Please Take a Moment To Turn Off Your Cell Phones

October 6th, 2009 by Jim Glaub

It became a most viewed video on YouTube! The incident with Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman telling the patron to shut off their phone. And, you remember Patti Lupone’s break-out-in-rant on a guy taking pictures on his cell phone, right? Of course, how many times have you experienced this in a live theatre, at the movies, at a restaurant and even in the bathroom stall next to you. There’s a growing etiquette problem and the Theatre may be the ones to do something about it.

Turn it off

Sure, we do the pre-theatre announcements, usually done in a funny way, (Rock of Ages says it “it makes you look like a douchebag.”) I’m just not convinced that the “Please take this moment to shut off your cell phones” is enough for audiences. We need to do more. Check cell phones in the lobby? Or get the community together for an ad campaign!

Buy some television commercials, Do a live social etiquette lesson on ustream.tv, create videos and throw them up on YouTube. We can get the Ad Council and the FCC in on this. We need a public message that is funny and will stick. (Sure, there are more important things like Teen Dating Violence Protection and quitting smoking, but cell phone abuse is out of control, right?)

I think it would be great if we did a video series of regular life incidents where the cell phone is involved and throw in one of our theatre celebrities.

Scene 1: A family is enjoying a lovely conversation over a beautiful dining room table. Amidst light-hearted chatter, a cell phone goes off. Everyone is looking at the eldest kid who answers it. Kid says “Oh hey Bra, yeah, no, it’s fine, I can chat.”  Mom looks at Dad, Sister looks at younger sister. Then they all turn to brother. They know what’s about to happen. BOOM! Patti Lupone BUSTS in. She screams, “Who do you think you are? This is a dinner table. Everyone at this table has respect except for YOU. Get ‘em out of here (then an usher comes in, all dressed up, escorts the douchey kid out of the house.) Then, Patti sings “Here she is boys! Tell the world! Heaaaaz Patti!” Cue ad message.

Scene 2: A crowded, quiet subway. Next stop, Broadway/Lafayette. A super cute girl walks on and gets a call. She gets service! She picks it up and snorts and laughs “Omygod, I know, O-M-G-W-T-F, I knah! Omygod, I hate her! I knah! I knah!” Everyone on the subway gets quiet…you hear a rattling of the car; There’s a roar coming, but, it’s not the train. From the sea of passengers barges through a very angry Hugh Jackman. He grabs the cell phone and crushes it with his hands. He gazes at the shell-shocked girl. All he says is “You’re annoying everyone on the train.” Then runs out, Wolverine style.

What do you think? Do you have any other suggestions of ad ideas for this theatre cell phone problem? Leave your ideas in the comment sections below.

Give My Regards to Broadway (via Twitter)

September 22nd, 2009 by Jim Glaub

tweetup_sticker
On Sunday AMC had four shows participate in the Tweet up for The Broadway League’s Tweet up. They invited the Broadway shows (that are on Twitter) and some Broadway stars to ‘tweet-up’ for two hours to answer fans questions as a part of ‘Back to Broadway’ Month. Of course, we were excited to do it…and Sheryl and I tweeted for Finain’s Rainbow, FELA!, Rock of Ages and Burn the Floor. Afterwards, my fingers were sore and my eyes hurt, but it was worth it. All of our Twitter follower numbers increased by a dozen or two and it added additional exposure for the shows.

One girl seriously wanted to be Sherry and wanted to know her chances of getting the part. I think we should let Kerry Butler do the job first.

We are doing a tweetup tonight for the fans of Rock of Ages at 5:30 at B. Smiths.

I wonder if the girl who wants to be Sherry will be there. I wonder if her dream will come true of being Sherry? Hey, Don’t Stop Believin’, right?