Times article regarding eating in the theatre

[hushpuppy]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 2:41pm

Am I the only one who was horrified to read the Times article today regarding the newly acceptable practice of selling food and allowing it to be taken back to your seats?

Some idiot VP named Jim Boese of the Nederlander Organization is quoted as saying 'It's a reflection of changing audience habits. This is part of a broader attempt to enhance the audience experience'.

The 'audience experience'??? WTF is that all about? Whatever happened to decorum, propriety, and just plain good manners? If you can't sit still for 90 minutes without shoving something in your mouth, then do us all a favor and park your fat ass in your La-Z-Boy in front of the television and stay home.

Thank God for Gerald Schoenfeld, who IMHO just earned his theatre-name by refusing to allow food in his theaters, saying 'It annoys many of our patrons. It causes a refuse problem. It damages our carpets. It can be disconcerting to the performers.'

Perhaps the only hope for the demise of this disconcerting development is for Actors' Equity to step in and demand that food and drinks not be allowed in the theaters. Certainly, the theatre owners have no intension of doing so.

Noises Off: Playgoers Sip, Munch, and Crunch

[robbiej]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 2:45pm

The best part of the article is this quote by Patti Lupone:

“Broadway is about a theatrical experience,” she said. “It’s not about pulling out Marie Callender’s chicken pot pie and a Sterno. Would you go to church and pull out a ham sandwich? I don’t think so. Then why would you do it at the theater?”

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 2:46pm

It has done nothing to enhance my theatrical experience - only to make it more unpleasant and less enticing.

"Baz Bamigboye, an arts writer for The Daily Mail, said in an e-mail message that in his experience London theatergoers “try and be considerate,” while New York audience members often take a contrasting stance. “I think the view is, ‘If we’re paying $100 or so for a ticket, we can do what we like,’ ” he said of Broadway’s audiences."

How ridiculous is that. With that logic, we can talk on the phone and put our feet on the seats and make out with our dates as well.

Updated On: 1/5/07 at 02:46 PM

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 2:49pm

I can't wait until "Live Theatre" just means a $120 movie ticket.

[ken8631]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 2:51pm

IMO - Water should be the only thing allowed (the coughers need it to stop coughing).....

We once had a family with a bag of food next to us in the first row of Mamma Mia! They ate during the performance and it was VERY annoying.

[carnimiriel]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 2:52pm

“I think the view is, ‘If we’re paying $100 or so for a ticket, we can do what we like,’ ” he said of Broadway’s audiences."

Unfortunately, I think this is precisely the view of a lot of people. The overwhelming sense of entitlement in thinking that paying $$ for the seat means that they can eat or sleep or whatever in it.

If I didn't already love Patti, her comment about a ham sandwich in church would totally do it for me. She's so right.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 2:55pm

The Patti comment is indeed priceless. I went to see CHICAGO over the holiday in the back with the tourists...Oh, Christ, what a pack of arseholes! Taking pictures during the show, getting up and walking around after the numbers were over. It was so infuriating.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 2:57pm

Well, now I have no use for my George Forman grill.....

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 2:57pm

"At a recent performance of the child-friendly musical “Hairspray,” most of the 50 people interviewed said they were unaware of the rule change; they thought bringing food to a seat had always been allowed."

That makes me want to hurt someone.

Our dinky little performance centers in Wisconsin don't allow that crap, so why should something that's supposed to be better quality, more expensive, and on a higher scale?

Updated On: 1/5/07 at 02:57 PM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 3:10pm

I think Patti LuPone's a bit two-faced here. She has worked in London's West End and they allow ice cream to be sold and eaten in their theaters. So her appalled attitude doesn't quite cut it.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 3:12pm

finally i can have nachos with my beer at the shubert!

[Anna_Elizabeth]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 3:19pm

I don't mind bringing drinks into the theatre as long as they don't allow the straws, but food that smells is just bad. And even with water, which I always take in the theatre, if you have a coughing fit you need to go into the lobby. That happened to me once, and when I couldn't stop I left and watched the show on the lobby monitor until I could go back in quietly. Another theatre allowed me to exchange my ticket for another evening when I explained the situation over the phone.

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 3:19pm

I found it funny the first words on this article are Patti LuPone.

“Broadway is about a theatrical experience,” she said. “It’s not about pulling out Marie Callender’s chicken pot pie and a Sterno. Would you go to church and pull out a ham sandwich? I don’t think so. Then why would you do it at the theater?”

