Shi*t NYC Theater Tourists Say- Page 2

[Matt2]

Posted: 4/13/12 at 11:05pm

Even Sondheim enjoyed watching The Wiz; which is when all is said and done, a simple family-friendly-feel-good-musical.
No shame in going to the theatre and enjoying a show, whether it be ABBA, Sondheim, Rodgers and Hammerstein, or Schwartz.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/13/12 at 11:10pm

I looked at the links. There are so many things to make fun of in the world, those tweets aren't among them. I feel terrible for the dude who spent 600 bucks on a pair of Wicked tickets, though.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 4/14/12 at 12:53am

I really don't get what the point of this blog is. I think most of us would be lying if we didn't go see some shows just because we like an actor in it. And I think no matter what the show is, if you have a desire to see something on Broadway, go. There is obviously something that draws you to it that you would want to see it.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 4/14/12 at 3:21am

Me too Namo but you KNow he's gonna get laid!

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 4/14/12 at 4:04am

Those tourists who love and get giddy over the big budget shows that you think are garbage are a big part of why some of the smaller shows get a chance. Let them have their joy. Keep their money coming. Stop being pretentious a$$holes.

[artscallion]

Posted: 4/14/12 at 8:33am

This is as funny as a bunch of gourmands sitting around condescendingly laughing about someone they overheard enjoying a sandwich. Pathetic.

Updated On: 4/14/12 at 08:33 AM

[Jane2]

Posted: 4/14/12 at 8:33am

Bottom line-why do you care if someone likes a show or not?

[ChiChi]

Posted: 4/14/12 at 2:37pm

Many of the theatre "elite" dissing these people were staunchly arrogant in how much they knew about Wicked which they considered to be the greatest musical ever at the time.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 4/15/12 at 9:20am

(Some) Tourists say the darndest things. The same thing goes with (some) theatre aficionados. There are plenty of people who experience theatre for the first time and (are not yet) die-hard theatre followers. I admire their joy and enthusiasm. Their interest ought to be applauded. It's part of what keeps Broadway alive. Theatre is for everyone.... whether that person is a beginner or a more advanced follower. There's room for everyone, I say. from RC in Austin, Texas

Updated On: 4/15/12 at 09:20 AM

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 4/15/12 at 11:50am

You may enjoy this one - lol. At a Broadway tour show of "West Side Story", my daughter overheard a lady say she did not know the song "Tonight" was from "West Side Story" !!

[Jane2]

Posted: 4/15/12 at 1:50pm

yeah, so?

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/15/12 at 3:32pm

okay?

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 4/15/12 at 4:54pm

You don't think it is funny/amazing that somebody going to see revival of West Side Story" did not know "Tonight" was from it. My goodness, I believe play started in 1957 and was nominated for a few Tony's. It then was made into a movie that won 10 Academy Awards. It has beeen revived a couple of times on Broadway and has toured the country. Heck, the TV show "Glee" had the HS kids doing "West Side Story' this year and the song was sung on the show. "Tonight" is the most well known song from the musical.I don't think you have to be a theatre "geek' to have heard of it. Oh well, maybe it is me that thinks it is funny and surprising. Then again, I had a young woman who cut my hair who did not know who Paul McCartney is? - I am not kidding

Updated On: 4/15/12 at 04:54 PM

[Jane2]

Posted: 4/15/12 at 5:08pm

Sorry yankeefan, but I don't think it's odd if a person doesn't know where that song came from. Show tunes and where they come from is only important to a fraction of the population, as outrageous as that may sound to many of the folks on this site.

And I work with young people - they have never heard of lots of celebrities that I take for granted as known. Conversely, I never heard of most of the personalities they constantly talk about. Go ahead and laugh at me!

shrug

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 4/15/12 at 5:49pm

Jane2 - ok you don't think it is odd, guess we agree to disagree. Like I said, it was not only a famous Broadway show but also a famous movie. Also in the context of my post, this person was seeing the the show and did not know the most famous song in it. I understand if it was a current show but it has been around for over 50 yrs. I will also note that I asked several people (young and old) I know who don't care at all for theater and even they could tell me that it was from "West Side Story".

I have daughters in the early 20's and they know who Paul McCartney is and so do their friends. IMO - it is like not knowing Elvis. When I was a young boy, I had heard of people from the older generation like Sinatra, Garland, Bennett and Ella Fitzgerald. Heck, I may not be able to tell you song names from Lady Gaga but at least I have heard of her and recognize her voice.

