Cyrano at BAM — Page 2

I feel conflicted about these rush tickets. Would I love a chance to sit this close to the actors for just $10? You bet! Is it a good idea to give everyone, regardless of their means, an opportunity to secure the best seats in the house? Yes! Do I think it's unfair to put another row of seats, even if they are cushions, in front of those who paid a pretty penny to have an unobstructed view of the stage? That's also a "yes." BTW, I saw a photo in which there was a tall person wearing a hat in one of those onstage seats. I am certain he blocked the view of the person behind him. So I am happy for those who get to enjoy this incredible deal but also a bit sad for anyone who bought Row A center tickets.

Until they stand up at curtain call, and are totally in the way. The difference is that the people who bought the second or third row for other shows at premium prices knew that people would be sitting in front of them, regardless of how much they were paying. Not so in this case.

Updated On: 4/11/22 at 09:40 PM

Boohoo. Eat the rich.

Saw the show on the weekend and it was amazing. Poetic, funny, tragic and deeply romantic. Such an original and daring take on a well-known story. The cast is great. James McAvoy is mesmerizing and immensely talented, his performance is real, raw, powerful, charismatic and deeply moving. I know the production is not eligible for the Tonys but I hope McAvoy gets some other type of award recognition for his incredible performance.

The night I saw the show audience reaction was great. If anyone has a chance to go, please do.

Updated On: 4/12/22 at 11:53 PM

ClydeBarrow said: "vls15 said: "I feel conflicted about these rush tickets. Would I love a chance to sit this close to the actors for just $10? You bet! Is it a good idea to give everyone, regardless of their means, an opportunity to secure the best seats in the house? Yes! Do I think it's unfair to put another row of seats, even if they are cushions, in front of those who paid a pretty penny to have an unobstructed view of the stage? That's also a "yes." BTW, I saw a photo in which there was a tall person wearing a hat in one of those onstage seats. I am certain he blocked the view of the person behind him. So I am happy for those who get to enjoy this incredible deal but also a bit sad for anyone who bought Row A center tickets."

Thanks for joining today to express your sorrow for the poor (rich) people who might be slightly inconvenienced."

Wow, guys, thanks for the warm welcome! And by the way, I do know a person who has a front-row center seat and will be traveling from another state to see the play: elderly, disabled and far from being rich. It's supposed to be a special treat for her as she's been unwell lately and is a big McAvoy fan. And yes, I do feel sad for her because her view will be blocked as she won't be able to get up from her seat at the curtain call. But it looks like these types of arguments fall on deaf ears here: "I don't know if I was impeding anyone's view but I really didn't care."

Updated On: 4/12/22 at 10:43 AM

The Harvey is not a transfer friendly house, I don't know why productions keep agreeing to it. The producers clearly saw the large gap in between the edge of the proscenium and first row of seats, and knew they could fit more people in. How they went about it is clearly ruffling feathers.

A more conscious approach could've been adding a row of freestanding chairs, and moving all existing row A buyers to those seats, and re-sell the old Row A as obstructed view due to heads. But even in that obstructed picture on page 1, it's clear that these folks ~literally sitting on the floor~ are not obstructing anyones view.

Sitting in row A does not guarantee you air rights between your seat feet and the proscenium. I know it is often assumed, but the folks sitting on the floor in front of you are hardly robbing you of anything.

I would respectfully disagree and argue that while the curtain call may not be part of the play, it is an important part of the show/experience, especially for hardcore fans who overcome physical distances and ailments for an opportunity to see their favorite actor up close.

But I do agree with those who have mentioned transparency. Frankly, that's the biggest issue for me. There is no mention of these on-stage seats if you go to the official BAM page. As you know, these tickets were added last minute and are sold exclusively through TodayTix (I assume the website has made a deal with the theater). I think those who are considering the front-row center seats, for whatever reason, need to be aware that their assumption that they will have an unobstructed view of the stage at all times may be erroneous. And while I have not been in that theater yet, I have seen plenty of photos on social media to argue that the Row A Center view may be obstructed especially if you have someone tall sitting in front of you who doesn't even have the common courtesy to remove his hat.

As I said earlier, I am all for providing access to live shows for all income brackets, but why not set aside a few rush tix in Row A if that's the goal here instead of putting people on cushions in front of the existing first row seats?

I am supposed to attend the show in a few days-- first row of the balcony. My assumption is that there will be no hovering cushions in the air in front of that row. But perhaps that's erroneous, too?

Updated On: 4/12/22 at 04:09 PM

www.bam.org/contactus

There are multiple reasons why I joined, one of them being an opportunity to have a constructive conversation about an issue that I found to be of interest. However, I did not join this board to be bullied by someone who for some reason feels threatened by the views of a complete stranger.

inception said: Yeah that's something all regular readers here know, but probably should be in the fine print when you join BWW... "Please expect to be bullied by someone for some reason.""

:) It would be funny if it weren't so sad! There is already so much drama in the real word. So I don't understand the need to drag all the negativity and bitterness into a virtual space dedicated to theater-- a vehicle that is supposed to allow us to examine the world from multiple perspectives and promote tolerance.

Updated On: 4/12/22 at 08:06 PM

NYT Critic's Pick from Jesse Green:

James McAvoy gives a ravishing performance, without benefit of prosthetics or props, in a new adaptation alive with the love of language.

VotePeron said: "JasonC3 said: "I don't think it is too much to ask that a seating chart will reflect all seats knowingly being sold."

I doubt anyone at BAM knew these seats would exist until literally a few days performances started and the producers requested seats be created to fill the gap between the edge of the stage and the front row."

Sure, but that doesn't explain why no info shows on the chart now.

Deadline is a rave:

"Think you’ve had enough Cyrano de Bergerac lately? Think again. Jamie Lloyd’s Olivier Award-winning production of the Edmond Rostand classic, starring James McAvoy in one of this theater season’s most riveting performances, is opening tonight in its U.S. premiere at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and it’s a stunner."

https://deadline.com/2022/04/american-buffalo-cyrano-broadway-review-darren-criss-james-mcavoy-1235002080/