Ushers at Once

[PalJoey]

I went to see Once last week, and the ushers and the house staff couldn't have been nicer.

[Jane2]

"

[Jane2]

Fosse, you know what you are talking about.

[SonofRobbieJ]

I've ushered in a 499 seat house. Yes...there are some crazy-ass rude people out there. And, yes, I've been a little sharp in response when someone gets rude to me. But I have encountered a number of rude Broadway ushers in my life. Of course, it's always in response to someone giving them attitude...but if I'm not the person that's the problem, don't take it out on me. Pull yourself together and be professional. You are the public face of the theatre and you should make the evening comfortable and enjoyable for the people who have paid to see a show*.



*If a comp is presented and the person holding the ticket is being a bitch, I fully believe that we should be able to wallop them with a stick.

[fashionguru_23]

I'm guessing there is still a bar on stage at the beginning?

[Patash]

Jane2, when I said "if an usher is rude. . ." I didn't mean "if an usher utters a single remark. . ." When I said "if an usher is rude. . ." I meant by general actions and personality. There are rude ushers and there are ushers who happened to be rude once or twice. Sorry, that wasn't clear. I'll stand by my theory that the type of usher who utters some of the remarks and actions listed here, or more importantly generally gives orders in a rude manner, is NOT doing it as a single event. Some people come off rude in most of what they do -- those are the ones I'm talking about. And people who deal with the public SHOULD be able to separate their feelings from being confronted by one rude patron rather than retaliate to every other patron in a rude manner themselves!

[sondheimfan2]

I thought this was a thread about Usher attending ONCE! lol (just thought the OP forget the apostrophe).

[broadwaydevil]

"Regardless of the discussion here either way, that is just a classic diva line. Was she a drag queen by any chance?"

No she wasn't unfortunately but I was so taken aback I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.

Also, I don't think that anyone here is complaining about all ushers or even generalizing ushers at the Jacobs. Based on descriptions and the usher's location, I believe all of these stories are referring to one particular individual. I seriously could count on one hand the number of times I thought an usher had crossed the line and was unfit for the job, and this was one of them. As I'm sure some of you have ushered can attest to, not all people are cut out for being ushers. It's not an easy job and some people would best be served doing something else.

[MamasDoin'Fine]

There's a real old bitch working in the mezz at the Belasco!

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Jane2, you sound like the bitch of an usher who I hate to be greeted by in New York theatres. Get a different job if your not a person who can be polite to people who pay ridiculous amounts of money to see a show!
Do your job, do it politely, tell your fellow workers to do the same or go work cleaning an office!
You bring shame on Broadway!

[Jane2]

" Jane2, you sound like the bitch of an usher who I hate to be greeted by in New York theatres."

aww, sorry you feel that way, Mamma!

[Idiot]

I too misread the subject of this thread at first and thought it very very pushy.

[My Oh My]

"Personally, I'd find the House Manager on duty immediately if an usher was that rude and unprovoked. I ushered for almost 10 years and despite how rude audiences can be, being rude back not only makes one a hypocrite, but also clearly illustrates they are not right for the job. There are many people out there who are excellent at being firm and in control without being a-holes. If an usher doesn't want to hand someone a Playbill, they shouldn't be an usher. That's just ridiculous."

Finally. Someone who gets the main idea here.

You're hired to serve the public, which carries a prerequisite of checking one's a-holism at the door. There is nothing even remotely acceptable about the manner in which that usher chose to respond to the theatre's patrons.

[mikey2573]

I once asked an usher for a Playbill and the usher refused to give me one. Later on, back in my hotel, this happened:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK9hrRXy3ok

[pmensky]

People should start taking pics of these nasty ushers with their phones. There could be a thread dedicated to them. It could like the WANTED wall at the post office. Plus, it would probably get back to them. Maybe they'd start workshopping their attitiudes.