Broadway houses - weird numbering?

It is the most ridiculous set up i have ever seen.
Why does it have to be laid out so stupidly complicated i have always wondered.
What's wrong with 1,2,3,4
Whys it got to go 112 112 113 etc
pathetic and pointless.!

Maybe it's so that people who have paid huge sums for premium seats in the centre orchestra can feel that a high numbered seat is really worth more than a low numbered one!

There's another stupid thing - orchestra? Are you supposed to play an instrument or something? (Note: Must give that idea to John Doyle) What's wrong with "stalls"?

At least they don't have to pay for programmes, I suppose.

To me it actually makes nearly zero sense. I was about to buy seat N28 in the Orchestra (which I was hoping wasn't a seat in the pit) of the New Amsterdam, because I know its a big theatre and therefore would have about 50 seats per row - 28 being about centre.
However, thankfully Disney offer a preview of the view from the seat and I punched in the seat number - I was on the END of a row, the view partially covered by a box!!
What complete idiot came up with this nonsensical system?

Mama, when I saw the Booth I nearly laughed at how complicated it was - with the arrows, and different sections etc

I like both systems and thus see no problem with the American one. Three-digit numbers equal a center section seat. For the two-digit numbers, odd numbers mean house left, even numbers indicate house right. It may seem complicated, but it defines sections via their numbers (something that can't be done with a 1-50 sort of system, as numbers vary from theatre to theatre). But I am fully aware that it is a little complicated...it definitely takes some getting used to!

PS: I agree...the West End board is a much more leisurely and pleasant place to be!

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Updated On: 2/22/09 at 10:59 PM

An exception.....the centre block numbering holds on a few plans Ive looked at..but the left/right, odd/even doesn't...see the Belasco and Broadway!

Know that about people not being able to find their row - happens especially when rows been taken out or rows as AA and BB are in front of row A.
Had so often already people standing in front of me thinking am in their seat, e.g. at the Prince Edward theatre where there is no row A, as people often just count the number of rows from the stage instead of looking properly.
Another system which also confuses some people is the one Stage Entertainment in Germany uses.
They divide the auditorium into left and right and the most central one is seat number 1 (the further on the side you are the higher your number then) but there is seat number 1 left and seat number 1 right - and some people just do not know the difference between left and right.

I love at the Manchester Palace that we have no 'I' row, that confuses people, its kinda funny watching people trying to figure out where their row has gone lol, i always go and help though

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My friend told me about missing row I a couple of weeks ago, I didn't believe her until I saw it haha.

I think the Broadway method can be helpful if, for example, you're buying from TKTS and don't have a seating chart handy. So if you get Row G, seats 6 and 8 you know you're the 3rd and 4th seats of the aisle.

Also, aside from New York theatres and a few others - mostly on the east coast and in Chicago - the majority of the theatres in the US I've been to don't use this numbering system (which means American tourists are just as confused as anyone else). Most have seats numbered numerically in each section like this:

http://nwcts.org/html/prod-seating-big.html

Totally agree about booking tickets for Tarzan - though I saw it in the Netherlands, not Germany. The theatre is a circus theatre, so its in-the-round-ish. There is only one level of seats, just at the edges they are raked around in a circle. I bought a medium price ticket and figured that since it was in-the-round-ish I would get a good enough seat. The plan worked perfectly :) I was just off centre on the rake, so I was able to take in the whole show, while still having people fly directly over my head.

Glad to hear that I'm not alone in thinking the US system is absurd :)

There's generally no row O either, is there?

That plan of the Booth is confusing to me and I've got a Maths degree. Thanks to ThankstoPhantom whose explanation is helpful.

Those of us who can remember LPs can probably recall how UK double LPs had sides 1 and 2 on one disc and sides 3 and 4 on another (so you only had to change discs once), whilst US double releases had sides 1 and 4 on one disc and sides 2 and 3 on another (so you had to change discs twice). It's not surprising they drive on the wrong side of the road, just like their best pals the French.

I love how boyfromoz2 has obviously spotted the Weez analysis!

Updated On: 2/24/09 at 05:18 PM