Best Place to sit at The Richard Rogers

[Golenboybway]

Posted: 2/26/15 at 8:58pm

I'm waiting to buy tickets for Hamilton but I wanna know where is the best place to sit at The Richard Rogers Theatre?

[VotePeron]

Posted: 2/26/15 at 9:09pm

The Rogers doesn't offer the best seating options. I guess the front/mid orchestra is ideal.

The problem with the front mezzanine is how HIGH it is, so you're kind of looking straight down at the stage. The rear mezz is then not only high up, but far away as well.

The rear orchestra then also constricts a lot of action due to the overhang of the mezzanine.

So, if you're looking for the "best" and have money for a premium seat, then I would say Row H is ideal in the Orchestra.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 2/26/15 at 9:27pm

Mid-Orch or Front Row Mezz

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 2/26/15 at 11:46pm

I sat second row mezzanine for IF/THEN and thought they were excellent seats. For CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF I was side orchestra, and didn't love the seats.

But whatever you do, DO NOT sit in the rear orchestra. The orchestra is raked and you can't see a thing.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 2/27/15 at 12:15am

This visual should help

Updated On: 2/27/15 at 12:15 AM

[JPeterman]

Posted: 2/27/15 at 12:24am

Goldenboy, I sat on the aisle in row N for If/Then. The view was excellent because the back half of the orchestra is stadium style seating. The leg room was the least I have encountered in any Broadway theater. I am average height, and my legs were cramping like I was Kareem Abdul Jabbar, even being on the aisle. Perhaps the front orchestra has better leg room but the view from about row K-N is great because of the stadium seating.

Robbie, I am very impressed by your voluminous theater image library. You always have an excellent theater picture for any circumstance. Thanks, I have used your pics before to help select seats.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 2/27/15 at 12:30am

JPeterman
:)
You're welcome ~ my pleasure!I luv theater interiors...I wish more sources were available for interiors shots especially showing the architecture of all the broadway houses!

[Patash]

Posted: 2/27/15 at 8:52am

My favorite seats for most shows in most houses is front row mezzanine, and I was happy to score those seats for If,Then. But I am not exaggerating when I say those were the MOST MISERABLE seats I've ever sat in on Broadway. There is about 4 to 5 inches of space between the front of the seat and the wall in front of you. I could not put my legs facing forward, as there was no room for my toes to face forward without cocking my legs back, and that was impossible as the seat itself would not allow me to do that. The two of us literally sat sideways in our seats with our legs wedged together between the two seats aiming to the right. Fortunately a woman next to us actually got up and left after about 10 minutes because she couldn't sit there. So then we could sit even further sideways using the space in front of the empty seat to put my legs, and my partner sitting sideways to put his legs in front of my seat. Not sure if this description is clear, but trust me, it was miserable. These were the side section of the front row mezzanine, by the way.

[macnyc]

Posted: 2/27/15 at 10:26am

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll avoid the first-row mezzanine because of the lack of leg room.

For If/Then my friend and I sat in the first row of the rear mezzanine. The view was very good, and there was plenty of leg room (a short curtain is in front of you). If you need to save money, consider those seats. But I want to be closer to the stage for Hamilton.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 2/27/15 at 11:39am

RODGERS. WITH A G.

[bandit964]

Posted: 2/27/15 at 1:12pm

Robbie, I also LOVE theatre interiors. Sometimes I get more excited to see the theatre itself when I know the show I'm going to seeing is in a theatre I haven't been to before. Still have 9 more on Broadway to go to. I'm hoping to hit up Circle in the Square this spring.

Anyways, I just recently came across Spotlight On Broadway. When was this launched? I am obsessed with it. Here is the page for the Richard Rogers: http://spotlightonbroadway.com/theater/richard-rodgers Each theatre has it's own 4 minute video. (They brought in some amazing lighting crews to do the videos, though, because a lot of the theatres don't look quite the same when you're there in person)

In RE to the OP, I would also say center-mid orch, or front mezz. The stage at the Richard Rogers is really high up and the first few rows are cranking their necks. And that rear orch has that terrible overhang.

