Popcorn at a Broadway show?

[piney]

What show did you go see? And where did you go see it?

It's in my first post.

 

[happygirl]

I'm all for the bar and refreshments during intermission. But the smell of popcorn turns my stomach, and at $65 per ticket it really annoyed me that it was allowed at the seats.

Why??

 

[piney]

Why??

I don't know why the smell of popcorn turns my stomach

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

I know you went to broadway, what theatre?
just saying, we live near ny and go up often for shows, i haven't been to a theatre in all my 30 years of theatre going that allowed popcorn or ANY food in the theatre.

i think btwn the TYPE of show you went to see and depending on the theatre they all have different rules.

 

[piney]

I know you went to broadway, what theatre?

The Neil Simon Theatre on 52nd Street

 

[happygirl]

I don't know why the smell of popcorn turns my stomach

LOL Okay

I meant why do you care what people eat in the theatre?? At 65.00 dollars a ticket I would want a meal LOL

 

[troobabiee7]

That's so weird! We see a few shows a month (through TDF and Theatermania) and never saw popcorn in a theater. We saw Hairspray back in August and there wasn't any food to be seen at all. Maybe it's something new? The only thing I can think of is that they're trying to cater to families more since the show has low attendance rates and is closing in January. Either way, the only problem we've had at a theater was when we saw Rock of Ages at the New World Stages in October. It was the most fun show I've ever seen, with all 80's rock music, but they served beer and alcohol in the theater and people were spilling it left and right. The theater was great with getting it all cleaned up, but it was such a mess. Either way, it was a GREAT show that I couldn't recommend enough!

 

[piney]

That's so weird! We see a few shows a month (through the TDF and Theatermania) and never saw popcorn in a theater. We saw Hairspray back in August and there wasn't any food to be seen at all. Maybe it's something new? The only problem we've had at a theater was when we saw Rock of Ages at the New World Stages in October. It was the most fun show I've ever seen, with all 80's rock music, but they served beer and alcohol in the theater and people were spilling it left and right. The theater was great with getting it all cleaned up, but it was such a mess. Either way, it was a GREAT show that I couldn't recommend enough!

OMG, we saw Rock of Ages, we LOVED it!!!! - we are thinking of going to see it again. I have a pic of me and Constantine (which I will not be posting here). For some reason, that being "off" Broadway made the barmaid service seem "right" to me, LOL!

I have seen Hairspray in the past and yes, the popcorn fiasco is something new - we went back because I love Harvey Fierstein and he is back in the cast until the show closes in January.

I have never been a 'Broadway snob', but for some reason yesterday just bothered me.

It's fine if parents want to bring young kids to a show; but they should be taught how to behave in that situation.

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

OMG, we saw Rock of Ages, we LOVED it!!!! - we are thinking of going to see it again. I have a pic of me and Constantine (which I will not be posting here). For some reason, that being "off" Broadway made the barmaid service seem "right" to me, LOL!

I have seen Hairspray in the past and yes, the popcorn fiasco is something new - we went back because I love Harvey Fierstein and he is back in the cast until the show closes in January.

I have never been a 'Broadway snob', but for some reason yesterday just bothered me.

okay, thank you for clairifying you are not a "broadway snob" lol
I was worried.
You have to understand though, when you go to certain shows, kids are going to be there, and they are going to be catering to families.
I take my daughter to shows, and have since she was 6. And she was always taught how to act. I have never seen popcorn allowed though. That's a new one. And we go A LOT!

 

[troobabiee7]

OMG, we saw Rock of Ages, we LOVED it!!!! - we are thinking of going to see it again. I have a pic of me and Constantine (which I will not be posting here). For some reason, that being "off" Broadway made the barmaid service seem "right" to me, LOL!

I have seen Hairspray in the past and yes, the popcorn fiasco is something new - we went back because I love Harvey Fierstein and he is back in the cast until the show closes in January.

I have never been a 'Broadway snob', but for some reason yesterday just bothered me.

How much FUN was Rock of Ages?!! Everyone in the show was awesome, they're voices were amazing. I loved Constantine a lot more than I expected to, but Will Swenson (Stacey Jax) and the narrator guy who's name I can't remember stole the show! The Hippie owner was awesome, too. I've seen over fifty Broadway and off-Broadway shows since I was younger, and this was without a doubt one of the best casts I've ever seen. It was better than most of the bigger Broadway shows! The music was just so much fun! I'm trying to get half my family together to all go see it in December. I'd love to see it again!

