Patti LuPone on audience behavior- Page 3

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 2:04pm

She's awesome! I didn't get the chance to speak with her after seeing the matinee last Saturday but plan on seeing her again in the near future.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 2:11pm

"by some of your commentary some of you have never been on a poorer side of life.."

Obviously, neither have you, if you think someone that is so poor that they can't even own a single decent outfit for special occasions, will be wasting what little money they have saved on a Broadway theater ticket.

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 2:18pm

"Obviously, neither have you, if you think someone that is so poor that they can't even own a single decent outfit for special occasions, will be wasting what little money they have saved on a Broadway theater ticket."

And let's be real here, there may be one or two audience members in the situation where they have nothing of nicer quality of wear but the majority of audience members are coming dressed that way these days. I can guarantee you that most of them own at least one nice piece of clothing they can put on.

We're not asking for mink coats and cocktail dresses here. $12 slacks from Walmart will suffice.

Updated On: 1/20/06 at 02:18 PM

[TimmyJ51]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 2:28pm

OH MY GOD. Okay, so my friend Shaun who I've known since I was 6 came back from Sweeney on the 6th and said, "Oh my god.. so, I had front row for Sweeney tonight, and my dad, of course, had a beer in his hand throughout the second act.. and at the curtain call, my dad friggin high fived Michael Cerveris."

Never did I think this would surface beyond my circle of friends.. seriously AMAZING. HAHAHHAHA

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 2:33pm

colleen, That's what I said in my previous post:

"If they've saved enough to see a show on Broadway, they can save enough to buy some $20 slacks at Wal-mart and a button down. No one says it has to be expensive designer clothing, just appropriate for the occasion."

Actually, I would think that the people the TRULY are scrimping to get by would go out of their way to dress up nicer, because they realize that a Broadway show is a big deal and possibly a once in a lifetime experience. They already know they're poor and out of their element, so they compensate by dressing nicer to fit in. The people dressing down are just spoiled and lazy.

Timmy, tell your friend to not bring his father to the theater again until he learns some manners.

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 2:37pm

I ADORE Patti!

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 3:06pm

ugh people eating and sleeping in the audience-----

[Baine]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 4:21pm

I agree about dressing nicely *whenever possible.* When I'm seeing a touring show or am staying overnight in the City, I always bring nice clothing. When I take go to Trenton Station and grab the train in the morning and see 1-2 shows that day in the City and am walking around all day, I wear jeans. I wear the dressier jeans, but they ARE jeans. To compensate this, I wear a nice top. I made the mistake of dressing really nicely one day and walking around the City--I got so cold! My legs were icicles!! I also wore a really thin long-sleeved top that day with my skirt. As for slacks, in the winter they are too thin. In the summer...well, all of my slacks are black, so they become too 'hot.' I can't ever win!

I do try to dress nicely whenever possible.

You know what drives me BATTY, though? *Actual* respect. Over winter break, I went to the City with one of my really good friends from home. We saw a matinee of Woman in White and an evening showing of Sweeney Todd. She made me SO mad because she NEVER clapped after ANY of the songs *AND* she didn't clap during curtain call! Both at intermisson and after the show, I asked her why she hadn't liked it and she said that she had, but she thought clapping was stupid. I told her that she had better clap at the second show because she was embarrassing me and being mean to the performers and she said alright....but she didn't do it. I was so mad at her!! Now *THAT'S the type of disrespect that really angers me. People need to learn some manners. The jeans thing...I can understand it. I have plenty of nice clothing...it just isn't always practical in context.

[Dame Fanadette]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 5:25pm

I understand the traveling problem, but if you are wearing nice jeans why can't you just wear decent khakis? or black pants? Jeans are jeans.

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 5:27pm

ooooh, that's another peeve of mine: Leaving just before curtain call. I really have to control the urge to slap those people in the face.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 5:44pm

I don't understand everyone's problem with dressing down to go to the theatre. I do it all the time. But just because I'm casual, I don't look like a slob. Some people just...look like slobs. It's a different story.

Anyway, I don't think it has anything to do with respect for the actors at all. I sure wouldn't care if people showed up to a show I was in wearing jeans. What's the big deal?

