Very tall people sitting in front of you — Page 2

Sit in the mezzanine. You are one step’s height above the person in front of you.

When I saw Good Night Oscar, two people sat in front of me who would have completely blocked my view. I ended up using a booster which was my only chance of seeing the stage. I tend to ask if I can move when this happens if it's a show with an intermission and I see empty seats.

Jonathan Cohen said: "I wonder if there would be a logistically doable and respectful way for ticket holders to voluntarily ask ahead of time to be placed in a section specifically for short people?

I've been around both sides of the problem, I'm 6'2 and I know it's rare that I go the theater and am not at least somewhat inconveniencing the person behind me. Meanwhile my wife is pretty short, and just takes it as a given if we go to a concert, she's not actually going to see anything.

It wouldn't help me personally, in the sense that it's not a solution where I could sit with my wife, but there might be ticket holders whose experience would be improved if they knew they could sit in a section that wouldn't include tall people."

…The theatre has no awareness of who bought what seat until people are filing into the theatre and the issues begin. I mean, you could always look at SeatPlan or A View From My Seat to determine vantage points and assessing your risks from that - but there isn’t any guarantee that you won’t show up and someone like me (again, 6’8) sits in front of you.

Just buy a mezzanine or balcony seat. They’re all raked so even if a person in front is taller, you will still be able to sit behind them as opposed to the orchestra, which is a level ground for all in most theatres

I wonder if there would be a logistically doable and respectful way for ticket holders to voluntarily ask ahead of time to be placed in a section specifically for short people?

That's a great idea, it would never happen, but still, love that for them!

This is a slight departure from this thread's initial subject, but seeing as how OP made mention of the tall person's man bun adding several inches to his height, I wanted to chime in with this question: how have you all navigated folks seated in front of you with very large hats or hairstyles? Obviously, people can't help their height, but they can the help choices they make that cause further obstruction to those around them.

For example, I was at a show recently where the woman in front of me was wearing a large hat that was tall and also had a wide brim. I could not see anything except for the outer extremities of the stage, and neither could the man next to me (whom I did not know). The man politely asked the woman to remove her hat, and she declined. Thankfully, he and I spoke to an usher who was able to relocate us both to other seats. That worked out well enough, but I would have been incredibly frustrated if there was nowhere else to sit.

I understand that it is everyone's right to express themselves through fashion, but we're all here to see a show, not admire the outfits of fellow audience member. If a style choice that you've made is blocking the view or impeding the experience of those around you, that seems a step too far. What do you all think?

Updated On: 6/12/23 at 01:56 PM

melora said: "As a certified short person, I don't begrudge the height of the tall person in front of me. But that person's behavior makes a big difference in how I can enjoy the performance. Dear tall person: please recognize that I must look around you to see. Do not lean over to your date for a hug, kiss, or chat - that blocks me completely. Please do not reach up your hands during the show to stretch, to scratch leisurely, or to attract attention by clapping up in the air, as that also blocks me completely. And you don't have to move to see in front of you, so please don't switch positions constantly, as every time you do, I have to switch."

I honestly can't remember the last time a tall person in front of me behaved badly. It's always fellow short/average height women leaning forward, especially in the mezzanine. I don't care how thin or small you are, if you lean all the way forward, you block the stage. Negotiating armrests and leg room is another thing but that's more about how seats don't accommodate all patrons well.

bwaylvsong1 said: "I saw Parade last night, and a couple minutes before the show started, a very tall gentleman with a manbun sat in front of me. I am short, so most people are taller than me, but even with the decent sight lines/rake, my view became extremely obstructed and I had to move my head constantly to see what was going on (which in turn made me fear that those behind me had a similar experience). It put a major damper on my enjoyment of the performance, even though I still loved it.

Anyone else find this sort of thing happens to them more often than not? Have you been able to do anything to rectify it beyond switching seats or getting a booster (both of which would have been impractical last night)?"

Front row mezz is your friend.