I'm not a Broadway snob either, but that would have annoyed me. The way people dress doesn't bother me; booty-shorts is taking it too far laughing, but we always wear jeans and nice shirts. I don't care what other people wear as long as they're respectful, and the screaming and kicking the seats is too much for a show. I can see kids kicking the seats without realizing it, but the parents should have told them to stop. My first show was back in 1993 when I was six and my brother was four and a half. It was "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" with Michael Damien and we both LOVED it! We've been seeing shows ever since, and were always taught how to act. We bring my little cousin to shows now (she's seven) and knows what to do in a theater. Sure she comments on things every once in a while, but we just tell her to whisper and she's fine. Anyway, a Broadway theater covered in popcorn? I've never seen that so I'm surprised Hairspray's doing it. They must not even care anymore since they're closing soon - although I'd love to see it with Harvey Fierestein! Plus Marissa Jaret Winokur is coming back too, so it should be really good!

 

[piney]

I know you went to broadway, what theatre?
just saying, we live near ny and go up often for shows, i haven't been to a theatre in all my 30 years of theatre going that allowed popcorn or ANY food in the theatre.

i think btwn the TYPE of show you went to see and depending on the theatre they all have different rules.

okay, thank you for clairifying you are not a "broadway snob" lol
I was worried.
You have to understand though, when you go to certain shows, kids are going to be there, and they are going to be catering to families.
I take my daughter to shows, and have since she was 6. And she was always taught how to act. I have never seen popcorn allowed though. That's a new one. And we go A LOT!

LOL! That's my point. We go to Broadway ALOT! We wear casual, but neat clothing, we're just regular people. I can honestly say we have seen at least 50 - 60 shows in the past few years (some multiple times) and this was the first time I actually emailed the theatre and complained.

 

[piney]

LOL Okay

I meant why do you care what people eat in the theatre?? At 65.00 dollars a ticket I would want a meal LOL

good one! Unfortunately, $65 only buys you a ticket.

Seriously, when something has a strong odor it should not be allowed - Broadway never used to allow any type of food. They even make a point of asking you to unwrap your cough drops ahead of time so you don't bother the other patrons with the noise, not to mention the people on the stage.

 

[piney]

How much FUN was Rock of Ages?!! Everyone in the show was awesome, they're voices were amazing. I loved Constantine a lot more than I expected to, but Will Swenson (Stacey Jax) and the narrator guy who's name I can't remember stole the show! The Hippie owner was awesome, too. I've seen over fifty Broadway and off-Broadway shows since I was younger, and this was without a doubt one of the best casts I've ever seen. It was better than most of the bigger Broadway shows! The music was just so much fun! I'm trying to get half my family together to all go see it in December. I'd love to see it again!

I'm not a Broadway snob either, but that would have annoyed me. The way people dress doesn't bother me; booty-shorts is taking it too far laughing, but we always wear jeans and nice shirts. I don't care what other people wear as long as they're respectful, and the screaming and kicking the seats is too much for a show. I can see kids kicking the seats without realizing it, but the parents should have told them to stop. My first show was back in 1993 when I was six and my brother was four and a half. It was "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" with Michael Damien and we both LOVED it! We've been seeing shows ever since, and were always taught how to act. We bring my little cousin to shows now (she's seven) and knows what to do in a theater. Sure she comments on things every once in a while, but we just tell her to whisper and she's fine. Anyway, a Broadway theater covered in popcorn? I've never seen that so I'm surprised Hairspray's doing it. They must not even care anymore since they're closing soon - although I'd love to see it with Harvey Fierestein! Plus Marissa Jaret Winokur is coming back too, so it should be really good!

We tend to love the shows that don't last long! A few of our favorites that bombed with the critics (or just didn't last ):

The Pirate Queen
LeStat
In My Life
Good Vibrations
Xanadu
Sweeney Todd (with Patti LuPone and Michael Cerveris)
The Wedding Singer
All Shook Up

Young Frankenstein is also closing, and that was so much fun!

