Front of House: Observations from a Decade on the Aisle (20 page)

There’s a persistent belief that native or long-time New Yorkers can’t leave their city. I dispute that. Even though I mostly grew up in the heart of New York City and graduated from both high school and college there, I took my leave from the East Coast in late 2010. I haven’t regretted it. I’m glad I left. I think I’m in the Henry Miller camp, a.k.a. the New Yorkers who leave, have absolutely no wish to return even to visit, and never live there again.

When I’m asked if there’s anything I really miss about New York, my list is short:
a)
my family;
b)
my friends;
c)
the pizza;
d)
the Brooklyn Cyclones; and
e)
the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The city I knew and loved in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s just doesn’t exist anymore, and I don’t like the gentrified, unaffordable, cookie-cutter version that has sprung up in its place. Most of my favorite haunts — the old greasy spoon diners, L’Amour, CBGB, Love Saves the Day, and the Barnes & Noble bookstore on Avenue of the Americas, among others — are long gone.

I’ve fully adapted to my new chosen city and state, I love the way of life here, and I can’t imagine leaving. I avoid visiting New York as much as possible. In 2014, however, I flew back to support a relative during a major medical crisis. Along the way, I managed to reconcile with some old friends and perhaps, as the talk shows would say, gained some closure.

In midtown I walked past the Belasco Theatre, which had been grandly restored in my absence. A quick peek into the box office lobby revealed that even the sagging, warped bottle-glass near the front door had been repaired. Thankfully, even after the extensive renovations, David Belasco’s portrait maintained its place of honor on the wall. Outside, there was a line of fans waiting for standby tickets to that night’s performances of
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
. I took a selfie in front of the marquee and said a silent hello to David. I could just imagine how thrilled he was to see that his theater had been returned to its original splendor, with a 2010s twist.

However, aside from my visit to the Belasco and a quick stroll past the Winter Garden, I made a point of staying out of the Theater District. I didn’t want to run into anyone I’d once known, regardless if I liked them. I’d done a very clean job of extricating myself from that world.

Still, my old friend Greg and I had coffee together on the time-honored theatrical schedule: between matinee and evening performances on a Wednesday. We arranged to meet in a location that was near enough to the Theater District to be accessible for Greg and far enough away to be comfortable for me: Bryant Park. It was a joyful reunion. Greg and I share that special talent that is perhaps exclusive to very good friends: the ability to sit down and immediately start talking comfortably, as if we’ve last seen each other four days ago instead of four years. At the mention of
The Invention of Love,
we simultaneously burst out: “Worst show
EVER!”

One of the only things I regretted about my time in the theater, or rather, my exit from it, was that I never said goodbye to the handful of ushers at
Phantom
who had been both kind and fair to me. I just vanished. I had to right that wrong, so I asked Greg to give them a note from me, with my hugs and best wishes.

At the afternoon turned into the evening, Greg needed to head back to work, so we bid farewell to each other. A week later I said goodbye to New York as I boarded a plane. When I landed on the West Coast again, as clichéd as it sounds, I actually did want to kiss the ground.

Still…Broadway seems to creep up on me sometimes.

It popped up during my job at a museum, where one of my duties was to facilitate tours with young people. The topics were heavy; we discussed genocide, human rights and the civil rights movement in the United States, among other subjects.

During one tour I had a group of Drama Club students who were staging a production of
Cabaret.
It was an edgy choice for high school, and I was impressed that the teachers and administration were going for it.

The kids clustered in front of a photo of Anne Frank at her desk. We were talking about artistic outlets, and about the fact that Anne’s famous diary had been one. Some people dive into art, sports, video games, TV or theater; Anne had found her oasis in writing.

“What does the Emcee say in your show?” I asked the kids. “What’s one of his first lines?” I didn’t wait for them to answer. “ ‘We have no troubles here. Here, life is beautiful.’ ” The teenagers murmured; I’d plucked the phrase verbatim out of thin air, complete with a faux-German accent. After all, there’s no way to quote the Emcee without it. Museum docents didn’t generally break out the Broadway on them.

When the Emcee invites you into the cabaret, he never says that things will go smoothly. The dancers have track marks and sunken eyes; their smiles look malevolent in the dim lighting. If you stay there too long, you’ll become one of them, too. The Emcee doesn’t guarantee that you will leave the nightclub unscathed. He only promises you that you will forget about the outside world, and perhaps leave with a greater understanding of what you see through the lens of your life. He’s right.

The theater. Ushering. There, life was beautiful. Flawed, viciously, beautiful. I’m eternally grateful that I had a front row seat at that cabaret for such a very long time. I’m even more grateful that I got away from it.

