This is someones experience from the WOS board. This sounds like the theatre are going to have major issues with this
'We went to see the preview last night, 13th March. The cast were excellent, the music is great and costumes are superb BUT my partner is disabled and we and 3 others had 5 seats in the back row stalls left (I think W27 to W23); some other friends were 2 rows in front of us and others again on the right side 4 rows from the back. Much of the 'action' takes place raised above the stage and absolutely none of this is visible to anyone in these seats.
A few instances: The iconic scene in the film, opera diva on top of bus, is apparently recreated. We, however, did not even get to see his shoes... just had to stare at the bus.
The finale on top of Ayers rock is similarly invisible, the back rows are left staring at just a blank red backdrop, with nothing going on at all, nothing.
The curtain call for the 3 main cast members is, once again, invisible, and I was left pretty furious that the feel good factor engendered by them was completely destroyed by not even being able to see those who deserved an ovation. These are just a few of the scenes that are not restricted in view but completely invisible, not even mentioning some of the stage set its self.
This is not a minor quibble, it's a major one. The staging just has to be sorted out or some evenings there will be riots. I spoke to some of the ushers and they said that they had all mentioned this. We noticed that they had gone down the aisle to the centre rows when they wanted to see what was going on, an option not available to the paying public: when one of our party was driven to climb over the back of his seat and go down to join the ushers they tried to prevent him from doing so. Our row paid £50 each for 5 seats -that's £250 - for a preview! Our other friends had all paid similarly. We were not told that they were restricted view seats (restricted in this case being a euphemism for impossible to see much of what goes on) and this must surely have been obvious by now - the cast themselves would have been able to say that they couldn't see half the stalls seats when performing any scene set above the stage - an important part of the show.
This set has very obviously not been designed for this theatre. We are occasional theatre-goers, to us this is a lot of money and why are we expected to put up with not being able to see much of the show? t
It has ruined the experience for us, a show which, even in preview, has such spirit and humour. Instead, I was left pretty furious. '
Sadly the WOS poster is right - the show was designed for the Lyric Theatre in Sydney in which the first circle overhang is not an issue at all. The first row of the Lyric circle is above row P of the stalls. And at the time I don't think any of the creatives were considering how the show would fit into the Palace theatre. However, they should've considered that when transferring the show.
On the flip side, all those scenes that happen up high are iconic and need the height to play well. I don't think the staging should be changed - I think the back stalls should be severely discounted as restricted view seats.
Sidetrack: in the photo below the bus seems to have had a makeover from the original Sydney/Melbourne bus. The lights on the bus in the Aussie production were much bigger and wider spaced, and did not cover every inch as they seem to do in the photo. I LOVE it this way :)
Or just take out all those back rows and leave the space open for people who want to get up and dance, lol.
But seriously, I know it defeats the "live" aspect, but I have always wondered (it first occoured to me while watching Phantom up in the back of the upper most balcony) couldnt they put in something like TV monitors? that way youwould also get closeups of the actors and at other times you can get a full view of the stage. Just a thought, odd as it is.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27199361@N08/ Phantom at the Royal Empire Theatre
I've just been for a drink (non alcoholic- curtain in 90 mins!) with a cast member and the producers are well on top of this problem now and have it covered. They had no idea there would be this problem until Tuesdays first preview. This is the kind of problem that previews are done for! There will be problems for the first few weeks and then it will be sorted. Such a shame.
I believe I read they're going to put monitors in as soon as they figure out precisely where needs them, and that's what they're spending the preview period doing.
Someone was not doing there job during a tech than, have opened many a show and always during a tech run you send people out to sit in every area of the theatre.
This should have been picked way before the first preview....
Off soap box....Go See This Show.....NOW!
Well I didn't want to get into it, but he's a Satanist.
Every full moon he sacrifices 4 puppies to the Dark Lord and smears their blood on his paino.
This should help you understand the score for Wicked a little bit more.
Tazber's: Reply to
Is Stephen Schwartz a Practicing Christian
Its amazing that when the producers came to London to look at the 3 options they had that when choosing the Palace they didnt think to check out this at that time.
They are fixing it and until a new scale is complete refunds are given out at every performance. This is one of the things that previews are done to sort out. This isn't the first and only show in London, or the provinces, to have this problem.
Do you think Mary Poppins doesn't have problems in every thetare she plays_
It's worse for 'Priscilla as it is twice the size of 'Spamalot'. The inside of the bus can't be seen from more than half way up the Grand Circle and nothing is visible from the balcony. There a number of other scenes that are majory effected too. The flying divas effect is lost on maybe 20% of the audience. The rear stalls are to be avoided as you dont see scenes that are higher than 15 ft on stage and the divas you wont see at all.
Its a case of, if you want to see this spectacular show, it is a show your gonna have to folk out a lot more for than for a normal show. If your going to wait for student prices or what ever concession you want, remember that even then they will sell you the resticted views before the full view seats.
I had this problem at Zorro when it was on. I was far back in the stalls (still just under£50 though!!) and couldn't see half the stuff. The bit where they're getting hung? I could only see feet...
But yeah, a lot of the stuff that happens in Zorro happens on the upper half of the set thingy, it made it a lot less interesting and a lot more confusing! (I'm so specific with my words =D )
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