Theater Etiquette-GRRR- Page 3
Theater Etiquette-GRRR
#50re: Theater Etiquette-GRRR
Posted: 3/14/08 at 12:43pmI'm an actor too. I don't think I care really what people wear. I'd rather see people in the theatre being who they are. Though I am the one to dress up for a Broadway or touring shows. I don't dress up for high school or some local theaters. The only time I didn't dress up for a Broadway show is when I went to see Spring Awakening. Which some would say it's fine. I wore a polo shirt, plaid shorts (Jonathan Groff said he liked them), and my favorite white NIke slip on sandals. I was going to dress up, but by the time I got to my hotel I noticed I didn't have much time to dress and get to the theatre on time. I honestly don't care what people wear and if I don't feel like dressing up, I wont. I mean I wont be the one that looks thrown together, roll out of bed. But I defiantly wont be dressed up.
Broadway Shows I've Seen: Hairspray, Chicago, Little Shop of Horrors (2003), The Wedding Singer, Spamalot, Riverdance, Rent, Beauty and the Beast, Spring Awakening, Wicked, Legally Blonde, Phantom of the Opera, Sweet Charity (revival), Drowsy Chaperone, The Lion King, Dreamgirls(2010 Tour).
popular_elphie
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/3/05
#51re: Theater Etiquette-GRRR
Posted: 3/14/08 at 1:47pmYears ago, when I was still teaching, this point was brought up in reference to having a dress code for teachers. It was thought that the way a teacher is dressed could improve the amount of respect they could earn from the students. Yes, I know respect is earned from within, but all things being equal, a teacher dressed in a mode above jeans, t shirts, sneakers, etc. is preferable.
But when you're a teacher, the focus is on you for however long the class is. Therefore, to earn respect, you should dress nicely. Why do patrons need to earn respect when seeing a show? Going to a Broadway show is not the same as going to Fashion Week - the focus isn't what everyone is wearing, it's on the actors and what you're about to see. No one's eyes should be diverted from the stage just to gawk at the person in J101 wearing jeans and sneakers.
Updated On: 3/14/08 at 01:47 PM
#52re: Theater Etiquette-GRRR
Posted: 3/14/08 at 1:49pm
My sister and I have gone to shows where the majority of the audience was adults and seniors so we were literally the youngest people there. We try to dress decently, but we’re more concerned about comfort and keeping warm while walking in the city and don’t have that nice of clothes. Sometimes we feel weird sitting next to older ladies with fur coats and even some women in dresses and whatnot, but as long as we behave I don’t think what we’re wearing matters too much.
Respect is the most important for me. So if it seems I’m not making an effort to dress up, my effort to show respect is definitely there.. respect to both the actors and my fellow patrons. And I’m just so happy and appreciative about being at the show in the first place.
worrell4077
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/11/04
#53re: Theater Etiquette-GRRR
Posted: 3/14/08 at 2:48pm
I think as long as there isn't a big gaping hole in the jeans, then jeans should be fine. I wear a nice pair of jeans with my sneakers basically because it's more comfortable to walk around in those than dress shoes and dress pants. It's more about making yourself comfortable and still looking good. It shouldn't bother someone with what another person is wearing.
The only thing(s) that bugs me is when people are talking about live theatre or Broadway they decide to spell it theater when that's more in line with movie theaters. That and the people who come in late, make a whole lot of noise, talk loudly, eat something during the show, and let their phones ring. There are more but I won't list them.
#54re: Theater Etiquette-GRRR
Posted: 3/14/08 at 3:03pm
"Why do patrons need to earn respect when seeing a show? "
My point wasn't that patrons need to earn respect when going to a show. That's absurd.
I was going off on a tangent. I'm sorry for changing the subject, but it just popped into my head~
<-----I'M TOTES ROLLING MY EYES
#55re: Theater Etiquette-GRRR
Posted: 3/14/08 at 3:13pmI don't think the way people dress matters one bit. I've seen the most shabily dressed people act wonderfully during a show. I have also seen people dressed to the nines who have behaved horribly: not turning off cel phones, talking during a show, eating noisily.
#56re: Theater Etiquette-GRRR
Posted: 3/14/08 at 3:13pmI don't think the way people dress matters one bit. I've seen the most shabily dressed people act wonderfully during a show. I have also seen people dressed to the nines who have behaved horribly: not turning off cel phones, talking during a show, eating noisily.
millie_dillmount
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/22/04
#57re: Theater Etiquette-GRRR
Posted: 3/14/08 at 3:39pm
"I still managed to find time after running around the city all day to go back to my hotel and shower and change before heading out to a show.. so the "They have been running around all day" holds no water with me."