 

[c4a]

I just found out I am a "Broadway snob". Or should that be "Off-Off-, take a left and go down 3 blocks & knock 4 times on the door, off-Broadway snob"? Seeing as I am about 18 hours from Broadway?

Of course, I also have an almost 2 hour drive, one way, to see a show...so to me it is a BIG deal. Get the hotel room, go out to eat, plus the tickets...for a pretty penny I don't think I am asking too much to not have someone chewing in my ear, or for parents to have their children behave.

I, am regulated to 4 shows a year...so, yeah...I admit I am the mean woman looking over her shoulder, glaring at people who don't turn the cells off, kick my seat repeatedly, and talk the whole show. A kid whispering doesn't bug me...a teen or an adult...goes right through me.

 

[troobabiee7]

We tend to love the shows that don't last long! A few of our favorites that bombed with the critics (or just didn't last ):

The Pirate Queen
LeStat
In My Life
Good Vibrations
Xanadu
Sweeney Todd (with Patti LuPone and Michael Cerveris)
The Wedding Singer
All Shook Up

Young Frankenstein is also closing, and that was so much fun!

We do too! We saw Cry-Baby in July and LOVED it. Then it closed two weeks after it opened I really loved The Wedding Singer too. That was such a fun show! We saw Xanadu back in September and hated it. We heard how great it was from everyone and then just sat there like I love Cheyenne Jackson so I wanted to love it, but it was just the movie on stage. It wasn't enough of a spoof and nothing ever happened. UGH. Spamalot was another GREAT one! That's been on Broadway for a while but we cracked up so much that we're surprised to see it closing in January. Everything's closing! Spring Awakening is my favorite show of all time. I've seen it four times and hate that it's closing so soon Thankfully we're going to see Young Frankenstein for the first time next month before it closes! Was it as good as everyone says it is?

Have you heard of TDF and Theatermania? They offer great deals. TDF is $25 to join for the year and then you can get up to 9 tickets to Broadway shows for $34 - $36. This past summer alone we saw Spring Awakening twice, Hairspray, Spamalot, and Xanadu for $35 each, and had seats within the first ten rows of orchestra Off-Broadway shows are cheaper; we sat in the eighth row at Rock of Ages for $25 each. Then there's Theatermania which is $200 to join, but they sometimes offer you free tickets to a show to join. We were members a few years ago and just rejoined in February, and were given four free tickets to Rent (another one of my all-time favorites ) Then you can get tickets to Broadway and off-Broadway shows for $4.50 each. We saw a bunch of Off-Broadway shows, Legally Blonde and Cry-Baby for $4.50 each. Literally 4 dollars and 50 cents, and both times in the orchestra. That deal can't be beat, you should check it out!

 

[piney]

We do too! We saw Cry-Baby in July and LOVED it. Then it closed two weeks after it opened I really loved The Wedding Singer too. That was such a fun show! We saw Xanadu back in September and hated it. We heard how great it was from everyone and then just sat there like I love Cheyenne Jackson so I wanted to love it, but it was just the movie on stage. It wasn't enough of a spoof and nothing ever happened. UGH. Spamalot was another GREAT one! That's been on Broadway for a while but we cracked up so much that we're surprised to see it closing in January. Everything's closing! Spring Awakening is my favorite show of all time. I've seen it four times and hate that it's closing so soon Thankfully we're going to see Young Frankenstein for the first time next month before it closes! Was it as good as everyone says it is?

Have you heard of TDF and Theatermania? They offer great deals. TDF is $25 to join for the year and then you can get up to 9 tickets to Broadway shows for $34 - $36. This past summer alone we saw Spring Awakening twice, Hairspray, Spamalot, and Xanadu for $35 each, and had seats within the first ten rows of orchestra Off-Broadway shows are cheaper; we sat in the eighth row at Rock of Ages for $25 each. Then there's Theatermania which is $200 to join, but they sometimes offer you free tickets to a show to join. We were members a few years ago and just rejoined in February, and were given four free tickets to Rent (another one of my all-time favorites ) Then you can get tickets to Broadway and off-Broadway shows for $4.50 each. We saw a bunch of Off-Broadway shows, Legally Blonde and Cry-Baby for $4.50 each. Literally 4 dollars and 50 cents, and both times in the orchestra. That deal can't be beat, you should check it out!

