Oklahoma! seating

[JudyDenmark]

Posted: 12/19/18 at 4:59pm

Obviously things will be different at CITS than at St. Ann's, but for those who saw it there... any seating suggestions? What's the floor seating all about - did that exist in Brooklyn?

Edit: Also, if the setup is more or less the same as at St. Ann's, what are the pros and cons of sitting in the end section (the 100s) versus the sides (200s)? 

Thanks!

Updated On: 12/19/18 at 04:59 PM

[haterobics]

Posted: 12/19/18 at 5:13pm

The floor seating is at picnic tables with crock pots on them (which contain the chili that will be served at intermission). I sat at the table at St. Ann's and loved it, you get a lot of cast on your table, at your table, leaving hats/props in front of you, etc. And you don't really miss much of the action. I'd definitely stick to the sides, as they didn't really have end seating in Brooklyn, so everything was played to the sides.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 12/19/18 at 5:17pm

I would recommend sitting as close as possible to the action, on either of the longer sides, toward the center of either section. Presumably, the end with the audience will be the band side and the empty end will be the large mural wall that is used briefly for projections. So I would say sit closer to the band side if you can.

At St. Anns, I sat at the table seats in front of the first row, right next to the band. It made the actors a little harder to hear because they were mostly un-micd, but I didnt feel it detracted much personally. But I think if I had seen it again in that space, I wouldve liked to have sat a little farther back and more centered to have a better sound mix and see the big picture more.

Its a very intimate production, so aside from partial view seats, I dont imagine there being a “bad” seat in the house.

Updated On: 12/19/18 at 05:17 PM

[JudyDenmark]

Posted: 12/19/18 at 5:23pm

haterobics said: "The floor seating is at picnic tables with crock pots on them (which contain the chili that will be served at intermission). I sat at the table at St. Ann's and loved it, you get a lot of cast on your table, at your table, leaving hats/props in front of you, etc. And you don't really miss much of the action. I'd definitely stick to the sides, as they didn't really have end seating in Brooklyn, so everything was played to the sides."

Thank you! I'm really glad I asked, because I am so not an audience participation person, haha. So as much as I love good chili, I think I'm better off sitting a little farther back. 

(I'm also going to take this opportunity to grumble generally about the percentage of the theatres these days that's given to premium pricing. It used to be the Very Best Seats in the house that were premium, which totally made sense, but now it's such a giant chunk of the theatre that you can't get a "great" seat for a normal –still really expensive– non premium price. I think it's ludicrous. Not my call, but... ludicrous.)

[haterobics]

Posted: 12/19/18 at 5:26pm

JudyDenmark said: "Thank you! I'm really glad I asked, because I amsonot an audience participation person, haha. So as much as I love good chili, I think I'm better off sitting a little farther back."

There is zero participation, they are just VERY CLOSE. And everyone can go onto the stage for chili at intermission, no matter where you're seated.

JudyDenmark said: "(I'm also going to take this opportunity to grumble generally about the percentage of the theatres these days that's given to premium pricing. It used to be the Very Best Seats in the house that were premium, which totally made sense, but now it's such a giant chunk of the theatre that you can't get a "great" seat for a normal –still really expensive–non premium price. I think it's ludicrous. Not my call, but... ludicrous.)""

I stopped buying nearly all tickets in advance. I just buy very close to showtime, when they start downgrading premiums to regular price.

 

[JudyDenmark]

Posted: 12/19/18 at 5:35pm

haterobics said: "I stopped buying nearly all tickets in advance. I just buy very close to showtime, when they start downgrading premiums to regular price."

As a Type-A person with a color-coded planner this totally stresses me out, haha...  but I think you're right. I need to start doing that. (And/or wait for the hopefully inevitable direct mail discount.)

And noted re: chili - thanks. I wasn't expecting actual audience participation, but I really don't even like to be acknowledged by actors, other than at the curtain call. Like, if I'm on an aisle in this kind of show, I'm secretly thinking PLEASE DON'T WALK DOWN THIS AISLE AND SING TO ME PLEASE DON'T WALK DOWN THIS AISLE AND SING TO ME, and it takes me out of the moment. I prefer to be fully behind that fourth wall as a riveted observer. And it sounds like if you're at those tables, you're in some way part of the action. (Correct me if I'm wrong!)

[haterobics]

Posted: 12/19/18 at 5:47pm

JudyDenmark said: "As a Type-A person with a color-coded planner this totally stresses me out, haha... but I think you're right. I need to start doing that. (And/or wait for the hopefully inevitable direct mail discount.)"

