I sat at the three person table TS on stage right just behind the SB banquettes. It was a great location! I felt like we were able to see all of the action (though it sometimes required some twisting and turning) and there was a great deal of interaction as well. We received all of the items that were handed out. I was concerned that I might not be able to see from my seat because I am a small person and the people at the banquettes in front of me (between me and Pierre's study) were larger than I am, but I had no problem seeing between them. The whole experience was just a great deal of fun.
I'm going to be coming in from Kansas City to see the show in June. It's going to be quite a splurge, so I've been reading this board to try and figure out the perfect seats. It seems like a majority of people love the banquettes. I am admittedly wanting to see Josh Groban as closely and as often as possible, but I don't want to lose the overall big picture of the show--interaction with cast, possibly shakers/a letter, etc. I know that it is going to be amazing regardless of where I'm sitting, but I'm really hoping for the magical combination of "lots of Josh" and "lots of the whole show". Can I get some opinions on seats that offer the best of both worlds? Thanks in advance!
If you are willing to forego facetime with Groban, I'd go front Mezz for the best overall view. We sat in the second row of the baquettes stage R and had a number of moments with him. (Which I'm sure he remembers just as vividly as we do.)
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
Laramelis said: "I'm going to be coming in from Kansas City to see the show in June. It's going to be quite a splurge, so I've been reading this board to try and figure out the perfect seats. It seems like a majority of people love the banquettes. I am admittedly wanting to see Josh Groban as closely and as often as possible, but I don't want to lose the overall big picture of the show--interaction with cast, possibly shakers/a letter, etc. I know that it is going to be amazing regardless of where I'm sitting, but I'm really hoping for the magical combination of "lots of Josh" and "lots of the whole show". Can I get some opinions on seats that offer the best of both worlds? Thanks in advance!"
My post is the one just above yours, and I felt we definitely got all of what you're wanting. My friend made direct eye contact with Josh Groban and then died happy. There are banquettes right in front of where I was sitting (SB) that would probably fit the bill for you.
The best seat at this show is outside of the theater...it doesn't matter where you sit, the show is bad from every single seat, haha! Well, that's how I feel about it.
"People have their opinions and that doesn't mean that their opinions are wrong or right. I just take it with a grain of salt because opinions are like as*holes, everyone has one".
-Felicia Finley-
Well, that's literally helpful to no one on the seating thread.
Laramelis, I sat in the banquettes when I first saw the show and they're excellent- very easy to take everything in, and you do get lots of up-close interaction with the cast. Josh, in particular, spends much of his time on the stage, especially for Dust and Ashes and the final number. So if you have the money and are willing to splurge, go for it. But, almost every seat in the house is great, so even if you sit somewhere further away it'll still be a great time.
I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.
Laramelis said: "I'm going to be coming in from Kansas City to see the show in June. It's going to be quite a splurge, so I've been reading this board to try and figure out the perfect seats. It seems like a majority of people love the banquettes. I am admittedly wanting to see Josh Groban as closely and as often as possible, but I don't want to lose the overall big picture of the show--interaction with cast, possibly shakers/a letter, etc. I know that it is going to be amazing regardless of where I'm sitting, but I'm really hoping for the magical combination of "lots of Josh" and "lots of the whole show". Can I get some opinions on seats that offer the best of both worlds? Thanks in advance!
"
I'm also from KC. I saw the show back when it was still in previews. We were two or three rows back on the aisle of the banquettes. The banquettes are great, being on the aisle we had a ton of interaction with the cast. Groban walked right by me. You do miss some of the entrances since they happen above and behind you. We're actually going back to NYC in july and my gf loved this so much we're seeing it again. We're sitting at one of the tables (TS I think?) so we'll be facing the other way but still on stage.
Big Apple2 said: "Alright, after reading this thread, I've narrowed my choices to these seats: BC/BD 21/23 or front mezzanine center right A 7/8. Same price for all seats. I don't mind the interaction but would like to sit with the best views available. For those who have seen the show, which seats would be the best? Thanks."
I decided to splurge and got the BC seats. Incidentally, the show lists Dave Malloy as playing Pierre on the date we are going. But it is not one of the 10 dates that was previously announced that Malloy will be performing and confirmed in this morning's Playbill email offers. Who knows we might get lucky and still get Groban to perform that evening. Even if not, I'm still looking forward to seeing the show, especially now with the onstage seats.