That's going into my signature.
Updated On: 1/5/07 at 03:19 PM

[Mistress_Spouzic]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 3:22pm

Ok, I admit I dont mind the new commemorative plastic cups that much but for the life of me I dont understand wanting to eat popcorn during a show- or even a movie if you want to hear it. It seems to me crunchy food like that sounds the loudest to the person chewing it.

[SarahBeth]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 3:24pm

I don't even bring snacks into a movie theater because shoving food into my face distracts me from watching the movie.

[Broadwayfan120791]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 3:29pm

I just love having someone crunching away on their food right next to me..wonderful experience there...and the people who like chew so hard on their gum..makes the show "so much better".

Even though they tell you to unwrap everything before the show starts at most shows, people eatting still makes enough noise. A Broadway Show is usually 2 hours and 45 minutes at the most or so and there is even a 15 minutes intermission. Why not just have people allowed to eat snacks then and not during the performance. It's not the end of the world if you don't eat until intermission or after a show.
Water I could definetly see as reasonable, but food is definetly a distraction.

[SarahBeth]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 3:30pm

When I see shows they say in their announcements that if you must eat snacks with a wrapper then do so with the wrapper on. It gets a laugh out of the audience.

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 3:32pm

People shouldn't be crinkling wrappers and making crunching noises during a show. Although, my best friend's mom did unwrap a snickers bar before a show and eat it during a show once. I didn't hear a thing.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 3:47pm

I read once that ice cream was chosen for sale in London theatres because no matter what you do to it or with it, it does not smell, burn, or make a single sound. Now if the same could just be said about the tourists who always sit next to me...

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 3:52pm

When I saw SPAMALOT, I was surrounded (side to side, front to back) by a bunch of guys (who apparently knew one another) drinking beer throughout the show. They drank before, during, throughout intermission and came back for Act II with large pint cups of stale smelling beer. Thanks to spending years in bars, the smell didn't make me sick, but it was incredibly distracting.

Oh, and most of them slept through a good portion of the show.

Fun times.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 3:54pm

If I owned a theatre, I would hire someone to teach the audience etiquette for 5 minutes before the show starts.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the SO AND SO's production of SHOW NAME HERE.

For the enjoyment of everyone who has paid $26-$350 for a ticket, we'd like to remind you quickly of our house rules.

Number one, please turn off all cell phones, beepers, watch alarms and all other noise-making devices. Please remember to turn them off again if you use them during intermission.

Number two, the taking of photographs, or any other digital recording equipment, including camera phones, is strictly prohibited by law and may be harmful to our performers.

Number three, we hope you enjoy your complimentary bottled water. For the amount of money we charge, it's the least we can do. But PLEASE, if you have brought in any other food, drink, or candies with those annoying plastic wrappers, keep them stowed away as we do not permit eating during the show. During intermission, if you would like a cocktail or beverage, please consume it at our lounge/lobby and discard the glass before re-entering the theatre.

Lastly, in the event of an emergency, please take note of the emergency exits located to your left, right, and rear of the theatre where you came in.

Thank you, and enjoy the show!"

It doesn't take much. A brief speech and then immediately begin the show.

The main problem with eating/cell phones/etc. is that the general audience thinks its OK and doesn't know better. But I believe this is BECAUSE theatres aren't doing enough to make their policies known. Posted signs and a brief voiceover speech aren't enough. People talk over the voiceover, anyway.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 3:56pm

and may be harmful to our performers.

That wording makes the actors sound like performing dogs. "Distracting" would be better.

[Craig]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 3:58pm

I do find it disconcerting that people (in general) have shorter and shorter attention spans. Is it really such a chore to not eat or drink something for 90 minutes (the average length of Act I) and even shorter for Act II? Grab a quick drink at intermission and/or eat a candy bar to tide you over.

I loved having the option of having ice cream in London, and I did it more for the novelty of it than because I "had to eat" something.

I've seen people bring/eat pizza, fried chicken and many other things into a theater. Rather annoying and distracting.

I wonder if in a year or so ticket prices will again rise because of cleaning expenses involved. Or what about seats needing to be refurnished with those holes in the armrest to hold the drink just like at the movies.... (note sarcasm)

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 3:58pm

I completely agree with you, theatres really do not do enough.

[Anna_Elizabeth]

Posted: 1/5/07 at 3:58pm

CapnHook - I love it! And during the message, the ushers can seat all the latecomers.