When is partial view not a view??

[Julie Yard]

Posted: 11/26/14 at 8:34am

Hi... I saw (or rather listened) to The Last Ship last night. My tickets were comps so I know I have limited right to demand to see some of the action, but my "partial view" seat was no view. Unless the actors were down stage left I couldn't see a thing. And the fact is when Sting shows up for 3 weeks they will sell those seats (stage right front) for !00's of $'s and really they should pull out the chairs. What is fair to expect in a partial view seat? What does the theater owe to their patrons re: providing an experience of theater? I'd compare this to getting a seat on a plane and being stuck in the toilet for the flight... yeah, you'll get there but it stinks!

Updated On: 11/26/14 at 08:34 AM

Posted: 11/26/14 at 8:49am

I was there last night too and in the the right orchestra about 1/3 back. The sight lines were terrible and I wasn't even all the way to the right. That staircase clocked a bunch of the action and often actors stood in front of others so you couldn't see. Mantello needs stay away from musicals.

[Julie Yard]

Posted: 11/26/14 at 9:22am

Deena ... funny you were there last night too ... I was in row D at the far right and that staircase blocked 70% of the stage. Even when they were on the overhead bridge you couldn't see a thing because of where they placed a speaker... And I often couldn't hear.. the sound was garbled. Bad, lazy producers!

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 11/26/14 at 9:32am

"Mantello needs stay away from musicals. "

This is my favorite comment that I've ever seen on BWW.

[HighFlyingAdored97]

Posted: 11/26/14 at 9:51am

The box seats at the Music Box are pretty atrocious.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 11/26/14 at 9:52am

The first time I rushed Once, I got a great view of Steve Kazee's shoulder.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/26/14 at 9:54am

I still say that the box seats at the Hirschfeld are the worst seats on Broadway.

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 11/26/14 at 9:58am

Attended Julie Taymor's The Magic Flute at the Metropolitan Opera. The only seat I could get was the second row in a box on the side. It was sold as partial view but it should have been called "No View". Never had such an atrocious partial view seat. The proportion was seeing nothing most of the time and occasionally you might get a glimpse when the performers moved closest to the edge of the stage but only on one side.

[haterobics]

Posted: 11/26/14 at 10:07am

Has The Last Ship turned things around to the point where people can't move to different seats in the house anywhere?!

[Julie Yard]

Posted: 11/26/14 at 10:19am

The house was full last night.. but they're papering. I'm sure the holiday week is helping them.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 11/26/14 at 10:25am

"My tickets were comps so I know I have limited right to demand to see some of the action, but my "partial view" seat was no view"

Honestly, you have zero right to complain because you paid zero dollars.

[Julie Yard]

Posted: 11/26/14 at 10:46am

Neon... I acknowledged that. But what about when Sting shows up and they're selling those seats for mucho bucks. It's truly lazy production.

[haterobics]

Posted: 11/26/14 at 10:49am

The Last Ship house isn't turning premium when Sting arrives. All of the same discount codes are still running during his tenure.

[jemjeb2]

Posted: 11/26/14 at 12:47pm

I don't remember which theatre, but I still remember sitting in a Washington DC theatre years ago and staring at a large column directly in front of me. If the actors were anywhere other than far stage right or left, they could not be seen. There ought to be laws against this kind of "partial view" thievery, or at least a better prior knowledge of how much "partial viewing" does or does not give the ticket buyer. It's as bad as those seats which are not meant for anyone over 5' 5", and any over 6' are miserably uncomfortable for the entire show.

[Julie Yard]

Posted: 11/26/14 at 1:11pm

I saw Kevin Kline in Cyrano from the 1st box seat so I knew I was going to miss half the stage. But even that was redeemed because the opening was Mr. Kline climbing down to the stage from the opposite box... and for a few moments we were at eye level. And it was redeemed again because I saw an empty orchestra aisle seat during the 1st act and ran there during intermission. Yes, there are bad seats, but then producers/whoever make them worse by blocking the views with scenery and speakers and ... well, they just don't give a crap if whole swaths of the audience can't see a thing.