It is a new era for theater-goers Monday, January 29, 2007

The ice cream cometh

Snacking gives Broadway patrons agita

Monday, January 29, 2007

BY MICHAEL SOMMERS

Star-Ledger Staff

There may be 10 Commandments, but there are many more in the realm of theatergoing. Here’s a practical list of “do nots” for audience members, be they in New York or New Brunswick.

·  Do not, if you are lucky enough to have an aisle seat, get annoyed when asked to rise and let people pass to their non-aisle seats. Stand up! Then say, cheerfully, “Welcome to our row!”

 

·  Do not sit in someone else’s seat — even if another is empty as the lights go down. You’ll only inconvenience yourself and the proper ticketholder when he arrives late. Which brings us to:

 

·  Do not arrive late. Not only will you peeve everyone as you splash your way through the row, but you’ll also distract them from the stage dialogue with your “’scuse me’s” and “I’m sorry’s.” And speaking of speaking:

 

·  Do not talk during the overture. It is part of the show. More to the point, do not hum or sing the overture to show off how you already know the words to every number. (That goes for the rest of the songs in the show, too.)

 

·  Do not wear so much cologne that it can be smelled by people in Cologne.

 

·  Do not wear clangy, noisy jewelry. “Baubles, Bangles, and Beads” is an excellent show song, but hearing it is the only way people want to be reminded of these three items.

 

·  Do not text-message during the show. Light should only come from the stage and not from you.

 

·  Do not keep your cell phone on — but if you DO leave it on, don’t take that incoming call. Do not make a call during the show, whether it’s to see how the baby-sitter’s doing or even to say, “Hey, you gotta hear this great song!”

 

·  Do not be a Theater Swami, defined as one who predicts what will happen in the plot by uttering such pronouncements as, “Now he’s going to kiss her.”

 

·  Do not be an Instant Theater Critic by loudly voicing opinions such as, “Look how old she is now” or “Wow, he’s been hitting the fridge.” Most theaters have excellent acoustics, so your estimations were probably heard by the people around you, and maybe even the aging or corpulent performer.

 

·  Do not lean forward to see better. The person in front of you may enjoy warm breath on the back of the neck under amorous circumstances, but not from you. And while we’re on the subject of lovers and spouses:

 

·  Do not show affection for your beloved by resting your head against his or hers –unless you’re in the last row of the orchestra, mezzanine or balcony. Let holding hands be the extent of your ardor.

 

·  Do not show appreciation of actors with anything but applause. Such ejaculations as “Yeah!”, “That’s showin’ ‘em!” and the now-ubiquitous “Whoo!” are for sports arenas.

 

·  Do not engage in bodily activities, even down to hand-lotion applications or foot rubs. Though theaters allow for some food and drink, there are hazards there, too. Thus:

 

·  Do not buy candy that comes in pieces. Undoubtedly you’ll drop one or two or 10 of them, which will cause you to exclaim, “Oh, no!” (or something worse). If you must have a sugar-laced snack, bring marshmallows.

 

·  Do not suck your straw after your drink is long gone, and do not shake the remaining crushed ice in the cup — especially in time to the music, even if the song is a samba.

 

·  Do not, during intermission, climb to the top of a stairway and just stand there — especially to talk to someone. Do not park yourself smack-dab in the middle of the refreshment area and block everyone going to the rest rooms. Keep walking.

 

·  Do not, however, walk out during the curtain call. Actors are sensitive people, no matter what anyone says.

 

·  Do not, when leaving, throw your Playbill on the floor. Under an errant or too-hasty foot, those slick, glossy covers become banana peels.

 

·  Do not bring your child to such shows as “King Lear” or “Spring Awakening.” Wait a couple of decades (which will pass quickly, anyway). If you do choose to bring your child to an age-appropriate show:

 

·  Do not let your child cry for minutes on end, assuming he will stop in the next second or two. You should be so lucky. Pick the kid up, and head for the lobby.

 

Peter Filichia may be reached at pfilichia@starledger.com or (973) 392-5995.

© 2007  The Star Ledger

© 2007 NJ.com All Rights Reserved.

Go now…. Monday, January 29, 2007

Pan’s Labyrinth

See it!!! What are you waiting for? Hurry.

New York Times Review of Pan’s Labyrinth

The Notorious Bettie Page

I saw a really interesting movie about the life of the pin-up queen Bettie Page starring Gretchen Mol. I had no idea the life this women had, I only knew her by her pictures. She was a devoute christian woman who had progressive ideas about her body. “When God made Adam and Eve they showed their bodies. They didn’t sin until they put on clothes.” was uttered by Page on more than one occassion.   She also seemed to live in a naive state of mind which almost seems like a better place to be.  She only thought she was taking pictures in funny costumes. Now, I don’t believe that she didn’t have any clue what her pictures were for because she was almost Valadictorean of her high school but it was given to a male peer because she missed one day of school. Bettie Page was a very intelligent woman who maybe viewed the world in a way that people of that time were not ready to handle. She set aside what society called moral because she believed that what she was doing brought happiness to people that otherwise would have felt ashamed for their desires.

