I mean, this seems like it was mostly an issue of the parent choosing to let the children stand her lap. It sounds like a theatre etiquette issue on the part of the parent. I don't think the answer is to keep children away from theatre. It can be such an amazing and formative experience for kids! Especially shows like Frozen that are very much made with young audiences in mind.
There will always be people in the audience who cause some level of distraction. That's just the nature of having a group of people of different ages, abilities, etc. gathered together to watch art. But many of our best theatre artists may never have become theatre artists if they weren't exposed to theatre as young kids. Many lifelong theatre lovers had that begin when they were little. And if we want to continue to have theatre appeal to younger audiences so it doesn't die off, we should be encouraging initiatives that bring more children to the theatre, not fewer.
It's always the parents at fault and not the kids. Kids will behave if you teach them to, and on the off day(s) that they don't (I threw one public tantrum EVER, and my mum took me out of the restaurant immediately) it's still on the parents to read the situation and remove themselves and the kid(s) from the room when it happens.
Personally I would LOVE more child free locations (that aren't dating/singles themed)
But I think most cases of children not behaving ARE parent issues. When I saw Frozen on Broadway, I had three young kids right behind me. Recommended age was like 8+ and minimum age was like 5. At least two of them were below that. And instead of ensuring the kids were well behaved, the parents decided to get drunk and figured the kids would be entertained.
People who don’t think the rules apply to them/not enforcing the rules seems to be a major issue. Theatres need to have more “teeth” so that audience members of ALL ages start behaving.
Yeah my mom started taking me to shows after my dad died when I was three as a sense of new tradition. But before we went in we had a talk about theater rules. If I broke one we left and didn't come back. I remember having to leave once and I never did it again. But ushers should have to enforce stuff cause that's unacceptable.
3 & 4 seem too young, not developed enough for theatre honestly. Once they start school you know they are at least learning some of how to sit quietly and listen and inside voices and such.
Exactly why I waited til my daughter was five to bring her to her first show, and even then we did a one act. Granted, it was Six and the subject matter was iffy, but she loved it and did well for a young kid.
I saw my first theater show when I was 5 or 6. Before that,it was only Disney/G-rated movies. I fell in love with theater. My dad had a bunch of cast albums that he loved to play at home.
I’ve been a musical fan since I was about 4 but that’s because my dad loves musicals and introduced me to so many. They even saw The Phantom of the Opera just a few weeks before I was born.
OP also called them all "toddlers," so I'm not sure about their reliability at guessing ages. This doesn't sound like someone who is around a lot of children.
I took my 5 year old (who sat very quietly) to the Frozen tour and there were a LOT of very young kids there. I think this is just this particular show as I haven't seen as many young kids at say, Lion King, in the past.
also seems like ushers not doing their job bc they should’ve shut that down real quick. kids have a right to be there, especially at a kid appropriate show. but obstructing other people’s view shouldn’t be allowed at any show
> There will always be people in the audience who case some level of distraction
When I'm reaching for a Swedish Fish, I promise I'm trying to time the bag crinkles for a particularly dramatic musical cue, but sometimes I misjudge.
Haha, I have a sacred tradition of a dr pepper at each show and always time the opening to stuff like that and have become pretty talented at it but the crinkle of a wrapper and swish of a soda is so tolerable in small amounts. What ain't is a child standing up in their seat, singing along to music, and constantly at a full and loud speaking voice saying "i'm boreeeedddd" and "isssss it over soon???".
Agreed. I live in Chicago and have taken my nieces and nephew to shows here. The youngest was 5 when we went and saw Wicked. I taught them proper theater etiquette and they actually act better than most adults. We have since seen the Les Mis, Hamilton and the Lion King. I’m taking one of them to see Six next week because she’s obsessed with the music. They absolutely love the theater and I love that I’ve been apart of their theater journey.
Yeah your right, i guess im just pissed the ushers didn't do anything, we were only about 6 seats from the stage right isle with ushers lined up there.
Yeah you have every right to be annoyed given the experience you had. I imagine the ushers at Frozen would be swamped if they tried to calm down every group of parents and children who weren't keeping up with decent etiquette. It must be hard to draw the line. But the distraction you experienced sounds excessive. It's really unfortunate that nothing was done to improve the situation.
Toddler sat next to me at Cabaret and kept going on and on about how while Joel Grey played the Emcee like he was in on the joke, wasn't it creepier how Alan Cumming played him like a ghost? He was also teething on and banging a mug his mother had gotten him at the Sondheim auction for $10,000. Unreal.
That's better than the toddler that sat next to me at Cabaret! This one kept going on and on about how jukebox musicals are the demise of the American theatre wing. He'd randomly start dozing off, but then would wake up screaming about Eddie Redmayne being his sleep paralysis demon. It really put a damper on the show :/
We have a great local theater. They have state of the art casting and effects and set pieces.
It's very common that at least once a year they do a more family friendly show like Beauty and the Beast. They know their patrons want to introduce their kids to these shows specifically because they are stories they are familiar with. They are the most engaging and most capable of holding their attention. As as a result they specifically offer a few afternoon matinees and market them as family shows for 2 and up. Every other show they are strict to being 5 or 8 and above (depending on the show depends on their age.)
if you go to one of these performances you have to accept it might be louder or wigglier, or all of the things kids can be. It is the best way to give them space to introduce their kids, but also offer a good theater environment for those that want a traditional environment.
It is up to individual theaters and productions to have their own rules. We can’t have blanket rules. For instance i would say a production of frozen prob wants pretty relaxed rules for kids bc that is their target demo. But if a young kid was acting up during cabaret i would be pretty upset on multiple levels.
For real.
Also, I mean…it’s Frozen. If we were talking about other shows that are clearly made for adults maybe I could see complaining about kids being there but we’re really having this conversation about Frozen?
As others have said, what’s described is just bad theatre etiquette generally and not a reason to ban kids from shows. Especially Disney shows.
Complain to the usher about the disruptive behavior next time and recognize that there is going to be a high percentage of kids in the audience for a show like Frozen.
I’d really like if theatre shows had one or two shows a week that allowed kids - that way, kids can still be exposed to theatre but people know which sessions to avoid booking!
What exactly are you suggesting if that’s not enough?
I’ve learned to expect some level of distraction from kids at shows like that (and I don’t go to them anymore). I’ve seen a lot of kids who are able to behave in a show, and I’ve seen a lot who aren’t. All of that comes down to the parents. Especially the situation you’re talking about.
I think there should be one warning given, and any disturbance after that warning is an immediate ejection from the theater, but that needs to exist for EVERYONE and not only kids.
I am very reluctantly seeing a touring production of The Lion King tomorrow at a friends request. I avoided this show like the plague for the 10 years I lived in NYC because I expect the scenario that OP described - that children's shows will be....full of children. No surprise that tons of kids will be at TLK, Aladdin, Frozen, etc.
This is bizarre I’ve seen that show quite a few times as I’ve had friends in the cast and not once do I remember kids being disruptive in the way OP described.
I don’t understand why OP decided they wanted to have the show ruined for them instead of just speaking up and asking to be moved or tell the kids to sit down.
I’ve politely asked to switch seats when I’m behind people with big hair. I’ve asked to switch seats when my tickets suck and it’s all I can afford. It’s just not that big of a deal if you’re polite and the ushers are down.
It's just in new york tickets are more expensive and people traveling to their usually don't take kids, but when parents see frozen being performed 20 minutes away they are interested.
I had a routine with.my 3 grandkids, I started taking them to one hour kid shows when they reached 5. They learned how to behave in the theater. Their 1st "grown-up" show was THE FANTASTICKS and the whimsey in that delighted them. From that point on, we went to Broadway musicals and the ballet. At thevage of 10 we started going to opera. Never a problem
One time a Broadway theater I was at ran out of the booster seats, so it's not always an option. That said, my child would not be standing on my lap as an alternative. Plus, to be fair, children are not the only disruptive theatergoers. I feel their excuses are move valid than most.
She didn’t say she wanted to avoid kids. She wanted to avoid parents who have no understanding that they aren’t at home in their living rooms during a performance.
I took my five and six year old nieces to see frozen. I fully believe in taking children to the theatre to enrich their lives. This is on that specific parent. For instance, I had snacks, water and a change of clothes for when their costumes got itchy. Knew when we could take bathroom breaks, got seats on the end, and boosters.
Especially for shows directed at children, I think you have to lax theatre rules. However, I agree with you that the parent wasn’t adequately prepared.
🫡 thank you for being a great parent for not just introducing your children to theater but doing it in the right way. Some people are under the impression I despise the idea of children being able to see theater but I think it's great to introduce at a young age, it needs to be done correctly though.
Most broadway shows don’t allow kids under 4 in, which I understand can be hard for parents but I think it’s fair.
I have a hard time when it comes to getting upset at kids/parents for being disruptive because I know it’s not easy and not all meltdowns can be avoided. However, i think it’s perfectly normal to be a little frustrated if your experience is being hindered by a child misbehaving as long as youre not going to make the child/parent feel bad about it (like just venting privately after a show and not yelling at the parent/kid there.)
There’s thing parents can do to try to avoid some problems, such as taking their kids to shows appropriate for them (not a problem in this story), but obviously not all problems can be avoided. And there’s certainly situations, like in your case, where the parent is making the situation worse for everyone. It is not okay to have a kid standing in your lap, especially when there’s boosters available.
I mean I don’t really know what can be done about this, it’s not like toddlers have IDs that can be checked. And some kids just look younger/older. Raising it probably wouldn’t help much.
