style' show which I think confuses a lot of patrons since concerts encourage people to sing along and engage in that matter. People then assume that it's okay to behave the same way at Six since that's the style of the show; but just because it's concert style doesn't mean that it's a concert, it's still a b'way show and with that comes a different set of rules.
In the australia tour people sung along for the megasix, but not for the rest of the show. Australia also had a big split between super six fans some including me in cosplay and then a bunch of oldies who just showed up to it
In the uk (or at least the part where I’m from) ushers stay in the theatre and have laser pointers to get the attention of whoever’s causing a scene. I saw six on tour and someone was doing this, they were singing along VERY LOUDLY till the ushers kicked them out. Still annoyed me and half the room but it was over in like 5 minutes
I recently did a production of Anything Goes and any time we performed the titular number, Anything Goes, there was someone recording, but the worst time by far was the woman who stood up out of her seat, and recorded the entire song, WITH THE FLASH ON. I have never felt so annoyed when performing lmao. I get that seeing a bunch of people tap dance can be entertaining or impressive but seriously it's distracting and beyond impolite to stand and record let alone with the flash on.
Something like this happened on a uk tour of Cher i saw. The pre show announcement stated please do not sing along and guess what. Opening number a group of women started singing, but thankfully all were removed by the end of the song. All i can think is what a waste of your own time and money to do something like that.
Here's an experience I have with bad etiquette so I went to see Hairspray last year and I was sitting in front of a friend of mine (he wasn't the issue) but the woman next to me every time I would do anything she would ask me loudly "is it almost over yet" and it was annoying and disrespectful and after a while her daughter hit her in the arm and after the show apologized to me for her mom so shout out to the ladies daughter and to the lady next to me do not ever go to a show again
I’ve never been to a Broadway show but I watch a lot of slime tutorials. It’s my dream to go see one. But most of my favorite musicals aren’t on Broadway anymore.
as a hard of hearing person i hope they don’t lock up phones bc sometimes they have captions on apps. however i think accessibility for disabled people needs to be improved in general and come up with other options for hard of hearing and deaf people to enjoy theatre.
The fact this is even an issue makes my blood boil. You go to the theatre to watch actors perform on stage. You're not there to participate in the show by singing along. It's so selfish and disrespectful to everyone and should just be common sense to not be a jerk
People clapping and 'wooing' during a song when the performer smashes a powerful note really winds me up 😅 it completely pulls me out of the moment. At the end of the song, absolutely. But not during. A big one for me was during 'and I'm telling you' from dream girls, multiple times it happened and it was so frustrating.
I recently saw John Mulaneys tour and everyone had to lock their phones in YONDR pouches before we entered the stadium. It worked really well!! I wondered when theatre would start using it. Then, my school started using YONDR. It works pretty well with students also!! I look forward to the day when phones are locked up!!
I work Front of House in the UK we DO spend the entire show monitoring the audience and speaking to/removing people who are acting up, not just 'sitting in the lobby' as you put it. When we do have to remove people, we often get verbally (and sadly sometimes physically) abused, which to be honest I do not get paid enough for on my minimum wage salary. However, we still do it anyway because it's our job and many of us care deeply about theatre and respect it as an art form. So I disagree with your take on ushers to be honest. I really think that the issue is attitudes post-pandemic, which are very much focused on 'the self' and 'having a good time at whatever cost because you paid good money to be there'. We are experiencing a cost of living crisis here and people are looking for the most bang for their buck when it comes to entertainment, often at the expense of others. Additionally, the way that shows are being marketed recently (at least over here) as a 'night out' means to some UK audiences a night of heavy drinking and the unfortunate behaviours that go with that. I think that the marketing messages need to change, especially for shows that draw significant audiences of people who may not be typical 'theatregoers' (like the bodyguard and other jukebox musicals). I absolutely agree that there needs to be a zero-tolerance policy for disruptive audience members, however, I think the issue runs deeper than ushers and venue security (which again, I agree are important in the management of these situations). In general, audience attitudes and behaviours in public spaces post-pandemic are very poor at the minute, with selfishness and entitlement seemingly running themes.
Sounds like the producers have decided to mostly sit on their hands rather than enforce good manners. What if they bribed the audience with 1 sing-along at curtain call ONLY IF they behave during the show? I realize it shouldn't be necessary, but might keep everyone happy? Though I doubt the truly rude would care
My one concern with locking up phones is that there are some people who rely on their phones to be their medical devices. Would those people have to get a doctor’s note to be able to bring their phone in with them?
