Richard Rodgers: The Worst Theater On Broadway? - Page 2

[RomanBartelli]

Posted: 1/26/09 at 1:45pm

I agree with this. Even when I sat in the back of that curved up orchestra during Movin' Out, I missed just about everything with the band. It's a very odd configuration.

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 1/26/09 at 2:29pm

I don't much like the Rodgers myself. It's true that if you sit in the back of the orchestra, you miss the upper portion of the set, not a problem for some shows but definitely a problem for others. But it's not as if it's the only theatre on Broadway to have that kind of seating. The Majestic and the Gershwin have it too.

What I really don't like about the Rodgers is upstairs. Even in the first row of the mezzanine, I feel a million miles away (well, a thousand). I think this is because the mezzanine is unusually high so as not to block the view of people in the rear of the orchestra (even though it still does). This doesn't seem to be as much of a problem in the Majestic (and I've never sat in the mezzanine of the Gershwin, though I did sit in the balcony once and felt a million miles away).

Still, if you sit in certain areas, the Rodgers is great. There's nothing like sitting in row K or so of the orchestra because you're pretty close but you have the advantage of the semi-stadium seating.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 1/26/09 at 5:02pm

Theaters aren't badly designed...set designers and directors badly design their shows. They need to take into account the views from the audience, and rarely ever do. Spamalot was designed for the audience in the center, and if you were on the side you were pretty much screwed. When shows stop putting in sets they don't need (as much as I liked Billy Elliot, that bedroom set that comes out of the floor is completely and totally unecessary). Obviously, In the Heights was not designed or directed well for the Richard Rodgers.

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 1/26/09 at 7:30pm

"Theaters aren't badly designed"

Of course, some theatres are designed badly.

Sometimes set designers and directors make poor choices that exacerbate rather than solve the sight-line problems that most large theatres have. But that doesn't mean that there are no theatres that are designed badly.

[mc1227]

Posted: 1/26/09 at 8:50pm

I was at Studio 54 Theatre yesterday in the front mezzanine and felt like I was falling forward. The walkway that seperates the front & rear mezzanine had a embankment that made it seem like a roller derby track. Also, the orchestra up on the side boxes drowned out the vocals. (in the case of Pal Joey, that was a good thing)