VIEWPOINTS – My 20 Pet Peeves When Attending Live Performances (reblog)

[In light of the recent events concerning theater etiquette, or the lack thereof (most notably Patti LuPone’s remarkable and much warranted flip-out over cell phone use at a recent performance of “Shows for Days”), I’ve decided to reblog a post I wrote last year listing my 20 pet peeves when attending shows. Attending a show in a theater is a communal experience, and your actions within that sacred space are noticed by actors and audience members alike — mark my word. For two hours, just accept the fact that it’s not all about you, so leave your ego, and cell phones (among other things), at the door. So, I plead with you to read the following, take it to heart, and do not be the culprit.]

We’ve all experienced it. You treat yourself to a Broadway show at $150 a pop. And then. The annoying cellophane candy wrappers. The theater patrons who chat amongst themselves as if they were in their living room watching the nightly news. The audacity of those who let their cell phones ring … and have the gall to actually answer them. In no particular order, here are my 20 pet peeves when attending live performances. Please don’t be “that guy (or gal)”.

1. Large hairdos or hats

2. Overbearing perfume/cologne, or lack thereof

3. Clinking ice in drinks

4. Patrons who leave before the curtain falls

5. Rustling programs

6. Patrons who are annoyed by you needing to pass them to get to your seat before a performance starts

7. Late patrons who think it’s okay to arrive at any point in the show

8. Eating crispy food

9. Squeezing of plastic water bottles

10. Singing or humming along with the show

11. Chatting

12. Inability or unwillingness to control coughing or sneezing until appropriate intervals

13. Leaning forward in the mezzanine or balcony

14. Continually shifting heads

15. Unwrapping of candies or lozenges

16. Lighted electronic devices, including texting

17. Chomping on or popping of gum

18. Cell phones that go off (including vibrating) and/or are answered

19. Jangling jewelry

20. Drunk patrons

 

Categories: Broadway, Cabaret, Dance, Music, Off-Broadway, Opera, Other Music, Other Musings, Theater

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