Actors’ Equity Association:
The union representing Broadway performers and actors in other professional theater productions across the United States, including many Off-Broadway shows, dinner theaters, national tours and regional theater companies.

Actors Fund:
A social service organization that provides various forms of assistance to performers in need, including Broadway actors.

AEA:
Acronym for Actors’ Equity Association.

Back of house/backstage:
The areas behind, under, above and next to the stage, including the costume and makeup shops, the stagehands’ workspaces, the dressing rooms, the doorman’s desk, etc.

Balcony:
The third, and usually the highest, physical level of seating in a theater.

BC/EFA Flea Market:
A beloved annual fundraising event in and around Shubert Alley. Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, as well as some theatrical merchants and organizations, man tables selling everything from disused show props to baked goods to raise money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The Flea Market usually happens on a Sunday in September.

Boxes:
Small seating areas — that resemble boxes — on either side of the auditorium. Typically, a box has free-moving chairs, in contrast to the fixed theater seats in the rest of the venue, and only holds between four and eight patrons. The jury is out on whether boxes provide good views. Some people love them, others do not.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids:
Also known as BC/EFA; probably the largest and most active Broadway charity. BC/EFA raises money for various social service initiatives for people with HIV and AIDS. In recent years BC/EFA has also partnered with numerous other organizations to provide funds and services for people with cancer and other illnesses.

Chief:
The head usher, who handles most day-to-day matters pertaining to the ushering staff.

Closing night:
A show’s last performance.

Closed show:
A show that has ended its Broadway run and no longer offers performances.

Curtain time:
The time the show is scheduled to begin.

Dark Day:
The day in a production’s weekly schedule when there isn’t a performance. This is the cast and crew’s day off. Usually, shows are dark once a week, typically on Monday or Sunday.

Dark Theatre:
A theater that is not currently hosting any shows; i.e., their last production closed and a new one has not started yet.

Director:
The usher who is second (or third) in command. The director(s) typically direct patrons to different seating areas, supervise sections of the theater and are the first point of contact in the event of difficulties.

Doorman or Stage Doorman:
Individual who sits at a desk or booth adjacent to the stage door entrance and controls backstage access to the theater.

Easter Bonnets:
An annual production put on by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, in conjunction with their spring fundraising drive, and staged in a Broadway theater. Cast and crew members from Broadway and off-Broadway productions create special Easter bonnets and perform skits, dances or songs.

Equity:
Common nickname for Actors Equity Association.

Front of House:
Anything that is not backstage, including the auditorium, lobbies, lounges, and box office areas of the theater.

Ghost Light:
A large lamp, usually on a pole, that is placed onstage after the show when all the other lights are extinguished. The ghost light remains on, and in place, until the next preset. Even when a theater is dark, its ghost light remains. There are many legends about the ghost light — that it keeps the ghosts away; that it draws them in; that it’s just there for safety. It’s up to each person to decide what it means to them, I think.

Gypsy:
In theatrical parlance, the unheralded but vitally important ensemble/chorus members/swings who have long careers performing in many Broadway shows.

Half-hour:
Thirty minutes before the curtain rises. All pre-sets are usually done by this point, performers are expected to have signed in, and ushers are supposed to be on their aisles, ready to seat patrons.

Hell’s Kitchen:
The area on the far West Side of Manhattan roughly bordered by W. 34th St. to the south and W. 59th St. to the north. Traditionally home to many show people.

House:
Theater.

The House Is Open:
The doors of the theater have opened and the public can be admitted to the seating area.

House manager:
The individual who is responsible for managing and supervising all aspects of the front of house, including the ushering staff.

IATSE:
Acronym and common name for the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, pronounced “eye-aht-see.” The union has numerous locals that represent employees in different areas of theater, TV and film production, including stagehands, ushers, hair and makeup artists, wardrobe, projectionists, and more.

Intermission:
A break in the performance, usually about fifteen to twenty minutes in duration. During intermission many patrons leave their seats, get something to eat or drink, exit the theater to smoke, or use their cell phones. Most shows have one intermission halfway through the performance. However, shows that are longer than three hours might have two, or even three, intermissions. In addition, shows that are under two hours long might run straight through without any intermission at all.

Interval:
UK term for intermission.

Jukebox Musical:
Informal name for a musical that is built around a series of pre-selected songs, usually by the same artist or from the same era. Examples include
Smokey Joe’s Café
(music of Lieber and Stolle)
, Mamma Mia
(music of ABBA)
, Rock of Ages
(1980s and 90s hard rock) and
We Will Rock You
(music of Queen).

Les Mis:
Common nickname for the Broadway musical
Les Misérables
; pronounced “Lay Mizz.”

