Nicki Cochrane! Nicki Cochrane!

[Huss417]

Posted: 3/2/24 at 7:58pm

This is for the old timers who have been on the board for awhile.

Last night at Jelly's Last Jam they had a talk back after the show. The woman sitting next to me went to use the bathroom before the talk back started. 

I thought she had returned and I turned around and it was Nicki Cochrane. I said to her that the seat is taken. She starts off with "there isn't a coat or anything saying anyone is sitting there. l told her she better get up before she becomes too comfortable andshe cops an attitude. The actual person who is sitting there comes back and at this point NC isn't happy but gets up. There is another seat open and she asks me with the attitude "Is anyone sitting there?" I told her I wasn't her usher and that I have found her extremely rude for years.

People around me thought I was coming down on this poor old woman with her bags full of garbage. I actually had to explain who she was.

At this point if the pandemic didnt get her I don't think anything will. Has anyone else still been seeing her around?

Updated On: 3/2/24 at 07:58 PM

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 3/2/24 at 8:43pm

For those unfamiliar with the nuisance that is Nicki Cochrane:

 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 3/2/24 at 9:05pm

Huss417 said: "At this point if the pandemic didnt get her I don't think anything will. Has anyone else still been seeing her around?"


My goodness.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/13/24 at 11:06pm

Bumping an old thread (don't dunk on me) because American Theatre has written a rather glowing profile of Nicki Cochrane, now 86 and still up to her old tricks...

https://www.americantheatre.org/2024/05/13/she-loves-theatre-but-does-theatre-love-her-back/

[quizking101]

Posted: 5/13/24 at 11:46pm

The article gave me such indigestion. I feel like platforming this behavior and making her into some kind of quirky folk hero is exploitative and bad journalism.

[Theater3232]

Posted: 5/14/24 at 12:01am

I've sat next to her in the past and had pleasant conversations with her.  She'll tell her brutally honest opinion about what she thinks about the current show (at intermission) or past recent shows and I enjoyed talking to her.  Worst that happens is she dozes off in the front row. She even told me to wake her if she fell asleep.  I'd much rather have her than some wildly exuberant patrons who are so loud with their laughter or screaming that I miss part of what's being said on stage, patrons who don't shower, patrons who take forever to get up during intermission, etc.  If she wants to spend her time holding up a homemade sign outside the theater, knowing she may or may not get a ticket, good for her.  I've never personally experienced any of the negative behavior that has been spoken about her.

Updated On: 5/14/24 at 12:01 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 5/14/24 at 12:03am

I had the same reaction as quizking, as someone who worked house staff when I was in my early 20s and had to deal with her and heard horror stories from colleagues. These attempts to make her into an eccentric but loveable old kooky lady are wildly misplaced. The behavior I saw firsthand from her was not that of somebody who loves theater- she fought with house staff and audience members (whose seats she often took), she ate, snored, rifled through bags, and was generally disruptive and disrespectful during shows, and would lie and sneak to get into shows without paying. She is someone who needs serious help, not to be turned into a folk hero. 

The piece mentions she’s been banned from many theaters and mentions in passing she’s estranged to all but one of her kids, but doesn’t attempt to answer why. It’s not because she’s an eccentric old lady. 

Updated On: 5/14/24 at 12:03 AM

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 5/14/24 at 3:36am

truly the worst, i went to a comedy show once that she ended up at for some reason and fell asleep in the front row and one of the comics told her to wake up and then said "f**k you" for sleeping through most of the show 

[MayAudraBlessYou2]

Posted: 5/14/24 at 10:06am

The rudest and most disrespectful person in NYC. It is absolutely mind boggling that some folks are still trying to turn her into some adored figure.

She once refused to get up out of front row seats (plural because she took up an additional seat with her heaps of garbage) which had been reserved for military veterans who were getting a special callout at the performance. She only moved when one of them got in her face and I threatened to call the police on her.

And remember the old days when it seemed like nearly every Off-Broadway company would have a fun "first preview" party that was open to the public, post-show? A chance to mix and mingle, discuss the show, often with free food? It was a great way to build community with New York theatergoers. Nicki is THE reason everyone stopped doing them. She would come with DOZENS of Tupperware containers and empty entire platters of food into them. Literally would clear out the entire spread of appetizers so she could stock her own fridge. This is of course, in addition to harassing performers and theater staff at said parties with her notorious lack of boundaries. There is a reason why she is banned from so many places (its WAY more Off-Broadway theaters than the two mentioned in the article. I've had a producer hold a show for 10 additional minutes in order to remove her because he refused to have her in the audience. And I believe she is banned from EVERY papering service, not just Will Call Club. She often has her son try to reserve tickets for her, or make up fake names for profiles. But every time she does so, the box office staff flags it. She has gone through quite a few pseudonyms). She is an absolute menace.

[Huss417]

Posted: 5/14/24 at 11:42am

quizking101 said: "The article gave me such indigestion. I feel like platforming this behavior and making her into some kind of quirky folk hero isexploitative and bad journalism."

I was wondering if by reading the article if my anxiety level will go through the roof? My left eye has already started twitching.

In my 40 plus years of theatre going there has never been a more offensive woman. I have had the misfortune of being at many shows she was also in attendance for. One of the Off Broadway ones she was in my seat and wouldn't move. The show was actually delayed waiting for her to be removed from the show. Another she was behind me and told me my head was too big and I should switch seats with her. Just a horrible, horrible person.

I just read it and it made me nauseous. This paragraph in particular. 

"“Theatre is in her blood; you have to admire her chutzpah,” Dillon said. “When Nicki’s no longer around, or is no longer able to do what she does, that’s a little bit of Broadway that dies, and the whole thing about Broadway is legends. We just dimmed the lights for Chita [Rivera], for God’s sake—talk about a legend. Well, in a way, in a very small way, so is Nicki. "

Updated On: 5/14/24 at 11:42 AM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/14/24 at 11:05pm

I've just realized who she reminds me of.



Except they're much more endearing.