Saw the Beetlejuice tour today. I thought people would understand this isn’t a kids show. But alas. A mom and her two little kids sat next to me- kids talked loudly the entire time. Not ten seconds went by without them commenting/narrating/asking questions as well as kicking their seats which reverberated the entire isle. I politely smiled and made the “shhh” gesture at them. It did nothing. Mom didn’t check their behavior once. I thought about being more aggressive in confronting the mom, but I didn’t know if her reaction would cause a spectacle/make it worse because some people can’t ever be challenged. So I ended up being distracted the entire time and coming out of the show resentful.
12+, no way.
Sorry you had a bad experience(s), but my kid could handle beatlejuice at 5. It comes down to the parents making a good choice knowing their kids' attention spans and maturity levels.
If you're having an issue, get an ushers attention.
Honestly not a bad idea. I think the whole "family-specific performance" idea straight-up doesn't work here; those should be the majority. But one performance a week for adults only would probably go over well.
Not sure about adults but 12+ probably cause there's 100% people that young with great theater etiquette with a love for the show who also want un-interrupted performances from little kids.
Yes please. My daughter has been going to the theatre since age 10 and is extremely well behaved, quiet and conscious of her behaviour in the theatre. She’s now 14 and loves theatre.
That's my point, it really is a hard call cause there are 6 year idk who will be angels and have perfect etiquette then there will be 16 year olds ruining the show for the people around them.
my aunt and i took my cousin to frozen on broadway when was about 4? maybe even 3 and a half. my aunt was extremely nervous about how he’d behave and had a whole escape route planned in case we needed to leave lol. but he was totally into it and lasted the whole show happily. it really depends on the adults supervising doing their job. as well as the ushers enforcing rules. every kid is ready at a different age for theatre and it’s on their caregivers to know. but kids do have a right to be out in public and it’s good for them to see theatre. especially kid appropriate shows like frozen.
If your prepared like that and willing to understand "i paid for these not cheap tickets, and am willing to leave if it does not work out" then you deserve to have that child enjoy the theater 👍
Our experience with the Frozen tour was a bit frustrating too. There were SO many toddlers than had no business being there. Yes it’s a show for kids, but the majority of children who are under the age of 4 are incapable of sitting still and being quiet for a live musical of that length. We noticed that they had the sound turned up louder than other touring musicals we’ve seen. I imagine it was to help drown out the loud kids. I firmly believe that Broadway tours should have the same rules as Broadway, no children under age 4. Local and school productions are also a great way to see how your child will behave in that sort of environment too.
Yeah I agree with the last part a lot, much less risk as you can, especially with school shoes but tickets for less than 20 dollars and if there's a problem you can leave but with these more expensive shows parents feel since they are paying a lot of money they MUST stay there.
Exactly. I wanted to help my oldest daughter develop a love for theater, so I took her to her first show at age 5. It was a local high school production of Mary Poppins. Then about 6 months later, we saw Charlottes Web by the local children’s theater. Only after seeing and sitting through those shows with success, did I buy us tickets for the Aladdin tour.
10/10 parenting here, I want to thank you for taking the time to make sure your daughter would be able to handle the show and seriously appreciate you doing that to avoid having issues like I had haha.
My son was a rambunctious, talkative kid—the last person you’d take to a play. To test it out, I took him to a Broadway touring production when he was about 7. I was ready to leave at the drop of a hat—I didn’t want him to disrupt others, and I didn’t want to make him sit through something he didn’t enjoy. However, he was mesmerized! Fast forward to today. He works in the industry on the producing/management side. It’s a good fit for his outgoing personality. My advice to parents is to start out with low-stakes productions to see how it goes. For example, live action Bluey shows, Disney on Ice, theater in the park.
I dunno. There are full grown adults who are taller than a 3 year old standing on adult's lap. I don't think it's a big deal.
Did you let the mother know about the booster seats? Because she may not have known they existed. But she, too, paid to see the show and there's no way a 3 foot kid is taller than a 6 foot seated adult.
Ultimately, you're in public and you saw a show that caters to young children. You have to suck it up sometimes and get yourself an aisle seat so you can see around them.
This child was an easily a head above the other adults around. You're right I could have defiantly said something about the seats, but they are kind of posted everywhere and I don't know if it was about view because a lot of the time the girl was standing backwards
Sounds like the toddler was acting like a toddler. Your other option here was to have the child begin to cry when they force her to sit down.
Look, I get age restricting kids at adult-themed shows, but you were at FROZEN THE MUSICAL. It was specifically marketed towards families and if there is one genre of musical that should NOT be age restricted, it's Disney musicals. This is how you get new theatre fans. If children aren't your jam, don't see Disney musicals or sit on an aisle so you can lean out.
You can absolutely have plenty of new (and old fans) of disney and live theatre with a rule saying kids must be 4 or 5 or older. Waiting until they start school isn’t going to make them miss out on the potential to be a fan.
But if your kids isn’t mature enough to sit quietly through the whole disney movie than they shouldn’t be allowed to come be disruptive at a live performance. This isn’t the parks where you have a little leeway and room to move
You don't know if your child is mature enough until your child is actually at the theatre. Also, two of the three children OP found disturbing were within your age range.
Actually, you generally have a clue. I mean, surely a Broadway musical isn’t the first time you’d take your kid out to an experience where they are expected to sit and be generally quiet, right?
I dunno, I have multiple children and never once did I already know how they were going to react to anything. One day they may be perfectly fine with something and the next day, they have an inexplicable phobia. They may be fine sitting through a movie, but theatre might overwhelm. You simply don’t know until you’ve taken them.
You had no idea? Not one inkling? I’m sorry, but I really have a hard time believing that. Never took them to places where they were expected to sit and be relatively quiet? That would usually tell you if they are ready for a Broadway musical.
But if you really have absolutely zero clue how your own children might behave, start small. Stick to 1 hour to 90 minute community theatre shows and see how they do with that.
You. Saw. FROZEN.
The literal demographic of Frozen is girls ages 3-8. That's the Elsa club. It was not produced for you. It was produced for parents to shell out $$$ for their little girls to see Elsa on Broadway, buy the merch and then go to Disney World.
The show is pushed so hard towards kids that they have elementary school lesson plans to accompany it. YOU are talking about ruining the experience for the target audience. Disney would rather have that mom's money over yours any day of the week.
What is with the proliferation of posts with people complaining about noise and kids at Disney musicals this week?? I genuinely don’t understand these people going to see Frozen, or the Lion King, and expecting the same level of audience behavior that they would at Cabaret or Merrily. You chose to see a show aimed squarely at children. You can’t then get mad that the children are acting like children.
Actually, some shows do autism-friendly performances. Not sure about regional tours, but here's a NYC page [https://www.nyctourism.com/articles/autism-friendly-theater-broadway-shows/](https://www.nyctourism.com/articles/autism-friendly-theater-broadway-shows/)
He doesn’t have sensory issues. He doesn’t need “autism friendly” performances. He needs autism friendly humans who will allow him to experience the show as it was designed to be experienced.
Congratulations? You and your parents don’t get a prize for making that choice.
If a family with a seven year old and a four year old is on a once in a lifetime trip to New York and want to see a real live Broadway show, they’re just SOL because the younger kid might get antsy, even at Frozen, and that’s just not allowed? Why not just get rid of the Disney shows totally? Just ban everyone under eighteen and be done with it.
The only way you’re going to improve audience behavior overall is if you increase exposure at a young age. And the way you do that is by having shows aimed at children and giving them grace while they learn what is and isn’t appropriate. If you can’t do that, don’t go see Frozen.
Clearly you don't because you don't even know where to start by going to an usher and saying what's going on. You just want to whine and blame, but have no ability to assess the house and realize you're older than the target audience, that most people who see the show are probably first-time theatre goers or that the ushers cannot see the view from every seat and read your mind. There's a lot of things you don't know where to start with.
Because this is the theatre experience you need to be prepared for at a show marketed towards kindergartners!
Is it annoying? Of course it is. But YOU are in THEIR territory. Either deal with it or stay home until more adult-oriented shows come through town.
I highly doubt OP would have complained about that.
I wouldn’t have. But I would have complained about a child blocking my view because the parent allowed them to stand on their lap. It’s a reasonable complaint and so are the other complaints.
I’ll never understand why people get weird about other people having the expectation for parents to actually parent their child.
OP had ample time to address it and didn’t. I’ll never understand why people get angry at other patrons and the ushers for being unable to read their minds.
It doesn’t take a mind reader for a parent to know having their child stand on their lap isn’t appropriate in this setting. Can you even see that?
OP explained pretty perfectly why they didn’t flag an usher at intermission, and their reason is pretty valid.
If the post you’re referring to was in BroadwayWorld’s chat and about Heart of Rock and Roll, sure kids should be behaved. Sure if there’s an age thing it should be enforced. But it’s the last 2 days of shows and if a member of the cast or production had their kid there, I think it’s because the show is closing tomorrow and peoples’ families are coming. I just think it’s kind of crappy to complain about that when it’s he person’s complaint was with the mother going in and out (which can happen with grown adults, regardless of having a kid with them).
I’m a parent, and I don’t think I would’ve brought my children to a show before the age of 7. My daughter was 7 when she first saw Aladdin (her first show), and she was soooo well behaved. My son wouldn’t have been as well behaved at 7, though. Luckily, he was 9 when she was 7. Now they are both in middle school and LOVE theater. My daughter and I try to see a show, at least, once a month. There should be age restrictions considering how distracting they can be. Recently, we’ve had many phone interruptions during shows, and I can only imagine how annoying it must be to hear a child screaming.
