Help - presales and Booth Theatre questions

[Elphie1000]

Posted: 1/18/18 at 10:10pm

Hi from a Broadway newbie - never even been to the USA before - please help!

I am looking at the pre-sales for the Boys in the Band at the Booth Theatre and wondering whether to buy tickets through that or to wait for general sale? I want to get tickets in the centre orchestra around rows D-H, but the best available on presale is row M, or the mezzanine (row B). I think I would prefer orchestra as I like to feel close to the actors and I don't like to look over the barrier for the mezzanine. But row M seems a long way back?? and it'll have the mezzanine over it.

So my questions are, do they release different tickets after the pre-sale? or if there's no row D-H on pre-sale does that mean there are just none left?

And if I do wait and try to get better seats in the general sale, how quickly do people think the tickets are likely to go? Might I not end up with any? Might they all sell out the first day or not have any decent seats available?

Please help! :)

[haterobics]

Posted: 1/18/18 at 10:42pm

That probably means they are holding those premium center orchestra seats until they determine how high demand is, and will then sell them for higher prices. They were selling the rows in front of those, behind them, and on the sides last I looked...

I don't think better seats will be sold for the public sale. As for getting shut out, it's unlikely. Some shows hold a lot of premiums and have to reduce the price to regular a day or so in advance, if they aren't moving. They hold other seats back for people with accessibility issues and, if they aren't sold a few days out, they get released as regular priced seats.

But if this a cornerstone of your first trip to the USA, you should probably buy something in advance and be sure you're covered. Telecharge is usually good about giving you one exchange, so if better seats open up later, just give them a call and they will cancel your old order and ring up a new one (of course, if they are charging more for seats at that time, you will have to pay the overage).

[Elphie1000]

Posted: 1/18/18 at 11:09pm

Thank you, I guess I should have booked earlier if they were selling other rows, I just wasn't sure we'd be able to manage the trip.

I do have some accessibility issues but I couldn't see how to access those sorts of tickets? Do they do free companion tickets for disabled carers like they do in the UK for any Broadway shows?

Have you been to the Booth? Is row M any good for those who want to be close to the actors/good view for short people?

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/18/18 at 11:24pm

Definitely call to book your seats if you have accessibility issues! If you’re on the main Telecharge page for the show

https://mtc.telecharge.com/mobile/eventoverview.aspx?cityName=NY%20City%20Area&productId=12288

scroll down and you can get I nfo on accessibility issues (which rows have stairs, etc) and the numbers to call.

It starts with:

“Access Information
Theatre is not completely wheelchair accessible.”

and continues on from there. Every show will (should) have its accessibility info online.

But FYI I’ve never heard of a show that gives free companion tickets.

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/18/18 at 11:27pm

And fwiw, the Booth is TINY, and I’d choose Mezz row B over Orch row M. Mezz row A overhangs Orch row H.

Updated On: 1/18/18 at 11:27 PM

[haterobics]

Posted: 1/18/18 at 11:28pm

Right above where you select # of tickets, there is another link for Wheelchair and Transfer Arm seating.

If you're using mobile, I can't guarantee any of that will be there, but on a desktop, it will and you can select the seats you want.

You will need to purchase two tickets, no one goes for free here. But in older theaters with accessibility issues (such as if there is no way for people with accessibility issues to go to a mezzanine or balcony for cheaper seats), they sometimes offer different price points for the accessible orchestra seating. But that just means the cheaper ones tend to sell out first.

The Booth is a smaller, intimate house, so I don't think there will be much of an issue there. But obviously, if you can get closer, why not?!

[Elphie1000]

Posted: 1/18/18 at 11:35pm

Thanks for the recommendation - can I ask why you'd choose that one? Is the mezzanine not quite a long way away from the actors/feels detached? And quite a high bar to look over at the front?

(My accessibility issues aren't bad enough to require wheelchair so I'd feel bad taking specific wheelchair/transfer seats - I should likely be ok with any aisle seat which both row M and Row B mezzanine seem to have ATM for our dates.)

I am kicking myself that I didn't book earlier.

Updated On: 1/18/18 at 11:35 PM

[haterobics]

Posted: 1/18/18 at 11:37pm

The closest transfer seat is row L on the aisle, so you're not getting much of an upgrade from M at that point anyway...

[Anakela]

Posted: 1/18/18 at 11:51pm

Elphie1000 said: "Thanks for the recommendation - can I ask why you'd choose that one? Is the mezzanine not quite a long way away from the actors/feels detached? And quite a high bar to look over at the front?

(My accessibility issues aren't bad enough to require wheelchair so I'd feel bad taking specific wheelchair/transfer seats - I should likely be ok with any aisle seat which both row M and Row B mezzanine seem to have ATM for our dates.)

I am kicking myself that I didn't book earlier."

 

I feel like maybe theatres where you’re from might be larger? You sound like you think a mezz is further back than it actually is. I would choose mezz row B over orch row M in this particular case, in this particular theatre, for two reasons:

- the overhang. I know that the mezz overhang starts with orch row H, so orch row M would be (5? 6?) rows under the overhang 

- mezz row B is therefore “closer” than orch row M

there isn’t a good a view from my seat under the overhang, but to give an example here’s a view from mezz row C:

https://aviewfrommyseat.com/venue/Booth+Theatre/Mezanine/C/2/

and here’s someone’s Instagram from somewhere in the rear orch (row isn’t posted): https://instagram.com/p/BTP4T1wlvKu/

 

 

[quizking101]

Posted: 1/19/18 at 7:30am

If price is a factor, you could literally sit anywhere in the theatre and not miss a thing, so it’s just a question of how much you want to spend

[Elphie1000]

Posted: 1/19/18 at 6:56pm

Thank you! I eventually decided to go with row B mezzanine on the aisle, hopefully it will be good!!

[Robbie2]

Posted: 1/19/18 at 9:50pm

Elphie1000 said: "Hi from a Broadway newbie - never even been to the USA before - please help!

I am looking at the pre-sales for the Boys in the Band at the Booth Theatre and wondering whether to buy tickets through that or to wait for general sale? I want to get tickets in the centre orchestra around rows D-H, but the best available on presale is row M, or the mezzanine (row B). I think I would prefer orchestra as I like to feel close to the actors and I don't like to look over the barrier for the mezzanine. But row M seems a long way back?? and it'll have the mezzanine over it.

So my questions are, do they release different tickets after the pre-sale? or if there's no row D-H on pre-sale does that mean there are just none left?

And if I do wait and try to get better seats in the general sale, how quickly do people think the tickets are likely to go? Might I not end up with any? Might they all sell out the first day or not have any decent seats available?

Please help! :)"

 

Elphie...Go with Mezz B ~ Here's the Booth!