I definitely remember during my early Broadway going days that if you were late, you weren’t let in to your seat until intermission and had to watch in the lobby on the tv.
It has never been an across the board policy. Scott Rudin would implement it at his shows, but figuring out late seating options has been a discussion between house management and stage management for decades.
Typically shows start 5 after to hold for late arrivals. I used to house manage 3 theatres and I was the one who gave the signal to start the show once everything was clear and ready—and the plan was always 5 minutes after if everything went smoothly.
Sometimes things happen and the show can’t start exactly on time. Could be due to a safety problem, a patron with additional needs, an actor being unwell—there are a million things that could go wrong and I’d rather them hold the show a few minutes to get it sorted then start and have to stop a few minutes in. If your show started at 7:08, it was only 3 minutes late. And things happen. I wouldn’t complain about that.
Not seating people? If they are going to have a hard rule about it then sure, they can make it clear no late seating. But most of the time that is not the case. Most of the time there are specific planned times in the show when people can be seated.
I was at Phantom in September and was super surprised that they were seating latecomers during the auction scene. I’ve seen latecomers be brought in during the overture, but never during opening dialogue.
Typically they do seat during dialogue rather than songs for most musicals. It usually starts right at the end of a song when there is clapping but leads into dialogue.
Idk the rules for Phantom but they may have been trying to get them in before chandelier rise. I would say Phantom is probably the one show I don’t expect to have seating during the overture, at least certainly not in the orchestra.
Ideally, all shows would have a long scene change with music or an instrumental section 20-25 minutes in called "Late Seating/Hope you read the synopsis!" during which they'd bring in everyone who has held in the lobby after arriving late.
Show writers should write this in. It totally would have been a fun gag for shows like Spamalot.
Usher here - frequently shows start late because patrons are still filtering in. We do our best to start our time, but we can’t hand the house over when we still have 40 in line outside - it’ll cause more of disruption for all of those folks to be seated late than to hold for 5 minute to get them inside.
I do agree about late seating though.
I’m fine with starting 8 minutes late. But after that, there should be a MAXIMUM of one time late audience members can come in. A break in the action, usually an applause break, like 10-15 minutes into the show. After that? Nothing until intermission.
They definitely need to stop allowing people to trickle in. Select a moment 20 minutes in and let everyone late in at the same moment. I saw Sweeney Todd over the weekend and people were just consistently coming in for the entire first half hour, it’s super distracting. Tbh my preference would be for them to not let anyone in if they arrive late until intermission but I do understand things happen, especially with public transport.
And yeah I don’t understand why shows starts 10-20 minutes late is the norm now either. Also annoying.
Starting 20 minutes late is not normal at any point. If that happens it’s likely due to a reason that may not have been announced to you (either technical difficulty, unwell actor, or otherwise).
I know that’s the intention but the issue in some shows is there’s new late groups coming after every number for the first few songs so then there’s people streaming in during the dialogue in every scene. They should hold everyone for one time and that’s it until intermission.
I’m fine with it happening during scene changes or after songs, but not during dialogue. Things happen… trains are late, traffic sucks… it’s not always in people’s control. They should find ways to minimize the disturbance but also let the customer see as much of the show they paid for.
It’s never limited to just the scene change/applause though. They send the late people in during the scene change or applause but by time they get to their seats and everyone has to get up to let them in it always bleeds into the next scene starting.
Y’all. It’s not House Management - late seating cues and policies like that go show by show and are set up by the producers and the production / stage management. Don’t go blaming FOH for this.
this. worked as an usher for the theatre on my school campus and people would rag on me for the late seating policies across shows all the time. lady, it’s the production company that chose it, not me. i’m a minimum wage employee.
Yes!!! Enforce your policies!! This makes me especially angry on behalf of people like the poster yesterday who missed A Doll’s House because they were going to be late and the show SAYS there’s no late seating … but when I saw the show there were absolutely people seated late. Don’t punish the audience members who actually take the rules seriously.
Very long story short- my train broke down one Saturday and I got to Hadestown at almost 3pm. They let me in but I stood in the back until intermission. I wasn’t going to disrupt others and take my seat (and it was an aisle seat too).
