Laura Benanti Gave A Classy Read Last Night At MY FAIR LADY

[OffOnBwayHi]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 1:49pm

Someone's phone went off, ringing forever, and she stopped the show, fell out of character and basically looked towards the direction the ring came from and said, "This is a theater. Why isn't your phone off? Please turn it off!"

She got an applause. lol

And because she was out of character, she lost the accent. So she added, "And yeah, this my real voice." lol

She's clearly not the first actor to do that (first time I've seen something like this, though), but it made me think about how really f**king rude and disrespectful to the actors it truly is to have phone/watch distractions of any type.

I've been following the "Solution to Cell Phones on Bway" thread, and yeah. They really need to start collecting the phones at the door because people forget or refuse to turn them completely off (even with the ushers telling them seconds before showtime. smh), or just can't resist checking the devices.

[OffOnBwayHi]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 1:51pm

And I can't stress enough how important it is to COMPLETELY TURN OFF the device. I was in a matinee of 'True West' a few months ago and an Amber/Whether Alert happened. If your phone is silent, the amber alert sound still comes through, apparently! Talk about a NIGHTMARE! It was hundreds of phones and went on forever, seemingly. It completely knocked Ethan and Paul out of their game. It took a while for them to recover. smh Really sad.

[OffOnBwayHi]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 1:53pm

Oh! And Laura was FANTASTIC btw. I heard folks criticizing her voice, but maybe that was just a bad week for her. She's a breathtaking singer and actor!

[magictodo123]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 2:19pm

AND you shouldn’t be recording the show!!! I don’t care how far away you live or how much you paid for tickets. You are not allowed to record shows in any way, and they TELL TOU THIS multiple times. DONT DO IT.

[haterobics]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 2:23pm

magictodo123 said: "AND you shouldn’t be recording the show!!! I don’t care how far away you live or how much you paid for tickets. You are not allowed to record shows in any way, and they TELL TOU THIS multiple times. DONT DO IT."

I'm fairly certain people recording shows know all of this...

[NYadgal]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 2:41pm

I have mixed feelings about an actor breaking character to do that.

We all hate it when a phone rings, but it eventually stops. An usher should go directly to the sound/source and handle it.

Theaters need to do more. Unless it’s a true emergency, the show should go on.

In my opinion.

[AC126748]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 2:45pm

NYadgal said: "I have mixed feelings about an actor breaking character to do that.

We all hate it when a phone rings, but it eventually stops. An usher should go directly to the sound/source and handle it.

Theaters need to do more. Unless it’s a true emergency, the show should go on.

In my opinion."
 

The show has already been interrupted. Even if the actors don't stop the scene, the audience, by and large, is no longer paying full attention to what is happening onstage. They are taken out of the moment, scanning the auditorium for the offending cell phone, etc. So it really doesn't bother me when an actor handles the situation in a classy way, as it seems Benanti did. 

As an audience member, the deluge of cell phones, texting, smart watches, etc. is sometimes too much for me to handle. I cannot imagine having to face that eight times a week from the stage while you're trying to act your heart out. We all reach a breaking point.

 

[TheSassySam]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 2:47pm

In my gay dreams, she would've said, "I thought I was in Women on the Verge again!" 

[MollyJeanneMusic]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 2:49pm

I've noticed that a lot of Broadway actors are using Twitter to remind audiences to turn off their phones.  Alex Boniello and Andrew Barth Feldman called out a particularly rude audience member who ANSWERED THEIR FREAKING PHONE in the middle of the show.  (And of course, Alex Brightman does it in the first song, so if he breaks character, he has a good excuse.)

I was particularly impressed when I saw Hadestown a week or two ago - there was no pre-show announcement, no insert in the Playbill, and I didn't see anyone filming or hear any phones go off.  I was very impressed - and I'm trying to think if there was anything different about that particular show.

[MollyJeanneMusic]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 2:55pm

Of course, my favorite way to call people out was LMM in Hamilton in Puerto Rico:

"I'm gonna get a scholarship to King's College/I probably shouldn't brag, but dag, I amaze and astonish/LADY IN THE FOURTH ROW FILMING, PLEASE STOP IT/I gotta holler just to be heard..."

