Threaded Order Chronological Order
| re: MUSIC MAN last night | |
| Posted by: carolinaguy 11:22 am EST 01/07/22 | |
| In reply to: MUSIC MAN last night - champagnesalesman 10:14 am EST 01/07/22 | |
|
|
|
| LOL, I've often wondered that about the bathrooms too. I wonder if it has to do with the fact that when these theaters were built, people weren't constantly sucking down coffee and bottled water like they are today. I have tickets for this production in late April; fervently hope we're in a better place re: omicron and the pandemic by then. |
|
| reply to this message |
| re: MUSIC MAN last night | |
| Posted by: JereNYC (JereNYC@aol.com) 05:15 pm EST 01/10/22 | |
| In reply to: re: MUSIC MAN last night - carolinaguy 11:22 am EST 01/07/22 | |
|
|
|
| One thing to consider is that, in the golden age of Broadway, musicals were often written with latecomers, whether from the restrooms or the bar across the street, in mind. Musicals had sizeable overtures and entr'actes and the first number of the second act was often something fun and non-plot-specific, so that latecomers to the second act hadn't really missed anything. I imagine that a 15 minute intermission could easily be stretched to 25 minutes or more. My sense is that musicals aren't really written that way anymore, so it's much more necessary to show up on time (even if people have learned that "on time" is now 10 minutes past the posted curtain time) and do your business in the 15 minutes allotted for the intermission. And I also bet that a good portion of theatregoers in bygone days were smart enough to do as people still do today, which is to plan their time around the block of time they'll be at the theatre, meaning that they recognized that 1000+ people can't all use the facilities in the limited amount of time offered, so they used the restroom at home, at their office, or at the restaurant or bar before the show to avoid having to do so at the theatre. |
|
| reply to this message |
| Corsets | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 09:59 pm EST 01/07/22 | |
| In reply to: re: MUSIC MAN last night - carolinaguy 11:22 am EST 01/07/22 | |
|
|
|
| I will never understand how women used to manage it. Smaller restrooms were built for women in some of those theatres because many of them would not be able to use a restroom, except perhaps to fix up their makeup. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| Theater rest room traffic in Europe | |
| Posted by: aleck 09:44 am EST 01/09/22 | |
| In reply to: Corsets - AlanScott 09:59 pm EST 01/07/22 | |
|
|
|
| I'm been to many theaters, concert halls and opera houses throughout the UK and Europe. There is NEVER any kind of line or stampede to the restrooms during intermission. And those folks are chugging down coffee and other drinks before the performance and during intermission. This weak bladder behavior seen here is seemingly a unique and recent American phenomenon. Indeed, years ago there was none of this bathroom traffic. In fact, in London theaters they used to serve tea on trays that would be passed to your seat by other people in the row. There was no jumping up to run to the rest room. Somehow that first act curtain ringing down has become like a Pavlov dog signal to rush to the rest room. Or perhaps what it really means is that a large portion of the audience would rather be somewhere else. That was certainly the case for me at a recent performance of Flying Over Sunset. Should I go to the rest room or should I leave? I chose to go to the rest room. A large number of audience members chose to leave -- although they first made a stop at the rest room. There used to be a time when you would go to the theatre and hope the experience would never end. Now there's celebration when you hear the show is going to be over in 75 minutes! And if it's not over in 75 minutes, you can comfort yourself in knowing that you can bear sitting through the rest of it if you could just get some bladder relief. Otherwise the productions are not transporting enough to keep your mind off of your own body functions. After a while, counting your teeth while putting up with nonsense (like Flying Over Sunset) gets boring. Can you image hoping that something like Annie Get Your Gun would be over in 75 minutes? |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Theater rest room traffic in Europe | |
| Posted by: WWriter 02:29 pm EST 01/09/22 | |
| In reply to: Theater rest room traffic in Europe - aleck 09:44 am EST 01/09/22 | |
|
|
|
| I've been going to shows since the early 70s, and there have always been lines at the ladies rooms. The lines at the men's rooms are more recent. I suspect that may reflect the prostates of an older male audience. The theatres that have expanded their restrooms are a pleasure. I have had some wonderful conversations on bathroom lines, which is the upside. I heard about Laurette Taylor and original Tennessee Williams productions and Pal Joey and Rogers and Hammerstein premieres. And then, later, I got to be the older person talking about seeing Meryl Streep on stage and the original Chorus Line and Merrily We Roll Along. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| My best rest room line story | |
| Posted by: aleck 09:28 am EST 01/10/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Theater rest room traffic in Europe - WWriter 02:29 pm EST 01/09/22 | |
|
|
|
| At the 100 birthday celebration for Noel Coward at Carnegie Hall I found myself standing in line to the men's room directly behind Edward Albee. Albee had been a hero of mine since early youth. I had always imagined that one day I would get to meet him. Well, there I was standing right there and suddenly I was a tongue-tied 12=year-old. I didn't want to say something too embarrassingly fawning or something just plain stupid. Finally, after the line didn't move and didn't move and didn't move I said to Albee "I forget why I'm standing in this line." Albee turned slowly to me and with a dead pan expression said: "I wish I could." | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: My best rest room line story | |
| Posted by: schauspieler 12:10 pm EST 01/10/22 | |
| In reply to: My best rest room line story - aleck 09:28 am EST 01/10/22 | |
|
|
|
| Classic! Thanks | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Corsets | |
| Posted by: Musicals54 04:27 pm EST 01/08/22 | |
| In reply to: Corsets - AlanScott 09:59 pm EST 01/07/22 | |
|
|
|
