I’ll let you in on a little secret - when you go to the theatre to see a show, you also are the show; because as you’re watching the actors on stage, they’re watching you as well. They’re pretty sly about it so you’ll probably never notice but if you’re famous or flamboyant or in any way conspicuous, you’re probably the topic of conversation during costume changes and down time backstage.
Once while I was doing Mamma Mia at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood the curtain rose to reveal Tom Cruise sitting in the front row. He was spotted almost immediately by someone in the cast. The chatter began even before the actors left the stage: Did you see Tom Cruise in the audience? Where’s he sitting? What’s he wearing? Are you sure it’s him? On and on it went with updates being given as the show progressed: He was really laughing a lot during that scene. I think I saw him singing along.
In this particular case Mr. Cruise unfortunately was the focus of nearly nonstop observation from the cast. The ensemble of Mamma Mia provided off-stage vocals in booths backstage, so a video camera was trained on the conductor throughout the entire show. The camera’s lens also captured the inhabitants of the first couple of rows of the center orchestra section behind the conductor and this is where Tom was sitting; some cast members sat there watching his reactions as if they were watching Top Gun.
Another conversation starter is someone freakish or flamboyant. The “Cat Lady”, Jocelyn Wildenstein, showed up one evening for a performance of Miss Saigon. You may not know the name but you’ve probably seen pictures of her. She’s the woman who’s had millions of dollars worth of plastic surgery and now looks like some sort of deformed feline. The usual stuff rang out in the dressing area beneath the stage after someone announced that she was there but the eventual focus of the conversation came down to whether or not Ms. Wildenstein was enjoying the show. Her reactions weren’t immediately apparent because the skin of her face was pulled so tight it was hard to tell whether she was laughing, crying or screaming out in agony.
Do you want to stand out in a crowd? Wear something conspicuous and you’re bound to be the topic on the lips of the cast. Soldiers in uniform are obvious examples. An actor never has to check their calendar to know that it’s Fleet Week in New York; they simply have to look out into the audience. Others who vie for attention are women in low cut blouses, men in tight shirts and anyone wearing an outfit that looks like it was purchased prior to 1983.
Of course, among the cast, communicating the specific location of an interesting audience member is the key to bringing that person to the attention of his or her colleagues. A friend in Les Misérables implemented a system that provided pinpoint accuracy. He was a former military man and he introduced us all to the NATO Phonetic Alphabet. He would come off-stage and simply say, “Charlie, Lima, Forty-Three”. The rest of us would immediately know that there was someone of interest seated in the center (Charlie = C) - left (Lima = L) section, fourth row back (Forty), third seat in from the aisle (Three). It may have been just as simple to say it in plain English, but it wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun.
So remember that the next time you head to the theatre – while the toes are tapping, the hands are jazzing and the voices are raised in song… the eyes are also watching. You’re the best show in town and we didn’t even have to buy a ticket.
