The reading the program during the show even annoys me as an audience member, I feel like it makes it obvious you don't want to be here and keep looking at the songlist to see when the hell you can get out of it.
gypsy101: "People hire line sitters to have a better chance at buying cancellation line tickets, I don't know why someone would pay to line up at the stage door."
People actually are hiring line sitters to wait at the stage door for them.
I've seen (on separate occasions) people pass around a pizza, a bucket of fried chicken and the worst was a family with styrofoam containers of Chinese take out. The food reeked to high heaven and the styrofoam creaked and squeaked constantly.
Banning food and drink from the theater would help correct so much other bad behavior that stems from it.
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
The shade Danza just threw!!! "My audience pet peeve? When they don't come."
In our millions, in our billions, we are most powerful when we stand together. TW4C unwaveringly joins the worldwide masses, for we know our liberation is inseparably bound.
Signed,
Theater Workers for a Ceasefire
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I disagree with Nathan Lane about no drinks being allowed. I can understand them not liking the noise of the ice, that bothers me too. That's why I get low ice if I get a drink early enough before act 1, it usually melts before the show starts. If I don't get it early enough, I just don't get ice. Sorry Nathan, but a human should not have nothing to drink for 2.5 hours. Food, I agree, just don't eat. When I went to see Straight, I got a cocktail, and they didn't even allow me to have ice (which is fine). I don't see how silently drinking something will disturb the actors on stage to the point of distraction.
In regards to Tony Danza's response: Audience member pet peeve for things that happen on the stage:
This reminds me that when I was at Eclipsed last weekend, twice the actors worked TURN OFF YOUR PHONE! into their angry rants. Lupita did it the first time and Zainab the second.
Admittedly, I will look at my Playbill during the show. Sometimes I check the song list (though rarely), but mostly it is to figure out where I know people from. Me trying to figure it out by myself will usually just end up distracting me more. For example, I was at The Father and I was staring at the lady playing Langella's daughter. I could not for the life of me figure out from where I knew her and her voice. It hit me mid-scene and I had to double check my playbill to make sure I wasn't crazy. She (Kathryn Erbe) was Ms. McKay in D2: Mighty Ducks in case anyone wants to know...
It is so interesting that's where you think of her from. I think the majority of people would say Eames from law and order CI or possibly Shirley Bellinger from Oz.
Bwaydide92 said: "I disagree with Nathan Lane about no drinks being allowed. I can understand them not liking the noise of the ice, that bothers me too. That's why I get low ice if I get a drink early enough before act 1, it usually melts before the show starts. If I don't get it early enough, I just don't get ice. Sorry Nathan, but a human should not have nothing to drink for 2.5 hours. Food, I agree, just don't eat. When I went to see Straight, I got a cocktail, and they didn't even allow me to have ice (which is fine). I don't see how silently drinking something will disturb the actors on stage to the point of distraction.
A human should not have nothing to drink for 2.5 hours? Where do you get this stuff?
If you have some medical condition that makes you need liquids that frequently, you should NOT be drinking anything alcoholic, since that will dehydrate you.
In regards to Tony Danza's response: Audience member pet peeve for things that happen on the stage:
Mr. Nowack said: "Harvey Fierstein definitely had the funniest one!
The reading the program during the show even annoys me as an audience member, I feel like it makes it obvious you don't want to be here and keep looking at the songlist to see when the hell you can get out of it.
And the excruciatingly slow candy opening... oof!
"
I sat next to a woman yesterday at Hamilton that kept doing this. She kept flipping to the program and seeing what song they were on and seemed bored. And this was in a premium seat. It seemed so odd to me that she was sitting in a seat people would kill for and she couldn't wait to leave. Blew my mind and distracted me more than I would have thought
I couldn't understand Bwaydide's drinking theory either. Either it was a joke or a cry for help. You're at a theatre, not a bar or restaurant. You can survive the duration of the show.
If I'm allowed to, I do keep a bottle of water with me at a show. It is for medical reasons. I drink if I have to and hold the bottle between my feet so I know where it is at all times. When I used to act, I'd have to have water set in both wings and backstage to counteract the dehydration effect of all my prescription medications.
If I'm not allowed to keep water with me at a show, I load up at the water fountain before the show, at intermission, and after the show. Not ideal, but I can get by if I need to. This is also why I will always buy myself an aisle seat if I can help it. Worst case scenario, I sneak out quietly, get a drink, and wait for permission to reenter the house.
I've just come across this one, from a Roundtable discussion for THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER --
"On stage, do you get distracted by people? Have you stopped to address the audience?
Close: I did in Sunset Boulevard. The big entrance down the stairway, I was coming down the stairs, and I heard all these flash cameras going off from up in the balcony, and as I was singing the song, I thought, "Do I stop?" It was so distracting. I just stopped, and I walked to the edge of the stage, and I said, "We can either have a photo shoot or we can do a play." "