I decided to splurge and got the BC seats. Incidentally, the show lists Dave Malloy as playing Pierre on the date we are going. But it is not one of the 10 dates that was previously announced that Malloy will be performing and confirmed in this morning's Playbill email offers. Who knows we might get lucky and still get Groban to perform that evening. Even if not, I'm still looking forward to seeing the show, especially now with the onstage seats.
Josh Groban is wonderful as Pierre, but Dave Malloy's voice is really quite special, and it suits the material perfectly. You can't lose either way.
I went to see The Great Comet tonight and as promised a few posts ago, I came back to tell you about my seating experience. I had SA1 (stage seat) and I wanted to see Josh Groban, interact with the actors and see the show as a whole.
1) Seeing Josh Groban: I give this seat 8.5-9.0/10. You see him a lot and very up close. I feel that SA seats are better than SB in this regard. But if you are a big Groban fan the best seats for you are the SE4 and 5. Pierre has many moments seated at his desk and you will be facing him all this time.
2) Interacting with the actors: 10/10. You are right there in the action and in my case I was [hand]kissed by one of the actors (Nick Choksi/Dolokhov) and [hand]kissed him back.
3) Seeing the show as a whole: 8/10. Yes, you miss some parts and sometimes the action is so in your face that you can see the whole picture. It didn't bother me because I enjoyed being immersed in the stage but if you want to see everything all the time this seats may not be for you. That said, I think everybody misses something because the dancing and singing is all over the place and you can't see everything at the same time.
Thank you so much to everybody who shared information in this thread. It helped me to choose the right seat for me!
i rushed Weds and had the last seat far right in row J (I think 22?)... loved it.
rushed this morning and got B 13 & 15. I can't figure out where these are. Looking at seating chart there don't seem to be any seats that correspond. I don't believe they're on stage.
can anyone confirm or comment?
i know others have been able to ask for different seats during rush but my guy was quite a pill. I was 2nd in line - I understand the 1st in line guy got on stage seats.
perhaps I need to be further back in line next time.
Toowylde said: "i rushed Weds and had the last seat far right in row J (I think 22?)... loved it.
rushed this morning and got B 13 & 15. I can't figure out where these are. Looking at seating chart there don't seem to be any seats that correspond. I don't believe they're on stage.
can anyone confirm or comment?
i know others have been able to ask for different seats during rush but my guy was quite a pill. I was 2nd in line - I understand the 1st in line guy got on stage seats.
perhaps I need to be further back in line next time.
Those seats are 2nd row left orchestra, 3 and 4 seats off the outside aisle.
Last row of front mezzanine, with performers at the very front of the mezzanine and on the platform just behind me. Which I thought was ideal both for the immediately surrounding business and the dazzling view of both the house and the on-stage-set, and for the distance it offered between me and the on-stage action. I'm not at all sure that I would have enjoyed the show nearly as much had I been sitting on stage; though that might have been fun, and has the added benefit of visibility for all of the "incidental" performing going on throughout the entire house (above and below), I somehow doubt it's the best vantagepoint for appreciating the narrative. And, anecdotally (I'm not suggesting a scientific poll, and I'm sure there are exceptions at any rate), I've noticed that people I know who also sat in the house seem to like the show much better than those who sat on stage.
Thank you so much for all the helpful information in this thread! I am about to buy 2 on stage tickets and from the seats available, I have narrowed it down to either BC 21/23 or TP 1/2/3/4 or TN 1/2/3. If you recommend one of the tables, could you tell me which two seats might be best depending on how they face?
For anyone still concerned, I saw the show from the last row of the rear mezz this afternoon (after seeing it from the banquettes in November) and thought they were great. I preferred being onstage slightly more since I like to see facial expressions, but the rear mezz really does have a pretty terrific view of the whole house and you barely miss a thing. I brought three guests with me for their first time, and they all loved the show.