This is why I refuse to see any kid shows. This happened to me earlier in the year when seeing Annie in New Haven, Connecticut. Kids having tantrums during the show and everyone on their phones. When I saw Annie in New York in 2013 everyone including the kids were quiet
I wish people will support children theatre companies more because that’s the best way to introduce a child to theatre. It doesn’t always have to be straight to Broadway first
OMG WHATEVER YOU DO PLEASE DONT BAN THE CHILDREN!!
I'm really sorry that the etiquette of other theater goers was a poor one. I would also grumble and complain about that situation had it happened to me.
I also understand it's not the kiddos fault but if they hadn't been there this issue may not have occurred.
But! I went to my first Broadway show when I was 5. Was I the most well behaved? Most likely not. But I live in Montana. And seeing theatre is rare. Most of the people I went to high school with never left the state let alone saw any resemblance of professional theatre.
I think my life long love of live performance stems from that performance (in addition to my parents wanting to expose and support those interests).
So while yes it is annoying and frustrating, this may be the first (or last) time someone gets to see theatre, which in my Drunk opinion, is a view of the human condition.
Read my other replies, I say it's essential for parents to be prepared for what may happen in the theater, and if that means leaving your expensive seats because of a roudy child they need to understand that.
I support the young in theatre a lot. It's just parents can't accept the risks of having these young kids so they don't care their kid is a massive distarction.
Yes I endorse children being able to have experiences and enjoy theatre and I don't endorse encouraging or suggesting the insane and concerning idea kids should be banned from public places they are people too.
No, i'm saying children should be allowed to have the experiences and enjoy theater, your saying the inexcusable behavior by parents allowing children to ruin shows is okay, it's your word against yours here
I mean maybe don’t go to kiddie shows if you have such a negative reaction to children? If I’m walking into Frozen I’m expecting an audience full of children and all that entails
I'm fine with kids lol, i'm not fine with parents putting kids on their laps to stand wich connelly obstructed my view, the kid nonstop talking making hearing the actors very difficult.
I don't have an issue with kids and strongly believe kids in the theater is super important but parents need to supervise their children better and teach kids theater etiquette by actually enforcing it.
This was FROZEN. It wouldn't EXIST if people didn't take children to see it. I'm sorry you had a crappy time with annoying audience members. But I saw Matilda over 60 times on Broadway. Not a single time did a child disrupt the show. Wicked? Anastasia? Zero problems.
The worst disruption I ever had at a show was a Karen throwing a fit at someone whose phone went off. Far more disruptive than the phone itself.
Kids can't help how old they are. Kids belong in public spaces. Kids are not capable of behaving like adults. Kids are not smaller, dumber adults. They need to learn how to be in public. THIS IS HOW THEY LEARN. This is how their brains develop. It isn't just that they need to have rules explained to them. Their brains are nothing like adult brains. A lot of what people call "bad behavior" is completely appropriate developmentally, but it's inconvenient for adults so therefore the kid is just badly-behaved.
Either learn to deal with it or stay home.
This ain't me saying children shouldn't be allowed, and it shows up more on tours.
I'm sorry I can't wrap my head around MATILDA ON B-WAY 60+ TIMES!!?!?!?!?
This is all true and I don’t agree with banning kids from musicals, but they learn by example and if the parents are just ignoring them and letting them do whatever, the only lesson being learned is “other people don’t matter so long as I’m happy.”
If the kid is crying or bored or having a bad time it’s on the parent to take them out, because as you say it’s normal for a kid not to be able to sit still for three hours. But we also have to show consideration for the people around us, and the theatre is a good place to teach those lessons, especially a show like Frozen where there should be a lot more leeway for kids being kids to begin with.
I began going to see the opera and symphony in 1st grade and it made a huge impact on my life ..... it sounds more of an issue of parents not handling their kids/not being realistic about what their kids can handle, and less of an issue of needing a blanket ban which would have really sucked for kids like me
That's what i've been saying, parents need to understand they MUST enforce theater etiquette on their children. It. Isn't. Optional.
I don't give a fuck if it's frozen or if it's sweeney todd.
All child themed shows, Disney or Nickelodeon I expect and permit a little more noise ("mom I have to pee" "dad can you open this" "ohh pretty dress!") but not standing on laps and if it isn't a 'sing along day' I'd be getting the ushers or my money back for a different performance
I just don’t understand why anyone would want to spend Broadway money on kids under 4 anyway. For many children, it’s not a developmentally appropriate activity, and there is plenty of children’s theatre with shorter run times (and so are thus way more developmentally appropriate than a 2.5+ hour long show with scary scenes).
Lots of parents buy all kinds of luxury items for their kids that the kids don't even really enjoy (ever seen a kid having a melt down at Disneyland?). For this show in particular, parents are probably buying tickets due to marketing - my local theater is having pre show kids activities, family discounts, and not enforcing age restrictions.
A kid having a meltdown at Disneyland is a bit different, in my opinion. Especially as there are many things there that are specifically designed for young kids.
And honestly, even with marketing, I kind of expect most parents to know better and to understand that a full length musical may not be the best idea for their 3 year old. I’d’ve expected the cost of the show to give people pause.
I guess there are plenty of people out there with more money than sense. In my city, the best seats for Disney on Ice actually cost more than the best seats for Frozen so I can easily see that kind of parent paying for both.
Why would you go see Frozen as an adult without children tho? This is exactly here audience I'd expect at a kid's show, and I wouldn't get upset that kids are at a kid's show.
Season tickets... also it's a great show? Kid shows can be good too? And the theater show is much darker than the movie (like literally hinting at elsa considering suicide).
Don’t worry, OP. I, too, got eaten alive in the comments when I dare voiced my frustrations about young kids attending a full length Broadway musical. You and I probably agree that this activity isn’t developmentally appropriate for many of them.
Precisely. I also didn’t care so much about kids acting like kids. But I cared about parents doing absolutely nothing to curb the disruptive behavior or even actively encouraging it. Many kids in my audience clearly didn’t want to be there the whole show either (as evidenced by that unmistakable tired toddler cry and many other things), yet I saw no parents calling it quits with those toddlers.
I completely agree with you. Is the child even interested? Are they just there to hear one song? In another comment, I mentioned that I took my son to a Broadway touring production when he was about 7. I was prepared to leave if he became disruptive. He was mesmerized. He behaved in movies, too. However, he was horrible in stores and restaurants. I stopped taking him there. I am ALL IN on parents taking their kids to the theater! I want them to get a chance to love it. I recommend parents start with low-stakes shows such as live-action Bluey, Disney on Ice, and Theater in the Park— then work their way up if the child enjoys it.
I wish we could find a way to encourage basic theater etiquette at all age levels. I grew up as a high school theater kid understanding basic theater etiquette ( don't sing along, no talking, no standing ,etc.) and grew up to be a respectful theater goer. As a result of that experience, I started my kids out at a young age attending ballet and theater by attending high school/ youth performance groups where we can bail if the kids get wiggly ( because young kids do get wiggly no matter how much they want to be there). We review our theater etiquette before every show and we only attend shows that make sense for their age level (lots of high school musicals! If you have to bail, at least you know the 20 bucks per ticket is supporting the high school theater program!). As a result, my kids are better audience members at a young age than good amount of adults.
Kids who grow up understanding how to be a good audience grow into adults who know how to be a good audience. I would hate to place a hard age limit on kids attending a show because a lot of kids will be totally fine. But there is no way for them to learn that if an adult doesn't teach them. Considering that the US has a pretty poor track record of supporting the arts in schools, it's not super surprising that most kids don't know how to behave.
I guess at the end of the day I would rather deal with an overexcited kid than a bored rude adult, but overall I wish we could all find a way to be respectful of live theater. So many adults are just as awful as kids are, but they have fully developed prefontal cortexes and therefore, less of an excuse for being assholes.
Sometimes it’s just the parents. I went to see the lion king musical and a family was sitting behind me. The children were very polite and quiet the whole show. It was a mother and I think her friend or female relative that were talking the whole time.
I think it depends on the parents. I also saw into the woods and a child was sitting behind me and she was also very quiet and enjoying the show. I also saw the musical frozen. There were lots of children in the house and they were behaving well.
This isn’t ideal and very frustrating but in this scenario please find an usher in the interval. It’s one of their job roles to help audience members who are being disrupted during their viewing.
I had a very noisy family around me during Wicked and I was moved to a much more convenient seat for the second act.
Not broadway but I went to a ballet performance where an entitled mom got mad at us for giving a standing ovation to the dancers at the end…. Bc her kid couldn’t see. :| lady swan lake is hard those dancers deserve it.
They also loudly fed the kid crunchy snacks the whole performance.
I think it’s that people need to behave appropriately at the theatre in general and the ushers need to enforce the rules no matter the age. I have been near many an adult that has ruined the experience. From constant talking, giant hair, moving around, using their phones etc. At Sweeney a huge group of young adults kept getting up and moving around and then got up and left during the finale to try to meet Joe Locke at stage door. He didn’t even stage door so they just ruined the end of the show for nothing. My 10 year old was really annoyed by their behavior.
The woman next to my husband at MJ got flashlighted by ushers THREE different times for trying to record the show. Unreal. At that point they should have kicked her ass out but I realize that would have caused a disturbance.
I was 8 the first time I was brought to the theater. I was old enough to behave but also to appreciate the show and make sense of it. (It was Showboat.)
Was at The Heart of Rock & Roll last week and this mom and (I assume) grandmother had a two year old there. Not only did he not shut up for about 75% of the show, but they let him walk up and down the stairs on his own during intermission because we all get so much time to get to the bathroom and refill our drinks. It was very uncool.