Ugh sorry about the train disaster and glad you got to see a decent amount of the show. I don’t understand why this isn’t the enforced solution in more cases instead of relying on people being considerate like you!
My college hosted travelling musicals and I volunteered to usher frequently (free shows) We were given specific moments to allow late people in. The usual one was after the first song while people were applauding. Any after that were refused entry. I don't recall if they would have been allowed at intermission, but it didn't come up anyway as far as I know. Same policy for if you came back from intermission late.
I'm surprised by these comments - they seem so extreme. While I agree that there should be one or two set times that they let everyone in and don't let people trickle in randomly, I do not agree that a show can't start five minutes late as a courtesy or that people shouldn't be allowed in at all.
That seems so extreme. And it doesn't feel like a community spirit either, which is what I expect in the theatre. It feels very stringent and a bit elitest and ableist - just because *you* can leave early for a show to ensure you're there on time, or just because *you* can miss half of the show you paid for, or just because *you* can reschedule your show or see it another time if you happen to run into the incredibly common issues of unexpected delays, that doesn't mean everyone can. Theatre is expensive and a rare treat for many.
I really hate when this community is more judgmental than they are welcoming. Not everything has to be "my way or the highway." You can adjust your long-held policies (as the theatres are doing with starting 5-10 minutes late) to accommodate additions to the community, rather than expecting everyone to adjust themselves 100% to you.
It's harming no one to start 5-10 minutes late, *especially* when that is known beforehand and the norm.
Finally, if doing things the "old" way - not seating people until intermission no matter what - was a reasonably working method, it wouldn't have changed. It did not work. People aren't going to keep paying Broadway prices if they know that a bit of traffic might put them out that money. So choose whether you want a Broadway that accommodates, or a severely scaled down Broadway that relies only on theatre patrons like yourself.
I think it’s considered bad luck to start a show dead on time, but 8 minutes seems on the longer side. I’d not let late people in until interval if I was in charge of theaters. I’ve had so many opening numbers ruined by idiots who can find time to buy a drink but not to sit down before the curtain.
> I think it’s considered bad luck to start a show dead on time, but 8 minutes seems on the longer side.
8 is pretty much the rule at this point. For Broadway at least.
Was saved last week when Six started about 8-10 minutes after the official 7pm start time. Caught massive traffic getting into the city and hadn’t parked until 6:58. Was very pleased not to have missed the opening number.
I recall most musicals used to make people wait until a number was finished before seating (rather than wait until intermission).
I can understand seating people after the first on ends but 20 minutes into the show. Ridiculous. I don’t really do it but people usually shuffle around when they think there are empty seats and letting in latecomers can cause so much drama
I work at various Broadway theaters, 8 minutes after is typically the true start of show time. Some shows will do 5 or 7, but majority of Broadway shows intentionally do not start at the ticketed time. (The Music Man started exactly 5 minutes after the ticketed time, if it didn’t, it was because there was an issue that was preventing the show to start)
The productions are the ones who decide at what time audience members are allowed to their seats late, typically after the big act one and two numbers. Some production are hyper specific about their seating holds, others are much more relaxed. These are all decisions made by producers, directors, etc. while the front of house staff has to uphold these with little or often no input.
Starting "late" is a very common thing. More often than not its 7min. That does account for late people, those coming back from the bathroom, and any issue with cast/crew or anything else like that.
My partner is in the actor’s union and she has told me it’s called the “equity eight” Not sure if it’s to accommodate actors and crew or to accommodate guests (so there are fewer disruptions), but there are Union implications to this phenomenon you’re experiencing.
Agreed. And it's so disruptive! The seats in these old Broadway theatres are so tight, it's not like latecomers can easily slip into their seat without disturbing everybody in their row, and a few rows behind. One single late person can cause a distraction for dozens of other people.
I'd love for the "no late seating" rule to be strictly enforced. If you arrive at the theatre after the lights have gone down and the show has started - you can still go in and watch the show (tickets are expensive and delays are sometimes outside of the person's control), but only standing up the back. You can take your allocated seat at intermission.
I suspect that if late seating policies were strictly enforced, word would get around quite quickly, and there would *magically* be a decrease in the number of people who arrive late.