I keep hearing people talk about the Rogers as the best designed theatre with the stadium seating. They don't start raking it until 10 rows back, and then the upper half of the "stadium section" has the entire upper portion of the staged blocked. Really only about 6 ideal rows in the orchestra and 6 in the front mezz.

Updated On: 2/27/15 at 01:12 PM

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 2/27/15 at 1:43pm

Thank you for sharing that website, bandit! These videos are so well done.

[JeffDaEgg2]

Posted: 2/27/15 at 2:20pm

Unfortunately, the legroom seems to be an issue in multiple sections of the Rodgers. I got lotto loser seats in row E mezz and was in pain the entire first act. I'm 6'3" so that happens in certain theatres, but the two average-height guys next to me were having the same issues. We had to take advantage of empty seats for the second act in order to sit with our legs to the sides and not want to chop our legs off. They need to redo this damn theatre!

[Robbie2]

Posted: 2/27/15 at 10:47pm

bandit964, thank you and yes I am familiar with the Spotlight on Broadway site.

------

Visual for Circle in the Square Theater

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 2/28/15 at 12:10am

neonlightsxo - you mean... "with a D."

[macnyc]

Posted: 2/28/15 at 1:37pm

How I wish Hamilton were going into the Booth or something else smaller, with better leg room! Oh, well!

[Auggie27]

Posted: 2/28/15 at 9:21pm

Dreadful leg room (but what theater doesn't? Has anyone sat upstairs at the St. James of the worst, the Golden, lately? I'm 6 ft and my legs take a terrible beating in the front mezz everywhere.) Still, the sightlines at the Rogers -- I've been going there since WHOREHOUSE -- are terrific. I sat in the mezz and 2nd acted SIDE SHOW back in the day (and paid, too, to sit downstairs, so don't yell at me), but mostly sat downstairs. Wonderful experience with PORGY AND BESS fairly recently. Saw IF/THEN twice, both times in ideal seats, just beyond the midway walkway that separates the orchestra, Row N? (this show is one of the best fits for the house, whatever you think of the piece.) The house always feels intimate because of that rake. But I haven't sat upstairs since SIDE SHOW. I bet HAMILTON works wonderfully there.

Updated On: 2/28/15 at 09:21 PM

[Hairspray0901]

Posted: 2/28/15 at 9:57pm

i'd say the best seats are L in the orchestra. specifically on the sides, 2-10 and 1-9. My Mom and her friend sat in L 1 and 3 for if/then and said they seemed like the best seats in the house in terms of view. They're both short (the reason they chose those seats, so no one's heads would be in front of them) and complained about the leg room. My Mom is 5'0 and her friend is 5'3. Seems there are no good seats in terms of leg room....

[Mr. Musical]

Posted: 3/8/15 at 10:02am

Has anyone sat in row A of the rear Mezz? That's where my ticket is.

[macnyc]

Posted: 3/8/15 at 12:10pm

I think you should be fine. I sat there for If/Then. Plus, an added benefit is that there is a short curtain in front of you, rather than a wall, so you'll have the most legroom of anyone in the theater.

[Mr. Musical]

Posted: 3/8/15 at 3:09pm

That's good to hear. That's what I was concerned about. I saw the show at The Public so I'm not so concerned with needing to be too close

[Pianolin717]

Posted: 3/8/15 at 3:38pm

just saw If/Then there and was row L seat 20, great great GREAT view, but if you sit in Row L, sit on the aisle, for the leg room. have also sat in row G on the side for Porgy and had a great view

[BOM]

Posted: 3/8/15 at 5:21pm

Just looked up tickets to see this in july. $200 to sit in the first like 7 rows for this show. Way overpriced in my opinion. This amount of money is a joke, even in book of mormon standards.

[inception]

Posted: 3/14/15 at 11:00pm

I sat in the mezz, I think 3rd row, for If/Then and it was a good seat. The dates I am looking at for Hamilton have seats in row O of the orch for the same price. Which is the better seat? Thanks

[Robbie2]

Posted: 3/15/15 at 12:47am

Orch row O

here's another visual of the theater