Seating Preference (UnScientific) Poll

[Broadway Bob*]

Posted: 10/10/12 at 2:19pm

Just a random question...
Curious to hear what others think...

Disregarding pricing or any other concerns, where do you prefer to sit when attending a show? Some prefer close, others prefer far away. Just curious what your preference is! (And feel free to justify your answer as much as you want - i.e. different places for different shows or different theaters, etc.)

Personally, I prefer to sit as close to front row center as I can get. I like to see the facial expressions, the sweat, the wig lines, the microphone placement, and the spit as the actors sing. Now I would choose a few rows back to remain more center rather than sit too far to the side in the front row because of sight lines of course, but for me the closer the better. (To the point that I LOVE onstage seating! Heehee!)

So how about you?!?!?!

[jeffmiele]

Posted: 10/10/12 at 2:27pm

I'm pretty sure there is a thread for this already but I couldn't find it.

Anyway, I prefer 1-3 row center mezzanine for a musical and between the 3rd and 8th row center orchestra for a play.

[someone.else's.story2]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 12:38pm

I also prefer as close to front row center as possible as I don't connect as easily with the performance if I can't clearly see faces. And I also enjoy sitting onstage. I once had a discussion with my boyfriend about this and he posited that since I'm a performer myself, I want to actually be onstage (performing) so hence, I like being close. I'm not certain I agree, but it's an interesting theory.

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 12:43pm

10th row center, aisle seat

[The Josh]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 12:52pm

For plays, I prefer orchestra seats, 4 or 5 rows from the stage. For musicals, I prefer front mezzanine, as close to the first row as possible.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 1:18pm

For a dance show, I like to be a few rows back in the orchesta or front mezzanine so I can see dancers feet better. I have been in the first row for a couple of shows and enjoyed it because the performers really do make eye contact with you. One of my Broadway highlights was being in the 1rst row for "Annie Get Your Gun" with Bernadette Peters. She looked at me one point in the show and smiled and it made my evening. Of course, it was part of the show but I still like to kid my wife that she really was smiling at me - lol !!!

[DEClarke]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 1:33pm

For me, it used to always be the center of Center Mezzanine Row A. I still have a fondness for that seat; however, as a reviewer, I'm typically given Center Orchestra, Rows L-R. I find those seats to be pretty good most of the time.

[Playbilly]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 4:42pm

Depends on the theater (large of intimate), type of show (big musical or small play) etc. etc. I can't give a blanket standard.

My only constant: Preferably not where the geezers with hard candy, or the kids with texting addictions like to sit.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 4:44pm

As Billy said, it depends on the theatre and the play. For something like Virginia Woolf, I think it's great to be as close as possible. For something like West Side Story something like the first row of the balcony (mezzanine to you crazy Americans) is ideal to really see the dancing.

[Patash]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 4:50pm

It really depends on the theatre, but generally for a musical I prefer front row mezzanine. For real dramas I like the front row of the orchestra, if the stage isn't too high (like I'm doing for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf.
If in the orchestra, I generally prefer an aisle seat on the side section five or six rows back -- because I can sort of put my feet into the aisle, and because I'm looking across the aisle there won't be a head in the way.

[BroadwayFan12]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 5:07pm

The closer the better.

[canmark]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 5:44pm

First 10 rows of the orchestra, on the aisle.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 5:57pm

Depends on the show and theater. For example, I preferred sitting in the front row mezzanine at New World Stages when I saw Rent versus the 3rd tier at the NJPAC. To me, that's a smaller show that looks better in a smaller venue. However, I didn't mind sitting in the balcony at the Shubert for Spamalot because I noticed more details that you can't see sitting down in the orchestra.

[Amalia Balash]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 6:01pm

No closer than fourth row orchestra, no matter the size of the theater.

As close to the center as possible/

If I'm seeing a musical for the second time, front mezzanine on the aisle.

[bob8rich]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 6:02pm

Aisle seat as close to the front of the Orchestra as possible!

[CJ N2N]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 6:18pm

Depends more on the show for me. I've never seen a straight play, but for larger musicals (i.e Les Miserables, Phantom, etc.) I prefer the front mezzanine. It helps me take in the scope of the show better. For other shows, like Godspell and especially HAIR, I like being as close as possible. When I saw Hair during the Summer of Love, I was lucky to be in the third row, and Matt DeAngelis pointed at me. Of course, it WAS during "Sodomy" during the masturbation line and my things got awkward because I was sitting next to my parents, but I digress.

Overall, I must say, I prefer front mezzanine, around Row D center.

[vegas2]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 7:26pm

Front row center for plays. Front row mezz for musicals, unless the view is obstructed by a railing, in which case I prefer second row mezz.

[MikeInTheDistrict]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 7:30pm

I like to sit about a quarter of the way from the front of the orchestra. And for some reason, I like to sit slightly to the left of dead center. A balletomane friend of mine once told me patterns read better from the left. I tried it out for myself, and it seems to be true. I've also heard it's related to left vs. right brain preference, but I'm a bit skeptical.

[rhdery]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 8:21pm

I also vary depending on the show. I think musicals with big production numbers can be more interesting from the mezzanine. Otherwise, I like to middle orchestra.

I once sat in the first row of a musical at a theater with no orchestra pit and spent the whole show dodging spit flying from the singer's mouths!

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 8:28pm

I try to sit on the aisle as well, mainly because I'm so tall, but I also feel a bit boxed in when I'm in the middle of a row.

[iflip4musicals]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 10:29pm

front row slightly right of center. I also can't connect as well if I can't see face, and I have terrible eyesight.

[SFFrontRow]

Posted: 10/14/12 at 2:00am

Orchestra side aisle - seat number 1 (left) or number 2 (right) anywhere from row B to row K. Those seats have no obstruction (big heads, tall people, or worse yet, a couple that just has to lean their heads together in your sightline). If orch side aisle is not possible, front mezzanine side aisle or front mezz first row.

Since I go to theater alone (3 trips a year from SF, CA), alot of shows only sell orchestra side aisle seats as pairs. So, I usually go for front mezz - preferably side aisle, but will take anything in the first row.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/14/12 at 9:58pm

Anywhere.

so long as I'm in a theater I'm happy.

[hanabana]

Posted: 10/15/12 at 1:50am

My favorite seats are in the front of the Orchestra. Specifically, 2nd to 5th row in the center orchestra section. I love being able to see the performers' faces and their expressions when they act/sing on stage. Front mezzanine is not bad either since you can see the entire stage and take the whole picture in. However, if I had a choice between the two, I'd choose front orchestra seats any day, for any show.

[Jersey Girl2]

Posted: 10/15/12 at 5:25pm

I like row F - Center.