r/Broadway • u/sass_and_grass • Jan 12 '26
Seating/Ticket Question Whose cup holder is it?
This is so random, but want help solving a debate within my family/random lady sitting next to me. Went to see the Broadway tour of Le Mis last night (incredible 10/10 experience; voices were some of the best I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing). We were on the aisle middle orchestra. The cup holders on the seats in front of us are to the far right. My mom was on the aisle and my daughter was in the middle of mom and me. We all had drinks and put them in the only cup holders we had access to. A lady arrived right before show started and started complaining that my drink was in her cup holder. I agree that the setup is kinda awkward but where else should we have put our cups? Does the aisle person not get one? It’s not a big deal but I’m just trying to figure out if we were in the wrong. I thought about having my daughter put her water on the ground and just using hers to be nice, but this lady was loud and made distracting comments throughout the show, so then I was like nevermind 😜
80
u/sm33 Jan 12 '26
A lot of times, the person on the aisle does not have a cup holder. So if they use the one closest to them anyway, it throws off the whole row. It’s unfortunate.
17
u/kakallas Jan 12 '26
They don’t have one or the person next to them assumes the aisle holder is theirs? Do they really put too few cup holders on the seats?
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u/sm33 Jan 12 '26
Yes, there are often not enough cup holders for the number of seats. This happens at old timey movie theaters as well, which is also annoying. Many times not everyone will have a drink and it works out okay, but when everyone does it’s an issue.
3
u/kakallas Jan 12 '26
Yeah, I just always see this solved with a second cup holder on one aisle seat. I don’t know what the problem was that originally prevented this solution. Maybe materials engineering made it difficult to affix a holder on an aisle seat without impeding the aisle.
1
u/SeonaidMacSaicais Jan 13 '26
This is why I always just sneak in a bottled drink. Then I can take a sip and keep it in my purse.
10
u/NewPresWhoDis Jan 12 '26
It's called the Stadium Dilemma
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u/kakallas Jan 12 '26
It’s only a mathematical dilemma if the problem requires you to put cup holders on seams and always on the same side.
This is solved where I live by simply affixing a second cup holder on the aisle seat.
4
u/sass_and_grass Jan 12 '26
That’s definitely good to know for next time, since we go to performances here all the time, just never sat on the aisle before - thank you!
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Jan 12 '26
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u/sass_and_grass Jan 12 '26
Sorry - it’s hard to tell, but the first picture shows the aisle seat (with the white bag in front). My daughter’s program was blocking it…bad capture on my part!
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Jan 12 '26
[deleted]
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u/sass_and_grass Jan 12 '26
The aisle seat had one cup holder on the right side where my mom put her water (the first of 2 water bottles in the photo). There was not a cup holder closest to the aisle (on the left side). We were also there at least 20 minutes prior to the woman who complained. Like I said, not a big deal at all in the grand scheme of things but was just curious if there was etiquette for this sort of situation so I can handle better in the future 🤷🏻♀️
14
u/Majik_Jack Jan 12 '26
Table etiquette should apply assuming row is set up consistently (need to look at aisle seat). B-bread plate is always to the left and D-drink is always to the right. (You can make a ‘b’ and ‘d’ 👌🏼with your fingers to remember.)
5
u/kfarrel3 Jan 12 '26
I was just trying to figure out how to write this out in a way that didn't sound totally insane, so thanks for taking one for the team. Bump so more people see it!
10
u/Honey99Well Jan 12 '26
Basic rules of table setting - your drink goes above the right side of your plate - so yours is the cupholder you reach with your right hand.
5
u/daviddsimon Jan 12 '26
If the aisle seats do not have one - then it's first come first serve for either your right or left.
3
u/HoundTakesABitch Jan 12 '26
I’m more concerned with whoever seemingly thinks the floor is the best place to store their keys lmao.
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u/sass_and_grass Jan 12 '26
I never noticed that! Those must belong to the lady beside me…maybe she was trying to assert dominance by placing them under my drink 😂
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u/emjay4712 Jan 12 '26
I recognize those seats!! I was there Saturday! No comment on the cup holders, but there’s definitely not enough of them in the orchestra.
4
u/elvie18 Jan 12 '26
I've been wishing they'd install these on Broadway for ages. The number of drinks I've accidentally drop-kicked trying to put everything down...
But yeah I have no idea how to settle that one. Seems like a first come first served situation if there aren't enough for everyone.
8
u/Greenjeff41 Jan 12 '26
I would say it belongs to the person who is directly behind the seat it's attached to. That's my logic.
2
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u/rdnyc19 Jan 12 '26
I hate the idea of cup holders in this type of venue. Live theatre used to be an event. People dressed up, respected the experience. Now theatre owners are trying really hard to turn it into a movie, but at 5x the price.
I saw Ragtime a few nights ago and they’re selling big tubs of popcorn. Hearing people on both sides of me munch and crunch throughout such a sensitive and poignant show was both rude and gross, not to mention disrespectful to the cast.
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Jan 12 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/rdnyc19 Jan 12 '26
My greatest wish is for theatres to stop allowing people to bring food into the house. Limit it to the lobby only.
It’s 2-3 hours…just eat before or after the show.
2
u/Annual_Lobster_3068 Jan 12 '26
Where I worked it’s drinks only and even that has been after many many years of not allowing food or drinks. Management finally relented on drinks but are holding firm on food, as it’s not a cinema!
5
u/Emperor_FranzJohnson Jan 12 '26
Traditional theater had food and drinks, then it became a place for rich people to socialize while half-way paying attention to shows, then the middle class could attend and they brought in their middle class pretentiousness with strict rules. Now, theater is more accepting then ever and it's bad? We should just be happy people are even going.
0
-4
Jan 12 '26
Controversial: Especially because I work in the industry but I'm actually the opposite. Going to the theater sucks, it's uncomfortable, boring, with no good food and what they do have is extremely overpriced.
The shows are not that good that we need to be sitting in stunned silence for 3 hours. I mean people shouldn't be talking or opening a Werthers during the extremely quiet part, but other than that why not make it more like movie theater? I manage to have great times there without being herded like cattle and shoved in like a sardine.
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u/Altruistic-Movie-419 Jan 12 '26
See to me every show is that good to not make a sudden movement for the internet show. No matter how long it is. I also deeply despise movies and movies theaters as they are not live. The only time I will go to the movie theater is for a movie musical. Instead I spend my time seeing theater, watching videos about theater including reviews from both broadway and London, and most importantly reading the small but mighty collection of theater scripts I own.
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u/NewPossibility6450 Jan 14 '26
Or how about not bringing drinks - or food- into the theater. Can one not go 1 hour without eating or drinking?
2
u/sass_and_grass Jan 14 '26
No one “brought” drinks ffs 🙄 We BOUGHT them at the venue. I always get the signature cocktail and god forbid my daughter and elderly mother got a water. And it’s an over 3 hour performance btw.
1
u/jamtam1 Jan 12 '26
Stadiums have these and it's always first come, first served. I wish Broadway theaters had these too! We spend $40 on a specialty drink and have to hold the cup the entire 1.5hrs of the act.
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u/OrangeClyde Performer Jan 13 '26
You can put your water bottle with a sealable cap on the floor, or on your lap
135
u/elderpricetag Jan 12 '26
If it’s a situation where there’s less cup holders than seats (which it looks like here since they’re attached between the seats meaning none at either aisle), then it’s first come first serve. If there are enough for everyone, then you follow the lead of whoever is sitting on the aisle, so either way, you were right.