I hated hearing abound the incident at the palace theatre. It just make me so sad it’s where I saw a lot of shows (e:g wicked) for the first time and it’s where I went a lot as a kid. It’s just so horrible that ppl would be so inconsiderate to the actors. And Everyone else both staff and audience. so its great that you guys are talking about it 😁👍
I went to a university that required their students to attend fine art events (theater productions, music concerts, etc) about 3 times a semester. They called it Artist Series, and it was intended to help students become more cultured and teach them this type of etiquette. Let me tell you there were so many students who graduated from that university after sitting through multiple Artist Series and never learned how to behave during those performances. It was definitely a pet peeve of mine because of how disrespectful it was😢
When I managed a movie theater 20 years ago our ushers used to love to kick people out for various reasons like trying to sneak in, kids in rated-R movies, and being rowdy. Our ushers would walk the theaters to keep an eye on things and make sure everything was okay during the film. I don’t think that’s done anymore and live theater has also been impacted by this change in culture.
I was an usher to a show once, and my job was not only to show people to their seats, but also to make sure no one came in with any weapons, and that everyone could get to the fire exit in an emergency
i was in newsies over a month ago and i was les and during one of the saturday matinees i said one of my lines “50-50 you wouldn’t try to pull a fast one on a little kid” and my grandparents just so happened to be there and my grandmother said “yea you go tell him (deadname)” can i tell you i NEARLY broke character and then i made the scene worse bc then i was soo awkward and smiley so i couldnt keep a straight face when the lead (jack kelly) said “60-40, and that is my final offer” and my director does NOT like me smiling so i initially thought (oh shit) and then i went on with the show, nodded, and said “deal” and shook hands and performed carrying the banner reprise and the went off stage and i was like whispered 😱😭 “wtf just happened bro that was my grandmother” or smth like that anyways that was my story lol
i had to make direct eye contact with the lead so it was always so awkward at first and then i got used to it but that show omg i was so anxious for the nighttime show 😭
Just saw New York, New York and literally had two women behind us talk throughout the whole first act, they were talking about something completely separate to the show and would laugh loudly - again nothing to do with the show. If the music got louder they’d talk louder, and when I shh’d them, they’d look at me and then continue talking… They left in the interval after multiple people had asked them to be quiet. Me and my fam had paid a lot of money to see the show and the amount of disrespect people have for others is so disgusting. Still not as bad as the hecklers we sat next to at A Strange Loop but that’s a whole other topic
There are few issues that I have with theatres post Covid. One - tickets, everything is phone based now. When I purchase theatre tickets I can no longer have them delivered or collect them from a box office. I would love to leave my phone at home. But, my phone is now my ticket so I have to take it with me. I want paper tickets to return. Two - cloakrooms have remained closed in theatres. I obviously can’t say it for all theatres, but, the ones I have been to have no facility to leave Coats or phones anywhere. So when I went to the theatre last year I had to have my coat on my knee because there was no where to put it. So if the theatre made it a rule that you’d have to leave your phone then they would have to open the cloakrooms again. However, those two aside if I’m paying £70-£100+ for a ticket I want to hear the people who are being paid and have rehearsed. Not Sharon who thinks she can belt out a high note whilst in the shower.
I am so glad you made a video on this. In November I saw the Frozen tour (and I use that term loosely because it was the MOST distracted I have ever been during a theater performance). I get that kids love Frozen, but if your child cannot sit quietly for that long, DO NOT BRING THEM. A kid behind me was chattering away asking questions UNTIL the lights fell and curtain came up. That kid was ready. The row in front of me was maybe a 3 or 4 year old and her 2 older sisters; the middle child was fine but the older one was snapchatting on her iPod at normal brightness.The youngest kept asking for Olaf and wanting to move seats. I hoped but they didn't leave during intermission. They did leave partway through act 2 but I was so over it.
in every show i’ve ever been to, i’ve seen people using their phones and it drives me INSANE. i don’t understand why someone would ever bring their phone out during a performance. i just wish some people had more common sense.