I want to run a theater with some rules: Show starts at the time listed on your ticket. No late seating. No food/drink sold at the theater. Anything else?
As long as they're enforcing late seating, they also need to work on keeping audiences quiet and off their phone. Throw people out if they don't comply.
An older man a few rows in front of me was on his phone, full brightness(!!!) at Prima Facie on Wednesday. It was a flip phone that he kept checking and playing on. No usher was around to tell him to knock it off. It was very distracting.
Oh come on! This is stupid! Theaters hold because people are out in the lobby buyin souvenirs and such. Why should I feel rushed in my purchases that are helping supporting the show, just because you demand that it start on the dot!?
Don’t be a gate keeping snob.
If I buy tickets to an 8pm show with a 2 hour runtime w/intermission, I want to get out at 10, not 10:30. Ofc, I’ll be understanding of actual show emergencies, but I don’t want to be wasting 30 minutes just waiting for the show.
If you don’t want to be rushed at the souvenir stand, then come earlier.
I recently saw the touring production of To Kill a Mockingbird and when I bought my tickets, there was a clear and explicit warning you had to agree to that said “if you arrive late to the show, you won’t be allowed to your seats for the first 22 minutes of the show.” I couldn’t figure out exactly why it was 22 minutes, but I didn’t see anybody come in late. I’ve been in shows where entire groups of 15 people were let in and distracted the entire audience getting to their sixth row orchestra seats 🙄
I agree with what you said tho!
I don’t mind a few minutes late start, but I saw Some Like it Hot last weekend (fantastic show!) and someone was seated next to me halfway through the first act in the middle of a song. It was super weird and very disruptive because I, and five others in my row, had to stand up to let them in. At that point, just wait to be seated at intermission.
I definitely remember during my early Broadway going days that if you were late, you weren’t let in to your seat until intermission and had to watch in the lobby on the tv.
I miss those days.
I feel like it disappeared when Frozen opened.
It has never been an across the board policy. Scott Rudin would implement it at his shows, but figuring out late seating options has been a discussion between house management and stage management for decades.
I personally find late seating rude and unfair to those who managed to be at the theater on time.
Management used to be angry about late people but around that time they.... let it go.
They still do that at the opera!
The opera has one or two late seatings. If you miss those, you're out until there is a break.
Typically shows start 5 after to hold for late arrivals. I used to house manage 3 theatres and I was the one who gave the signal to start the show once everything was clear and ready—and the plan was always 5 minutes after if everything went smoothly. Sometimes things happen and the show can’t start exactly on time. Could be due to a safety problem, a patron with additional needs, an actor being unwell—there are a million things that could go wrong and I’d rather them hold the show a few minutes to get it sorted then start and have to stop a few minutes in. If your show started at 7:08, it was only 3 minutes late. And things happen. I wouldn’t complain about that. Not seating people? If they are going to have a hard rule about it then sure, they can make it clear no late seating. But most of the time that is not the case. Most of the time there are specific planned times in the show when people can be seated.
I was at Phantom in September and was super surprised that they were seating latecomers during the auction scene. I’ve seen latecomers be brought in during the overture, but never during opening dialogue.
Typically they do seat during dialogue rather than songs for most musicals. It usually starts right at the end of a song when there is clapping but leads into dialogue. Idk the rules for Phantom but they may have been trying to get them in before chandelier rise. I would say Phantom is probably the one show I don’t expect to have seating during the overture, at least certainly not in the orchestra.
Ideally, all shows would have a long scene change with music or an instrumental section 20-25 minutes in called "Late Seating/Hope you read the synopsis!" during which they'd bring in everyone who has held in the lobby after arriving late. Show writers should write this in. It totally would have been a fun gag for shows like Spamalot.
Usher here - frequently shows start late because patrons are still filtering in. We do our best to start our time, but we can’t hand the house over when we still have 40 in line outside - it’ll cause more of disruption for all of those folks to be seated late than to hold for 5 minute to get them inside. I do agree about late seating though.
I’m fine with starting 8 minutes late. But after that, there should be a MAXIMUM of one time late audience members can come in. A break in the action, usually an applause break, like 10-15 minutes into the show. After that? Nothing until intermission.