Matinee:
A midday performance. Matinees typically start at two or three in the afternoon. Most Broadway shows have matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays; some also have Sunday matinee performances. During the holidays, shows often add Friday matinees, too.

Mezzanine:
The second physical level of seating in the auditorium. Sometimes separated into two sub-sections, front and rear mezzanine.

The Mousetrap:
A play by Agatha Christie that has been running continuously in London’s West End since 1952.

Musical:
Broadly defined as a performance in which singing and/or dancing is integral to, and is a significant part, of the show. Examples:
Cats, The King and I, Les Misérables, Spring Awakening, Wicked.

Opening Night:
The show’s first official performance, usually attended by celebrities and notable New York names, where the sets, costumes, dialogue, choreography and lyrics are considered to be “set.” Note that most productions have several weeks of Broadway previews before Opening Night. Reviews for the show will usually be published in newspapers, magazines and websites the week after Opening Night (usually the next day, or late the same evening).

Orchestra:
The lowest level of seating for patrons in the auditorium. In England, the orchestra is referred to as “the stalls.”

Passdoor:
A door in the front of the house, generally near the stage, that goes backstage. The passdoor is frequently used by stage managers and crew members to travel between different areas of the theater before, during and after the show.

Phantom:
Common nickname for the Broadway show
The Phantom of the Opera.

Play:
Broadly defined as a production in which singing and dancing are not integral, or a major component, of the show. Examples:
Hamlet, Three Tall Women, The Odd Couple, Amadeus, Side Man.

Playbill:
May refer to: 1. The program that is distributed for free on Broadway. Each theater hands out its own Playbills, which contain information on the production, the cast list, a few photos, and that month’s
Playbill
magazine; or 2.
Playbill
magazine itself; a monthly print journal and daily website with theater news and features.

Playbill Broadway Yearbook:
A large yearbook-style publication published annually by Playbill, which includes photos of the cast, crew, ushers and other staff members at each show on Broadway that season.

POTO:
Another
The Phantom of the Opera
nickname.

Pre-Set:
The initial setting at the start of the performance, where everything is in place for the first scene and the settings for subsequent scenes are lined up and ready to go.

Press night:
A performance where numerous critics and journalists are in attendance, ostensibly to review the show, shortly before it officially opens. Some performances have a number of press nights spread out through the last week of previews.

Previews:
Broadway performances that are staged before the show officially opens. A show might have anywhere from a week to several months of previews. Typically, costumes, sets, choreography, dialogue and blocking are reviewed, revised and adjusted during previews. These shows are usually not counted in the show’s official performance stats (i.e., the opening night is considered the first performance).

Proscenium:
The large structure, usually arched and often elaborately decorated, that “frames” the stage.

Regular:
An usher who is attached to a particular theater.

The show is up/we’re up:
The show has started (before Act I) or resumed (after intermission).

Shubert Alley:
An alley that runs from 44th to 45th Streets in the heart of the Theater District, bordered on one side by the Shubert and Booth Theatres. Frequently used for special events, such as the BC/EFA Flea Market.

Shubert Organization:
The largest and perhaps most influential theater owner on Broadway. Colloquially known as “The Shuberts,” the Organization owns most of the top Broadway venues, including the Broadway, Winter Garden, Belasco, Lyceum, Majestic and Sam S. Shubert Theatres, among others. It’s important to note that “Shubert” is correctly spelled without a “C.” Schubert is a composer
; Shubert
is Broadway.

Stage Door:
The entrance at the theater used by performers and other theater employees, which goes backstage.

Sub:
Short for substitute. An usher who is not attached to a particular theater, or whose regular theater is currently closed.

TDF:
The Theatre Development Fund. They fund and operate a number of projects, including American Sign Language — interpreted Broadway performances for the hearing impaired. They also provide inexpensive theater tickets to seniors and others who qualify for their services and run the TKTS half-price ticket booth.

Theater District:
An area in midtown Manhattan that comprises parts of Hell’s Kitchen and Times Square, which contains the Broadway theaters, some off-Broadway venues, and many businesses and restaurants that cater to show people or tourists.

TKTS:
A booth where tickets for Broadway shows are sold at a discount — usually 50% off — on the day of the performance. The main booth is located in the heart of Times Square at 47th Street and Broadway; there are other satellite locations. Before 9/11 there was a TKTS booth on the ground floor of 2 World Trade Center, one of the Twin Towers. Both locals and tourists patronize TKTS.

Walk-in:
The seating period before the curtain goes up for Act I. This usually coincides with half-hour; most theaters open at 7:30 for shows with 8pm curtain times.

Walk-out:
The period when the audience leaves the theater after the performance has concluded; this usually lasts between fifteen and thirty minutes.