Tweet it! "GODSPELL" Hosts Broadway's First-Ever "Tweet Seat" Performance- Page 2
Tweet it! "GODSPELL" Hosts Broadway's First-Ever "Tweet Seat" Performance
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#25 Tweet it!
Posted: 2/10/12 at 6:05am
The only thing I disagree with on this thread is AAD's comment about pop culture in Godspell. That was part of the oringinal intent of the show...for each cast to make it relevant for its time and audience. The show is nothing but a sunday school class without it. (I'm not backing this production itself, as I haven't seen it)
j
I, too am aghast over this. If I was STUCK at this perfomance, I would complain like hell and demand my money back. You know darnn well that there will be others (NOT in the tweet seats) that text anyway...and what can the ushers REALLY do about it?
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
Gaveston2
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/11
#28 Tweet it!
Posted: 2/11/12 at 4:52pm
The only thing I disagree with on this thread is AAD's comment about pop culture in Godspell. That was part of the oringinal intent of the show...for each cast to make it relevant for its time and audience.
You are absolutely right, dramamama, and I agree with you 100%.
That being said, the most recent productions of GODSPELL I've seen "updated" it by going all superficially post-Modern and doing goofy pastiches of the 1960s. That may be the way young people see the 60s nowadays, but it has nothing to do with GODSPELL.
If nothing else, the show takes Jesus seriously as a philosopher and each new era should find its own, pop-culture way to the truth of that philosophy. (Out of respect for the material. I'm not a Christian and I don't care whether or not people respect Jesus as a religious figure.)
This is NOT a comment on the current NYC revival; I have NOT seen it.
Updated On: 2/11/12 at 04:52 PM
Gaveston2
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/11
#29 Tweet it!
Posted: 2/11/12 at 4:56pm
CORRECTION: Just in case anybody slogged through my long-winded rant on the first page, I paraphrased a Tennessee Williams essay and then attributed the ideas to an essay by Arthur Miller. Needless to say I am mortified. I taught both essays for many years and am living proof that retirement deadens the mind.
P.S. to Adam.Peterson44: I agree with your first post that it is very unlikely theaters can make tweeting/texting anything but very disturbing. I meant my post to take off from yours, not to argue with it.
Updated On: 2/11/12 at 04:56 PM
#30 Tweet it!
Posted: 2/11/12 at 6:02pmNo worries - i didn't take it as an argument. I was just updating my own previous comment to build on yours and acknowledge that it would be rude to performers even if it were possible not to disturb other audience members. And I don't think the latter is even possible without leaving vast expanses of empty seats in front of the texters in the back. And no way that I could imagine it working in the round.
#32 Tweet it!
Posted: 2/20/12 at 9:44am
I was there last night and I had no idea it was a "tweet" performance until reading this thread. I didn't see a single phone for the entire performance. For me, the tweeting made absolutely no impact on my experience.
And just so you know, my seat was in the last row, on the lobby side of the theater. I was looking at the drummer.
"If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it." -Stephen Colbert
Updated On: 2/20/12 at 09:44 AM
WkdBARN
Swing Joined: 3/2/10
#33 Tweet it!
Posted: 2/20/12 at 10:45am
I was there last night as well, but as one of the TweetSeaters. There were 18 of us and we were located in the last row on either side of Shannon Ford, the drummer. We were instructed (and everyone obliged) to turn our phones to their lowest Brightness setting and to keep the phones in our laps as opposed to holding them up close to our face. They also asked that we turn our phones over (or turn the screen off) during moments of extreme or complete darkness, which, again, we all did.
I knew where the other TweetSeaters were and when I looked over at them, I couldn't see anything. Another person tweeting had a friend on one of the pillow seats on the lobby side and they said they knew where we were and couldn't notice us, even though they were looking for us. So in terms of disrupting the other audience members experience (even in the round) I'm certain that the live tweeting did not take away anything from any other audience member's experience.
They conducted a poll after the show. Asked 20 random audience members about the TweetSeat event and none of them even knew it was happening, let alone were bothered by it.
As for being disrespectful towards the actors: They did not feel any disrespect. I know this because they visited us in the theater, and then thanked us after the show. Many of them stayed and talked with us for quite some time and were very grateful for what we did. They even mentioned that they had been worried that there would be a distraction because of the glow from the phones, but knowing where we were, they couldn't even notice us.
There were a few people in our close proximity that asked us about what was going on. When we explained the TweetSeat event to them, they had nothing but positive things to say.
As for not experiencing the show to it's fullest: This was my 5th time seeing this production of Godspell and there were many things I saw and appreciated that I hadn't noticed in my 4 previous viewings. I was tweeting the entire performance, but do not feel like I missed much. I connected with the show in a way I hadn't before, so I certainly don't think it ruined my experience of live theater. Also what I enjoyed about being able to tweet was to share thoughts on many of the little bits in the show that I have thought of before, but have forgotten to comment on after the show is over and I am back home.