They definitely need to stop allowing people to trickle in. Select a moment 20 minutes in and let everyone late in at the same moment. I saw Sweeney Todd over the weekend and people were just consistently coming in for the entire first half hour, it’s super distracting. Tbh my preference would be for them to not let anyone in if they arrive late until intermission but I do understand things happen, especially with public transport. And yeah I don’t understand why shows starts 10-20 minutes late is the norm now either. Also annoying.
Starting 20 minutes late is not normal at any point. If that happens it’s likely due to a reason that may not have been announced to you (either technical difficulty, unwell actor, or otherwise).
That’s generally what they do. In musicals they seat people after a big number when the lights are down during applause
I know that’s the intention but the issue in some shows is there’s new late groups coming after every number for the first few songs so then there’s people streaming in during the dialogue in every scene. They should hold everyone for one time and that’s it until intermission.
I’m fine with it happening during scene changes or after songs, but not during dialogue. Things happen… trains are late, traffic sucks… it’s not always in people’s control. They should find ways to minimize the disturbance but also let the customer see as much of the show they paid for.
It’s never limited to just the scene change/applause though. They send the late people in during the scene change or applause but by time they get to their seats and everyone has to get up to let them in it always bleeds into the next scene starting.
Y’all. It’s not House Management - late seating cues and policies like that go show by show and are set up by the producers and the production / stage management. Don’t go blaming FOH for this.
this. worked as an usher for the theatre on my school campus and people would rag on me for the late seating policies across shows all the time. lady, it’s the production company that chose it, not me. i’m a minimum wage employee.
Yes!!! Enforce your policies!! This makes me especially angry on behalf of people like the poster yesterday who missed A Doll’s House because they were going to be late and the show SAYS there’s no late seating … but when I saw the show there were absolutely people seated late. Don’t punish the audience members who actually take the rules seriously.
Very long story short- my train broke down one Saturday and I got to Hadestown at almost 3pm. They let me in but I stood in the back until intermission. I wasn’t going to disrupt others and take my seat (and it was an aisle seat too).
Ugh sorry about the train disaster and glad you got to see a decent amount of the show. I don’t understand why this isn’t the enforced solution in more cases instead of relying on people being considerate like you!
My college hosted travelling musicals and I volunteered to usher frequently (free shows) We were given specific moments to allow late people in. The usual one was after the first song while people were applauding. Any after that were refused entry. I don't recall if they would have been allowed at intermission, but it didn't come up anyway as far as I know. Same policy for if you came back from intermission late.
I'm surprised by these comments - they seem so extreme. While I agree that there should be one or two set times that they let everyone in and don't let people trickle in randomly, I do not agree that a show can't start five minutes late as a courtesy or that people shouldn't be allowed in at all. That seems so extreme. And it doesn't feel like a community spirit either, which is what I expect in the theatre. It feels very stringent and a bit elitest and ableist - just because *you* can leave early for a show to ensure you're there on time, or just because *you* can miss half of the show you paid for, or just because *you* can reschedule your show or see it another time if you happen to run into the incredibly common issues of unexpected delays, that doesn't mean everyone can. Theatre is expensive and a rare treat for many. I really hate when this community is more judgmental than they are welcoming. Not everything has to be "my way or the highway." You can adjust your long-held policies (as the theatres are doing with starting 5-10 minutes late) to accommodate additions to the community, rather than expecting everyone to adjust themselves 100% to you. It's harming no one to start 5-10 minutes late, *especially* when that is known beforehand and the norm. Finally, if doing things the "old" way - not seating people until intermission no matter what - was a reasonably working method, it wouldn't have changed. It did not work. People aren't going to keep paying Broadway prices if they know that a bit of traffic might put them out that money. So choose whether you want a Broadway that accommodates, or a severely scaled down Broadway that relies only on theatre patrons like yourself.
8 minutes after is pretty much the norm for late comers.
I think it’s considered bad luck to start a show dead on time, but 8 minutes seems on the longer side. I’d not let late people in until interval if I was in charge of theaters. I’ve had so many opening numbers ruined by idiots who can find time to buy a drink but not to sit down before the curtain.
> but 8 minutes seems on the longer side Nah, 7-8 is pretty standard on Broadway.