Finally, it is no problem and I don't want to offend anyone. Guess what I took as funny was not to other people - "my bad" - lol

[Jane2]

Posted: 4/15/12 at 6:05pm

I'm getting a headache from my own belaboring of the point!

Updated On: 4/15/12 at 06:05 PM

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/15/12 at 6:21pm

I consider myself to be a pretty big Broadway nerd. I'm not gonna lie though... there are some songs that I have not connected as being from older Broadway classics. I'm familiar with a lot of shows, but there are times when I realize that a song is actually from a well known Broadway classic... It happens. No one knows everything!

[Plum]

Posted: 4/15/12 at 6:21pm

I shudder to think what sneering "sophisticates" like that would have thought of my wild enthusiasm for the piano/vocal score of Les Mis I had as a kid, or of how Cats made me think I wanted to be a pit musician when I grew up. Seriously, screw people like that - enthusiasm for the theater should be encouraged and nurtured wherever you find it. Aren't we niche enough without driving away potential interest with a snotty attitude? And isn't it more fun to share a mutual love for the art form than to proclaim your coolness by putting down other people, anyway?

I like the peace-and-kumbaya model of fandom, myself. :P

Updated On: 4/15/12 at 06:21 PM

[SNAFU]

Posted: 4/15/12 at 7:14pm

Yankeefan, no I don't find it funny. If a person is not into theatre and musicals, why would they go to them? Why would they go to a movie musical? Why wowuld they know where certain songs are from? It might be common knowledge to you but then you don't share the same life experiences as others.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 4/17/12 at 8:55am

snafu - First I "apologized" and said I did not mean to offend anyone in later post and obviously I am the only one that thought it was funny. Second, the person that made the comment was sitting in seats that you can only get if you are a "Broadway Lights" customer which means you bought a season subscription for shows in town for the year. IMO - that usually means you are into Broadway shows/musicals. Ok, I have beaten this point to death but just wanted to reply to you personally.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 4/17/12 at 12:38pm

Yankee that is fine. I just will give an example from my own life. I have gone to the movies forever. Yet until last year had never seen any of the Godfather trilogy. You KNOW how much of an icon those films are. All references to the movies were lost on me until I finally saw them. Does that make me a joke or a laughing stock?

[Eris0303]

Posted: 4/17/12 at 1:13pm

And, there was a time when "radio versions" of songs from shows were made available. So, it is not outside the realm of possibility that someone could know a song but not the show. West Side Story especially. The radio version of "Somewhere" still gets played on oldies stations.

I'm on the side of the people who applaud the excitement in the tweets of these young theatre lovers. They will grow from here.

And I have to think that ANYBODY on this board could show up in that blog. I tweet shows from time to time saying that I'm looking forward to seeing something or saying that I enjoyed something. And you know what - I enjoy Mamma Mia, POTO, and Les Miz.

[Patronus]

Posted: 4/17/12 at 2:03pm

I'm with Jane on this one. I don't find anything particularly funny about those tweets.

Making fun on someone because they have a different opinion or because they are less educated/passionate about theatre is really nothing more than a form of bullying that most of the people of this community are so valiantly banging their cause drum in protest of.

One of the things that makes this world interesting is different people have different opinion of a multitude of things.

God knows that if the world only consisted of things that some of the people on this board loved that it'd be a far more desirable (and in some cases tolerable) existence.

It takes all kinds works both ways...not just when it works for you.

[WickedAwesome]

Posted: 4/17/12 at 11:05pm

Just to get back to the topic, I'm a teenage girl and a few years ago I saw my first show.
That show then got me so interested in the theater. I credit Wicked, Les Mis, and all the other ones mentioned on the link to my enthusiasm in the theater.

So what if I absolutely thought at the time that those were the best shows ever. I now have a wider view on all the shows and appreciate the greats before now.
But if it wasn't for those tourist popular shows, I would have never been as interested and on this board now.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 4/18/12 at 2:16pm

Snafu- Not at all and there are plenty of movies that I don't know much about that were incredible hits. BTW - my daughters jokingly kid me about my lack of knowledge with the "Harry Potter" movies for example. I will say that the event I brought up is a bit different IMO but case is closed on this point for me.