The Matinee

A matinee audience is definitely different from an opening night audience. I usually review shows on opening night and every year since I've been a critic, I've had a show to review the night after Christmas. This year was no exception, but since we were in Santa Barbara, obviously I couldn't do it. Derrick said he understood and we would just have to skip this one, but then the publicity guy offered me tickets for a later date, and I chose today's matinee, which will still give me an opportunity to get a review in,

The show was Stomp, and for those who are not familiar with it, here is a taste from the finale:

It's a 90 minute show and at the end of it, Walt and I decided that it was really a 90 minute version of Lawsuit's "Bottles of Chance," which had a long percussion break toward the end of it that was always a highlight of any Lawsuit show. Also, one of the guys looked like a very tall David, which added to the enjoyment of the show (another one reminded me of Phil!)

But the difference in the whole atmosphere was apparent from the very first. On opening night there is usually a radio wagon in front of the theatre, running a contest for people who are waiting to go into the theatre itself. There are usually a few people in the "will call" line, which moves quickly and smoothly. There is a table set up in the lobby where the publicity people greet the critics and give us each a packet containing information on the show.

Since opening is a night performance there are rarely children.

The will call line today went on forEVer and though there were only 3 people ahead of me, it took about 15 minutes to get up to the window. There was nobody to greet me in the lobby and give me a reviewer packet, since all the reviewers had come two days ago.

When we got to our seats, there was a line of empty seats next to me. Soon a guy with his son came and said he would be sitting next to me. I promised to try and behave myself. Then a woman, another boy, and a very proper white-haired old woman who looked like she'd gotten lost on the way to a Lawrence Welk retrospective came in. They were apparently with the guy and his son. Soon they decided that Grandma should move down to sit next to me and the whole group got up and rearranged themselves. They they decided that Grandma should sit next to Mom, so they all got up and rearranged themselves again (I was on the verge of telling them that when the pre-show music stopped someone would be removing one of their chairs and the person who wasn't sitting would have to leave!)

The boys sat next to me and kept pointing at me, whispering to each other and giggling. Sigh.

There were lots of kids in the audience and I wondered how many parents were going to regret bringing them. As the mother of music-making children, a part of me cringed when I watched the talented crew on stage make all sorts of music with everything from brooms to plastic bags, to drink cups and straws, to mere body parts. Everything had the potential to become a musical instrument.

(this is the broom dance which opens the show)

The boys next to me were sucking on candy canes (though no food is allowed in the auditorium) and I was enveloped in a peppermint cloud much of the time. When they finished their candy they began making different sounds with their hands whenever they clapped at what was going on on stage. I had a feeling that Mom was going to be losing her garbage can lids when the family got home!

It was definitely a fun show and I'm glad that we came home from Santa Barbara in time to see it. But I'm glad that our normal night is opening night.