I forgot about Cry Baby - loved it- I couldn't believe "Fraser's" agent was in it! We really enjoyed Young Frankenstein.

Thank you so much for the tips!!! I will definitely check it out. DH just called and said he wants to go back to Rock of Ages for my birthday in December

 

[disykat]

I don't care what people wear as long as they don't interrupt my enjoyment of the show. The popcorn and the noise would have really bothered me. We went last summer and thankfully there wasn't food and people were well behaved!

I would actually prefer to sit next to someone who came in their street clothes over someone who'd gotten all dolled up for an evening. Perfume is a HUGE problem for me. Dressy occasions are the worst.

 

[Michelemouse]

We go to shows in NYC often but I have yet to experience popcorn. What a mess-maker!

I have absolutely no problem with what people wear to the show. It doesn't affect me if someone is in jeans and a t-shirt so they should wear what they want and be comfortable. I do, however, have a problem with disruptive/rude behavior (seat-kicking, screaming, etc.) and all of the eating that goes on. Both of those things do affect my theater-going experience. IMO there is a certain set of manners that should go along with attending a live theater performance. Anything that is noisy or disruptive to any other attendee should be taboo.

I'll add the lighted display from cell phones and (occasionally) digital cameras to the list of theater-going pet peeves. On more than one occasion I have asked someone sitting near me to please stop texting as the light from their phone was distracting. Sadly, I usually get a roll of the eyes and nasty looks for the rest of the evening...but I'm still going to ask every time.

 

[Island_Lauri]

We went to see Hairspray on Broadway yesterday. I love this show, and Harve Fierstein is back in it for the last few months as it will close in January.

The show was awesome, very entertaining. Harvey was wonderful.

My complaints: since when do they serve popcorn at a Broadway show?
I couldn't believe the mess when we got up to leave, it was like a Saturday cartoon matinee had played at a local theatre. There was popcorn and garbage all over the floor of the theatre.

Where is the respect people used to have for the Broadway experience?

There were a bunch of little girls sitting behind us and they screamed at the top of their lungs after every number. One of them kept kicking the back of my seat the entire time. I turned around once, but the mothers did nothing to stop them. You heard candy wrappers constantly.

Broadway is a very expensive outing and I was very disappointed in yesterday's experience. I think if you are going to expose your children to live theatre at a young age you should teach them to respect the venue and the people around them.

We were actually at the same show yesterday. But I was just thankful that we made the show. We were headed in from Long Island on the LIRR from Huntington. We got about 3 stops down the line when they annouced that the train was not going to make it to Jamaica let alone Penn Station because of a derailment outside of Jamaica. We had to wait 40 minutes for a train to get us back to our car in Huntington and then drove (like the wind) to Manhattan. Went over the Queensboro Bridge to be closer to the theater but were unable to make it down 53rd street as it was closed because of a crane. Tried to work our way down to 51st but the traffic was sooooo bad. Luckily, my husband and son were going into Manhattan with us but were not planning on attending the show. So my daugher and I got out of our car at 3rd Avenue and 52nd Street and ran and ran 5 - 6 blocks to the theater.

I was so afraid that we would not be let in as we arrive at 3:03. Thankfully, they did and we got to our seats just as they were finishing the opening announcements.

 

[piney]

We were actually at the same show yesterday. But I was just thankful that we made the show. We were headed in from Long Island on the LIRR from Huntington. We got about 3 stops down the line when they annouced that the train was not going to make it to Jamaica let alone Penn Station because of a derailment outside of Jamaica. We had to wait 40 minutes for a train to get us back to our car in Huntington and then drove (like the wind) to Manhattan. Went over the Queensboro Bridge to be closer to the theater but were unable to make it down 53rd street as it was closed because of a crane. Tried to work our way down to 51st but the traffic was sooooo bad. Luckily, my husband and son were going into Manhattan with us but were not planning on attending the show. So my daugher and I got out of our car at 3rd Avenue and 52nd Street and ran and ran 5 - 6 blocks to the theater.

I was so afraid that we would not be let in as we arrive at 3:03. Thankfully, they did and we got to our seats just as they were finishing the opening announcements.

Wow, that was close. I'm always afraid we'll get stuck in traffic and miss a show. So how did you like it? I love Harvey, I got his autograph on my playbill. We also bought the poster after the show