Tall people blocking view in theatre

[northlandfan]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 3:06pm

Having been in New York recently seeing many shows including Hamilton and Lazarus I was curious to know if anyone put up a thread about blocked views of the stage when very tall people sit in front of you at the theater.

I find it so frustrating when spending a lot of money for center orchestra seats to have my view completely blocked at the last minute when very tall people sit in front of us. I know it's not their fault but there must be a solution to this problem because one feels very awkward weaving and bobbing side to side to get a glimpse of what's going on on stage knowing that you're also blocking the view for the person behind you with continuous shifting in our chairs.I was very fortunate for the shows that I most wanted to see such as Hamilton the  sightline was perfect being left orchestra 7th row right on the aisle.Thank god I was able to enjoy that show to the max! Can you imagine spending over $500 a ticket (premium)and not being able to see the show clearly. For the show Lazarus the incline at the theater was quite steep so this was very helpful to enjoy that show. For Phantom of the Opera a total disaster! Two 6 foot five people sitting in front of us. We wanted to change seats but the theater manager being very rude just brushed us off saying the show is completely sold out so there's nothing he could do.

Sitting on my down jacket helped to prop me up a bit but that the enjoyment the show was diminished drastically by this issue. We almost took the child bumper seats but that would not have been fair to the people behind us aside from the fact that they were made out of hard  plastic and looked so uncomfortable....

 I'm sure many people have had this problem but I've never seen a post or thread concerning this issue. I am 5 foot eight (not exactly short)but it seems like I frequently encounter this problem. I also had the occasion to have someone sit with a large hat with a pom-pom sticking right up that she wouldn't take off during the entire show! Any other people in my position..... and if so any helpful hints!

 

 

 

 

Updated On: 1/17/16 at 03:06 PM

[hork]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 3:12pm

As a tall person, I always feel horrible for the people sitting behind me, but there's nothing I can do, short of always sitting in the back row, which no. Not sure there's anything that can be done. 

[ChildofEarth]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 3:12pm

I'm 5'4" and often have someone tall sitting in front of me. I either get seats on the aisle in the front of the orchestra, on the inner aisle in the left or right orchestra (the diagonal helps) or in the front row of the mezzanine - or a box if I am that desperate.

Updated On: 1/17/16 at 03:12 PM

[bfreak]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 3:14pm

I know it sounds silly, but why not you ask for a booster seat? It might help. I'm pretty tall (6'1" and feel bad too sitting in front of shorter people.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 3:16pm

Most theatres have cushions for the seats of children and shorter patrons so they may get a better view.  Many house managers will also re-seat you if something is available.  All you have to do is ask an usher.  

[mc1227]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 3:17pm

I've had this happen to me a few times and there isn't any great way to handle it.  If the theater is not sold out, I've asked to be moved to another seat.  If it's winter, I too sit on my coat which helps me but not for the person behind me. 

Your best bet is mezzanine seating where this is not as much of an issue.  I have found myself buying more mezz seats in recent years for this reason.  

[pointe_princess]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 3:18pm

I deal with this a lot, I'm just under 5'0" and usually just trust that the people behind me understand why I'm leaning to either side.

Last summer, at Chicago, I was so pleased with my perfect view, but just as it began, the tallest man arrived to fill the seat in front of me. At intermission, I asked an usher about standing room and she showed me a space, but then another led me to some empty, amazing seats, 6 rows from the front, centre aisle.

 

 

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 3:24pm

Do the booster seats then make it harder for the patrons behind the shrimps, wait, what are they called now? The patrons behind the midgets to see?

[ChildofEarth]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 3:30pm

While this will not be helpful for some time, I know the staff at the Richard Rodgers is extremely helpful with short or tall people. My friend was too tall for mezzanine (legs didn't fit!) and they moved her to the box during If/Then.

This probably isn't relevant info anymore, since the boxes would be full.

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 3:34pm

The booster seats can be a lot of help. I don't typically have much trouble given that I'm 5'8, but I ended up in the back of a box at the Schoenfeld once and could only see half of the stage. I grabbed a booster seat, and it allowed me to see about three-quarters. I felt a little ridiculous, but it was worth it.

Updated On: 1/17/16 at 03:34 PM

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 3:40pm

I'm 5'3. It happens all the time. Mostly I'll just deal with it. If it's bad (like an entire head is blocking my view of most of the stage) I will try to shift over to an available seat if there is one. It's definitely a considerable part of why I do not generally purchase more expensive tickets. You could be in the third row and a tall person can very easily sit right in front of you. 

[gypsy101]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 3:49pm

There should be a law that decrees all seating in theaters must be done according to height.

[xxdrewboy85xx]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 3:51pm

I never would have thought this would be an issue for me as I am fairly tall at 6'1... but when I saw An American in Paris, I sat down in my center orchestra seat thinking I had the perfect seat until the couple who sat directly in front of me sat down. Both were Italian and the woman had to be 6'2. When she sat straight up properly, my view was blocked center stage and it was much worse when she would constantly play with her hair. I felt bad for the people behind me as I had to shift my position to be able to see thing. (But they were teenagers with a school group and the guy and girl behind me didn't seem to give a f**k about anything going on). By Act 2 the woman in front of me watched the rest of the show with her head on his shoulder, so my view wasn't obstructed....