As a side note, the show is even better since November. Josh continues to turn in a wonderful performance, and Denee really has grown- their last scene together was excellent and very moving. Brittain Ashford and Amber Gray continue to be stand-outs (Was Amber always optioning up at the end of Charming? She did it today and it sounded gorgeous). Lucas Steele was sadly out, but Blaine Alden Krauss was on for Anatole and did a great job. He looks a little younger than Lucas, but I thought the youthful energy was great for the part. Overall, I still think it's one of the most exciting shows on Broadway, and if you're waiting still to see it, the trip is well-worth it.
I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.
I decided to splurge and got the BC seats. Incidentally, the show lists Dave Malloy as playing Pierre on the date we are going. But it is not one of the 10 dates that was previously announced that Malloy will be performing and confirmed in this morning's Playbill email offers. Who knows we might get lucky and still get Groban to perform that evening. Even if not, I'm still looking forward to seeing the show, especially now with the onstage seats.
Josh Groban is wonderful as Pierre, but Dave Malloy's voice is really quite special, and it suits the material perfectly. You can't lose either way."
Telecharge is no longer listing Dave Malloy performing on the evening I got tickets for. Looks like Groban might be in as Pierre after all. Either way, I'm looking forward to it.
I sat on the second row of banquet seating on stage left! Such amazing seats, I'd seen the show twice before and this was the best seating, plus the opportunity to walk through the bunker and enter through the stage doors is amazing and adds to the excitement of the show. Such great interaction with cast made eye contact with Grace McLean several times and then got her letter during Letters! Plus it's amazing seeing all the action that also happens in the theater, including some awesome choreography happening in the mezzanine! It's worth the money to sit on stage
Thanks to everyone who took the time to post about this! After carefully reading all the posts, I bought my ticket (about 2/3 of this thread was here when I bought it), and then I spent the next 1/3 of the thread second-guessing myself. But I ended up being thrilled with my seat, which was BC23 (banquette). I felt I had a good view of everything. I only had to turn my head slightly to see what was happening at the rear entrance. As far as loot - I got a dumpling, a shaker, and a page of the book, which pretty much fell in my lap. I was also snowed on. I didn't realize letters were being handed out until the person next to me got one - I was looking somewhere totally different at the time - but I think if you wanted to get a letter, this seat has good potential for that, if you make eye contact when they're being passed out.
As far as interaction - a lot of action takes place in the BC23 area, and cast members would occasionally talk to me. I got lots of eye contact (especially with Denee Benton) and people singing directly to me. However, you're not dragged into the action, thank goodness. I don't have much to say about Groban interaction since I had no idea who he was before I started looking into attending this show, so I wasn't looking at him all that often and wasn't that clued in to where he was at any given moment. There was plenty of legroom (I'm really tall), and there was enough room for me to put my small bag next to me to my immediate right, without crowding the person to my right. However, you do have to keep your legs tucked in, since cast members occasionally use the vacant floor space in front of this seat, and I wouldn't recommend putting anything on the floor except your legs. Thanks again to everyone who posted - it was really helpful!
I have a very specific seating question for anyone that can help me out.
I have seats this weekend in the center rear mezz, one row directly behind what seems to be a break in the audience. Looks from photos as if there's a bar or piece of stage where actors walk or dance on in the rear mezz and my seat is directly behind that walkway. Has anyone sat there and can comment on the view?
GreasedLightning said: "I have a very specific seating question for anyone that can help me out.
I have seats this weekend in the center rear mezz, one row directly behind what seems to be a break in the audience. Looks from photos as if there's a bar or piece of stage where actors walk or dance on in the rear mezz and my seat is directly behind that walkway. Has anyone sat there and can comment on the view?
"
Yes! It's absolutely spectacular from there. Also, watch out for high kicks. Enjoy!
velevele said: "Thanks to everyone who took the time to post about this! After carefully reading all the posts, I bought my ticket (about 2/3 of this thread was here when I bought it), and then I spent the next 1/3 of the thread second-guessing myself. But I ended up being thrilled with my seat, which was BC23 (banquette). I felt I had a good view of everything."
Thanks for the detailed report about this seat. I have this exact same seat in a few weeks. Looking forward to seeing the show. Now I just need to do a little preparation so I don't get confused.
I was gonna buy third row mezzanine, but now I see that some of the banquettes are now not premium. How is BD 8 (or one close) compared to the mezzanine seat I was planning on buying?