I'm going to buy Newsies tickets for my boyfriend's birthday and I have a question about getting good seats.
I want to sit in the center mezzanine where the seats are not the premium mezzanine (MEZZ code on ticketmaster). I see in rows FF through HH in the center, there is this area where there are no seats, I'm guessing because it's a control area for the lights or whatever.
If I sit directly behind that area in row JJ, seats 107 and 108 are lined up with the center of the stage. But, are they really not that good of seats? Does this control box area obstruct the view from sitting there in any way?
What about sitting right next to the control box in row FF? I was also going to try to find those seats.
I sat in the very center of the front row of the mezzanine at Newsies. There was some kind of lighting box in front of me. I am not tall and I did have difficulty seeing the front part of the stage. Of greater concern to me were the people placing their beer containers right on the ledge above the lighting box. One could easily have been knocked off accidentally onto the wiring or even into the audience below. The ushers didn't seem to care. I have been to many shows where the ushers moved in if even one Playbill was placed on the ledge and asked it to be removed. Yet a beer is OK. I guess because they're making money off it.
The "lighting box" on the mezzanine edge houses a projector. its safe.
about seating, there aren't random "lighting boxes" in the middle of the house. no broadway show would do that. it isn't a concert. you may sit next to one, but not behind. see photo.
OK, I'm not absolutely certain what was in the box in front of and below me, but there were lots of visible wires/cables. It was definitely there. Perhaps this photo was taken before Newsies moved into the theater. I went back to see Newsies a second time and sat in the orchestra. I doubt I will go again but if I do I will take a quick photo of that box that loomed up and blocked my view of the front of the stage.
I sat in row L of the orchestra, dead center, and my view of the top level of the stage was blocked a tiny bit by the plain black box that is bolted on to the front of the mezzanine. I could clearly see all three levels of the stage except for a couple of seconds in the show when the structures were moved all the way to the front of the stage. I would sit in center orchestra Row L again anytime, but I would choose to sit a little bit to the side, not dead center. I liked Row L a lot because I felt very close to the action, I could see the whole stage for the big dance numbers, and sometimes the seats are not too expensive for the Monday night show. If they're available, grab them. I think sitting anything brhind Row L in the orchestra you will lose more vision of the top level of the stage.
In case anyone is interested, here is the view from my seat in the center orchestra, Row L. I would recommend Row L highly, but try not to sit dead center. As you can see in the photo, there is a black box that is bolted on to the front of the mezzanine. In spite of that, I could see the highest tier of the stage 99 percent of the time.
Thank you for your replies everyone. And that picture! Now i see why there are no seats there :) I'm just going to buy the seats next to it just in case that bar is too high and in my face.
So, the matinee shows aren't on sale at all huh Only the night shows? I thought matinees are generally cheaper! :/ I can't decide if I should get the mat and get back home the same day, or the cheaper night performance plus the cost of a hotel in NYC... Would be so nice & romanticalll ugh but so much money!