I had two sets of parents bring a total of 4 kids all under 5 years old to rent. The moms camped out for rush tickets, and hour before the box office opened the dads brought the kids. They all went into the box office and ask for 8 tickets for all of them. I tried to protest, about the kids age and the fact that only two in the party were in line… I got told to shut up by one of the guys.
During the show there were 4 empty seats because the 4!kids were running up and down between the front row and the stage. I looked over to an usher watching them. Nothing happened. When I pointed to the crowd the usher just smiled and shrugged. My only point of pride is that when one mom lifted a child up to get high fives from the cast they all quickly backed away after giving her dirty looks.
I wish I knew. I guess she thought it was cute that there were kids in the front row. These ushers are also volunteers so she may have just thought that it wasn’t her job to approach.
The whole point of family friendly shows is that they're for families.
Maybe a few specific performances that are adults only. But they make the money off the families bringing their kids. That's the whole purpose of a family-friendly show.
I was with you until you said you were at a children’s show… it’s Frozen. Children are allowed to occupy children’s spaces. If you don’t want to be surrounded by young kids behaving as such, maybe don’t go to Frozen? Lol?
Also let me guess. You were at a matinee too 🤦♀️ I’m so confused as to what you expected
Grown adult goes to a show geared towards children and gets upset at the children the show is geared for.
Listen, if this was Moulin Rouge or Cabaret, I'd agree. Kids shouldn't be allowed to certain shows. But you attended a show that is geared towards kids, and those kids that attend are probably gonna....act like kids.
People need to go into these types of shows with low expectations, and not expect children to be sitting polishing their opera glasses.
Kids can enjoy and be affected by things even if they don’t necessarily remember them. My 3.5-year-old niece had a wonderful time at Frozen and my grandmother taking me to Cats at 4 began my lifelong love of musical theatre.
100%! My daughter was 4.5 when she saw Into the Woods and Phantom of the Opera. She’s almost 7, saw her 15th show this weekend and STILL talks about Phantom of the Opera (she and her sister play the cast album all the time).
That's always been a personal opinion of mine but I can understand how the happiness at the time could be worth it. But there just needs to be more control over the kids that's enforced.
Agreed. If your kids can't be quiet and seated they need to go outside and have a moment to calm down. It shouldn't have to be on the ushers to tell a parent that.
Yup. Unless it's a song the kids know like let it go they usually aren't entertained. Also I won't get started at singing along to love theater cause that could so easily be its own post.
exactly, we're paying to hear a professional sing these songs in professional ways, when I saw frozen so many people were singing along to let it go, when I saw back to the future, at Johnny B Good this old man started singing along.
I don’t remember a single thing about the first show I ever saw. But I sat through every second, adored it, and it began a life long love of theatre for me.
Life long memories aren’t the only value of experiences for children.
Yeah I feel like they are parent issues.
When I saw frozen on broadway there was a 4year old near me dressed as Elsa and before the show her parents reminded her how to behave and she was fine during the show.
My kids saw their first professional show at 4.5 and 7 and saw their 15th professional show this weekend. We still remind them every time 1) no singing and 2) questions wait for intermission or the end. We also make sure to prep the story, listen to cast albums, or watch movies if they’re not already familiar with the story. They’re more well behaved than the adults we sat next to last night who sang multiple times through the show.
I have something to say I was in the balcony at patriots the other night and an older couple was in front of us. For act two the man got up cal to our
Row snd put his legs over the seats in front of him and fell asleep. We felt trapped. I thought the Schubert org ushers should be in the lookout for that and stop it. This is the theatre. And this is broadway.
I would like more rules in general. I go to a show 2 - 3 times a year and honestly it's usually adults who have been an issue.
The lack of decorum gets worse and worse it seems.
I still feel like the parents doing nothing was just a lack of parenting as they need to understand that the theater is a more mature setting than say frozen in ice, even at disney shows.
I was at the touring production of MJ recently and a woman who was at least in her upper 50s kept standing up and waving her arm in the air. She kept doing it whenever the spirit moved her until finally a man behind us yelled at her to sit down. So plenty of adults don't know how to act and the ushers did nothing.
I just don’t get spending $150-$200 a ticket to bring your toddler to a Broadway show. There are tons of children’s theaters in New York with kid-friendly performances including shorter runtimes to give your kids theater going experience without shelling out Broadway prices for a show they’ll never remember seeing.
I definitely agree… because really, this is just wrong for those watching and honestly the performers.
This is why our school didn’t let us go to the opera until 5th grade and we spent a literal 6 weeks in music studying opera and the rules and etiquette for the opera house, warned that ANY misbehavior would be a huge strike on the chance to go on a special end of year trip.
Thankful for it to this day.
(FYI - it was Hansel and Gretel, deliberately designed for children).
In fairness I’ve seen a 5 year old behave like an adult through Jurassic Park when they did the $5 movies post covid closures/anniversary showing (I forgot which), so your issue reeks of a parent not parenting.
Seriously - the only time the little one caused any sort of scene was when the raptor jumps onto the kitchen table. All she did? “Mommy, I don’t like the mean dinosaur,” in a bit of a whimper. No screams or cries. Was massively impressed with that family.
Haha I love all this. Yeah I would never blame the kid like people say it's the kid being a kid, but a parent needs to parent and before you go to theater teach your child and enforce those rules there.
Instead of an immersive Cabaret, we need an immersive Sweeney Todd where the ushers can push a button that turns the seat into a kind of trap-door/chute apparatus.
Concessions at intermission can be meat pies featuring:
* Person on phone
* Talked during show
* Sang along
* Inattentive Parent
* etc.
I had a terrible experience when I went to see Frozen in the West End. Made me pretty sad because I hardly ever get to see musicals being from Portugal, and saved money to go to London watch a few.
There was a class of very young kids. They all had snacks that they brought with them, with plastic wrappers and noisy bags. They cried, asked question the whole time, talked, shrieked, and crinkled their snack bags constantly.
that's exactly what i've been saying but people have been telling me i'm wrong so i'm starting think it's my fault for going to see a "kids show" and not expecting rude behavior.
I am a shy person, and I was in a different country unaware of what I could do. So I did nothing and had a bad experience. At the end I asked about it and was told those snacks weren't allowed in. But they were. This means that 1. The teachers or chaperones decided to sneak snacks in and distribute them mid show, and never told kids they could ask questions later. And 2. The ushers noticed the behaviour and did nothing.
There was a very low attendance so everyone got boosted to better seats. They absolutely saw the misbehaving class.
I don't know enough about how the theater works to offer any suggestion of what could/should be done though. My country doesn't have a musical theatre culture.
The internet is not the best place for a balanced discussion. You will get people yelling at you for 1. Going to the kids show 2. Not complaining 3. Complaining 4. Not valuing the ushers' work if you complain they dont intervene 5. Not knowing what a toddler is 6. Not knowing how hard it is to be a parent etc etc
I mean, this seems like it was mostly an issue of the parent choosing to let the children stand her lap. It sounds like a theatre etiquette issue on the part of the parent. I don't think the answer is to keep children away from theatre. It can be such an amazing and formative experience for kids! Especially shows like Frozen that are very much made with young audiences in mind. There will always be people in the audience who cause some level of distraction. That's just the nature of having a group of people of different ages, abilities, etc. gathered together to watch art. But many of our best theatre artists may never have become theatre artists if they weren't exposed to theatre as young kids. Many lifelong theatre lovers had that begin when they were little. And if we want to continue to have theatre appeal to younger audiences so it doesn't die off, we should be encouraging initiatives that bring more children to the theatre, not fewer.
Yeah, it seems in this situation the problem wasn't so much the kids as it was the parents.
It's always the parents at fault and not the kids. Kids will behave if you teach them to, and on the off day(s) that they don't (I threw one public tantrum EVER, and my mum took me out of the restaurant immediately) it's still on the parents to read the situation and remove themselves and the kid(s) from the room when it happens. Personally I would LOVE more child free locations (that aren't dating/singles themed)
But I think most cases of children not behaving ARE parent issues. When I saw Frozen on Broadway, I had three young kids right behind me. Recommended age was like 8+ and minimum age was like 5. At least two of them were below that. And instead of ensuring the kids were well behaved, the parents decided to get drunk and figured the kids would be entertained. People who don’t think the rules apply to them/not enforcing the rules seems to be a major issue. Theatres need to have more “teeth” so that audience members of ALL ages start behaving.
Yeah my mom started taking me to shows after my dad died when I was three as a sense of new tradition. But before we went in we had a talk about theater rules. If I broke one we left and didn't come back. I remember having to leave once and I never did it again. But ushers should have to enforce stuff cause that's unacceptable.
3 & 4 seem too young, not developed enough for theatre honestly. Once they start school you know they are at least learning some of how to sit quietly and listen and inside voices and such.
Exactly why I waited til my daughter was five to bring her to her first show, and even then we did a one act. Granted, it was Six and the subject matter was iffy, but she loved it and did well for a young kid.
I saw my first theater show when I was 5 or 6. Before that,it was only Disney/G-rated movies. I fell in love with theater. My dad had a bunch of cast albums that he loved to play at home.
I’ve been a musical fan since I was about 4 but that’s because my dad loves musicals and introduced me to so many. They even saw The Phantom of the Opera just a few weeks before I was born.
OP also called them all "toddlers," so I'm not sure about their reliability at guessing ages. This doesn't sound like someone who is around a lot of children.