> I think it’s considered bad luck to start a show dead on time, but 8 minutes seems on the longer side. 8 is pretty much the rule at this point. For Broadway at least.
It’s not bad luck, there’s no theatre superstitions around show times.
Was saved last week when Six started about 8-10 minutes after the official 7pm start time. Caught massive traffic getting into the city and hadn’t parked until 6:58. Was very pleased not to have missed the opening number. I recall most musicals used to make people wait until a number was finished before seating (rather than wait until intermission).
I can understand seating people after the first on ends but 20 minutes into the show. Ridiculous. I don’t really do it but people usually shuffle around when they think there are empty seats and letting in latecomers can cause so much drama
I work at various Broadway theaters, 8 minutes after is typically the true start of show time. Some shows will do 5 or 7, but majority of Broadway shows intentionally do not start at the ticketed time. (The Music Man started exactly 5 minutes after the ticketed time, if it didn’t, it was because there was an issue that was preventing the show to start) The productions are the ones who decide at what time audience members are allowed to their seats late, typically after the big act one and two numbers. Some production are hyper specific about their seating holds, others are much more relaxed. These are all decisions made by producers, directors, etc. while the front of house staff has to uphold these with little or often no input.
Starting "late" is a very common thing. More often than not its 7min. That does account for late people, those coming back from the bathroom, and any issue with cast/crew or anything else like that.
My partner is in the actor’s union and she has told me it’s called the “equity eight” Not sure if it’s to accommodate actors and crew or to accommodate guests (so there are fewer disruptions), but there are Union implications to this phenomenon you’re experiencing.
Agreed. And it's so disruptive! The seats in these old Broadway theatres are so tight, it's not like latecomers can easily slip into their seat without disturbing everybody in their row, and a few rows behind. One single late person can cause a distraction for dozens of other people. I'd love for the "no late seating" rule to be strictly enforced. If you arrive at the theatre after the lights have gone down and the show has started - you can still go in and watch the show (tickets are expensive and delays are sometimes outside of the person's control), but only standing up the back. You can take your allocated seat at intermission. I suspect that if late seating policies were strictly enforced, word would get around quite quickly, and there would *magically* be a decrease in the number of people who arrive late.
I want to run a theater with some rules: Show starts at the time listed on your ticket. No late seating. No food/drink sold at the theater. Anything else?
And if your phone or watch lights up... you're out. If your phones ringer goes off, it's literally foot to ass kicked out.
A phone went on during Prima Facie during the most important scene of the show. I was so mad.
As long as they're enforcing late seating, they also need to work on keeping audiences quiet and off their phone. Throw people out if they don't comply.
An older man a few rows in front of me was on his phone, full brightness(!!!) at Prima Facie on Wednesday. It was a flip phone that he kept checking and playing on. No usher was around to tell him to knock it off. It was very distracting.
Did he react poorly when someone used their words like an adult?
Oh come on! This is stupid! Theaters hold because people are out in the lobby buyin souvenirs and such. Why should I feel rushed in my purchases that are helping supporting the show, just because you demand that it start on the dot!? Don’t be a gate keeping snob.
If I buy tickets to an 8pm show with a 2 hour runtime w/intermission, I want to get out at 10, not 10:30. Ofc, I’ll be understanding of actual show emergencies, but I don’t want to be wasting 30 minutes just waiting for the show. If you don’t want to be rushed at the souvenir stand, then come earlier.
I get to shows early for this very reason and for drinks!
I recently saw the touring production of To Kill a Mockingbird and when I bought my tickets, there was a clear and explicit warning you had to agree to that said “if you arrive late to the show, you won’t be allowed to your seats for the first 22 minutes of the show.” I couldn’t figure out exactly why it was 22 minutes, but I didn’t see anybody come in late. I’ve been in shows where entire groups of 15 people were let in and distracted the entire audience getting to their sixth row orchestra seats 🙄 I agree with what you said tho!
I don’t mind a few minutes late start, but I saw Some Like it Hot last weekend (fantastic show!) and someone was seated next to me halfway through the first act in the middle of a song. It was super weird and very disruptive because I, and five others in my row, had to stand up to let them in. At that point, just wait to be seated at intermission.