The other interesting thing about this movie is the way it was shot. For most of the time it was shot in black and white following her life in rural Tennessee to New York City until she is forced to leave for Miami. Anyone who has followed her photos will know that during this period in NYC all of her photos were in BW. It wasn’t until she moved to Miami that she met Bunny Yeager who took her photos in color. And it is during that period that the movie is in color. Not just color but very close to the feel of those photos of her during that time.

Long story short, this is a great movie especially for fans of Ms.Bettie Page. Visit the official movie site here.

Quote of the Day Friday, January 26, 2007

The president himself told reporters today that, “It just makes sense that if somebody is trying to harm our troops or stop us from achieving our goal, or killing innocent citizens in Iraq, that we will stop them.” – The New York Times

This was Bush’s remarks after he was confronted about force taken against Iranians in Iraq. My favorite part is “…stop us from acheiving our goal…we will stop them.” Does that include the House and Senate? If these aren’t the words of a mad man, I’m not sure what are.

I saw the play The Vertical Hour the other night thanks to my friend G-wen and it contains one of my favorite lines. In reference to the Iraq war, “I knew the surgeon so I had an idea about the outcome of the operation.” So nicely put. So let’s all take a moment of silence to give G.W. a mental “Fuck You.”

Owner of ritzy NY shop sues homeless for $1 million Friday, January 19, 2007

By Matthew Verrinder

NEW YORK (Reuters) – It’s a case of Madison Avenue versus Penniless Lane.

A Manhattan antique shop owner’s lawsuit against transients who camp in front of his store is generating debate about what to do with New York’s homeless, many of whom spend winter nights on the street.

Karl Kemp, owner of the posh Karl Kemp & Associates Antiques, Ltd. on Madison Avenue, sued three men and a woman for $1 million earlier this month, alleging they scare away customers when they drink alcohol, urinate and warm themselves above a heating duct in front of his shop.

Kemp’s suit, filed in state Supreme Court, also seeks an order to keep them 100 feet away.

Some New York homeless advocates are upset, saying Kemp was too quick to sue poor vagrants instead of trying to help them through social services.

Nearly 35,000 people spent Wednesday night in New York City homeless shelters. About 3,800 shunned shelters and slept outside in 2006, according to city data.

“(Kemp) could have called any number of homeless service organizations that reach out to people on the street,” said Shelly Nortz, deputy executive director for policy for the Coalition for the Homeless. “Suing them for $1 million is just wrong.”   Continued…

My take:

Simple. Good luck getting a million dollars from a bum. Case closed. Get over it or move your business to a place where homeless people are not welcome like , well, nowhere.

Teens’ families sue MySpace for negligence: lawyers Thursday, January 18, 2007

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The families of five teenaged girls who were sexually assaulted by predators they met on MySpace, the popular Internet social network, have sued owner News Corp. for negligence and fraud, lawyers for the families said.The families from New York, Texas, Pennsylvania and South Carolina filed suits in state Superior Court in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The girls, ages 14 and 15, were lured to meetings with older MySpace members and sexually assaulted, according to the lawyers.

One 15-year-old girl was drugged and assaulted in 2006 by an older MySpace user, the lawyers said. The user pleaded guilty to sexual assault and is serving a 10-year sentence, they said.

Last year, the parents of a 14-year-old girl in Austin, Texas, sued MySpace for $30 million after she was sexually assaulted by a 19-year-old man she met on the Web site.

My take:

Ok. I am going to turn around a sue the parents of these poor girls for not paying attention to what there daughters were doing on the internet. To me this is like suing a mall because a pedophile picked up a young girl who frequents the food court. The responsibility is more on the parents in this case. If you pay attention to what your kids are doing and who they are talking with this may not happen. Or better yet, talk to your damn kids about sex and sickos out there who are ready to exploit them out of their childhood. Arm them with knowledge and they may help take a few of these perverts down. So Parents’, watch your damn kids, keep open dialogue and take responsibilty when you fail them. In this case they failed them.

I’m Back Wednesday, January 17, 2007

After neglecting my poor blog for so long I decided to write something. I hope everyone enjoyed their Martin Luther King Day’s sales. Which bring me to my topic…What? Has every holiday become a time to spend money? I mean, come on!!! Put your money back in your wallet and stop feeding the fat corporate slobs who don’t even have enough decency to pay their employees a livable wage with decent health care. I hear a phrase on a daily basis that really has been striking a chord with me, “It comes from the top.” You know what that means? Corporate CEO’s fuck their employees who then turn around and shit on lower employees who than yell at the girl at WALMART for not marking a discount who then goes home and beats her kids because they are crying due to hunger because she can’t even buy them food. And Mr.CEO is lobbying to keep minimum wage at a low because he really wants to buy that second island on his $53 million dollar bonus this year. Meanwhile, our lovely God fearing Government keeps us stupid and obedient. Well, I say, it comes from the top. You don’t like how people are treating you then look to the top and make a change. Vote and if that doesn’t work, because I have my doubts, than storm the castle and overthrow the king!!! And that is my two cents.