[Baine]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 6:25pm

*shrugs* Like I said above, Dame Fanadette, in the winter, black pants are too thin and in the summer they trap in heat. Plus, I don't own khakis because they look terrible on me. I'm really not a skirt girl, either, though I do have a couple of skirts that I wear when interning (though very rarely) or when I go to a show (and haven't been walking around all day).

Logistically, I would rather be comfortable than too hot or too cold. Besides, being one extreme or the other can make you really sick!

If it makes you feel better, I do have a really long, dressyish black peacoat that I wear. I also wear nice jewelry and a nice top. Those are easier to find than just the right pants!

[logan0215]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 6:28pm

ok

let me break this down, and this goes for everything, even outside the theater. It's really quite easy

Getting dressed up, or dressed to a higher degree than you would for say, class. It takes effort. Maybe not that much, but it takes a little effort.

Putting effort in to something means you care about it, yes?

therefore

Dressing = Effort = Care

It shows that you care about what you're doing. Truly, it's quite elementary. 'Put your best foot forward'

I think this goes for anything in life, but in clothing/style it's a rule of thumb.

If you were holding a performance of something you worked on and cared about for months to years, and every person showed up in the audience wearing pajama pants, that means they didn't care enough to put the effort in to dressing nice for this thing that you've cared so much for. It's sort of common sense.

[gavrochegirl]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 6:32pm

I usually dress up fairly nice when I go see a play/musical (unless it's my mom's show when it's not opening night--on those occasions, I usually dress in jeans and t-shirt or something). I have a red shirt and a long sleeved black shirt with lacy fabric for the sleeves. Then, there's my khaki pants (which I usually wear everyday anyway) and my black pants.

Anyway...slight thread jack, sorry...

I read that this morning. You've got to love Patti!

[Baine]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 6:38pm

Using your logic, logan0215:


You say:

//If you were holding a performance of something you worked on and cared about for months to years, and every person showed up in the audience wearing pajama pants, that means they didn't care enough to put the effort in to dressing nice for this thing that you've cared so much for. It's sort of common sense. //

Going by your logic, why is it that every day I go to intern and the students dress like crap for me and for every other teacher? Some schools require teachers to dress really nicely, but the kids can wear jeans with half a leg missing and shirts to their navels....and some come to school wearing pajama pants.

It's not the same sort of logic, true, but every day I and millions of others) put on this elaborate show for an audience worse than any theatre-going audience that I've ever seen.

Part of it is today's generation and laissez-faire attitude. Some things being worn to the theatre (such as the above and worse) is unacceptable. When people try, however, I feel as though they shouldn't be bashed for doing so. Would you rather have the person sitting next to you fainting from heat stroke in the summer or sneezing and coughing all over you from catching a cold outside in the winter just so that you can have them sitting there in clothing that brought it on rather than something suited to the weather//activities required?


I still say that my biggest peeve is attitude in the theatres. No respect, no clapping, eating, sleeping, that kind of nonsense. I have more pity for those who come in jeans because I have done it before myself. I have also dressed very nicely for shows.

It always helps to play Devil's Advocate in life....you never know when you'll find yourself in a situation where the other person couldn't possibly see themselves in any shoes but his/her own.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 6:52pm

logan, that makes very little sense. It takes just as much effort to pull the pair of slacks out of my closet as it does to pull my jeans out. But from reading this thread, some would disapprove of my pulling the jeans out rather than the slacks. Clearly it has very little to do with effort.

As long as someone doesn't look like they rolled out of bed, or like they've been wearing the same clothes for a week, I don't see what the problem is with casual dress. As long as its neat, what's the problem?

It's a very face-value way to judge someone's respect for the performers.
Updated On: 1/20/06 at 06:52 PM

[logan0215]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 9:07pm

If it takes the same amount of effort, then why don't you? I really find it ridiculous that nobody in here realizes the difference in effort put forth by people who look well put-together and people who look schleppy.

I never said that if you are dressed down you do not respect an artist, because that would be illogical, but I would ask you to think through the idea of presenting oneself in a clean/dressed up fashion as compared to thrown together.

