Are Box Seats Underrated?

[jonah3500]

Posted: 9/29/17 at 2:54pm

I've sat in box seats twice, and they were barely obstructed. Are there some theatres with worse box seats than others? Why are they only sold at the box office? And my biggest question is why are they so cheap?

[Will3700]

Posted: 9/29/17 at 3:12pm

I just returned from my NYC trip of seeing 8 shows in 5 days plus Flea Market . We had Box E for Hamilton. I was in New York back in Jan and walked into the ticket office of the Richard Rodgers Theatre looking for tickets. I was told the next block would be for Nov and since we had just been in New York in the winter didnt want to come back then,but the girl said she did have two obstructed view tickets for Sept and I jumped on them. I was expecting a bit of a bad view but was pretty upset when i got there and  discovered it's a bit more obstructed than advertised lol However having said that the leg room is amazing the box is very nice and you can see every facial expression unless the actor is far stage right lol  i did lean over quite a bit but all in all I enjoyed the Box seats 

[quizking101]

Posted: 9/29/17 at 3:17pm

It honestly depends on the production and how many seats they decide to cram into a box.

If it's a show where most of the action is downstage center (a la "Hamilton", then its fine. But if they use the entire periphery of the stage (the 2013 revival of "The Glass Menagerie", it's a nightmare. Additionally, some theatres usually only have 2-4 seats per box (If it's 4, it's usually tiered). However (and I forget the show), one theater crammed 6 chairs into a single-tiered box and we were literally on top of each other and in a row.

[loveinnewyorkcity]

Posted: 9/29/17 at 4:27pm

quizking101 said: "It honestly depends on the production and how many seats they decide to cram into a box.

If it's a show where most of the action is downstage center (a la "Hamilton", then its fine. But if they use the entire periphery of the stage (the 2013 revival of "The Glass Menagerie", it's a nightmare. Additionally, some theatres usually only have 2-4 seats per box (If it's 4, it's usually tiered). However (and I forget the show), one theater crammed 6 chairs into a single-tiered box and we were literally on top of each other and in a row."

Book of Mormon's box seats look crammed? Could that be the show you mean? 

[jonah3500]

Posted: 9/29/17 at 4:37pm

I see why certain boxes are worse than others. But why are they so cheap at every show?

[LesWickedly]

Posted: 9/29/17 at 4:45pm

I feel like the reasons have just been stated? They’re almost always obstructed. That’s pretty much it. Also, some shows don’t discount them. When I was at the Anastasia box office in March, they were trying to sell them for about $130. From the pictures I’ve seen, the box seats are awful there. 

[jonah3500]

Posted: 9/29/17 at 4:48pm

Then why are normal obstructed view seats sold online and not only at the box office?

[Wick3]

Posted: 9/29/17 at 11:14pm

Cheap?!? Hello Dolly box seats cost $229!

I think it varies by theater. I know my friends who weigh over 300 lbs prefer box seats because you sit in a real chair that can be moved. 

[littlemouse921]

Posted: 9/29/17 at 11:48pm

jonah3500 said: "Then why are normal obstructed view seats sold online and not only at the box office?"

Because they're selling the "box" seats at the "box" office :)

[RndmAnswrs4RndmQstns]

Posted: 9/30/17 at 12:17am

I think it largely depends on the theater and the box itself. I sat in the back, second row, house left box (Box D?) for Bandstand and had a perfect view with only my missing a tiny bit in the corner (the bar bit)- and even then I could lean and see it. I was able to see all of their faces without feeling like I was staring at the side or back of their heads.

However, the box right in front of mine was right behind the lights and sound wiring. I doubt they had a very good angle/view. They certainly kept swaying all around to try to see past the stuff in front of them!

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 9/30/17 at 12:28am

It is common to hear people look up (or over) at the box seats and marvel at the cool seats and wonder how expensive those amazing seats must be. Decades ago, the boxes are where people sat to be seen by the audience, not necessarily to see the show on stage. Nowadays, celebs would rather sneak in right at curtain time and not be bothered. But it's still common to see the people in the boxes being giddy before the show, not realizing that their seat location will block half the stage. and yes, it does vary widely from theater to theater. There have been many times that I would be at a show where the lead is singing DSC and then I look over at the box seats and the first person in the box is leaned over the edge taking it all in and it almost looked like a private show just for him. I disagree with the poster who said that Hamilton is staged toward DSC.....I think quite a bit of the show is upstage and on the 2nd level too---all of which is hard to see from a box.  

