SHN Orpheum Theatre

Reviews 5

JA

Jason Pfister

Tonight I attended the Diana Ross concert at The Orpheum. Being that shes my favorite singer, I anticipated a very easy going, laid back concert outing to view this Motown legend. Sadly, thanks to Orpheums dictatorial staff, that was almost soured. Never have I seen a group of ushers behave like uber hall monitors bent on enforcing ridiculous policies. At the slightest morsel of a light, they raced down to prevent a picture or video recording, acting like this constituted a medical emergency. In the era of YouTube, Google images and other sources, is it really THAT relevant to prohibit recordings and images? Ross, being an esteemed musician for decades, Im sure couldnt care less if her devoted groupies snapped a few shots or recorded a couple tunes for Youtube, Facebook, etc. In all honesty, I cant be surprised she only performed a little more than an hour this evening. If anything, her manager likely couldnt wait to finalize negotiations on this performance. Many of us felt like it was a kindergarten class, save for they excluded a time out zone. At one point, the gentleman two seats down requested the usher not pace up and down the aisle so much as it obstructed his view. The usher imposed this nonchalant expression, acting like he uttered in a foreign tongue. I also couldnt help but laugh at one usher insisting "Miss Ross insisted no photos and videos" (Funny, since when do singers actually contact theater staffers? All contractual terms are worked out between each sides management. Dianas a retired lady who wouldnt get involved in that hazzle. Thats why shes more than happy to hire a lawyer or two on top of a manager to iron out all business minutiae. She sure can afford it!). Three years ago, Diana performed at the Golden Gate Theater, also owned by SHN. Also, there are AT LEAST ten or so videos from this performance on the Net, as Im sure there are oodles of images at Google and elsewhere. Whats a few more? And in the end...WHO CARES? Its about being there at that moment. Viewing online doesnt net an exact, exhilarating experience as the actual show (tonight clearly sold out, yet YouTube is plastered with various In The Name of Love Tour videos). Once the usher actually touched the lady next to me for...wait for it...taking ONE picture. Seriously?! These people should enroll in the SFPD Academy. We all were on pin and needles the entire time courtesy of this by the book, uncompromising staff. Even prior to Dianas arrival, they scolded the woman in front of me for recording her daughter, who isnt even a notable name. Egads! I had plans to see The Lion King here this Fall with a friend (I caught it in San Jose last year. Thankfully that staff let us relax and not feel like we were being grilled by a college professor before final exams. I had vigilant K-12 instructors who possess nothing on these wannabe Barney Fifes). After tonight, they can forget about my money. I sure hope that Diana selects another venue should she perform in San Francisco again (AT&T Park, for example). Given her exemplary longevity and ardent fan appreciation, she warrants an establishment which will honor her in a dignified manner, as opposed to The Orpheum and their hyper militant consortium. If I wanted to attend an event where I had to be on guard 24/7, Id frequent my in laws residence. To quote The Sound of Music..."So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen"

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GA

Gabrielle Santiago

I really love coming to shows here because its such a beautiful venue. It feels as if Ive been whisked away to some distant time because lets be real here, they really dont make em like this anymore. Ive seen Beauty and the Beast, Book of Mormon, and Wicked here and have sat all over the place. If you are willing to shell out some serious cash, orchestra seats are the way to go. Mezzanine seats arent bad either. A few tips: 1) Youre better off getting here via public transportation. Parking here is nearly impossible and not to mention, a little sketchy. Both Bart and Muni stop literally right outside of the theater. Take either one to Civic Center and walk up to the Hyde St exit. 2) If you want to go see a show and dont feel like spending the money, try taking advantage of the lottery! Some performances have a lottery 2-3 hours before each show for last minute seats. You arrive early, put your name down, and see if youll be selected to watch. I believe its only $25-$35 per ticket as opposed to the $60+ and the seats are usually pretty good. 3) Likewise, you can use the TodayTix app to do the same thing but via an app. I promise you this isnt a spam! They even promote TodayTix in their programs so you know its legit. You can log onto the app daily and after 12am the day of most performances, you can enter in the lottery for up to 2 tickets at $25 a piece. If you win, they notify you a couple hours before the show and you have the option to to purchase the ticket or to pass on it.

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AL

Alyx Barranger

I went to the Orpheum to see The Lion King and my experience was positive only due to the beauty of the venue itself. I had an incredibly poor customer service experience after entering the theatre. My group came in about 5 minutes before the show, and we were headed towards our seats. The woman who was doing seating for our area was very rude to us from the moment she saw us come in. She took all of our tickets and then magically happened to lose one of them only to tell us that she didnt have anything that belonged to us. This made us nervous because we didnt want to have someone from our group unable to return to the show after intermission (luckily it wasnt an issue) but the bottom line is that she was very rude and left us with a bad taste in our mouths for our experience upon our first moments before the show began. The production itself was wonderful, but I just couldnt get past how rude the staff member was. I understand it is stressful getting people into their seats, but we werent standing in the aisles, we were attempting to be promptly seated, and she had an attitude that ruined some of our experiences.

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SH

Shauna Lacoste

Beautiful space and great shows, but its absurd that they let people come late to their seats in the middle of a song, making everyone in that row stand up in the middle of the show and disrupting the experience for others. Also, selling candy and other concessions invites the distraction of crinkling wrappers during the shows. There were two or three people behind my seat loudly crackling their candy bags throughout the first act and talking during the songs. Its tacky for SHN to condone, and thereby encourage, such behaviors in a live performance, especially when guests are paying hundreds of dollars to attend. If theyre going to be so lax about what were once standard rules in theater, they need to make a better effort to educate their guests on etiquette, at least with some signage and pre-show announcements. And, Dear Reader: If you are attending the theater, please be conscious of your own behavior, dont do things like this that interrupt the show for those around you. Also, dont put your hair up in a huge bun/updo on top of your head, that blocks the view of the person behind you...so uncool.

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TO

Tom N

Good place to catch a Broadway musical without leaving the city. Ive seen Wicked & The Book of Mormon here. Pros: - nice historical theater, remember to look up the ceilings beautiful - in the city, easy access from BART/Muni - full bar with adult sippy cups so you can bring it to your seat! SIPPY CUPS! - great list of shows you actually want to watch - cozy atmosphere - staff is very friendly Cons: - its in the hood, be prepared to be approached by homeless people before and after the show - drinks are expensive but thats to be expected - seats are pretty tight and not every seat is a good seat (not unusual) - place has an old musty smell that wouldnt go away (its either the venue or someone crop dusting either way it smelled) - insane bathroom lines for both genders, if youre a lady I suggest you book it to the as soon as intermission starts otherwise youd be there waiting until the show starts again

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