The HAT

[jesmith]

I'm just curious but in the London production do they give any REAL money that's given to charity? Because in the US productions any real cash that gets put in the hat goes to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS(It's mentioned in a small blurb in the back of the program), so I wonder if London does the same.

[emi]

Yeah, they do... Erm...... I can't remember exactly what charity... but... they do.

[charliemonster]

I don't imagine they get much real money put in the hat. When my best friend first saw the show apparently a french lady put some euros in the hat then when she realized she wouldn't get them back she stood up and ask for her euros back.

[Sandra]

I'm thinking of putting a Swedish 20kr-note with a message on it when I go.

[emi]

May 19, 2008 14:59:31 GMT charliemonster said:

I don't imagine they get much real money put in the hat. When my best friend first saw the show apparently a french lady put some euros in the hat then when she realized she wouldn't get them back she stood up and ask for her euros back.

I probably... shouldn't...laugh at that... but I did. Oh well.

[jesmith]

May 19, 2008 14:59:31 GMT charliemonster said:

I don't imagine they get much real money put in the hat. When my best friend first saw the show apparently a french lady put some euros in the hat then when she realized she wouldn't get them back she stood up and ask for her euros back.

Well, I think in the Broadway production Howie Smith tries to hit at least one person up for a $20.

When I saw the Tour production two weeks ago, I think Rob McClure also attempted this as well and did get some real money out of it.(I couldn't hear because I was on the other end of the aisle, but the audience around him appluaded when the person he was hitting up stuck some cash in the hat). I was actually going to toss in a $10 and an expired coupon, so Robert could have something to ad-lib off of, but unforunately I was on the end of the aisle where no one came by.

Thankfully, as a mentioned in my thread on my experience at the show, something funny DID occur. You see, the theater they were performing at in Raliegh was ten minutes away from N.C. State University. Now, someone from UNC, NC State's rivial school from the next town over was in the audience. He tossed in a ticket stub for UNC's team, the Tarheels. When Robert and the rest of the cast got back on stage at the end of the song, he mentioned, "Well, besides this ticket stub for the Tarheels..." which caused a huge round of laughter from the whole theater. Unfournately, this caused Robert to actually get BOOED by some of the students from State(And there were many because its ten minutes away) in the audience for mentioning the Heels(Or maybe they were booing because there was a Heels fan in the audience.)

What's funny is that the laughter was so great Robert was cut off while he was saying "There's not much in there is it?" and no one heard him say it so he had to repeat it after the laughter and booing died down so Christmas Eve's(Played by Angela Ai here), "Those people bunch of cheapskates!" line would make sense!

[charliemonster]

I laughed at it too Emi! Kinda stupid to put money in the hat if you want it back!

[ollie123]

Nick and I think an awesome idea would be to make fake bags on money (like Trekkie's, burlap bag props stuffed with wool with a $ on the side) and chuck them on stage from one of the raised boxes.

Just to see what they'd do next. "Hey look!... Tons of money. Um... I guess we needn't bother Trekkie then..."

[Sandra]

Jun 4, 2008 16:09:42 GMT ollie123 said:

Nick and I think an awesome idea would be to make fake bags on money (like Trekkie's, burlap bag props stuffed with wool with a $ on the side) and chuck them on stage from one of the raised boxes.

Just to see what they'd do next. "Hey look!... Tons of money. Um... I guess we needn't bother Trekkie then..."

HAHA! Someone has to do that just to see how they would react!

[fabala]

What we really need is a group of people strategically placed throughout the theatre to attack from all angles...