I think the singing along might have been influenced by concerts and festivals. If you see a Taylor Swift concert or stuff everyone is singing so loudly that you almost can’t hear the performer. And that might have swapped over to musical theater
There was a video by someone taken during a performance from the recent Death of a Salesman revival where an unhinged woman approached the stage and Wendell Pierce {the star} tried to calm the woman down while the Theatre's management got the NYPD. The Take Me Out Revival On/Off Broadway had Yonder Pouches for guests phones that were a requirement to stow away in said pouches. Another incident happened while my friend was at MJ: The Musical, a I'm guessing mid to late forties woman ran for the stage and tried to leap on to see Myles Frost who played MJ during the performance. Theatre Management took the woman out and the performance continued.
We were at my daughter's college dance performance over the weekend, and my younger daughter leans over during intermission and says, "That guy up there is vaping; I just saw the smoke." Wouldn't you know it? There was an additional announcement prior to Act 2 stating the campus is smoke-free, and there is to be no tobacco use of any kind inside or outside of any building. 😶
Guuurl, I saw a showing of The Rose Tattoo in NYC with Marissa Tomei and towards the end, during one of her monologues, an audience member shouted “Show us your tits!” at her. This is burned into my memory.
I’m not sure if I was the only old who had this thought but I feel like a big part of the issue is Covid… Since people were out of theaters for so long because of lockdown a lot of that theater etiquette wasn’t learned. And especially with the rise of platforms like Disney+. Cuz before people weren’t able to watch movies other than actually IN theaters.
I’ve never been more annoyed when I was performing in my school shows and could actively see people filming and taking pictures in the audience. And then after I found out that my friend was taking photos the whole show and I was so pissed and lectured tjem. It’s so rude and distracting and as a school we literally cannot risk any video ending up on line because then we may get sued and we can’t afford that
My friend saw the uk tour of Charlie and the chocolate factory and there was a bunch of drunk people shouting. She was really sad because she was really looking forward to it.
I went to see MJ last year in my and the people in front of us arrived late, were vaping, got really drunk before it was even intermission, were screaming the words of the songs, and they took my friends coat so after the show he went up and snatched it from them and yelled at them. We also encountered someone who sat in front of them and they said they spilled wine on them.
I understand where you guys are coming from. I really do agree that those on top and at the bottom need to respect Theatre. However us poor actors really need slime tutorials and online sheet music.
I went to see Heathers last week and I had heard all about terrible theatre etiquette but I promised myself I would just enjoy it. The audience when I saw it only cheered during the applause breaks, and the only exception was during Dead Girl Walking when JD took his shirt off, and that was only for a few seconds. It proves to me that if you know the correct etiquette, you can do it, but it shouldn't so hard for grown adults or even just people who have paid to see ACTORS sing not do something to ruin parts of the show.
I think that another contributor to bad theater etiquette is that people's attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. I saw the Come From Away tour and the people in front of me pulled out their phones and started texting/scrolling instagram right around the mid point of the show, typically where an intermission would be. They then complained because the show doesn't have an intermission and they said that it was too long of a show to not have one. CFA is only 1h30m long (for reference, Wicked is ~2h45m long and has 1 intermission). Even if my attention started to wander at a show, I would still never pull out my phone or bother the other guests around me.
I also do not like when people start cheering or clapping before the song/final high note is over. Like let me hear the note they worked so hard on! Also when I was a young kid I would go to musicals and I would mouth the lyrics, but would never actually sing them out loud. Adults should know better if my child self knew better.
When I went to New York in October 2021 (during the time of the COVID restrictions), we were seeing the Waitress revival afternoon show in New York and there were these like crazy middle aged women who were repeatedly pulling down their masks and made audibly loud scoffs when Jenna says the line about how she doesn't want to get an abortion but supports women who do. During the intermission, the girl next to them asked them to pull their masks up and they were attacking her. Then that girl got to move seats into a better area. They were also like crying super loudly during She Used To Be Mine lmao
when i am watching, any show, i'm captivated. Im starstruck, and I can't speak/breathe. Of course I clap, but i don't know how people sing along. Sure, im scream singing in my head, but i can't speak until intermission. Some people obviously don't appreciate theater or they don't know how to.
I was at an usher at a regional theatre, and we did actually have people watch for phones/disturbances. For phones, it can still be hard if the person is in the middle of a 30 person row and there is no way to talk to that person without interrupting the show for at least 5-10 people. Thankfully I never had to deal with people yelling or singing along… I can’t imagine what those ushers/front of house people had to go through
Ive seen moulin rouge four times in the past couple of weeks while Aaron tveit was there and the clapping and screaming in the middle of songs was happening more and more often.
