From Where We Sat: The Culture Club (Off-Broadway)

From Where We Sat:

The Culture Club (Off-Broadway)

The Theater:

• 530 W. 27th Street, 6th Floor
• Current Capacity: 173 seats
• Seating: One level, 3 sections

What We Saw There:

• Heated Rivary: The Unauthorized Musical Parody (Review HERE)

What We Paid:

• We bought our tickets early for $76.71 each before fees; currently, the same seats are $115.55 each before fees.

Where We Sat:

• We sat in Row H, dead center in seats 107 & 108.
• This row consists of tall bar chairs, as opposed to the rows of folding chairs on a slightly raised platform.

The Location:

• Row H is the 8th row in the center section. Row J was not in use for this performance - the chairs were there, but not as a fully configured row.  
• Upon entering the space we were immediately at our row.

Seat Amenities and Exiting the Theatre:

• These tall bar chairs are fully (and well) padded with equally padded chair backs. There was generous leg room between our row and the one in front. Others passed in front of us with no trouble or any need to adjust to accommodate them.
• We were steps away from the bar and merch stand.

• Restrooms were very close as well, just down a small corridor. Of note, sketches of the costume designs adorned the walls outside and inside the restroom (above).
• Exiting was a breeze as we were right by the exit doors. A brief hallway led us to the exit staircase.

So how was the view?*

• We were very close to the action (almost every seat in the place is very close). That said, with most seats flat on the floor, and only some rows in the center on a very short platform, unless you are literally in the front row, you will not see the cast from head to tow. But trust me, you really aren't missing anything important - if their legs and feet are important, they find a way to let us see them!

* - Your seating preferences may vary, of course, and these same seats may be more or less ideal for a different production.

The Bottom Line:

• Save for the extreme sides and seats explicitly marked obstructed view due to beams that hold the ceiling up, there really aren't any bad seats. We were pleased with what we got for the price we paid.

Some general notes about the venue:

• This space is set up such that the room (s) can be completely reconfigured, so seeing a future production there may be a completely different experience.
• Though I am sure they have accommodations for handicapped individuals, we had to go upstairs just to get to the bar/lobby area. We were then escorted to an elevator that took us up to the 6th floor.The whole thing reminded me of going to a speakeasy by way of Disney's Haunted Mansion.
• Upon leaving the show, we were all shown to a back stairwell, and down 6+ flights of very tight and winding staircases. It was a bit uncomfortable.
• We went there on a Sunday evening, and the area was pretty empty. Once you get past The Vessel and The Shed areas, it gets dark - not many street lights were lit. I wasn't alone and didn't feel too uncomfortable. It is a pretty fair distance on foot from the Hudson Yards 7 Line station. We opted to Uber back to our hotel and it wasn't that expensive.

📸: J. Kyler