 

but at 6'1 I have no room to complain about this issue and can really understand how frustrating it can be for people shorter than myself.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 3:51pm

if and when possible, get seats in the side section on the aisle. These are the only way to ensure that the person in front of you is irrelevant. Another alternative is to sit in the back row, where you can stand or sit on top of the seat in the upright position. Self help baby!

[Marianne2]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 4:04pm

As for hats, you could always ask the person wearing the hat politely if they could take it off. Just explain your situation.  Don't be rude.

[threetwoone]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 4:05pm

I don't post often, but this is something that bothers me. I am 6'2" and I realize that I obstruct the view of people sitting behind me sometimes, but if I'm spending $100+ on a ticket, I will sit in the best seat available. One time I was seeing Tanz der Vampire in Germany (where people are arguably a bit more blunt) and I asked by a couple behind me to sit lower in my chair and slouch so that they could see the stage properly. What is someone supposed to say in that situation? Maybe I'm a bit sensitive but it made me not only feel uncomfortable during the whole show but a bit embarrassed as well. I politely nodded, but didn't adjust my posture during the show.

As other have pointed out, there are other solutions. At the theatre company I worked at, I know the FOH manager didn't allow adults to use booster cushions, only children.

I read an interesting article about this issue at standing concerts, and the author suggested that tall people should stand to the side and in front of pillars, and not stand in front of the stage. As if!

 

 

[gypsy101]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 4:11pm

Sure but those people whose view you are blocking with your height (which obviously you can't control) paid probably the exact same as you did for their tickets. Why don't they deserve to see the show?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 4:22pm

As other have pointed out, there are other solutions.

 

And yet you don't offer a single one.  What are they?

[threetwoone]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 4:45pm

FindingNamo said: "As other have pointed out, there...

 

And yet you don't offer a single one.  What are they?"

 

1) Ask if it's possible to be relocated.

2) See if a booster seat is available, assuming they are not for children only.

3) Try to get a seat on the aisle.

 

And in response to Gypsy101: I'll admit that I'm a bit on the selfish side, but I'm not going to apologize for my height getting in the way of someone else. There are other situations where tall people have it worse off than people on the shorter side, such as long-haul flights.

Updated On: 1/17/16 at 04:45 PM

[JPeterman]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 4:47pm

You could buy the seat in front of you .. that would definitely solve the problem. I often fantasize about buying the seat in front, on either side, and in back of me :o)

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 4:52pm

As a moderately tall person (5'11" I will tell you that view blocking is not reserved for the short, or caused only by the tall.

 

It's just a reality of theatergoing, what can you do.

[threetwoone]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 5:07pm

This might be an interesting read for some people:

 

http://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2015/08/15/432289382/the-good-listener-are-tall-people-obligated-to-stand-in-the-back-at-concerts

 

"That said, nothing makes a concertgoer feel put-upon more quickly than standing still and minding your own business as a towering wall erects itself in front of you. And, of course, it's far worse when said wall appears to lack consideration or even awareness — it makes the shorter person feel disregarded, invisible, ignored. To answer your question, I think tall people do indeed have a social obligation to minimize the obstruction they create; to avoid front rows, stand against walls (or, even better, in front of pillars), and otherwise forfeit premium positioning between band and audience."

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 5:16pm

I am 6 ft 2 and probably block view of people and wish I did not. My wife is barely 5 ft 1 and she has issues with seeing sometimes at shows. We see who is sitting in front of her and if a tall person is in front of her, we have switched seats. Years ago, we got her booster seat for "Jersey Boys" and while she was a bit embarrassed about getting one she was glad she did and could enjoy the show. BTW - The ushers were very nice and did not say anything about booster only being for children.

Updated On: 1/17/16 at 05:16 PM

[Dave19]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 5:39pm

This "problem" is overrated.

 

Because you never look "over" someone's head anyway. 

 

I am very tall but even when short or normal height people sit in front of me, I still look between their heads, not over them.

Updated On: 1/17/16 at 05:39 PM

[AppleSunday]

Posted: 1/17/16 at 6:53pm

I'm  5'1" and have been lucky enough to only encounter one instance of having a major chunk of the stage being blocked by a tall person. I happened to be sitting in the last row of of orchestra so when I brought the issue to the attention of an usher I just took the offered booster seat without second thought. However the booster seat was one of those plastic things they give children at restaurants (made by one of the companies that makes public bathroom baby changing tables) with a ridged child sized indentation that would've been too uncomfortable to sit on all show if I were any larger. I'm pretty small so managed by sitting with my legs crossed and getting creative (once again being in the last row came in handy) but for a good deal of adults it wouldn't have been a viable option. And if I hadn't been in the last row I would've had to ask to be reseated (and I hate being a bother like that and it would've separated me from the people I was with) because although I'm small an extra 5" boost wouldn't have been kind to those behind me.

 

I usually buy seats as close to the aisle as possible and look into the specifics of the theatre so I know what to expect if I've never been before. That bad seat happened to be through tkts. Theatres should really all have varying cushion heights so people who need it can get just enough of a boost to see without getting more than than needed and potentially blocking someone else. 

Updated On: 1/17/16 at 06:53 PM