by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
For 20 years, Tony Antoniello has volunteered his time as an usher at the Florida Theatre. All he has received in return are countless friendships, performances by some of music’s biggest names and a first kiss from his wife.
Not bad for a job that doesn’t pay.
The retired BellSouth technician answered an ad seeking volunteer ushers at the theater 20 years ago. On his first day, as he led people to their seats for a showing of “Casablanca,” Antoniello quickly discovered he had a knack for the job.
“The most important part of this job, you gotta be able to listen,” said Antoniello. “You have to absorb a lot. People come to you with complaints and it’s your job to make them happy. You have to absorb a lot. You have to listen to the people, find out why they’re upset.”
Antoniello has listened, as a result he says he’s learned from the disparate crowd that seems to always attend a Florida Theater concert. On this night, he exchanged first-name greetings with several people walking through the doors to a Susan Tedeschi blues show. Some of the crowd is wearing wear suits and ties, others blue jean jackets and ripped T-shirts. Antoniello greets them all the same.
He remembers the night he helped an older woman find her seat to the “Phantom of the Opera.” She had an extra seat and invited him to sit next to her. Turned out she used to play in the Chicago Symphony. As Antoniello watched the play unfold, the woman explained the play’s nuances. He walked away that night with a new appreciation for plays and for music.
He’s seen Willie Nelson play three times and says any one of those shows could be the best he’s ever seen. “Every time Willie plays, he’s just great.”
Lynryd Skynyrd and Allison Kraus are other favorites. Others like Joan Jett’s visit in the 1980s just left Antoniello shaking his head.
Antoniello still gets a faraway look in his eye when he remembers that night. He laughs uneasily as he recounts every ushers worst nightmare come to life.
“First thing she said when she got on stage was ‘screw this theater, screw security, I want everybody up out of their seats and dancing in the aisles.’ Good lord, what a night that was.”
Crowded aisles are an usher’s worst enemy. They lead to impaired views, lost seats and a fire hazard.
Antoniello still remembers his favorite visit to the theater. He took his wife there on their first date 39 years ago, before he donned the black vest and bow tie usher ensemble. They watched Charlton Heston’s “The Ten Commandments.”
A strange choice for a date movie, Antoniello concedes almost four decades later. But, he said, there’s no arguing with results.