I still chuckle when I think about it.  (And the fact that he got an apology email! )

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 3:09pm

Lin did something similar when someone was filming during the Broadway run of In the Heights: "Get off at 181st and take the escalator/You better put that away, I'm gonna take it later." 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 3:09pm

A few months ago, my pastor and I were at the revival of A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS and I was getting used to a new phone. Of course I silenced my phone but during the first act there was a weather alert about snow squalls. It was almost comical as everyone's phone chirped. During intermission I checked my messages and THOUGHT I silenced the phone but I obviously didn't because just as Sir Thomas Moore was about to face his fate, the damned thing rang. And what was my ringtone? Louis Armstrong singing "Hello, Dolly!"

[OffOnBwayHi]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 3:32pm

NYadgal said: "I have mixed feelings about an actor breaking character to do that.

We all hate it when a phone rings, but it eventually stops. An usher should go directly to the sound/source and handle it.

Theaters need to do more. Unless it’s a true emergency, the show should go on.

In my opinion."

!!!!

I liked that she said something about it, but tbh, it took some time for me to readjust to her being Eliza again. This is a good point you brought up.

And the ushers at the Vivian Beaumont are pretty strict, borderline mean, about cell phones. I have to say that they were going above and beyond before the show to make sure phones were not just silenced, but off. And after intermission, it was even more strict. People just don't listen or respect it. They are adults and think they don't have to or feel like they are being treated as a child.

So, I'm going to have to disagree about the usher's handling the phone problem. I think most are really doing their best. The phones just need to be checked, that the only way, I believe.

[smokeline2]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 3:32pm

magictodo123 said: "AND you shouldn’t be recording the show!!! I don’t care how far away you live or how much you paid for tickets. You are not allowed to record shows in any way, and they TELL TOU THIS multiple times. DONT DO IT."

Hmm, this seems pretty irrelevant. Recording a show has nothing to do with phones making noise or distracting audience members/actors. The ethics of this have been discussed countless times here, so you may as well use one of those other threads or start your own.

As for the topic at hand, airplane mode will stop weather alerts. But I learned the hard way that alarms supersede airplane mode and do not disturb. I had a recurring reminder set a few years ago, and did not put two and two together that the alarm time would fall during the matinee. I stopped the noise immediately, but I was still mortified. Phones off is the safest bet. 

[Pose2]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 3:42pm

 NYadgal said: "I have mixed feelings about an actor breaking character to do that.

You shouldn't. The audience has already been taken out of the show with the cell phone ringing, and it's already upset Laura and broken her concentration.  Why wouldn't she same something? If you were interrupted when you were working wouldn't you say something?  It's beyond rude, and everyone is sick of it happening. The cases cannot come soon enough, especially at a place as prestigious as Lincoln Center.  Also, the ushers should have immediately rushed over and removed that horrible, selfish person. People are fed up and over it, I finally think real steps will be taken over this constant problem. 

[Islander_fan]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 4:49pm

I usher as you may already know. And, when I hear a phone go off, I jump up to find out where the sound is coming from. However, there are many times where it's turned off before  I can see where exactly it's coming from. We do try, and, it's not like we don't care. But, there's only so much we can do.

Also, there's another thing I've noticed from work. There are also many people who are older with smartphones. They are unsure how to properly turn it off and in some cases I've noticed, clearly thought they did. I know that in this day and age it's almost impossible to get a phone that isn't a smartphone but I thought it would still be something to mention. 

While back, there was a scheduled test of Apple's emergency notification. It was scheduled for a Wednesday afternoon at 2 PM. I was working Pretty Woman, and, we all knew both production staff and ushers, that there was clearly nothing we could do about it. But, to the credit of the cast, they continued without a hitch during that. 

[Pose2]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 5:04pm

I truly appreciate ushers who take action and try with this ongoing problem, but the phone cases are the only solution and the weirdos who don't want their phone taken away for a few hours will have nothing to complain about. It's so strange people are talking about silencing their phones when everyone knows you are supposed to turn it off.  What are people's aversions to turning their phone off?  Afraid it will erase all your data? That's not how phones work.

Turn your phones OFF. Not silenced. Not vibrate. OFF. I'm happy FLS is doing this in the Fall in a Broadway theater, I hope all other theaters do the same very soon after that.  

