Entire audience offered their money back

A public interview with Steve Martin has been deemed so boring that every single audience member was offered their money back.

The boss of New York’s 92nd Street Y venue has emailed all 900 ticket-holders admitting that Monday’s talk was ‘disappointing’, and offering them vouchers to cover the $50 entrance fee.

The audience were apparently left frustrated as his conversation with journalist Deborah Solomon revolved entirely around art and artists – not Martin’s career as a comedian, writer and actor.

Venue staff even passed a note to Solomon during the interview telling her to steer the conversation back to Martin’s own work, not his passion for art.

She read the note aloud – thinking she would have the support of the sold-out crowd to continue as she was – but instead they cheered its sentiment.

She later told the New York Times she was ‘appalled’ to have their conversation so publicly criticised, and by the venues decision to offer a refund.

She said: ‘Frankly, you would think that an audience in New York, at the 92nd Street Y, would be interested in hearing about art and artists.

‘I had no idea that the Y programmers wanted me to talk to Steve instead on what it’s like to host the Oscars or appear in It’s Complicated with Alec Baldwin.

‘I think the Y, which is supposedly a champion of the arts, has behaved very crassly and is reinforcing the most philistine aspects of a culture that values celebrity and award shows over art.’

After reading out the note criticising the art discussion, Solomon said to her guest: ‘Steve, we blew it.’ 

Martin then went on to answer half a dozen questions from the audience about his film and television career before ending the one-hour talk.

He was apparently also put out that the interview had been forced to change direction, saying it was ‘a little like an actor responding in Act III to an audience’s texts to ‘shorten the soliloquies’.

In his email to audience members, the venue’s executive director, Sol Adler said: ‘We planned for a more comprehensive discussion and we, too, were disappointed with the evening. We will be mailing you a $50 certificate for each ticket you purchased.’

Martin said he was taken aback by the venue’s ‘discourteous’ reaction.

Published: 2 Dec 2010