Broadway Stagedoor Culture Is Getting Out of Hand
There was once a time when people did things for the sake of doing them, instead of just to get clout online. Countless everyday joys have been ruined by the bottomless hunger for likes and views and attention, but one experience that has really suffered is seeing a show on Broadway.
Look: we know the global heartland of musical theatre has always had fans whose enthusiasm can spill over into something a little more sinister, but even with the fierce competition for the best tickets and the passion that patrons have for the performers, there was a level of respectability around going to see a show. Yet, the rise of the influencer and the increasingly individualist, selfish direction society has taken in an online world has turned the entitlement of certain so-called theatre lovers up to the max.
In recent months there have been a few viral moments that have put the spotlight on theater etiquette, including a highly publicized clip of a man telling off some disruptive audience members at a performance of Mamma Mia at the Winter Garden on Broadway. With rising prices for tickets, and some seats costing thousands, disruptions can lead to real resentment.
However, it’s not just in the stalls that there have been issues. Fans congregating at the stage door to get a glimpse of the performers is a long standing tradition, but with the potential of online clout adding to the already alluring prospect of getting a snap or autograph from a beloved actor, enthusiasm can spill over into rabidness and rudeness.
Nowadays there are flurries of influencers who spend their time hanging around outside stage doors of shows, desperate to create content that will get them a few clicks. Oftentimes they can be pushy and rude, and increasingly haven’t even seen the show they are camped outside of, taking the space of someone who actually paid for a ticket and wants a chance at a unique memento to remember their experience. Reports of pushing, rudeness, and entitlement are on the up, and it doesn’t seem like it will stop any time soon.
(featured image: BroadwayTour.net)
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