Moral of the story---sitting in box seats is like Times Sq on New Years' Eve.  You kind of want to see what it's like but once you do, you never have to do it again. 

[mikey2573]

Posted: 9/30/17 at 7:41am

I sat in the box seats many times during the run of BILLY ELLIOT at The Imperial and I loved those seats.  Depending on which side I sat on, there was a small corner of the stage that was out of view, but for the most part, I could see all of the action, and there was no one sitting in front of me.  I also remember seeing the A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC  revival from the box and I enjoyed those seats. 

[Demitri2]

Posted: 9/30/17 at 11:49am

I've never purchased box seats due to the fact that over the years I've seen those people standing in order to see the section of the stage closest to them. The thought of not being able to see the whole show "doesn't sit well with me."

[sorano916]

Posted: 10/1/17 at 11:06am

In general, I don't mind box seats, especially if I've seen the show before. 

However, box seats that are single rows vs those which have two rows are better for me. 

I was in Box D for Hamilton when President Obama saw the show way back when and it gave a great view of what was happening on stage as well as the audience. It was one of my favorite theatrical experiences all-around.

I sat in the box for American Idiot's final performance, which was also a treat because Green Day basically gave a mini-concert after the show ended and so the box provided a great view.

However, I've sat in a box at Anastasia recently and it was terrible. They have two rows of two chairs each, and we were in the back row. I let my companion sit next to the ledge as I had seen the show in Hartford but she hadn't & really wanted to see it. The couple in front of us sat really close to each other and every once in a while the guy would lean over and placed his arm around his wife, rendering my small viewing window between them completely gone. 

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 10/1/17 at 11:21am

To just basically answer the question, box seats are highly overrated. They can range from not too bad to simply horrible. 

[Mediamaven2]

Posted: 10/1/17 at 6:25pm

I forget where my box seats for Hamilton were, but they must have been the worst ones in the house because I basically watched the top of Lin and everyone's head. I had seen the show before so it wasn't the WORST but it was pretty bad and particularly for my companion.

For The Great Comet, on the other hand, they weren't too bad. Kind of a cool view of almost everything. However there was slight obstruction to the extreme sides where there was some solo action for a few minutes. But absolutely worth the TDF price and in another case the $140 box office on the final Saturday matinee....So I agree, they range from not too bad at all, to awful. And it seems to depend on the theater and the production.

[Wee Thomas2]

Posted: 10/3/17 at 7:18am

Did you see George Eacker ?

We loved our box seats for Hamilton.  SO close to the action!

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 10/3/17 at 3:28pm

I always sat in the box seats at the Imperial Theatre during the run of THE BOY FROM OZ. 

They were full view at all times for this particular production and it was great being able to see the ENTIRE orchestra level audience during Hugh's breaking-the-fourth-wall moments throughout the show.  Most notably when he would stop the late-comers and ask them why they were late.  You saw everyone he was addressing from the stage as well, which you would have missed sitting in the regular seating areas.  

[Mediamaven2]

Posted: 10/3/17 at 8:54pm

Wee Thomas2 said: "Did you see George Eacker ?

We loved our box seats for Hamilton. SO close to the action!"

The box seats I sat in for Hamilton were on the other side of the stage from George Eacker/box seats scene. And they were closest to the stage, not sure if that made them the upper or lower (tried looking at a map but can't tell)....uhhh not sure i f I am saying this right...if George Eacker was sitting in the scene in a box that was house right, then we were house left. It made no impression/I have no memory of that scene from that night but I do remember we were in a box opposite....

For Great Comet even though sight lines were obscured extreme right and left for just a few minutes of the whole show, it was a great view of all the action from down in the pit, to the mezzanine, to the balcony!

Updated On: 10/3/17 at 08:54 PM