I took my 5 year old (who sat very quietly) to the Frozen tour and there were a LOT of very young kids there. I think this is just this particular show as I haven't seen as many young kids at say, Lion King, in the past.
also seems like ushers not doing their job bc they should’ve shut that down real quick. kids have a right to be there, especially at a kid appropriate show. but obstructing other people’s view shouldn’t be allowed at any show
> There will always be people in the audience who case some level of distraction When I'm reaching for a Swedish Fish, I promise I'm trying to time the bag crinkles for a particularly dramatic musical cue, but sometimes I misjudge.
Haha, I have a sacred tradition of a dr pepper at each show and always time the opening to stuff like that and have become pretty talented at it but the crinkle of a wrapper and swish of a soda is so tolerable in small amounts. What ain't is a child standing up in their seat, singing along to music, and constantly at a full and loud speaking voice saying "i'm boreeeedddd" and "isssss it over soon???".
Agreed. I live in Chicago and have taken my nieces and nephew to shows here. The youngest was 5 when we went and saw Wicked. I taught them proper theater etiquette and they actually act better than most adults. We have since seen the Les Mis, Hamilton and the Lion King. I’m taking one of them to see Six next week because she’s obsessed with the music. They absolutely love the theater and I love that I’ve been apart of their theater journey.
This!
Yeah your right, i guess im just pissed the ushers didn't do anything, we were only about 6 seats from the stage right isle with ushers lined up there.
Yeah you have every right to be annoyed given the experience you had. I imagine the ushers at Frozen would be swamped if they tried to calm down every group of parents and children who weren't keeping up with decent etiquette. It must be hard to draw the line. But the distraction you experienced sounds excessive. It's really unfortunate that nothing was done to improve the situation.
Toddler sat next to me at Cabaret and kept going on and on about how while Joel Grey played the Emcee like he was in on the joke, wasn't it creepier how Alan Cumming played him like a ghost? He was also teething on and banging a mug his mother had gotten him at the Sondheim auction for $10,000. Unreal.
That's better than the toddler that sat next to me at Cabaret! This one kept going on and on about how jukebox musicals are the demise of the American theatre wing. He'd randomly start dozing off, but then would wake up screaming about Eddie Redmayne being his sleep paralysis demon. It really put a damper on the show :/
We have a great local theater. They have state of the art casting and effects and set pieces. It's very common that at least once a year they do a more family friendly show like Beauty and the Beast. They know their patrons want to introduce their kids to these shows specifically because they are stories they are familiar with. They are the most engaging and most capable of holding their attention. As as a result they specifically offer a few afternoon matinees and market them as family shows for 2 and up. Every other show they are strict to being 5 or 8 and above (depending on the show depends on their age.) if you go to one of these performances you have to accept it might be louder or wigglier, or all of the things kids can be. It is the best way to give them space to introduce their kids, but also offer a good theater environment for those that want a traditional environment.
This is great! Except when I saw they did nothing like this, even for ticket season holders
It is up to individual theaters and productions to have their own rules. We can’t have blanket rules. For instance i would say a production of frozen prob wants pretty relaxed rules for kids bc that is their target demo. But if a young kid was acting up during cabaret i would be pretty upset on multiple levels.
I still think even at a “kid’s show” They need to have the same rules. Just because it’s Disney doesn’t mean you can be disruptive.
Three toddlers? 4 and 7 are defs not toddlers. I don’t think that word means what you think it means.
i’m wondering now if those ages are even close to accurate at all. because none of those are toddlers lol
It's very clear that OP knows nothing about children lmao.
For real. Also, I mean…it’s Frozen. If we were talking about other shows that are clearly made for adults maybe I could see complaining about kids being there but we’re really having this conversation about Frozen? As others have said, what’s described is just bad theatre etiquette generally and not a reason to ban kids from shows. Especially Disney shows. Complain to the usher about the disruptive behavior next time and recognize that there is going to be a high percentage of kids in the audience for a show like Frozen.
My 7-year-old niece has entered the chat. She is SO insulted that someone called her a toddler. /jk
Speak for yourself! I’m 47 and I toddle all the time.
I’d really like if theatre shows had one or two shows a week that allowed kids - that way, kids can still be exposed to theatre but people know which sessions to avoid booking!
So…matinees?
What exactly are you suggesting if that’s not enough? I’ve learned to expect some level of distraction from kids at shows like that (and I don’t go to them anymore). I’ve seen a lot of kids who are able to behave in a show, and I’ve seen a lot who aren’t. All of that comes down to the parents. Especially the situation you’re talking about. I think there should be one warning given, and any disturbance after that warning is an immediate ejection from the theater, but that needs to exist for EVERYONE and not only kids.
I am very reluctantly seeing a touring production of The Lion King tomorrow at a friends request. I avoided this show like the plague for the 10 years I lived in NYC because I expect the scenario that OP described - that children's shows will be....full of children. No surprise that tons of kids will be at TLK, Aladdin, Frozen, etc.
When the The Lion King tour came to my city,I saw it at night. That made a difference.
Yea if you don’t like kids just like…don’t go to matinees for Disney shows? I’m surprised this has to be explained to people
This is bizarre I’ve seen that show quite a few times as I’ve had friends in the cast and not once do I remember kids being disruptive in the way OP described. I don’t understand why OP decided they wanted to have the show ruined for them instead of just speaking up and asking to be moved or tell the kids to sit down. I’ve politely asked to switch seats when I’m behind people with big hair. I’ve asked to switch seats when my tickets suck and it’s all I can afford. It’s just not that big of a deal if you’re polite and the ushers are down.
Please, please try to be strong! Kids. AND a touring production?
Oh i'm telling you touring shows are 10 times worse so good luck!
Yeah, we’re a bunch of savages down here in Memphis. We ain’t seen no broadway before.
It's just in new york tickets are more expensive and people traveling to their usually don't take kids, but when parents see frozen being performed 20 minutes away they are interested.
I had a routine with.my 3 grandkids, I started taking them to one hour kid shows when they reached 5. They learned how to behave in the theater. Their 1st "grown-up" show was THE FANTASTICKS and the whimsey in that delighted them. From that point on, we went to Broadway musicals and the ballet. At thevage of 10 we started going to opera. Never a problem
How dare you: you actually were parenting. ;) Thank you.
Frozen is a musical for kids. I’d expect to be surrounded. For more mature themes, I’d agree.
One time a Broadway theater I was at ran out of the booster seats, so it's not always an option. That said, my child would not be standing on my lap as an alternative. Plus, to be fair, children are not the only disruptive theatergoers. I feel their excuses are move valid than most.
I think if you want to avoid kids in theaters, perhaps Frozen is not the show you should be seeing.
She didn’t say she wanted to avoid kids. She wanted to avoid parents who have no understanding that they aren’t at home in their living rooms during a performance.
I took my five and six year old nieces to see frozen. I fully believe in taking children to the theatre to enrich their lives. This is on that specific parent. For instance, I had snacks, water and a change of clothes for when their costumes got itchy. Knew when we could take bathroom breaks, got seats on the end, and boosters. Especially for shows directed at children, I think you have to lax theatre rules. However, I agree with you that the parent wasn’t adequately prepared.
🫡 thank you for being a great parent for not just introducing your children to theater but doing it in the right way. Some people are under the impression I despise the idea of children being able to see theater but I think it's great to introduce at a young age, it needs to be done correctly though.
Most broadway shows don’t allow kids under 4 in, which I understand can be hard for parents but I think it’s fair. I have a hard time when it comes to getting upset at kids/parents for being disruptive because I know it’s not easy and not all meltdowns can be avoided. However, i think it’s perfectly normal to be a little frustrated if your experience is being hindered by a child misbehaving as long as youre not going to make the child/parent feel bad about it (like just venting privately after a show and not yelling at the parent/kid there.) There’s thing parents can do to try to avoid some problems, such as taking their kids to shows appropriate for them (not a problem in this story), but obviously not all problems can be avoided. And there’s certainly situations, like in your case, where the parent is making the situation worse for everyone. It is not okay to have a kid standing in your lap, especially when there’s boosters available.
With that rule though theee year olds can so easily get in, maybe even 2 if pushing it.
I mean I don’t really know what can be done about this, it’s not like toddlers have IDs that can be checked. And some kids just look younger/older. Raising it probably wouldn’t help much.
It’s not the kids, it’s the parents.
That's what i've said countless times now.
Saw the Beetlejuice tour today. I thought people would understand this isn’t a kids show. But alas. A mom and her two little kids sat next to me- kids talked loudly the entire time. Not ten seconds went by without them commenting/narrating/asking questions as well as kicking their seats which reverberated the entire isle. I politely smiled and made the “shhh” gesture at them. It did nothing. Mom didn’t check their behavior once. I thought about being more aggressive in confronting the mom, but I didn’t know if her reaction would cause a spectacle/make it worse because some people can’t ever be challenged. So I ended up being distracted the entire time and coming out of the show resentful.
BJ is one of my favorite shows but it's definatly a 12+ show, let alone kids who can't behave.
12+, no way. Sorry you had a bad experience(s), but my kid could handle beatlejuice at 5. It comes down to the parents making a good choice knowing their kids' attention spans and maturity levels. If you're having an issue, get an ushers attention.
You went to see Frozen and expected NOT to be inconvenienced by families with young children?
I just wish they would offer adults only performances.
Honestly not a bad idea. I think the whole "family-specific performance" idea straight-up doesn't work here; those should be the majority. But one performance a week for adults only would probably go over well.
That would be a great idea tbh. Where is the suggestion box lol
Not sure about adults but 12+ probably cause there's 100% people that young with great theater etiquette with a love for the show who also want un-interrupted performances from little kids.