Recently went to a performance of the national tour of Into The Woods and the group behind me was talking, singing, and discussing whether or not they should film or take photos during the *whole* show. I get that people are excited, but gosh. (And this is coming from an elementary school teacher in her early twenties who deals with this type of behavior on a daily basis. I expect this out of young kids, *not* grown adults who have paid decent money to be there 😭)
As an usher to a professional theatre, we would constantly tell people before they entered to turn off their phones and to not film. During the show we would sit in the theatre and monitor the audience. Luckily there was never anyone who was so rowdy that we had to kick them out but there would be those dumb cases of people filming, scrolling on their phones, and just not understanding theatre etiquete. It’s really frustrating as a fan of theatre to have my focus drawn on one person that can’t sit and watch a show
Oh yes totally. I agree witb Ryan with how hard it is to handle these situations as a performer. I can't just stop and say: "stop screaming along, for BEEP's sake". As someone who also goes to see productions it's worse with the more popular shows. There was such a difference between going to see come from away and Heathers. The performers were brilliant in both but the audience was very different
I went to london a month ago to watch my very first musical which was Hamilton. Ive been wanting that for so long like 7 years ive been waiting for that particular moment. I live in a place where musical theatre its not really a thing and i had to buy plane tickets and hotel stay just to fulfill this dream. Side note: i was going to watch it on 2020 but the pandemic hit. when i finally sat down in Victoria Palace theatre and finally had the chance to what that beautiful piece of musical theatre... The people beside me ate chips in a plastic bag through the most emotional parts of the show. I was furious. Maybe they can go and watch a musical whenever they wanted but they destroyed my first experience ever and idk if i'll be able to go to london and watch theatre anytime soon. Pls learn about empathy, people.
I recently went to a ballet with my class for a school event and a couple of my friends next to me were on their phones the whole time. Like I get it if you're not interested in it but at least be respectful to the performers and the people around you. ❤
Legit few days after this incident in the UK I was seeing Joseph in Sydney & some older ladies behind us(it was a Thursday night school holiday time) and they were talking and laughing loudly that I got distracted and got confused at what was happening in the show the usher had to go up to them to tel them to be quiet the 2 women were like "you're too far away you'll have to come closer so we can hear!" My friends parents were closer to them so we asked in intermission what was going on & turns out they were filming & being like what you going to kick us out? They weren't but geez the poor staff. But also I fear it more with jukebox musicals or Disney musicals bc people will know the words. My mum isn't a theatre person & wants to see Tina Turner musical in Australia when it opened up here soon & in the ads she's like oh gonna get up to sing and dance & im like no if they say you can at the end yes but you don't do that during the show we are there to hear them sing. So now I'm worried about seeing this show with my mum bc she's defs in that audience where people sing
I think it's a general lack of etiquette. American society has been rewarded "acting out" AKA being an asshole with the idea of becoming viral. The idea of being forgotten is so bone-deep and terrifying that people don't even realize that it has a grasp in them. The easiest way to be remembered by anyone is by being an asshole. We see this in big things like mass/school shootings but we also see it in "little" things like bad theater etiquette, RU-vid pranks, celebrity scandals, causing a scene in a grocery store, etc. We, as a society, need to to stop rewarding bad behavior by putting it on the internet and making it permanent.
this brought me back to high school where during our preview for the whole school there was so much yelling and heckling and afterwards all the teachers were like "oh i wish i did something im so sorry they did that" LIKE WHY DIDN'T YOU EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF YOUR DRAMA CLUB FELT LIKE SHIT it made me so mad because like those people aren't around theatre but still it's basic decency to like not??? yell??? in front of a performance?? by your peers???
This makes me so irritated!!!! I feel like people see theater the same as concerts now and THEY AREN'T! And hot take: I don't think people should karaoke scream at concerts either.
As an actor who has also seen shows, I totally agree. But, I do think that clapping or cheering at an entrance or "money note" or a dance move is acceptable though, because it shows the audience is enjoying the performance and paying attention. Of course it shouldn't happen all the time, but I love audiences that react in a good way.
I just saw the Jagged Little Pill tour, and next to my friend and I was a group of about 5-6 gen x ladies who kept singing along; they obviously went for an "Alanis concert" only and not to enjoy the story being told using the familiar music.