You said slacks>jeans as an example of effort, and if you read my above posts I said jeans are fine in the right circumstance and that casual can be done right. Casual means "suited for everyday use," and what I've been describing is people going out in public in their comfort-wear. i.e uggs, sweats, tees, pajama pants, oversized clothing. I'm citing the difference between someone you see at a show in a nice suit, or even dressier jeans and a sweater/shirt tie to a person wearing oversized sweatpants and a t-shirt. I'm not going to hold your hand on what is and what isn't culturally acceptable as dressy, because I think you're playing dumb. Why didn't Idina just wear sweatpants to the TONYs then? They'd be just as comfortable and it doesn't mean she doesn't respect the establishment and prestige of what she's taking part in at all, does it?

Baine, I think you're agreeing with me, or at least hope you are. If you haven't had the chance to work somewhere that has a dress code for students, then you may not know the difference. I went to private Jesuit high school and this wasn't a uniform, but a dress code. For my graduation, every guy had to wear a tuxedo but with a White dinner jacket instead, a bow-tie, and a ceremonial Red carnation was put on each of our jackets by a teacher. Something was said prior to that night that stuck with me and I think applies when it comes to the way people dress in accordance with the way they act. The principal of the school while addressing us about the actual schedule for graduation said, "You'll wearing a tuxedos, act like it."

This has really gone off topic, but like I've said, I think dressing nice is a sign of respect to your surroundings, and when it comes to a Broadway show, what you're seeing.

Now, if you'll all excuse me I'm going to go pull on my sweat pants, a trucker hat and a wife-beater and go to the Waldorf-Astoria

Updated On: 1/20/06 at 09:07 PM

[Elphaba984]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 9:24pm

haha... omg! i love patti even more now. that's great. but i see where she's coming from. at least it wasn't some idiot on their cell phone the entire show.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 9:25pm

"If it takes the same amount of effort, then why don't you?"

Because I have one faded pair of black slacks, and sometimes I end up going to the theatre once a week or more. I'm not going to wear the same pair of pants every time I go out.

Sometimes I wear pair converse sneakers, jeans, and layered shirts to a show, and personally, I see no problem with it. I look put together. I don't look like a slob. I'm not just addressing you, logan, with this but everyone who thinks jeans are unacceptable. I'd say sloppy is unacceptable, but one can be very casual but still neat and put together.

"Why didn't Idina just wear sweatpants to the TONYs then?"
Again, your logic is making little sense. Need I even address this? The Tonys is an AWARDS show, a once a year event honoring the talent in theatre. It's a huge event, arguably the biggest annual one for theatre. There's a huge, HUGE difference between this and the 400 and some odd shows that she performed in that year.

When I'm going to a special theatre event, I do dress nice. For example, the Chess Benefit, the Hair Benefit...things of that nature. But I don't see the problem with wearing everday clothing while catching a running show.

[cmleidi]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 10:13pm

I've never understood the lumping together of jeans and bad behavior. When I've encountered bad behavior in the theatre, it's been from people who are dressed for a night out--suit, dress, etc. They feel entitled to behave badly. When I see FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, a well dressed couple in front of me kept playing with a shopping bag. It was extremely distracting, and I finally said, "knock it off." The man stopped, but the woman turned around and gave me a "how dare you!" look. I said, "Try me." They never made another sound. I would rather have an audience full of well-behaved jean clad patrons than a well-dressed moron who has no regard for the people around him.

[Dame Fanadette]

Posted: 1/20/06 at 11:05pm

Updated On: 1/21/06 at 11:05 PM

[C is for Company]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 12:38am

I'm nearly positive if I'm in the front row a performer would rather see a huge smile on my face and seeing me go wild with applause and just showering them with respect than see me sitting there with a suit jacket. I don't see the problem with dressing down and never have. People who make arguments for it either can have them be totally refuted or just have to settle with a "its tradition" type of answer. Either way it never really convinces me to go in the theater in slacks.
Tomorrow do you think Maria Friedman would care if I wore loose pants or if I devoured her performance with intense satisfaction?

[BroadwayRandy0711]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 1:30am

SHe is too cute. I wish that she was not sick and that she was able to autograph items. It is ironic though, she was sick that night and I got sick after waiting for the cast that night. LOL

[MrBundles]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 3:21am

Logan, I agree with you 100%

[logan0215]

Posted: 1/21/06 at 3:29am

Thanks for the agreement

I'm gonna move on, someone who believes Converse All Stars are acceptable in a Broadway theater is clearly out of my sphere of influence.

I bid this thread adieu