Another Richard Rogers Theatre / Hamilton seating question — Page 3

Oh wow! Thanks Pasunepomme! That explanation/description along with the picture really helps! I love the idea of being up close but was mainly worried that we wouldn't get the full experience of the show being further to the side, but your comments really have reassured me that Row E might be the best choice! Thanks again!

You're welcome! And to the question about how much action takes place on the stage left upper balcony. Not a ton of material stuff - if you're familiar with the OBCR, in the opening number, the women are up there for the delivery of the "We loved him" line, Burr delivers the rousing opening of Guns & Ships from there ("Everyone give it up for America's favorite fighting frenchman!", the discussion between Eliza and Philip over the newspaper in Schuyler Defeated happens up there, Eaker's response to Philip's challenge happens from up there...I think that's it.

eta: oh and Washington at the end of Non-Stop is on the upper balcony, stage left.

Updated On: 3/1/16 at 06:33 PM

My daughter sat in the rear mezzanine Row A, and she told me afterward she felt she was far away from the stage.

If you want, google A View From My Seat, and then type in Richard Rodgers Theater. There are some photos from the rear mezzanine, I believe. You can see for yourself.

Updated On: 3/1/16 at 08:50 PM

Thanks, I haven't found any pictures from the last row or two of the rear mezz, but what I have seen does look far.

I suppose if we're spending the money on airfare and the hotel, we should suck it up and spend another $250 each to actually see what's on stage. ?? I better go sell a kidney...or my Adele tickets...

You're welcome; happy to help. From my seat (E20) I could not see any of things I listed earlier with the exception of at the start of Guns and Ships I could see Leslie's bottom half :P I remembered all of the things I mentioned from having seen the show previously. My wife, who was in the seat right next to mine - E18 -said she *could* see Eliza and Philip talking about the election in Schuyler Defeated and she *could* see Burr at the start of Guns & Ships, but she could not see the other things I mentioned that happen on the balcony stage left because of the angle of her seat to the stage.

My wife and I are both big fans of Renee Goldsberry's Angelica Schuyler, so we would both for sure say the more significant balcony action happens on stage right balcony. That's where Angelica is for her whole first part of Take A Break.

kboboy said: "Wow, thanks so much Pasunepomme! That is great info! Now, could you see any of this going on from your row E seats, or did you just remember from your previous viewings in the other seats? Either way, like you said, it is pretty minimal, but would you say more important action occurs on the stage right balcony?"

kboboy said: "Once again, thanks! I think the row E seats will be just fine!

However, on a separate but related subject, I got scoffed at for thinking the ticket prices might go down in the next couple of months. Yes I know the tony awards are coming up and Hamilton should take home some awards making it even more popular, but I'm looking at tickets to a show in September. Would you think that news of certain actors/actresses not coming back to their roles after their contracts are up would drive the prices down? I hate thinking I'd be paying for the names Lin Manuel, Leslie Odom and Phillipa Soo, when there's a large possibility that they might not even be in the cast come September. Do you think they will be gone by then and if so would that news potentially result in lower demand/ticket prices? Thanks!"

Ah, that is the big question, isn't it. I really don't know enough about the NYC theater scene and how things have played out with prior popular productions, to hazard a guess that is remotely informed. THAT SAID, this is America, so I naturally still have my own personal opinion which I will share! :P I would hazard a guess that most people aren't going to see any particular person when they're going to see Hamilton. They've heard it's the It show, so they want to be in the know, or they've heard the cast recording and thought it was cool and want to see how the show looks on stage. I do think prices will go down a bit with time (and with the new tours beginning performances in Chicago and LA), but I don't know that the decrease will be anything substantial until we get into next year and there's a new Show Of The Moment, do you know what I mean?

All signs point to the original cast's contracts being up in mid-July. I think Lin for sure will leave; he has too much on his plate to continue doing 7 shows a week, between the music for Moana, new film projects he's been rumored to be attached to, I'm sure original projects we don't even know about yet, and a toddler. I get the impression from Leslie that he's ready to move on, but if his remarkable performance is recognized with a Tony, i imagine there's a good chance the folks behind the scenes will make every effort to extend him for a bit (especially if Lin is leaving). I don't have much of a feeling either way about Phillipa. This is her breakout role, so I would guess she stays until she has an offer for another big show. The only thing I know for sure is that Chris Jackson says he's George Washington for life :P

Pasunepomme, I share the same thoughts as you on this. I am hoping they can convince/extend the contracts of some of the big names to stay through the end of 2016, but like you said if other major opportunities come up it might be too hard to keep them. But nonetheless, this is Broadway and pretty much anyone who takes over should be great, but seeing the original cast is always preferred since they are the ones you listen to on the soundtrack.

Macnyc, yeah I'm looking at resale tickets which are extremely high. But at the same time, the popularity of the show drives those prices. So my thought was that if some of the main actors are not there anymore this could lessen the popularity a little bit and some of the sellers might get worried that they can't sell their tickets for as high as they want and that could potentially help tone down the insane prices. Just like if you wait until right before the show and check prices, many tickets drop significantly bc the sellers don't want to risk not being able to sell...But is waiting to find out a risk I want to take? Probably not.

Again, this is purely speculation bc I don't know nearly enough about the subject at hand.

Drama mama, I understand what you mean and I generally agree but not everyone shares the same belief...For instance, would you pay more to see the show with the original cast? Of course you would...so with that thought in mind, if the show does not have the original cast, one would think the price would go down. That may or may not happen, but that is the rationale behind my thinking.

Both have pros and cons, however, I'd stay in the orch vs rear mezz.

Thirding. I've sat in the front row of the rear mezz and in side orchestra row E and I would take side orchestra over the rear mezz any day. Hell, I'd take it over the front mezz, myself.

You will miss some of the action on the upper left, including Angelica's first part of Take a Break, which she delivers from the top of the stairs, but to me it's worth it to be so close to the performance in all other regards. The nuances of the actors' expressions, the finer points of the choreography...all of that will be so much clearer to you from Side B Orch than all the way in the rear mezz.

I do agree that there are some arguments to be made in favor of rear mezz, but I think Side Orch, up close, has much more to recommend it.

Updated On: 6/13/16 at 12:24 PM

@Barbraboy19902, I've seen some complain that it's a little hard to make out everything that happens on the second level from the rear of the orchestra, but that should be the only issue with those seats. Definitely not bad seats at all! Here's a view someone shared from Row V http://aviewfrommyseat.com/photo/46980/Richard+Rodgers+Theatre/section-Orch/row-V/seat-8/

As I posted in another message row W is extremely partial view. Worse than that is the standing room behind them. It is a disgrace that even sell them

Unless your vision is far superior than mine (which I hope it is), the subtle expressions are lost at that distance, at least for me. I am vertically challenged as well - would definitely recommend a book or a folded sweatshirt or something to sit on. ENJOY!