Because the auditorium is so wide, there's a much larger percentage of seats that most would consider "partial view." When I saw the HEDDA GABLER revival with Kate Burton in the title role (wonderful production, by the way), I was in one of these seats and I decided to spend the second act back in standing room because I suspected that I might have trouble seeing the staging of the play's climax. And I was correct...if you know how this play ends, I would have missed seeing just about all of it.
The other issue I always have with this theatre is that, for some reason, it seems to be the least insulated theatre on Broadway when it comes to street noise. If you sit on the auditorium left side, you will clearly hear the sounds of traffic and passersby. Although you'll hear sirens, horns, and sometimes the subway in many theatres, I don't recall any other where I could so clearly hear pedestrians' conversations as they walked by. |