Well, your arguement holds no water for me either because what if you're only in the city for the day and don't have a hotel? This has happened to me before when I was seeing Mary Poppins for the matinee and decided to rush Spring Awakening. I took the train into the city at 7 am, arrived about 9 am, did rush, ran around the city, saw Mary Poppins, grabbed a quick bite to eat, and saw Spring Awakening. Both of us had jeans because we knew we'd be running around all day.
Usually I dress for comfort. I dressed up a couple of times for shows I saw at night.
"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611
Vespertine1228
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/30/05
#58re: Theater Etiquette-GRRR
Posted: 3/14/08 at 4:27pm
At the Xanadu Wednesday matinee this week a man sitting on the stage has wearing a fedora. Jackie Hoffman had an ad lib where she went off to him and said, "Sir, it's really so refreshing to see in a man wear a fedora to the theatre. Nobody does that anymore."
The audience went wild. It stopped the show for at least 30-45 seconds. She then added, "Unless he's an asshole." The show stopped for another 30 seconds. It was so brilliant.
As for the issue at hand, I think anyone who has a problem with wearing jeans to a show obviously doesn't live in New York and attend the theatre regularly. There are many days where you have tickets to something and just aren't feeling like getting dressed up or sometimes even going at all. You just go to see the show and don't really care what anyone else thinks.
As people have said before, as long as people behave themselves in terms of talking, cell phone, arriving on time, etc. that's what matters.
#59re: Theater Etiquette-GRRR
Posted: 3/14/08 at 4:41pm
I agree with the obnoxious people needing to shut up and wait for a minute or five if theyr'e going to be fashionably late- however, I do not agree with your dress code. I like feeling comfortable when I go to a show as I'm planning on sitting there for two hours- generally I wear jeans to every show i go. and in the winter, I did wear sweats to shows.
I don't see why a dress code is neccesary
#60re: Theater Etiquette-GRRR
Posted: 3/14/08 at 4:49pm
"As for the issue at hand, I think anyone who has a problem with wearing jeans to a show obviously doesn't live in New York and attend the theatre regularly"
Well, think again. I have lived in NY for over 30 years and have worked in theaters continually, daily, for the past 8 years. This is all a matter of opinion and no one is wrong or right.
<-----I'M TOTES ROLLING MY EYES
millie_dillmount
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/22/04
#61re: Theater Etiquette-GRRR
Posted: 3/14/08 at 5:07pm
"I don't see why a dress code is neccesary..."
There shouldn't be some formal dress code, but as long as someone doesn't look extremely sloppy, people should wear what they want. I'm sick of the people stuck in the 50s who think it is taboo to wear jeans to a performance.
"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611
winston89
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/18/06
#62re: Theater Etiquette-GRRR
Posted: 3/14/08 at 5:34pm
I agree with Vespertine1228's comments about living in NYC and seeing a show verses the ones brought upon by people who don't live here or visit. I live in the suburbs of NYC but still. I don't have the mind set of " I'm going to see a BROADWAY SHOW!!!" I mostly have the mindset of "sure I'll go to the theatre why not." Only because I live here and going to the theatre is something I enjoy beyond words. But, it is still something that is more day to day for me then anything else.
Eponine3: "I also feel that with the prices we pay for tickets that absolutely the theater should be considered an event and you should dress and behave as such."
The only people who pay those prices. The prices that are enough to consider the theatre an event are mostly tourists who don't know of anything like broadwaybox or any sort of discount code. And, there are people who rush for shows. They certainly don't spend enough money for theatre to be considered an event. Why can't they go casual? This isn't the fifties anymore where you HAD to wear fancy clothes at all. The only place where I would even wear khaki's and a polo shirt is at the Met. Not at a Broadway show.
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
#63re: Theater Etiquette-GRRR
Posted: 3/14/08 at 6:15pmI agree, I hardly ever pay full price for a Broadway show.
"My name's Lenny. What's yours?"
#64re: Theater Etiquette-GRRR
Posted: 3/14/08 at 7:11pmWhen I go see a Broadway show I don't stay overnight in the city, so I don't have a hotel room. I take a 4 hour train ride there, then walk around the city all day before going to the show then take the train back home. I'm not about to do all of that in heels and a skirt; it's just not practical for me. When I see touring companies close to home I get more dressed up but I'm not about to be uncomfortable all day so I don't offend a few people with my jeans during the brief interval the lights are on in the theatre.