Yes please. My daughter has been going to the theatre since age 10 and is extremely well behaved, quiet and conscious of her behaviour in the theatre. She’s now 14 and loves theatre.
That's my point, it really is a hard call cause there are 6 year idk who will be angels and have perfect etiquette then there will be 16 year olds ruining the show for the people around them.
That’s not a bad idea. Or a more sensory performance that keeps low lights on etc, aimed for children under five.
I’ve had way more problems with adults than children. Can we have more strict rules for adults?
my aunt and i took my cousin to frozen on broadway when was about 4? maybe even 3 and a half. my aunt was extremely nervous about how he’d behave and had a whole escape route planned in case we needed to leave lol. but he was totally into it and lasted the whole show happily. it really depends on the adults supervising doing their job. as well as the ushers enforcing rules. every kid is ready at a different age for theatre and it’s on their caregivers to know. but kids do have a right to be out in public and it’s good for them to see theatre. especially kid appropriate shows like frozen.
If your prepared like that and willing to understand "i paid for these not cheap tickets, and am willing to leave if it does not work out" then you deserve to have that child enjoy the theater 👍
Our experience with the Frozen tour was a bit frustrating too. There were SO many toddlers than had no business being there. Yes it’s a show for kids, but the majority of children who are under the age of 4 are incapable of sitting still and being quiet for a live musical of that length. We noticed that they had the sound turned up louder than other touring musicals we’ve seen. I imagine it was to help drown out the loud kids. I firmly believe that Broadway tours should have the same rules as Broadway, no children under age 4. Local and school productions are also a great way to see how your child will behave in that sort of environment too.
Yeah I agree with the last part a lot, much less risk as you can, especially with school shoes but tickets for less than 20 dollars and if there's a problem you can leave but with these more expensive shows parents feel since they are paying a lot of money they MUST stay there.
Exactly. I wanted to help my oldest daughter develop a love for theater, so I took her to her first show at age 5. It was a local high school production of Mary Poppins. Then about 6 months later, we saw Charlottes Web by the local children’s theater. Only after seeing and sitting through those shows with success, did I buy us tickets for the Aladdin tour.
10/10 parenting here, I want to thank you for taking the time to make sure your daughter would be able to handle the show and seriously appreciate you doing that to avoid having issues like I had haha.
My son was a rambunctious, talkative kid—the last person you’d take to a play. To test it out, I took him to a Broadway touring production when he was about 7. I was ready to leave at the drop of a hat—I didn’t want him to disrupt others, and I didn’t want to make him sit through something he didn’t enjoy. However, he was mesmerized! Fast forward to today. He works in the industry on the producing/management side. It’s a good fit for his outgoing personality. My advice to parents is to start out with low-stakes productions to see how it goes. For example, live action Bluey shows, Disney on Ice, theater in the park.
I dunno. There are full grown adults who are taller than a 3 year old standing on adult's lap. I don't think it's a big deal. Did you let the mother know about the booster seats? Because she may not have known they existed. But she, too, paid to see the show and there's no way a 3 foot kid is taller than a 6 foot seated adult. Ultimately, you're in public and you saw a show that caters to young children. You have to suck it up sometimes and get yourself an aisle seat so you can see around them.
This child was an easily a head above the other adults around. You're right I could have defiantly said something about the seats, but they are kind of posted everywhere and I don't know if it was about view because a lot of the time the girl was standing backwards
Sounds like the toddler was acting like a toddler. Your other option here was to have the child begin to cry when they force her to sit down. Look, I get age restricting kids at adult-themed shows, but you were at FROZEN THE MUSICAL. It was specifically marketed towards families and if there is one genre of musical that should NOT be age restricted, it's Disney musicals. This is how you get new theatre fans. If children aren't your jam, don't see Disney musicals or sit on an aisle so you can lean out.
You can absolutely have plenty of new (and old fans) of disney and live theatre with a rule saying kids must be 4 or 5 or older. Waiting until they start school isn’t going to make them miss out on the potential to be a fan. But if your kids isn’t mature enough to sit quietly through the whole disney movie than they shouldn’t be allowed to come be disruptive at a live performance. This isn’t the parks where you have a little leeway and room to move
You don't know if your child is mature enough until your child is actually at the theatre. Also, two of the three children OP found disturbing were within your age range.
Actually, you generally have a clue. I mean, surely a Broadway musical isn’t the first time you’d take your kid out to an experience where they are expected to sit and be generally quiet, right?
I dunno, I have multiple children and never once did I already know how they were going to react to anything. One day they may be perfectly fine with something and the next day, they have an inexplicable phobia. They may be fine sitting through a movie, but theatre might overwhelm. You simply don’t know until you’ve taken them.
You had no idea? Not one inkling? I’m sorry, but I really have a hard time believing that. Never took them to places where they were expected to sit and be relatively quiet? That would usually tell you if they are ready for a Broadway musical. But if you really have absolutely zero clue how your own children might behave, start small. Stick to 1 hour to 90 minute community theatre shows and see how they do with that.
Maybe stick to talking about classroom behavior since you have no idea what it means to parent.
Why are people endorsing children ruin the theater experience for others?
You. Saw. FROZEN. The literal demographic of Frozen is girls ages 3-8. That's the Elsa club. It was not produced for you. It was produced for parents to shell out $$$ for their little girls to see Elsa on Broadway, buy the merch and then go to Disney World. The show is pushed so hard towards kids that they have elementary school lesson plans to accompany it. YOU are talking about ruining the experience for the target audience. Disney would rather have that mom's money over yours any day of the week.
What is with the proliferation of posts with people complaining about noise and kids at Disney musicals this week?? I genuinely don’t understand these people going to see Frozen, or the Lion King, and expecting the same level of audience behavior that they would at Cabaret or Merrily. You chose to see a show aimed squarely at children. You can’t then get mad that the children are acting like children.
Some of us had parents who waited until we could be still and quiet (7+) for two hours before they took us anywhere near a theatre.
My son is autistic and may never be able to sit still and be quiet. Guess he can never go to a Broadway show, right? 🙄
Actually, some shows do autism-friendly performances. Not sure about regional tours, but here's a NYC page [https://www.nyctourism.com/articles/autism-friendly-theater-broadway-shows/](https://www.nyctourism.com/articles/autism-friendly-theater-broadway-shows/)
He doesn’t have sensory issues. He doesn’t need “autism friendly” performances. He needs autism friendly humans who will allow him to experience the show as it was designed to be experienced.
Congratulations? You and your parents don’t get a prize for making that choice. If a family with a seven year old and a four year old is on a once in a lifetime trip to New York and want to see a real live Broadway show, they’re just SOL because the younger kid might get antsy, even at Frozen, and that’s just not allowed? Why not just get rid of the Disney shows totally? Just ban everyone under eighteen and be done with it. The only way you’re going to improve audience behavior overall is if you increase exposure at a young age. And the way you do that is by having shows aimed at children and giving them grace while they learn what is and isn’t appropriate. If you can’t do that, don’t go see Frozen.
My fiancé and I are having the children talk, and we’ve both kinda noticed how much people in the US hate them. It’s kinda weird.
Theater and disneyland are so different. Theater has expectations and your arguments are so invalid idk where to even start lol
Clearly you don't because you don't even know where to start by going to an usher and saying what's going on. You just want to whine and blame, but have no ability to assess the house and realize you're older than the target audience, that most people who see the show are probably first-time theatre goers or that the ushers cannot see the view from every seat and read your mind. There's a lot of things you don't know where to start with.
Because this is the theatre experience you need to be prepared for at a show marketed towards kindergartners! Is it annoying? Of course it is. But YOU are in THEIR territory. Either deal with it or stay home until more adult-oriented shows come through town.
The parents should have bought their kid an aisle seat if they wanted to let the kid stand during the show.
And then OP would have complained that the child was standing in the aisle. You simply cannot win with people who hate children in theatre.
No if the kid was in the aisle that's fine, as long as their isn't any problems.
I highly doubt OP would have complained about that. I wouldn’t have. But I would have complained about a child blocking my view because the parent allowed them to stand on their lap. It’s a reasonable complaint and so are the other complaints. I’ll never understand why people get weird about other people having the expectation for parents to actually parent their child.
OP had ample time to address it and didn’t. I’ll never understand why people get angry at other patrons and the ushers for being unable to read their minds.
It doesn’t take a mind reader for a parent to know having their child stand on their lap isn’t appropriate in this setting. Can you even see that? OP explained pretty perfectly why they didn’t flag an usher at intermission, and their reason is pretty valid.
I’m sorry, you went to a show for kids and are upset that there were kids acting like kids? Next.
Kids acting like kids is not an excuse for parents to not parent.
THANK YOU. I'm not mad at the kids i'm mad at the parents
No- a theater is still not a Chuck E. Cheese.
Thank you, theater etiquette applies to kids and parents are responsible for upholding that. An experience should not be ruined by kids like that.
Dude, it was FROZEN. Really?
Have you been stewing on this since you saw the tour “quite some time ago”?
If the post you’re referring to was in BroadwayWorld’s chat and about Heart of Rock and Roll, sure kids should be behaved. Sure if there’s an age thing it should be enforced. But it’s the last 2 days of shows and if a member of the cast or production had their kid there, I think it’s because the show is closing tomorrow and peoples’ families are coming. I just think it’s kind of crappy to complain about that when it’s he person’s complaint was with the mother going in and out (which can happen with grown adults, regardless of having a kid with them).