I usually don't commit to going to the city until I get one good deal, and then I just have a shortlist of shows I want to see, and I bang down the list to see which show'll flinch first. I ended up buying my Network ticket for 6 hours later as the lights were nearly about to go down at the start of the Ferryman matinee (which I also bought a few hours earlier when someone on StubHub finally decided they were OK losing some $$$). Even with a slight discount and a regular priced ticket, this was still an expensive day! 

JudyDenmark said: "And it sounds like if you're at those tables, you're in some way part of the action. (Correct me if I'm wrong!)"

If you're skittish at all, then maybe avoid them, but I wouldn't say you're part of it at all. You're just very very close to the action. No one speaks to you, sings to you directly, asks you to hold anything, or does anything else involving you. 

[JudyDenmark]

Posted: 12/19/18 at 5:56pm

haterobics said: "If you're skittish at all, then maybe avoid them, but I wouldn't say you're part of it at all. You're just very very close to the action. No one speaks to you, sings to you directly, asks you to hold anything, or does anything else involving you."

That's really helpful - appreciate it! 

I live in NYC (and work in Times Square)... so have zero excuse for *needing* to buy tickets in advance, it's just a habit to save myself some stress. But prices have gotten so crazy that I think I don't have a choice anymore. Sigh. 

[Will3700]

Posted: 12/19/18 at 6:15pm

Hi everyone,

We got our tickets for our August trip and have Orchestra Row  B seats 210-212. Can someone give me an idea of how these will be. I've only seen one other show at Circle In The Square and was center Row D and it was great for Lady Day. 

thanks 

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 12/19/18 at 6:21pm

JudyDenmark said: "haterobics said: "If you're skittish at all, then maybe avoid them, but I wouldn't say you're part of it at all. You're just very very close to the action. No one speaks to you, sings to you directly, asks you to hold anything, or does anything else involving you."

That's really helpful - appreciate it!

I live in NYC (and work in Times Square)... so have zero excuse for *needing* to buy tickets in advance, it's just a habit to save myself some stress. But prices have gotten so crazy that I think I don't have a choice anymore. Sigh."

Do you mind sitting in the cheap seats? If not, the $49 ones in row K should be perfectly fine. I buy ahead 99.9% of the time, and it's almost always the cheapest seat available. By buying far in advance, though, I have my choice of seats, so that I can get the best cheap seat. I've come to decide that if a show is good, it will be good from most seats in the theatre, so it doesn't make sense for me to spend more. Personally, I'd rather sit dead center in the front row of the balcony than on the far sides of the front orchestra. I have about 30 shows booked, and I spent more than $99 on only one, but most of them were $59-79.

[haterobics]

Posted: 12/19/18 at 6:44pm

The other consideration, if you like to book in advance, is that if you buy something more off to the side (while they hope to sell more centered seats as premium) is that if they eventually don't sell all the premiums and reduce them, you can always call Telecharge and tell them to move you to those new seats (and 9.9 times out of 10, they'll do it), so it's slightly less risk averse than my method of having no tickets. And, if it becomes a hot ticket, and all the premiums are selling out... then you have a seat locked in. You sometimes have to pay an overage, though, if you bought early at a regular price of $149 and then up the regular price to $169 later...

I did that for Bette in Dolly. Buy way off to the side and once she's a few premium queens short, call Telecharge and slide over onto the aisle.

Updated On: 12/19/18 at 06:44 PM

[mikem]

Posted: 12/19/18 at 10:36pm

The seats at the "open" end of the horseshoe are discounted.  I would have thought that was because the band is there, and they might block the view and also change the sound mix.  I don't think there would be a reason to discount the seats at the opposite end from the band.  But I haven't seen this production so don't know if my guesses are accurate.

[haterobics]

Posted: 12/19/18 at 11:10pm

Going by St. Ann's, the band was not slammed up against the one end, but maybe 20% in from the edge, and sunken into the floor a bit, so that the cast could go around them and behind them. That said, that was probably where the least of the action occurred, so it would make sense that behind the band where less action happens would cost less.

[adam.peterson44]

Posted: 12/20/18 at 7:35am

" JudyDenmark said: "And it sounds like if you're at those tables, you're in some way part of the action. (Correct me if I'm wrong!)"

If you're skittish at all, then maybe avoid them, but I wouldn't say you're part of it at all. You're just very very close to the action. No one speaks to you, sings to you directly, asks you to hold anything, or does anything else involving you.  "

 

The day that i saw it at St Ann's, i had a different experience.  I was sitting in the back row but could see people at the table in front of me directly targeted for interaction and having the actor directly sing to them/flirt with them during "Cain't Say No".   That was the only song where i remember any audience interaction happening, however, and it seemed to only be happening to a couple of guys, so depending on your gender/sex, you might not have her singing to you.  But if you really detest the interaction and don't want to stress about it, sitting back in the "regular" seats might be a safer choice for you.  As mentioned, you can still participate in the intermission chili if you don't go to the bathroom first (they ran out the day that i was there; you had to get in line right away in order to avoid missing out).