| Historically, shows had more intermissions. Most plays were in 3 acts as were many musicals (the revival of No, No, Nanette was in 3 acts as was the original). The Most Happy Fella was originally in 3 Acts. Some plays were in 4 or more acts. Thus there were more bathroom breaks. So, in general, bathrooms would have been half as crowded during a given intermission. It is common to have only one intermission now even for plays/musicals that originally had two or more. And there are many shows with no intermission at all now. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Corsets | |
| Posted by: Ordoc 03:41 am EST 01/08/22 | |
| In reply to: Corsets - AlanScott 09:59 pm EST 01/07/22 | |
|
|
|
| Really? Are you a student of the history of women's restroom habits in theatres? What pray tell are you doing lurking around women's restrooms. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Corsets and quotes | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 07:41 pm EST 01/08/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Corsets - Ordoc 03:41 am EST 01/08/22 | |
|
|
|
| Here are a few quotes, two from the New York Times and one from NPR. The first is from an article titled ”Giving Broadway a Makeover, Ladies' Rooms First,” by Glenn Collins, published in the Times on August 9, 2001. This was said by Francesca Russo, described in the article as ”the city's reigning Broadway-renovation architect”: ”When many theaters were originally designed, men had smoking rooms, and women, they had fainting rooms. They were bound in their corsets, which were so tight they couldn't go to the bathroom. And they did faint.” Here is another from the Times. This one is from an article by Michael Paulson titled ”Have to Go at a Show? Hurry Up, Or Hold It” that was in the edition dated February 12, 2017: ”Most Broadway theaters were built in the early 20th century, and featured spaces where men could smoke and women could rest or touch up their makeup, but limited stalls, because women, based on the customs of the times and the complexity of their undergarments (corsets, anyone?), were less likely to use public toilets, theater owners say.” This is from an ”All Things Considered” segment on New York City's passage of the Women's Equity Restroom Act, which aired on NPR on June 10, 2005. This was said by Vicki Revere, author of Where to Go: A Guide To Manhattan's Toilets: ”In the late 19th century, women were dressed up like pieces of furniture. With all their undergarments and corsets and truss work and long gowns, they couldn't get in and out of the clothes by themselves. So women were trained from an early age that it was improper to use a public facility.” |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Corsets | |
| Posted by: Alcindoro 06:56 am EST 01/08/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Corsets - Ordoc 03:41 am EST 01/08/22 | |
|
|
|
| AlanScott has been one of the most valued and knowledgeable contributors to this site for decades. Judging by your small minded response, you clearly are not aware of this. If you have any experience in period costume design or the wearing of period costumes you would know that this is a valid subject. Look it up. Wait. I'll do it for you. | |
| Link | How They Did It |
| reply to this message | reply to first message | |
| re: Corsets | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 07:46 pm EST 01/08/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Corsets - Alcindoro 06:56 am EST 01/08/22 | |
|
|
|
| Thanks so much for the kind words and the link. Will have to watch that. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Corsets | |
| Posted by: keywslt 09:58 am EST 01/08/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Corsets - Alcindoro 06:56 am EST 01/08/22 | |
|
|
|
| While your defense is admirable and your research sound, we must consider the possibility that AlanScott has been lurking in the under belly of Theatre since the mid 1800's. Observing and taking copious notes, staving off scurvy, and hob-knobbing with Bernhardt, Booth and both Lunts. This, really, is the only reasonable explanation for his vast erudition of the subject. I believe his first post here on ATC was presented in a linotype format. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Corsets | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 07:45 pm EST 01/08/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Corsets - keywslt 09:58 am EST 01/08/22 | |
|
|
|
| LOL. Alas, I have been lurking in the under belly of Theatre only since the mid-1960s so I missed Bernhardt, Booth and both Lunts, the last of whom I am particularly sorry to have missed. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Corsets | |
| Posted by: Clancy 11:13 am EST 01/08/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Corsets - keywslt 09:58 am EST 01/08/22 | |
|
|
|
| Don't exaggerate. Mr. Scott merely Mimeographed. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Corsets | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 07:47 pm EST 01/08/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Corsets - Clancy 11:13 am EST 01/08/22 | |
|
|
|
| Oh, I love that smell. I miss it. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| Here ya go, Alan! | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 08:02 pm EST 01/08/22 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 08:01 pm EST 01/08/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Corsets - AlanScott 07:47 pm EST 01/08/22 | |
|
|
|
| Sorry this website isn't broadcast in Smell-O-Vision or Odorama, though! :) | |
| Link | Mimeographs: The Classroom Chore that Smelled So Good |
| reply to this message | reply to first message | |
| re: Corsets | |
| Posted by: Alcindoro 02:24 pm EST 01/08/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Corsets - Clancy 11:13 am EST 01/08/22 | |
|
|
|
| Ha ha! At any rate, Ordoc pissed me off. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: MUSIC MAN last night | |
| Posted by: portenopete 08:36 pm EST 01/07/22 | |
| In reply to: re: MUSIC MAN last night - carolinaguy 11:22 am EST 01/07/22 | |
|
|
|
| I don't know. I'm 56 and generally pretty hydrated. But I can usually go three or four hours between trips to the toidy. As you say, when I know I will be sitting for three hours at a show I generally refrain from pouring a lot of drinks down my throat. But I should never underestimate the brainlessness of a good chunk of the population. I don't think this is as much of an issue Off-Broadway. I'd really love to see an IQ comparison between Broadway and Off-Broadway audiences :). |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
Time to render: 0.056609 seconds.