I’m a parent, and I don’t think I would’ve brought my children to a show before the age of 7. My daughter was 7 when she first saw Aladdin (her first show), and she was soooo well behaved. My son wouldn’t have been as well behaved at 7, though. Luckily, he was 9 when she was 7. Now they are both in middle school and LOVE theater. My daughter and I try to see a show, at least, once a month. There should be age restrictions considering how distracting they can be. Recently, we’ve had many phone interruptions during shows, and I can only imagine how annoying it must be to hear a child screaming.
Honestly I wish there was a silent button like in banks but for theaters (movie ones too) where we hit it and they come remove the person.
This is why I refuse to see any kid shows. This happened to me earlier in the year when seeing Annie in New Haven, Connecticut. Kids having tantrums during the show and everyone on their phones. When I saw Annie in New York in 2013 everyone including the kids were quiet
The same reason I won't go to a Taylor Swift concert--I like her music just fine,but I don't want to be around screaming teenyboppers.
I wish people will support children theatre companies more because that’s the best way to introduce a child to theatre. It doesn’t always have to be straight to Broadway first
OMG WHATEVER YOU DO PLEASE DONT BAN THE CHILDREN!! I'm really sorry that the etiquette of other theater goers was a poor one. I would also grumble and complain about that situation had it happened to me. I also understand it's not the kiddos fault but if they hadn't been there this issue may not have occurred. But! I went to my first Broadway show when I was 5. Was I the most well behaved? Most likely not. But I live in Montana. And seeing theatre is rare. Most of the people I went to high school with never left the state let alone saw any resemblance of professional theatre. I think my life long love of live performance stems from that performance (in addition to my parents wanting to expose and support those interests). So while yes it is annoying and frustrating, this may be the first (or last) time someone gets to see theatre, which in my Drunk opinion, is a view of the human condition.
Read my other replies, I say it's essential for parents to be prepared for what may happen in the theater, and if that means leaving your expensive seats because of a roudy child they need to understand that. I support the young in theatre a lot. It's just parents can't accept the risks of having these young kids so they don't care their kid is a massive distarction.
It’s fucking Frozen. You should’ve expected it.
Kids at frozen, fork found in kitchen
Kids are infact allowed to be in public and to see theatre shows especially when said theatre show is based on a children's film!
So you endorse the idea of children ruining the experience of people who paid serious money for these tickets? Alright you do you.
Yes I endorse children being able to have experiences and enjoy theatre and I don't endorse encouraging or suggesting the insane and concerning idea kids should be banned from public places they are people too.
No, i'm saying children should be allowed to have the experiences and enjoy theater, your saying the inexcusable behavior by parents allowing children to ruin shows is okay, it's your word against yours here
I mean maybe don’t go to kiddie shows if you have such a negative reaction to children? If I’m walking into Frozen I’m expecting an audience full of children and all that entails
I'm fine with kids lol, i'm not fine with parents putting kids on their laps to stand wich connelly obstructed my view, the kid nonstop talking making hearing the actors very difficult. I don't have an issue with kids and strongly believe kids in the theater is super important but parents need to supervise their children better and teach kids theater etiquette by actually enforcing it.
This was FROZEN. It wouldn't EXIST if people didn't take children to see it. I'm sorry you had a crappy time with annoying audience members. But I saw Matilda over 60 times on Broadway. Not a single time did a child disrupt the show. Wicked? Anastasia? Zero problems. The worst disruption I ever had at a show was a Karen throwing a fit at someone whose phone went off. Far more disruptive than the phone itself. Kids can't help how old they are. Kids belong in public spaces. Kids are not capable of behaving like adults. Kids are not smaller, dumber adults. They need to learn how to be in public. THIS IS HOW THEY LEARN. This is how their brains develop. It isn't just that they need to have rules explained to them. Their brains are nothing like adult brains. A lot of what people call "bad behavior" is completely appropriate developmentally, but it's inconvenient for adults so therefore the kid is just badly-behaved. Either learn to deal with it or stay home.
This ain't me saying children shouldn't be allowed, and it shows up more on tours. I'm sorry I can't wrap my head around MATILDA ON B-WAY 60+ TIMES!!?!?!?!?
This is all true and I don’t agree with banning kids from musicals, but they learn by example and if the parents are just ignoring them and letting them do whatever, the only lesson being learned is “other people don’t matter so long as I’m happy.” If the kid is crying or bored or having a bad time it’s on the parent to take them out, because as you say it’s normal for a kid not to be able to sit still for three hours. But we also have to show consideration for the people around us, and the theatre is a good place to teach those lessons, especially a show like Frozen where there should be a lot more leeway for kids being kids to begin with.
I began going to see the opera and symphony in 1st grade and it made a huge impact on my life ..... it sounds more of an issue of parents not handling their kids/not being realistic about what their kids can handle, and less of an issue of needing a blanket ban which would have really sucked for kids like me
That's what i've been saying, parents need to understand they MUST enforce theater etiquette on their children. It. Isn't. Optional. I don't give a fuck if it's frozen or if it's sweeney todd.
All child themed shows, Disney or Nickelodeon I expect and permit a little more noise ("mom I have to pee" "dad can you open this" "ohh pretty dress!") but not standing on laps and if it isn't a 'sing along day' I'd be getting the ushers or my money back for a different performance
I just don’t understand why anyone would want to spend Broadway money on kids under 4 anyway. For many children, it’s not a developmentally appropriate activity, and there is plenty of children’s theatre with shorter run times (and so are thus way more developmentally appropriate than a 2.5+ hour long show with scary scenes).
Lots of parents buy all kinds of luxury items for their kids that the kids don't even really enjoy (ever seen a kid having a melt down at Disneyland?). For this show in particular, parents are probably buying tickets due to marketing - my local theater is having pre show kids activities, family discounts, and not enforcing age restrictions.
A kid having a meltdown at Disneyland is a bit different, in my opinion. Especially as there are many things there that are specifically designed for young kids. And honestly, even with marketing, I kind of expect most parents to know better and to understand that a full length musical may not be the best idea for their 3 year old. I’d’ve expected the cost of the show to give people pause.
I guess there are plenty of people out there with more money than sense. In my city, the best seats for Disney on Ice actually cost more than the best seats for Frozen so I can easily see that kind of parent paying for both.
Why would you go see Frozen as an adult without children tho? This is exactly here audience I'd expect at a kid's show, and I wouldn't get upset that kids are at a kid's show.
adults can enjoy Disney musicals too without kids?
Yeah, but adults CANNOT expect to go see a Disney musical and expect the same audience one would find at Death Of A Salesman.
Season tickets... also it's a great show? Kid shows can be good too? And the theater show is much darker than the movie (like literally hinting at elsa considering suicide).
Don’t worry, OP. I, too, got eaten alive in the comments when I dare voiced my frustrations about young kids attending a full length Broadway musical. You and I probably agree that this activity isn’t developmentally appropriate for many of them.
Thank you I support kids being introduced to theater but this isn't even an attack on the kids, it's the lack of etiquette mostly from parents haha.
Precisely. I also didn’t care so much about kids acting like kids. But I cared about parents doing absolutely nothing to curb the disruptive behavior or even actively encouraging it. Many kids in my audience clearly didn’t want to be there the whole show either (as evidenced by that unmistakable tired toddler cry and many other things), yet I saw no parents calling it quits with those toddlers.
I completely agree with you. Is the child even interested? Are they just there to hear one song? In another comment, I mentioned that I took my son to a Broadway touring production when he was about 7. I was prepared to leave if he became disruptive. He was mesmerized. He behaved in movies, too. However, he was horrible in stores and restaurants. I stopped taking him there. I am ALL IN on parents taking their kids to the theater! I want them to get a chance to love it. I recommend parents start with low-stakes shows such as live-action Bluey, Disney on Ice, and Theater in the Park— then work their way up if the child enjoys it.
Right. I mean, the musical is not the same as the movie. There is a 0% guarantee a child who loves the movie would even be interested in the musical.
I wish we could find a way to encourage basic theater etiquette at all age levels. I grew up as a high school theater kid understanding basic theater etiquette ( don't sing along, no talking, no standing ,etc.) and grew up to be a respectful theater goer. As a result of that experience, I started my kids out at a young age attending ballet and theater by attending high school/ youth performance groups where we can bail if the kids get wiggly ( because young kids do get wiggly no matter how much they want to be there). We review our theater etiquette before every show and we only attend shows that make sense for their age level (lots of high school musicals! If you have to bail, at least you know the 20 bucks per ticket is supporting the high school theater program!). As a result, my kids are better audience members at a young age than good amount of adults. Kids who grow up understanding how to be a good audience grow into adults who know how to be a good audience. I would hate to place a hard age limit on kids attending a show because a lot of kids will be totally fine. But there is no way for them to learn that if an adult doesn't teach them. Considering that the US has a pretty poor track record of supporting the arts in schools, it's not super surprising that most kids don't know how to behave. I guess at the end of the day I would rather deal with an overexcited kid than a bored rude adult, but overall I wish we could all find a way to be respectful of live theater. So many adults are just as awful as kids are, but they have fully developed prefontal cortexes and therefore, less of an excuse for being assholes.
Sometimes it’s just the parents. I went to see the lion king musical and a family was sitting behind me. The children were very polite and quiet the whole show. It was a mother and I think her friend or female relative that were talking the whole time. I think it depends on the parents. I also saw into the woods and a child was sitting behind me and she was also very quiet and enjoying the show. I also saw the musical frozen. There were lots of children in the house and they were behaving well.
