I do also enjoy her rants like on the Broadway: The Next Generation preview on the Broadway: the Golden Age dvd about Cameron Mackintosh shows and how they treat the audience. Particularly, "they treat the audience like sh*t."
-d5johnston
Read LETTERS TO A YOUNG ARTIST by Anna Deavere Smith!
For once I agree with her POV-I know from my own experiences how ridiculous people can be in the front row-I think they just don't comprehend that the actors can see them. They must think we're so lost in our world of theatre that we don't notice that they are snoring.
It must be nice to have that kind of money to waste. If they're just gonna sleep for $100, why don't they give it to a charity? Or to my poor broke startving artist ass?
I sat in the front row last week, and my mouth was open -- but I certainly wasn't eating. I was enrapt. It's hypnotizing being that close. Gave me the chills.
Interestingly enough, I think the guy who made Michael Cerveris high-five him may be my friend's father. I just laughed out loud when I read that.
"You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don't make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and do them so well that people can't take their eyes off you."
- Maya Angelou
wow she finally updated. yeah she's the greatest... i'll be sitting in the front row on march 7th. i remember the last time she stared right at me. Gave me goosebumps. it was quite an experience.
It's so funny that she was watching the peanut guy the whole time and still performing.
Seriously, I wish they would make everyone read this before entering a theater. It's not a movie screen up there, those are real people that can see you adjusting yourself on your way back from the bathroom in the middle of the act!
Like a firework unexploded
Wanting life but never
knowing how
Oh, it was too fun! Just curious, I remember first seeing PL on the show, Life Goes On. Does she still keep in touch with the cast? In particular, the guy with Down Syndrome....what is he up to these days?
You either got it or you ain't, and boys I got it!
i was in the audience on "high-five night" i think...all the way up in the balcony i could feel the awkward - felt so bad for patti and michael b/c they were so amazing and the fourth wall was so awkwardly broken
We cannot know what will occur/Just make our journey worth the taking/And pray we're wiser then we were/In the beginning" ~Children of Eden
"Risk is everything" ~The Light in the Piazza
"I can just see us now in our bathing dresses...you in a nice navy and me? Stripes perhaps." ~Sweeney Todd
Tovah Won Me Ovah '06
Years ago, I saw A Chorus Line on Broadway a few weeks before it was to close. On that night, there were more empty seats than audience members. Several of the back rows were completely empty. During "Music & the Mirror", an Asian businessman sitting front row center, stands up, climbs over everyone and heads to the back of the theater. I thought it was rude, but hey, maybe he had stomach trouble. Well about 10 minutes later, he comes back, walks all the way up to the front and climbs over everyone to his center seat. There were rows and rows of empty seats, why didn't he just park his butt in one of those and not interrupt the rest of the show?
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
Very funny. And, unfortunately, very true. Same thing happened to me one of the times I went to see Virginia Woolf. The guy next to me fell asleep w/ his feet up ON THE STAGE! I was livid. I couldn't believe that the company didn't do anything to try and stop him.
"You've gotta have a swine to show you where the truffles are."
This may be blasphemy but does anyone else think Pattie Lupone is a little weird? I saw the preview and opening night video on broadway.com and the part where she talks about actors/audience and kind of closes her eyes and spaces out and drawls and basically looks like she's going to fall down, made me think she was a little odd.
I totally agree with Patti. I hate people who show lack of respect at the theater. I can't stand people who come in late, wear t-shirts and jeans, I HATE JEANS AT THE THEATER! And no hats. and if people are late they shouldnt be allowed in. It is distracting to everyone.
I don;t know I expect the things like turning off cellphones no food NO F****** CRINCKLY BAGS! omg at sweeney this saturday there was somebody in the mezz. that was eating from the noisiest bag and the usher sort of got up and looked into the crowd and the noise stopped. Then when she sat down the person did it again. OMG are you that disrespectful that you will do something you obviously know is annoying and rude while people are paying to enjoy something and get taken in. We don't want to hear you eating when intermission was 5 minutes ago and you could have had your food then elsewhere Also, this is a new one for me, someone was squishing gum 2 people down from me. Ridiculous! Do I need to take these people outside and teach them what courtesy means using a belt? Jeez sorry but that really annoys me cause being polite is so simple and by ago 10 you should already have learned basic courtesy. I agree with Patti on those issues. However, I am not one to get dressed up going to a show. I don't wear jeans but I wear comfortable clothing. I am not paying to sit in clothes for 3 hours I don't like wearing, especially when I do this nearly every other weekend and I have nobody to impress when I get there either. I'm not distracting anyone from enjoying the show or making noises, I don't see why a personal comfort compromises the audiences attention
When I saw Sweeney Todd, I saw some girl walking around at intermission wearing
SWEATPANTS
Not just any plain sweatpants, these ones had JMU written down the leg in bright blue and the elastic bottoms of them cut off so they huge loose. I almost died.
Like a firework unexploded
Wanting life but never
knowing how
Ehhhh sometimes jeans and a t-shirt can't be helped. I think if at all possible dress nicely. But if I live in say central jersey and I'm in NYC for the day visiting a friend, said friend may say "hey let's try the Spelling Bee Lottery". If I get it then I'm seeing the freakin show, jeans and all. I must say it would make me a bit uncomfortable though.
I was in the second row when I saw the show and the people in the front row did not stop talking when th lights went down for the show to start. They continued to talk as the show started and the lady playing Perelli (her name escapes me now but she was amazing) put her fingers up to her lips and just glared at them. It was a slight gesture that seemed natural and did not distract but it was a great way of getting them to shut up!
See, its reasons like that that would make me not want to pass judgement on people slightly underdressed becuase if I am walking 40+ blocks in a day, the last thing I want to do is be in dressier clothing. Theater etiquette has changed over the years and I really don't see why it should be a crime to walk in a t-shirt. Especially since I don't wear long sleeves really, still haven't thus far in almost a year. Im weird lmao