Friday, April 12, 2019

The Friday 5: 5 Old School Theater Experiences

I make no secret that I like some things done the old-fashioned way. That especially includes some aspects of the theater-going experience. For now, some of those things are firmly in place, others are gone forever, and some are making a comeback. This week's Friday 5 is about five of those things. Let me know what you think!





1. Paper tickets: While I understand the whole e-ticket thing - convenience, lack of a paper trail, etc. - I like the traditional card stock ticket. First of all, it's a souvenir of the experience. Secondly, more and more I'm finding myself stuck behind someone whose printer didn't print the bar code clearly or too lightly (and talk about a waste of paper!) and heaven forbid Broadway goes to bar codes on the phone like the airlines do. If it ain't broke don't fix it!

2. Cast recordings on vinyl: Talk about every thing old is new again! I used to love going to a record store and browse the bins of cast recordings. The best ones had lots of big production photos, extensive liner notes, and the lyrics printed on the paper sleeve. Double albums were my favorite.  These days, it seems like a special mark of success for a show to release their cast recording on (specially colored) vinyl. I applaud this.


3. Dressing up: If you know me, this one may come as a shocker. I am all about being comfortable, and have no problem wearing shorts when it is warm or jeans any time. But there is something to be said about getting dressed up for the theater. When I was younger, my grandmother took me to shows frequently, and she always made me wear a tie, and many times a jacket. It felt special and like an event.

4. Ushers that actually take you to your seat: Talk about service! Maybe there were more ushers back in the day? Maybe they have to do more these days? I remember hand over my ticket and dutifully following the usher to my row, having my location explained to me ("4th and 5th seat from this aisle" or "you are right next to that nice lady with the fur coat"), getting my tickets back with a Playbill, and a "enjoy the show" exit. These days, it happens many times that I know the seats better than the ushers.


5. No eating or drinking at your seat: I hate that you can eat and drink at your seat. As if cell phone users weren't distracting enough. Spills, crinkly paper, ice clacking against plastic cups, and more just cheapen the whole experience. Want to do that? Go to a movie or stay home and do it! I know a lot of people complain about this, and I also know it is a money maker (at $5 for a regular bag of M and Ms, how can they be losing cash). So my question is this: why can't producers come up with cups that won't clack when ice touches the side, and NOT sell a candy that comes in pieces that require multiple dips into a noisy bag. It seems so obvious to me.


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The answers to the last round of Broadway Jeopardy! (From 3/29/19)

$200 - What is a play? My Fair Lady is based on Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw.



$400 - What is a movie? Hairspray is based on a John Waters film of the same name.



$600 - What is a book? Wicked is based on a novel of the same name by Gregory Macguire.



$800 - What is a play? Hello, Dolly! is based on The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder.



$1000 - What is a book? The Phantom of the Opera is based on the book Le Fantom de L'Opera by Gaston Leroux.



Final Jeopardy! - Who is Tony Walton? He designed the sets and logo for the original Broadway production of Pippin.




#2052

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