This isn’t ideal and very frustrating but in this scenario please find an usher in the interval. It’s one of their job roles to help audience members who are being disrupted during their viewing. I had a very noisy family around me during Wicked and I was moved to a much more convenient seat for the second act.
Uhhhh….is Frozen not fundamentally a kids show? Your argument doesn’t really have any weight if the example you’re using is Frozen lol
I kind of feel like you should expect that at frozen, especially a matinée. I mean it’s frozen.
Not broadway but I went to a ballet performance where an entitled mom got mad at us for giving a standing ovation to the dancers at the end…. Bc her kid couldn’t see. :| lady swan lake is hard those dancers deserve it. They also loudly fed the kid crunchy snacks the whole performance.
I think it’s that people need to behave appropriately at the theatre in general and the ushers need to enforce the rules no matter the age. I have been near many an adult that has ruined the experience. From constant talking, giant hair, moving around, using their phones etc. At Sweeney a huge group of young adults kept getting up and moving around and then got up and left during the finale to try to meet Joe Locke at stage door. He didn’t even stage door so they just ruined the end of the show for nothing. My 10 year old was really annoyed by their behavior.
The woman next to my husband at MJ got flashlighted by ushers THREE different times for trying to record the show. Unreal. At that point they should have kicked her ass out but I realize that would have caused a disturbance.
I was 8 the first time I was brought to the theater. I was old enough to behave but also to appreciate the show and make sense of it. (It was Showboat.)
Was at The Heart of Rock & Roll last week and this mom and (I assume) grandmother had a two year old there. Not only did he not shut up for about 75% of the show, but they let him walk up and down the stairs on his own during intermission because we all get so much time to get to the bathroom and refill our drinks. It was very uncool.
Bro it’s literally a musical for children what do you expect
Yep. Babies' first show should be community children's theater from the last where the parents can easily leave if there is a problem, not broadway
I had two sets of parents bring a total of 4 kids all under 5 years old to rent. The moms camped out for rush tickets, and hour before the box office opened the dads brought the kids. They all went into the box office and ask for 8 tickets for all of them. I tried to protest, about the kids age and the fact that only two in the party were in line… I got told to shut up by one of the guys. During the show there were 4 empty seats because the 4!kids were running up and down between the front row and the stage. I looked over to an usher watching them. Nothing happened. When I pointed to the crowd the usher just smiled and shrugged. My only point of pride is that when one mom lifted a child up to get high fives from the cast they all quickly backed away after giving her dirty looks.
Why did the usher just smile?????
I wish I knew. I guess she thought it was cute that there were kids in the front row. These ushers are also volunteers so she may have just thought that it wasn’t her job to approach.
I wish family-friendly shows had certain shows each week to which parents should take kids, and that they were advertised as such.
The whole point of family friendly shows is that they're for families. Maybe a few specific performances that are adults only. But they make the money off the families bringing their kids. That's the whole purpose of a family-friendly show.
What exactly is the point of a showing of Frozen that children aren’t allowed go to?
Frozen had children in attendance? Inappropriate for their age!
I don’t know who goes to Frozen not expecting half of the audience to be kids
I was with you until you said you were at a children’s show… it’s Frozen. Children are allowed to occupy children’s spaces. If you don’t want to be surrounded by young kids behaving as such, maybe don’t go to Frozen? Lol? Also let me guess. You were at a matinee too 🤦♀️ I’m so confused as to what you expected
Grown adult goes to a show geared towards children and gets upset at the children the show is geared for. Listen, if this was Moulin Rouge or Cabaret, I'd agree. Kids shouldn't be allowed to certain shows. But you attended a show that is geared towards kids, and those kids that attend are probably gonna....act like kids. People need to go into these types of shows with low expectations, and not expect children to be sitting polishing their opera glasses.
3 and 4? They won't remember a thing. That's a little much.
Kids can enjoy and be affected by things even if they don’t necessarily remember them. My 3.5-year-old niece had a wonderful time at Frozen and my grandmother taking me to Cats at 4 began my lifelong love of musical theatre.
100%! My daughter was 4.5 when she saw Into the Woods and Phantom of the Opera. She’s almost 7, saw her 15th show this weekend and STILL talks about Phantom of the Opera (she and her sister play the cast album all the time).
That's always been a personal opinion of mine but I can understand how the happiness at the time could be worth it. But there just needs to be more control over the kids that's enforced.
Agreed. If your kids can't be quiet and seated they need to go outside and have a moment to calm down. It shouldn't have to be on the ushers to tell a parent that.
Yup. Unless it's a song the kids know like let it go they usually aren't entertained. Also I won't get started at singing along to love theater cause that could so easily be its own post.
So annoying when people sing along! Didn't pay to hear them.
exactly, we're paying to hear a professional sing these songs in professional ways, when I saw frozen so many people were singing along to let it go, when I saw back to the future, at Johnny B Good this old man started singing along.
I don’t remember a single thing about the first show I ever saw. But I sat through every second, adored it, and it began a life long love of theatre for me. Life long memories aren’t the only value of experiences for children.
Yeah I feel like they are parent issues. When I saw frozen on broadway there was a 4year old near me dressed as Elsa and before the show her parents reminded her how to behave and she was fine during the show.
My kids saw their first professional show at 4.5 and 7 and saw their 15th professional show this weekend. We still remind them every time 1) no singing and 2) questions wait for intermission or the end. We also make sure to prep the story, listen to cast albums, or watch movies if they’re not already familiar with the story. They’re more well behaved than the adults we sat next to last night who sang multiple times through the show.
Doesn’t surprise me that is what the parents were reminded their daughter no singing. I was 4 when I went to my first show.
I went to the Aladdin tour and it was mostly children being loud, which was expected at a show for children.
…? Most shows have a 4-and-under ban.
I have something to say I was in the balcony at patriots the other night and an older couple was in front of us. For act two the man got up cal to our Row snd put his legs over the seats in front of him and fell asleep. We felt trapped. I thought the Schubert org ushers should be in the lookout for that and stop it. This is the theatre. And this is broadway.
I would like more rules in general. I go to a show 2 - 3 times a year and honestly it's usually adults who have been an issue. The lack of decorum gets worse and worse it seems.
I feel you but shows like FROZEN were designed to appeal to children. So I'd expect that kind of thing with those shows, not others though.
I still feel like the parents doing nothing was just a lack of parenting as they need to understand that the theater is a more mature setting than say frozen in ice, even at disney shows.
I was at the touring production of MJ recently and a woman who was at least in her upper 50s kept standing up and waving her arm in the air. She kept doing it whenever the spirit moved her until finally a man behind us yelled at her to sit down. So plenty of adults don't know how to act and the ushers did nothing.
I just don’t get spending $150-$200 a ticket to bring your toddler to a Broadway show. There are tons of children’s theaters in New York with kid-friendly performances including shorter runtimes to give your kids theater going experience without shelling out Broadway prices for a show they’ll never remember seeing.
I definitely agree… because really, this is just wrong for those watching and honestly the performers. This is why our school didn’t let us go to the opera until 5th grade and we spent a literal 6 weeks in music studying opera and the rules and etiquette for the opera house, warned that ANY misbehavior would be a huge strike on the chance to go on a special end of year trip. Thankful for it to this day. (FYI - it was Hansel and Gretel, deliberately designed for children). In fairness I’ve seen a 5 year old behave like an adult through Jurassic Park when they did the $5 movies post covid closures/anniversary showing (I forgot which), so your issue reeks of a parent not parenting. Seriously - the only time the little one caused any sort of scene was when the raptor jumps onto the kitchen table. All she did? “Mommy, I don’t like the mean dinosaur,” in a bit of a whimper. No screams or cries. Was massively impressed with that family.
Haha I love all this. Yeah I would never blame the kid like people say it's the kid being a kid, but a parent needs to parent and before you go to theater teach your child and enforce those rules there.
Instead of an immersive Cabaret, we need an immersive Sweeney Todd where the ushers can push a button that turns the seat into a kind of trap-door/chute apparatus. Concessions at intermission can be meat pies featuring: * Person on phone * Talked during show * Sang along * Inattentive Parent * etc.
Three times through the grinder for you, sir!
I wish they had this at every show!
Make a petition and i'll sign it, 10/10 idea, I see no problems haha
I had a terrible experience when I went to see Frozen in the West End. Made me pretty sad because I hardly ever get to see musicals being from Portugal, and saved money to go to London watch a few. There was a class of very young kids. They all had snacks that they brought with them, with plastic wrappers and noisy bags. They cried, asked question the whole time, talked, shrieked, and crinkled their snack bags constantly.
I also don't think the problem is the children. It's the adults responsible for them and/or the ushers not doing anything.
that's exactly what i've been saying but people have been telling me i'm wrong so i'm starting think it's my fault for going to see a "kids show" and not expecting rude behavior.
I am a shy person, and I was in a different country unaware of what I could do. So I did nothing and had a bad experience. At the end I asked about it and was told those snacks weren't allowed in. But they were. This means that 1. The teachers or chaperones decided to sneak snacks in and distribute them mid show, and never told kids they could ask questions later. And 2. The ushers noticed the behaviour and did nothing. There was a very low attendance so everyone got boosted to better seats. They absolutely saw the misbehaving class. I don't know enough about how the theater works to offer any suggestion of what could/should be done though. My country doesn't have a musical theatre culture.
The internet is not the best place for a balanced discussion. You will get people yelling at you for 1. Going to the kids show 2. Not complaining 3. Complaining 4. Not valuing the ushers' work if you complain they dont intervene 5. Not knowing what a toddler is 6. Not knowing how hard it is to be a parent etc etc