I Miss On Stage Seating

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/2/11 at 10:32pm

Hopefully at least one show next season will bring it back.


Just not Spiderman.

[threetwoone]

Posted: 6/2/11 at 10:37pm

I heard Carrie is bringing it back. A lot of interaction with the onstage audience apparently, like Xanadu.

[thismyshow]

Posted: 6/2/11 at 11:37pm

gruesome playground injurys at second stage had on stage seating, was a cool experience

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 6/2/11 at 11:39pm

Naked Boys Singing will be offering on-stage reacharounds starting July 4th.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/2/11 at 11:42pm

That sounds like it's worth coming to.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 6/2/11 at 11:45pm

Eh, I think it's a gimmick. For a campy, pander-to-the-audience show like Xanadu, it works, but for more serious works I don't really get it. No matter what, it always seems to break the illusion and I usually see no need for such fourth-wall shattering.

[Shubert Alley Cat]

Posted: 6/2/11 at 11:49pm

When I did the on stage seating for SPRING AWAKENING it was absolutely thrilling! But I could have done without sitting next to creepy I've-seen-the-show-400-times girl.

[OhTossums2]

Posted: 6/3/11 at 8:19am

I agree, I absolutly loved Spring Awakening's onstage seating, especially since my mom had no idea she was sitting next to an onstage swing. In fact, she hit on Matt Shingledecker before curtain.

I hope more shows do bring this opportunity, it brings an extra thrill to the typical theatergoing experience.

[newintown]

Posted: 6/3/11 at 10:29am

[Calvin]

Posted: 6/3/11 at 10:59am

The oddest was Inherit the Wind. I get what they were trying to do, but I'm sure it must have been jarring from the audience perspective to see townspeople mingling next to theatregoers in sweats and flip-flops. Plus, where I sat, I had one minor character who sat behind me, and I heard every single one of his crowd scene ad libs better than anything else.

But at least I can honestly say I've shared the stage with Christopher Plummer. :)

[lightguy06222]

Posted: 6/3/11 at 11:00am

@piragua- did you see the recent revival of Equus?

Perfect example of non-campy onstage seating. Very effective.

[lightguy06222]

Posted: 6/3/11 at 11:00am

@piragua- did you see the recent revival of Equus?

Perfect example of non-campy onstage seating. Very effective.

[madbrian]

Posted: 6/3/11 at 11:00am

If you're a fan of on-stage seating, find a production of The Drowsy Chaperone and audition for the role of Man-In-Chair.

[IdolThoughts]

Posted: 6/3/11 at 11:43am

That made me laugh out loud.

[charlesjguiteau]

Posted: 6/3/11 at 6:35pm

One of my favorite early theater-going memories was sitting in the onstage bleachers for the 1st National tour of Equus (we're talking 1975-ish) in Boston. Sure we were close to the nudity (yay!) but that wasn't the best part: Nothing beat the visceral experience of those major scenes with the horses that climaxed Act I and II. When those metal hooves started to rumble and vibrate right through you and the castered platform began to spin, you felt the goosebumps spread from your toes to your skull-- you were more than witnesses, you were feeling the experience in your bones along with Alan.

[pinoyidol2006]

Posted: 6/3/11 at 9:01pm

I've never had the experience of on-stage seating, but it really does seem somewhat thrilling. However, to echo the sentiments of a previous poster, I hope on-stage seating doesn't happen for the sake of having on-stage seating. I agree that it should happen only if it's for a good reason.

Posted: 6/3/11 at 9:04pm

"I agree, I absolutly loved Spring Awakening's onstage seating, especially since my mom had no idea she was sitting next to an onstage swing. In fact, she hit on Matt Shingledecker before curtain"

Umm, how old is your mom? :P

[JulesJules]

Posted: 6/4/11 at 1:23am

I liked it in Xanadu because of the nature of the show, the audience was addressed at many moments during the action and so on. I actually didn't appreciate it during Spring Awakening because aside from the swings singing from those seats or whatever the audience added NOTHING to the show if you were watching from the orchestra. I'm still not quite sure why they were there.

[charlesjguiteau]

Posted: 6/4/11 at 11:28am

Didn't CATS have bleachers onstage all those years at the Winter Garden? Did anyone out there see the show from those seats?

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/4/11 at 11:37am

I missed the on-stage seating at the excellent production of EQUUS last summer at the John Drew Theater in E. Hampton.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 6/4/11 at 12:25pm

I think on stage seating is chosen mainly for artistic reasons as the seats are super cheap and dont generate much if any revenue.

I see it working for Xanadu and Equus, but none of the others.

[newintown]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 1:58pm