Observations

OK, so I graduated from college in May 2009; a dream come true. It was 30 years in the making for me (yes, I'm old). So, it was off to find the dream job. Hard to find jobs during economic hard times. I have a part-time position and I like it a lot. I work at a local community college as a writing tutor. It's nice and the students are good people.

But, what to do with my free time? I love Broadway shows and concerts but since I'm only working part-time, I can't afford to go to them. Then I heard about the Majestic Theatre http://majesticempire.com/ here in San Antonio, Texas. You can sign up to be a volunteer usher. So I did. I decided it might be an interesting endeavor for me. I invited my good friend Dawna to volunteer with me. We quickly discovered it was a very interesting place to volunteer. The shows are great,and the experience is so rewarding on many levels. This blog is about the performances and about the patrons who attend these shows.
The first show I worked was a Broadway Across America series show; Mama Mia. http://www.mamma-mia.com/ I was working at the doors to the house and the patrons had to wait until the stage was ready to go to their seats. People crowded the doors, trying to peek through the small windows to catch a glimpse of the stage or the actors. They started to ask me all kinds of questions about the show, about the actors, about the stage and about the songs. I didn't have a clue. I had never seen the show, wouldn't know the actors if I tripped over them, couldn't see the stage myself and only knew the songs of Abba from my youth. The crowd was an interesting mix. Since it was a matinee, parents, aunts, uncles, grandmas and grandpas brought younger children with them (not that the show was particularly appropriate for young children). Also in attendance were single men and women who seemed to be Broadway play aficionados. They knew everything there was to know about every play especially Mamma Mia. They couldn't wait to share that knowledge with me. One guy kept asking me if I could get him backstage to meet the actors (Heck, I can't even get backstage. I don't even know where the backstage door is). When the doors finally opened, the flood of people going in all directions was an interesting sight. All the ushers worked together to make the patrons comfortable and help them all find their seats. It was as if all the ushers were part of a well oiled machine, yet, many of us were there for the first time.
During the show, we sat in the back section and watched. During intermission, we returned to our posts and directed people to the bathroom or bar. One man came up to me with his wife and told me he was very appreciative of the work I was doing. He reached over and before I knew it, he was hugging me! I didn't even know this man. When the show was over and the people began to trickle out, many who had been talking to me before the show, found me again to comment on the performance. Comments ranged from "amazing" to "great show" or "not appropriate for children" (DUH).

The next show I did was a San Antonio Symphony. http://www.sasymphony.org/ The crowds were small and varied. The people were very nice and cordial. One man made it a point to talk to me when he walked into the theater. He shared with me some of past Symphony performances he attended and told me how great it was to have season tickets.

A couple of weeks later, I worked for Rain. http://raintribute.com/ Here were grown men and women (hippies in their heyday, I suppose) with children and grandchildren in attendance. They were screaming and singing as if it was the real Beatles up there. I must say, I was memorized by the talents of Rain. I almost thought it was the real Beatles up there a few times. Amazing. The clothing worn by the patrons varied from old tie-dyed shirts and Birkenstocks to elegant strappy dresses and high-heels. Everyone stood and danced to songs like "Back in the USSR" or "Get Back" and swayed to ballads like "Yesterday" or "Hey, Jude." I swore I even saw one lady wiping away tears from her cheeks as the band played on.

Well, there are many more tales to share and experiences too. Check back often for updates on new and past show experiences. I hope you will enjoy following this as much as I will enjoy writing it.