The Top 10 Ways to Behave So That Everyone Enjoys the Classical Concert

Originally Submitted on 7/5/2003.

1. No talking or eating. No exceptions. This is bottom-line basic courtesy to those around you. Please don't come if you have a cough or smoker's cough.

2. Don't rush out of the theater when the curtain goes down. Stay a few minutes and applaud the performance. The traffic will still be there when you get finished.

3. Turn off your cell phone. Better yet, throw it out the window on the tenth floor.

4. Keep your hands to yourself. You can get romantic in the parking lot after the concert if you want to. It is distracting and it is in poor taste to makeout near others who paid a lot for their ticket and want to enjoy the show -- on stage, not yours!

5. If there is any question in your mind how to dress, drive by a similar event and check it out. Nothing is more embarrassing than showing up in jeans for a formal occasion or in practically nothing when everyone else is acting grown up and tasteful. Consider the time of day of the performance. Older people often go to matinees because they don't like driving in the dark. Friday and Saturday nights are more dressy than weekday night performances.

6. Don't empty the perfume bottle all over yourself. Not only is this offensive to those around you, it reeks of desperation.

7. It is not appropriate to bring a child under the age of 10 to a classical performance unless it is the Nutcracker Ballet at Christmas.

8. Be on time. You disturb everyone in the area if you plow through after the performance has started. No excuses. Everyone else gets there on time and so can you.

9. If you are disappointed in the performance, keep your voice moderate during intermission. Most people who pay a lot of money and go to the trouble of attending a concert do not appreciate this kind of negativity. It is also poor socially to brag about other places you've seen the same show and it was better. This reveals you to be an amateur.

10. If you love the show, tell 6 friends. Come back and see it again before it leaves town. Make a donation to the symphony, opera or theatre guild. Support the arts and don't take them for granted.

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