first-nighters

The fact that he then had the nerve to write a play of his own inspired Life magazine to run a story called "A Critic Awaits His Critics" whose anonymous author reported that "a highly expectant swarm of first-nighters, whiffing blood like spectators at a Roman circus, were on hand to watch Gibbs come to grief or glory."

He Knew What He Liked—Not Much Terry Teachout 2012

The gallery, first-nighters to a man and obviously trained to a hair, applauded with great fervour.

The Lonely Sea MacLean, Alistair, 1922- 1985

His front-row seats would be selling at box-office prices, while we would have sold out the house at ten thousand times the cost of the production before the first-nighters had even seen a press notice.

L.P.M. : the end of the Great War

The former was conveniently situated for first-nighters at the

Inns and Taverns of Old London

Theirs was not the excitement of men going into battle, nervous and uncertain of their behavior under fire; it was rather that of light-hearted first-nighters waiting in the queue to witness some new and popular drama.

Tommy Atkins at War As Told in His Own Letters James Alexander Kilpatrick

He knew he wasn't going to offer an entertainment to a houseful of metropolitan first-nighters, with attendant critics from the newspapers to display their erudition next morning in cold type and hot words.

A Pirate of Parts Richard Neville

"Mrs. Fleming's Husband," and the house was packed with the usual crowd of first-nighters, critics, and members of "the" profession who were anxious to see Miss de Gervais in the new part Max Errington had created for her.

The Splendid Folly Margaret Pedler

This is quite enough, thank you-an assessment with which the appalled looks on the faces of the first-nighters around me at this "Encores!" fiasco seemed to agree.

Julia Stiles, Dairy Queen 1933

Mr. Fred Grundy, Mr. Patchin, Mr. Tewson, and Mr. Tuohy were also among my “first-nighters.”

The Adventure of Living Strachey, John St Loe 1922

I found that there existed as distinct and invariable a lot of second-nighters as of first-nighters.

Seven Men Max Beerbohm 1914