From Where We Sat: New York City Center - Main Stage

Today, we have the next in our series of seating articles based on many of your emails requests and questions, namely "how were your seats?" Sure, I'm aware of another website that provides a similar service that covers New York theaters, national theaters and concert and sporting venues. I hope to provide a bit more information and insight. That said, if there's anything more you'd like to know or want to share your own experiences please feel free to contact us on social media at JKsTheatreScene.

From Where We Sat:

New York City Center - Main Stage

The Theatre: 

• 131 W. 55th Street
• Current capacity: 2257 seats
• Orchestra, Grand Tier, Mezzanine and Balcony seating

What We Saw There:

• Bat Boy (review HERE)

Where We Sat: 

• Mezzanine Row D, Seats 117 & 118. All of the seating in this theater has above average leg room. The seats themselves were comfortable and in excellent condition.

What We Paid: 

• $83.00 (Today Tix discount price)

The Location: 

• Upon entering the theater, we were directed to the right headed toward the mezzanine level. It is 2+ floors up. There is a large staircase. but we opted for the elevator. Be cautioned: they are pretty strict about the capacity - 9 patrons at a time, so go early and get in line if stairs aren't your thing. Added benefit: the merch stand and hearing device station are right next to that elevator. 
• Row D is the fourth row from the front of the section, which is directly behind the 5 row Grand Tier section.

Seat Amenities:

• In addition to legroom, these seats offer additional comfort.
• The rows of the mezzanine seating are semi-stadium style, so there is no problem seeing over the person in front of you.
• Exiting the theatre is simple. From here, the exit doors are just a few feet away in either direction, and with the wide hallways that lead back to the spacious lobby, there is virtually no delay in filing out. Similarly, the staircases are wide and allow for a steady stream of egress. Finally, as mentioned above there are elevators, but the lines are long to use them. For us, going down the stairs is much easier than going up, so that's how we exited.
• We were out of the theater and on our way in less than 5 minutes post curtain call.
• The restrooms are on only one side of the theater at this level. As you might guess, the lines are long at intermission.

So how was the view*?

• We had a full view of the action, including the front of the stage and upstage.
• The seats were pretty close to dead center, and with the rake of the seats, we were pretty much seeing it straight on, with the actors in view from head to toe at all times. I don't think people in the orchestra seating on the extreme sides or too close to the tall stage can say the same.
• The seats are also close enough that facial expressions and set and costume details were clear.

The bottom line:

• I would choose these specifically. The view is perfect, and they are comfortable.

* - Your seating preferences may vary, of course. And these seats may not be as ideal for a different production.

Other seating at New York City Center - Main Stage

• We have seen several productions at this theater - all Encores! musicals - and we've sat in various locations in the mezzanine and balcony areas. Everywhere we sat afforded a full view of the stage.
• A couple of times, we sat in the center front balcony section. The seats had a fair amount of leg room. You could see the whole stage at once, but it is pretty far from the stage, so you don't really see the details and facial expressions. They are great for the budget conscious. One important note: these seats are at the top of a tall theater, so there are many flights of stairs. There are elevators, but as mentioned earlier, they have limited capacity, so it may take awhile to get up there that way.
• The view from the mezzanine is very good, no matter the location and it feels relatively close to the stage. The leg room is great and the stadium style seating creates full, unobstructed views. There is a rear section that is center, and those seats offer slightly more leg room. That said, while you do have a clear view of the stage from there, you are aware of the balcony overhang. The price difference in these seats may make sitting there a great economic choice, if that's an issue for you.