#65re: Theater Etiquette-GRRR
Posted: 3/14/08 at 8:12pmI don't think that dressing nicely is just a way to show some respect to the actors. Seeing someone and being someone who puts a bit of effort into their appearance jsut helps to keep the theater somehting special and different. I live in NYC and work in the theater, but I still believe in making an experience unlike any other, because that's what seeing a show on Broadway is. It doesn't matter that Times Square is a theme park and seeing a show has just become a ubiquitous part of a trip to New York- there is still nothing in the world like a Broadway show and I believe in keeping that magic alive. And I think that dressing the part will help to make that happen.
First you're another sloe-eyed vamp, then someone's mother, then you're camp...
jordangirl
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/1/06
#66re: Theater Etiquette-GRRR
Posted: 3/14/08 at 8:17pm
So you dress up. Don't force your personal beliefs on the world.
I don't mean to sound mean, but seriously. This is about like the kid in California who has declared a "no cursing week".
Experience live theater. Experience paintings. Experience books. Live, look and listen like artists! ~ imaginethis
LIVE THAT LESSON!!!!!!
LIVE THAT LESSON!!!!!!
#67re: Theater Etiquette-GRRR
Posted: 3/14/08 at 8:21pmjordan- I'm not trying to force my beliefs on anyone. I just think it's an interesting topic that isn't really discussed. Go ahead and wear your jeans.
First you're another sloe-eyed vamp, then someone's mother, then you're camp...
LePetiteFromage
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/19/08
jordangirl
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/1/06
#69re: Theater Etiquette-GRRR
Posted: 3/14/08 at 8:25pm
Sometimes I wear jeans (clean ones), sometimes I wear skirts. It depends on all kinds of things. Like tomorrow I'll likely be in jeans, but Sunday for closing I'll probably be in a skirt. It may be denim, but I haven't fully decided yet. (The DC concert will definitely be skirt...I don't really have a dress, but skirts I do.)
Experience live theater. Experience paintings. Experience books. Live, look and listen like artists! ~ imaginethis
LIVE THAT LESSON!!!!!!
Updated On: 3/14/08 at 08:25 PM
LIVE THAT LESSON!!!!!!
#70re: Theater Etiquette-GRRR
Posted: 3/14/08 at 8:29pmLePetite- I should have clarified. I agree with you 100%, I meant the magic of the experience. The thing that makes going to the theater different than going to the movies.
First you're another sloe-eyed vamp, then someone's mother, then you're camp...
LePetiteFromage
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/19/08
#72re: Theater Etiquette-GRRR
Posted: 3/14/08 at 8:41pm
Well, I guess I can answer the question that I initially started this post with. I must just be an old-fashioned girl, because I still believe that a person should dress for any kind of special ocassion. I guess I'd like to bring the good times back.
Call me old fashioned...
First you're another sloe-eyed vamp, then someone's mother, then you're camp...
winston89
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/18/06
#73re: Theater Etiquette-GRRR
Posted: 3/14/08 at 8:51pm
Your old fashioned.
Now after getting that out of the way I have this to say. That from what I have seen there are more people in the theatre that aren't dressed up and casual then there are people who are dressed up. And if you find that going to the theatre an event and you live in NYC that is fine. But, I get the impression that your saying "I live in NYC and I go to the theatre, I make it an event regardless of that fact and so can you." If that is the case that that is all well and good for you. But, there are people like myself who do live her as well. And because we live here we don't view going to the theatre as an event because for us it is a very day to day thing.
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
#74re: Theater Etiquette-GRRR
Posted: 3/14/08 at 9:32pm
“Dressing up” for the theatre is a tradition that goes way back to the days when an evening at the theatre was just as much a social occasion as a form of entertainment. Sometimes the show was second to the opportunity to see and being seen. I mean, why were box seats invented? Box seats do not provide an improved view of the stage (quite the opposite and a reason why we rarely use them anymore). They served the sole purpose of showing off important and rich people to the rest of the audience. The grand, ornate theatres of the past were all about an evening at the theatre as an event. The show was only one part of the whole experience.
In our day, the social aspect of the theatre has drifted away. Sure, people like to chat with their friends at the theatre but the main point of going to the theatre is to see the production itself. Therefore, while we love the historic nature of our old traditional theatres, we don’t really build them anymore. Most new modern theatres are fairly basic in style and decor. The theatre house is no longer part of the experience – the production itself IS the experience. In some ways, I think this is good for theatre because it focuses on the art of the stage, rather than how things and people look. Plus, now everyone can feel comfortable at the theatre, regardless of the clothes they can afford.
Decent and fashionable individuals will always try to look nice in public – irrespective of the activity. I really don’t care what people wear as long as they look good. I have seen some people who look more stylish in an outfit with jeans than other people do in slacks. So, I vote we put the focus on the stage and just be happy people are coming out to the theatre.
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