Question: We attended the Aug. 11, 6:30 p.m. performance of “The Phantom of the Opera” at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center. We were surprised to find that drinks, especially alcoholic drinks served in glasses, were allowed in the Concert Hall during the performance. In the past when we attended performances in that venue we were told that eating and drinking were not allowed. It was not pleasant to spend the entire performance breathing in alcohol fumes, especially since the person next to me was holding her wine glass on the arm rest between us. She also was stacking her finished glasses under the arm rest between us. If the glasses accidentally broke that would be a safety hazard. Are alcoholic drinks supposed to be allowed?
Answer: Yes, as long as they are purchased at the venue. House rules say that “no food, beverages, bottles, or cans may be brought from the outside into any center facility by any individual who is a patron attending an event,” but that applies to refreshments bought elsewhere, said Guy Kaulukukui, director of the city’s Department of Enterprise Services, which oversees the complex. The venue’s drinks are served in plastic containers, he added.
You are one of several readers who has asked about this recently. Some pointed us to Blaisdell’s Standards of Conduct, at 808ne.ws/blaisrules, specifically Section II, No. 6 and Section III, No. 5.
Here is Kaulukukui’s full response:
“Yes, beverages and dry snacks purchased at the concession stands are allowed inside the auditorium. This has been a common practice for years. ‘The Lion King’ in 2014 had the same policy and the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra allows beverages in the Concert Hall as well. This change was made to accommodate the guests who wanted to enjoy a beverage or snack in the hall and not have to gulp it down before returning to their seats after intermission or risk missing the beginning of a show because they were forced to wait in line. Common courtesy is expected from guests when attending an event at the center in order for everyone to enjoy the show. When we have double shows, you will see ushers with bags at the end of the aisles collecting rubbish and most guests will cooperate with this.
“Most theaters in the country allow guests to bring the beverages and/or snacks they have purchased at their performance venues into the seating area. It is the current practice.
“The misinterpretation of the Standards of Conduct is that the restriction is on outside food or beverages, which does not include the products sold by the venue. We do restrict products from the outside as we can’t control the type of snacks and we are a licensed premise for alcohol, so only the licensee is permitted to sell those beverages.
“This is the common practice and it is one of the ways that theaters can keep bringing exciting and expensive productions to the islands. Since it is an accepted part of the service for theatres as well as arenas and other performance spaces, we want to be sure we are keeping up with the standards and expectations of the audience.
“Our beverages are served in plastic, not glass. We do have to do more cleaning of the hall and recycling of the containers, but ultimately we have determined that it’s worth it to allow our guests to have a better total experience.”
You insisted in a followup email that the person next to you was drinking out of glass, not plastic; we can’t explain the discrepancy.
Mahalo
Many thanks to the kind-hearted souls who interrupted their own shopping to help my elderly mom, who had trouble reaching various items. No more solo visits to the grocery store for her! — Grateful daughter
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