Do Broadway theaters have the right to confiscate cameras?
No. The ushers have only two remedies–throw you out, and/or call the police. But some security forces do abuse the fact that you’ve done something wrong and thus won’t be likely to call the police on them, and go far beyond what the law allows. I associate that kind of vigilante security with rock shows and dive bars, not Broadway, but I suppose it’s possible. Realistically, that late in the show they’re not going to be remotely as vigilant for cameras as they would be at the start. And security’s first line against unauthorized shooters is almost always to try very hard to coerce you (often by lying to you about what they can do next) into erasing the images before going to anything more drastic. Be meek, submissive and apologetic when you get caught and all they’re going to do is make you erase. Security types are all about power. Acknowledge their (legally nonexistant) power and nothing terribly bad will happen to you. Have a friend you can hand the tape off to the minute you’re do