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 5:17pm

I'm almost always relieved when I realize the theatre I'm in has poor reception.

The thing about Hadestown is it's not really a tourist show and attracts people who go to the theatre on a more regular basis — and for lack of a better phrase, they're the type of people who donate to WNYC regularly and would go to a live taping of Wait Wait Don't Tell Me and even if older, are more aware of how to handle their devices.

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 5:45pm

Listen, I've never had a phone go off in my 10+ years of theatre-going. Once I forgot to go into airplane mode and I could hear it buzzing in my pocket. I'd GLADLY put it in a pouch or whatever, but honestly, what's to keep someone from putting it in a pouch without turning it off? I can imagine it just ringing and ringing while the person in the middle of a row has to get up, leave, find the usher, unlock it, etc. At least with them in your pocket you can hopefully grab and silence it quickly.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 6:07pm

In the early days of smartphones (and even still now, when I'm feeling paranoid), I'd always be sure that the headphone jack was plugged in. That way, if any noise ever came out, at least it would only be through those. That's the least you can do. The next-least thing you can do is put it on silent, and the next-least after that is turn it to airplane mode.

[leighmiserables]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 6:20pm

I was at the matinee yesterday and I’m not at all surprised to hear Laura finally had enough and did this. There were no cell phone rings (a couple beeps here and there, but no RINGS); however, during the ALL OF “Why Can’t the English” and a good bit beyond (a good ten to fifteen minutes) people were talking. I don’t even mean whispering, I mean people were full-out CONVERSING at the beginning of the show. It didn’t even seem to be concentrated to one area! From my seat (Row G), I felt as though there was talking coming from nearly every direction.

These people were shushed multiple times over the course of this, but that didn’t seem to deter them. Eventually they stopped though, I’m not sure why/how. From then on it was generally quiet but every once in a while there’d be a flare-up that someone would be quick to shush.

I’ve genuinely never been so confused (and annoyed) in a theatre in my life. And I felt awful for the performers, some of which were clearly frustrated by what was happening. I don’t know how they got through those first ten minutes — even Harry Hadden-Paton, who was ASTOUNDING the rest of the show, seemed somewhat out of it during WCTE. I was literally ready for someone to formally stop the show and kick the offenders out, it was that bad.

Long story/rant short: Coming off a matinee like this, I’m hardly surprised that Laura had enough and called out that person. It was a rough day, and I’m glad she did it (I only wish she did it with my audience!)

Updated On: 6/20/19 at 06:20 PM

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 6:34pm

She should not have broke character. Patrons are paying way too much money to have an actress break character and lecture them about phone etiquette. She know better.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 6:41pm

haterobics said: "magictodo123 said: "AND you shouldn’t be recording the show!!! I don’t care how far away you live or how much you paid for tickets. You are not allowed to record shows in any way, and they TELL TOU THIS multiple times. DONT DO IT."

I'm fairly certain people recording shows know all of this..."

 

Actually a lot don't. Entitlement says they are allowed to do what they want and they flatly ignore the rules.

 

[Pose2]

Posted: 6/20/19 at 7:02pm

SmoothLover said: "She should not have broke character. Patrons are paying way too much money to have an actress break character and lecture them about phone etiquette. She know better."

Oh give it a rest. You try doing a three hour show 6 times a week, where people disrespect you, day after day. She is a human being. I doubt you would have acted any different. She knows better? She is not a child, don't treat her like one. She was right to call them out, each and every time.  I hope she keeps doing it for the next few weeks.  

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 6/21/19 at 2:52am

Pose2 said: "SmoothLover said: "She should not have broke character. Patrons are paying way too much money to have an actress break character and lecture them about phone etiquette. She know better."

Oh give it a rest. You try doing a three hour show 6 times a week, where people disrespect you, day after day. She is a human being. I doubt you would have acted any different. She knows better? She is not a child, don't treat her like one. She was right to call them out, each and every time. I hope she keeps doing it for the next few weeks."

 

No, I would not have done the same thing out of respect for the audience and my fellow performers. And if I was getting paid what she is getting paid, I would not have done it out of respect for Lincoln Center. I am sure they were less than thrilled. Phone issues are resolved between the stage manager and the front of house.

 

Updated On: 6/21/19 at 02:52 AM