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I think theaters need to come up with some sort of blocking system that disables cell phones altogether. Would be equally useful at concentration-oriented sports events like tennis and golf.

Exactly...and if someone is just expecting from second to second for a huge emergency to happen, better not to go out and just stay home and watch vigilantly the possible event-to-be really close.

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At the L.A. Ring some huge guy behind me fell asleep and snored loudly. I actually got a kick out of that and laughed to myself. I mean, I LOVE Wagner's Ring, but there are stretches of it that are long winded!!! It made me laugh.

So I think if the disruptions are normal (like coughing) or accidental like snoring, I can ignore and/or tolerate. I have to say I don't understand how someone can have jangly bracelets or earrings that make noise and not realize that they irritate people though. Same with unwrapping candy slowly. What are these people thinking? Or maybe they simply aren't thinking.

Anyway, the noises that could have been avoided are the worst ones in my book. I even was okay with someone at an opera with some sort of breathing device that made whooshing air noises b/c I figured the person is ill and this is one of the few joys he can have right now, etc. Basically, I try to be tolerant of most things, but I hate the noise caused by inconsiderate or oblivious people.

I keep my iPhone on silent at all times, b/c I just don't like to be bothered. I check it enough during the day to respond back to a text or call when I am ready to receive voicemails or texts. And this comes in handy when I go to opera or ballet. I know my phone is already on silent. And when the announcement comes on to silence your phones I actually look and double check that my phone is turned off even though it always is 24/7.

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No cell phones went off last night at Miami City Ballet's Program 2 at the Kravis Center, but I noticed a woman wearing short shorts or Daisy Dukes with high heels!!!! I think she had a t-shirt style shirt, Daisy Dukes that had a jean texture, and red high heels. How does someone dress like that and think it is appropriate for the ballet??? In my opinion, that wasn't an outfit appropriate for any event. It isn't what you'd wear to the beach, the mall, the movies, or anyplace. Not even a bar or nightclub! I think it goes to the top of fashion flops I have ever seen! Maybe different shoes would have made it okay for yard work!

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No cell phones went off last night at Miami City Ballet's Program 2 at the Kravis Center, but I noticed a woman wearing short shorts or Daisy Dukes with high heels!!!! I think she had a t-shirt style shirt, Daisy Dukes that had a jean texture, and red high heels. How does someone dress like that and think it is appropriate for the ballet??? In my opinion, that wasn't an outfit appropriate for any event. It isn't what you'd wear to the beach, the mall, the movies, or anyplace. Not even a bar or nightclub! I think it goes to the top of fashion flops I have ever seen! Maybe different shoes would have made it okay for yard work!

Hey...and be grateful that she was wearing heels at least. It could have been worse, like flip-flops...

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No cell phones went off last night at Miami City Ballet's Program 2 at the Kravis Center, but I noticed a woman wearing short shorts or Daisy Dukes with high heels!!!! I think she had a t-shirt style shirt, Daisy Dukes that had a jean texture, and red high heels. How does someone dress like that and think it is appropriate for the ballet??? In my opinion, that wasn't an outfit appropriate for any event. It isn't what you'd wear to the beach, the mall, the movies, or anyplace. Not even a bar or nightclub! I think it goes to the top of fashion flops I have ever seen! Maybe different shoes would have made it okay for yard work!

Hey...and be grateful that she was wearing heels at least. It could have been worse, like flip-flops...

Cristian,

I actually think the bizarre element of her outfit would have vanished if she had worn flip flops. It would have been inappropriate still but at least the shoes would have matched her outfit! LOL

To me an equivalent outfit would have been if I showed up in a speedo, tshirt and sport coat!!! That's how bizarre I found her outfit! LOL

Bart B.

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I don't think I've been to a live performance recently (either Broadway or ballet) where I wasn't bothered by the lights from at least one person's cell phone. I'd steal a look and there they'd be merrily tweeting or texting away. Okay, it's marginally better than talking on a cell phone, but it's still very annoying in a darkened theater. Why do any of us in the audience have to put up with this? Could theaters have a rule that anyone texting or talking on their cellphone will be given one warning, then removed from the theater? Is that legal to do? America is becoming a society where more and more people only see their own needs and wants. They seem to have less and less idea how to get along with everyone else.

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At some theaters (maybe at the Kennedy Center), the standard announcement is to turn off "anything that beeps or glows".

My preferred (and subscription) seats are in the front row, so I rarely have glowing devices in my field of view, but I can imagine that it would be very distracting.

The problem of phones that come back to life to sound alarms even if they are "off" is a difficult one. I know we should all know how to control our devices, but (alas) the reality is that many of us now have more than one of these devices, and they get replaced annually. Most people I know, including the very tech-savvy and conscientious, have been caught by surprise by a new device...but usually only once! It's just really unfortunate if that once is in an auditorium. :-(

The problem of those who are avoidably and inconsiderately noisy or distracting is easier to solve technically, but harder to solve practically.

Finally, as for clothing--I do love to see people all dressed up, but I'm not there to see them, I'm there to see the show.

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I don't think I've been to a live performance recently (either Broadway or ballet) where I wasn't bothered by the lights from at least one person's cell phone. I'd steal a look and there they'd be merrily tweeting or texting away. Okay, it's marginally better than talking on a cell phone, but it's still very annoying in a darkened theater. Why do any of us in the audience have to put up with this? Could theaters have a rule that anyone texting or talking on their cellphone will be given one warning, then removed from the theater? Is that legal to do? America is becoming a society where more and more people only see their own needs and wants. They seem to have less and less idea how to get along with everyone else.

Problem is that often ushers are volunteers who are like you and me...not really wanting to get into an argument b/c nowadays people have no shame. You tell them to please take phone conversation outside, and they curse you out and go back to talking. Ushers are supposed to handle things like this but here in Florida they are often over 60 and not equipped physically or mentally to deal with belligerent people and they don't get paid so they often look the other way.

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Patti LuPone is mad as hell and she isn't going to take it any more:

Q. So what happened Wednesday night?

A. This woman — a very pretty young woman — was sitting with her boyfriend or husband. We could see her text. She was so uninterested. She showed her husband what she was texting. We talked about it at intermission. When we went out for the second act I was very close to her, and she was still texting. I watched her and thought, “What am I going to do?” At the very end of that scene, we all exit. What I normally do is shake the hand of the people in the front row. I just walked over to her, shook her hand and took her phone. I walked offstage and handed it to the stage manager, who gave it to the house manager.

Related.

Silvestri's group headed to the Booth Theatre, and they were seated in the orchestra section.

That's when he saw the outlet on Beowulf Boritt's church basement set."I saw the outlet and ran for it," he said. "That was the only outlet I saw, so I thought, 'Why not?' I was thinking that they were probably going to plug something in there on the set, and I figured it wouldn't be a big deal if my phone was up there too."

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This just seems to get stranger and stranger. I heard the Lupone interview, and almost cheered at her response. But it's the part where the guy figured he could leave his phone on stage to charge during the show (?) and that wouldn't be "a big deal." Can you imagine what he might have said if, in the course of the play, there was supposed to be a power surge and the phone blew up?

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That was the point where my daughter leaned over and said with amusement, "Balanchine hates women."

 

At the climax of a dark and moving ballet, at a moment of great poetry and mystery, an audience member cracks a joke. When did this become acceptable behavior? 

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Yes, the email checkers should be unceremoniously ejected during intermission. But suddenly leaning over can block the view of the person behind you, and all but the faintest whispers can be heard if not understood. Any movement or noise is bound to be distracting, especially at a climactic moment. 

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