As for this encouraging other patrons to use their phone during performances: I doubt this will occur for anyone in the audience last night because they did not know of our existence during the show so were not inclined to use their phones. I also do not think that this will inspire people (in attendance last night or not) to do this sort of thing at other performances or other shows. I certainly don't plan to do it. And I NEVER use my phone during live theater performances (or movies for that matter) on a regular basis. This was a one time event (with potential for another future date) but is not something that is going to become a regular every day activity. I also would never sign up to participate in an event like this if it was my first time seeing the show. If I hadn't seen the show before, then I would agree that I would have missed a lot. But that was not the case, and I do not feel like I missed an experience to connect with live theater. And unless invited by another Broadway show or Godspell again, this is not something I will put into practice. I live for live theater and would never do something that I thought would belittle the experience for me or anyone else.
If there are any other questions, please let me know. I'd be happy to respond.
xoffender45
Broadway Star Joined: 8/12/07
#34 Tweet it!
Posted: 2/20/12 at 3:12pm
Anakela - my non-tweetseat experience was the same as the two posters above. I was on the look out for phones to purposely be annoyed at, but I honestly didn't see a single one, and have no idea where they were even seated. My boyfriend didn't even know it was a Tweet Seat performance until he saw me typing this up. So, I can say that, I'm ok with last night. It was a great show, and the energy was awesome.
That said, I did get smacked HARD in the face by a baton that went rogue. Godspell. It's the new Spiderman.
Updated On: 2/20/12 at 03:12 PM
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#35 Tweet it!
Posted: 2/20/12 at 5:01pmLOL. (Not that you got hit, but your comment about it.)
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
BroadwayFan12
Broadway Star Joined: 4/17/10
#36 Tweet it!
Posted: 2/20/12 at 7:45pmI'm glad the rest of the audience wasn't distracted, but it was an appalling idea. It was still very rude to the performers even if they were nice about it. The biggest issue I have is why the **** would you go to a show if you're not going to pay attention to it? It is despicable and should be unacceptable. Updated On: 2/20/12 at 07:45 PM
PlayItAgain
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/8/11
BroadwayFan12
Broadway Star Joined: 4/17/10
WkdBARN
Swing Joined: 3/2/10
#40 Tweet it!
Posted: 2/20/12 at 7:55pmAs I said in my earlier comment, I paid plenty of attention to it. If I hadn't paid attention to it, I wouldn't have had anything to tweet about. And I also said earlier, I even noticed things in the show that I had not noticed previously, so clearly I was paying attention, or I wouldn't have noticed anything.
AGermano
Stand-by Joined: 6/27/11
#41 Tweet it!
Posted: 2/20/12 at 7:56pm
So, wdwfreak, you're telling me that you've been to all of Godspell's 100+ performances and have scoped out every audience member in the house? No? Didn't think so.
Just because you have never seen some of the tweeters last night doesn't mean anything. I, being one of them, got to speak with all 17 of them and they had all seen the show before, most of them more than 3+ times.
So.. yeah.
WkdBARN
Swing Joined: 3/2/10
AGermano
Stand-by Joined: 6/27/11
#43 Tweet it!
Posted: 2/20/12 at 7:59pm
Also, WkdBARN, I couldn't have said it better myself (talking about your previous post) That was perfectly put and exactly how I felt about the event. So to those who think we weren't engaged in the performance as much as anyone else; I can honestly say that I had noticed so many new and wonderful things about the production that I had never noticed in the many times I've seen it before. I even tweeted about the fact 
And also, like WkdBARN also said earlier, I loved the fact that I could post things that I always want to talk about or bring up after the show but always forget about. There are so many intricate little moments in this production that are captured but never discussed that I took in last night more than any of the others times I've seen the show.
BroadwayFan12
Broadway Star Joined: 4/17/10
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#45 Tweet it!
Posted: 2/20/12 at 8:04pm
He didn't mean that they were tweeters before, but that they were already big fans of the show previous to this 'event'.
In other words, they were biased advertisers. (Which was the whole point of this gimmick anyway.)
I am not judging the show -- just the use of tweeting during it. I still think it's appalling.
Of course the cast is going to tell you it was 'fine' -- they are fighting to keep their jobs alive. I'm sure there was an awful lot of private grumbling about it.
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
PlayItAgain
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/8/11
#47 Tweet it!
Posted: 2/20/12 at 9:50pm
I was on the look out for phones to purposely be annoyed at...
Haha, I love this part - we should be friends. :) Glad you had a good time after all!
^ No it wasn't. I have never seen some of the people doing tweet seats before, and I've been there plenty of times.
The official Godspell Twitter said that every Tweet Seater had seen the show before.
https://twitter.com/#!/BwayGodspell/status/171400575420866560
Then again the Godspell Twitter also (I think) compared Tweeting in the theatre to Tweeting while watching tv, so, y'know...
#48 Tweet it!
Posted: 2/20/12 at 9:53pm
How about the fact that, regardless of how heavily it's enforced, this entire promotion was against the law?
New York Times: Hark, Hark, That Tweet Is No Lark. It's Illegal.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Updated On: 2/20/12 at 09:53 PM
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