Updated On: 12/20/18 at 07:35 AM

[Wick3]

Posted: 12/20/18 at 9:34am

I don't recall actual audience participation at St. Ann's but I do remember Annie winking at a few guys on the front row.... but that's primarily it. They didn't bring anyone up to the stage or ask anyone to do anything.

At St. Ann's, I sat at the very end of the side wall with the guns and the band. It was considered partial-view and I thought it was fine for the price. However, it was far from main parts of the action and it was poor sound design given the actors didn't use microphones for most of the show and if they're not facing you, it was hard to hear especially from that far. I felt I had a great overall view of the dream ballet though.

[haterobics]

Posted: 12/20/18 at 10:30am

Wick3 said: "I don't recall actual audience participation at St. Ann's but I do remember Annie winking at a few guys on the front row.... but that's primarily it."

Yeah, that's not really participation.

[JBC3]

Posted: 12/20/18 at 11:44am

This takes me back to the last Assassins revival. I specifically chose the same orchestra table and seat because Neil Patrick Harris would grab your shoulder at one point as he moved through the aisles and needed to pivot.

"He touched me."

[Wick3]

Posted: 12/20/18 at 12:08pm

JBC3 said: "This takes me back to the last Assassins revival. I specifically chose the same orchestra table and seat because Neil Patrick Harris would grab your shoulder at one point as he moved through the aisles and needed to pivot.

"He touched me.""

Hehe this takes me back to Hedwig when my friend won the in-person lottery and we lucked out by getting front row tix (in-person lottery seats is all over the theater)! During the entire Sugar Daddy number we were hoping one of us would get kissed

[haterobics]

Posted: 12/20/18 at 12:29pm

The best part of the JCM Hedwig run was when they changed the schedule for the last 2 weeks, and as a result, on one of the new Sunday night shows, the car wash seat was not only NOT premium, but it took a discount code. It was quite a lot of participation.

[dollyfan]

Posted: 12/28/18 at 1:53pm

Im going in April and getting tickets on Jan 2nd! Hoping for front row!

[dollyfan]

Posted: 1/2/19 at 2:56pm

dollyfan said: "Im going in April and getting tickets on Jan 2nd! Hoping for front row!"

Got Row G, Still SUPER excited!

[schubox]

Posted: 2/23/19 at 11:39am

haterobics said: "The other consideration, if you like to book in advance, is that if you buy something more off to the side (while they hope to sell more centered seats as premium) is that if they eventually don't sell all the premiums and reduce them, you can always call Telecharge and tell them to move you to those new seats (and 9.9 times out of 10, they'll do it), so it's slightly less risk averse than my method of having no tickets. And, if it becomes a hot ticket, and all the premiums are selling out... then you have a seat locked in. You sometimes have to pay an overage, though, if you bought early at a regular price of $149 and then up the regular price to $169later...

I did that for Bette in Dolly. Buy way off to the side and once she's a few premium queens short, call Telecharge and slide over onto the aisle."

How close to the show date do they usually drop the premium prices? Reading your comments and I thought I would try it. Buy seats, and then try to slide them over by calling if the premiums go unsold. 

[greensgreens]

Posted: 2/23/19 at 12:17pm

I just bought full sticker price for the front row! Although it's spendy, this is the type of production I want to support. I hope it is a huge success!

If you can't afford full price, I think row K would be fine. You're so close at Circle, you'll see everything!

[bear88]

Posted: 4/12/19 at 7:20pm

While we're going in late May, and still haven't settled on shows (except for Hadestown), I'm trying to figure out the best seating options for Oklahoma! Now that's been open for a while, I wanted to get a better sense of what it's like at Circle in the Square.

Is the band near the open end of the horseshoe? Which side? Is it better to avoid the band?

Is it better to be on the sides or at the end? Does it matter all that much, given the small size of the venue? Is one end a better choice than the other for this show (odd numbers or even numbers)?

The small size of the venue makes me more inclined to buy tickets early if we decide to go, but I would rather wait. I'm not sure if that's a realistic option, though.

Updated On: 4/12/19 at 07:20 PM

[LuminousBeing]

Posted: 4/12/19 at 10:17pm

Kind of a silly question, but...is there enough chili for everyone who wants it, and is there enough time during Intermission for people in K seats/SRO to get some? How does the whole chili at Intermission process work? And for those of you who've had it, is it good? :)

Updated On: 4/12/19 at 10:17 PM