Seating at the MET - Side Ring Seats?

[Roberto Dini]

Has anyone sat on the sides of any of the rings at the MET for the ballet? How much of the view is obstructed?

[California]

It depends a lot on which box! The ideal boxes in the Parterre level are 5 & 6 -- three in from the stage. You're still close to the stage, but with minimal loss of sight in the far back corner on your side. Boxes 1 & 2 do lose some of that back corner, so you have to pick carefully, depending on the ballet. For R&J, don't sit on the side with the balcony set, as you'll miss that. For Giselle, avoid the side with the grave. Never, ever sit in the second row of any of the side boxes. The Met crams way too many chairs into the boxes, for one thing, and the back row is seriously obstructed.

I've never found a perfect seat at the Met. I normally like to alternate between up-close to see details and farther back to see overall patterns. But the first tier at the Met is awfully far back (and among the most expensive seats). Orchestra seats are a problem in every theater for me, because of the heads in front of you. Side orchestra on the aisle usually works as you're at a slight angle with no heads (and many recognizable critics sit there, which tells you something). What's peculiar about the Met is that the first six rows or so actually slope downward away from the Pit. I was in the fifth row, side orchestra, on the aisle for the Reyes Manon (which would have been a spectacular seat in other houses) and was shocked that I could not see feet! I suppose those seats work for tall people. For me - never again.

So the side boxes are a worthwhile trade-off if you like to see principals up close and are careful in choosing.

[angelica]

I agree with California that the best boxes in the Parterre are 5 and 6, and also that you must sit in the first row because a great deal of the stage is obscured from any other row.

Over the years I have sat just about everywhere in the Met to try out the different seats, and at the risk of repeating myself yet again, to my mind every seat in the Met is a compromise for a ballet performance. At this point my favorite seats are Orchestra Row A, but they're almost never available for sale, except if you're lucky at the last minute and someone turns them in. I just love seeing everything up close, even though you do miss the feet at the back of the stage when the women are not on pointe. If I were just a bit taller, that probably wouldn't be a problem. After that I like Orchestra Rows I, J, and K, on the aisle.

However, from a cost/benefit pointe of view, those side parterre seats are a very good deal. However, if you like a panoramic view, then Dress Circle Rows A and B are also cost effective. The problem is that most of the first row Side Parterre seats are held by subscribers. Same for the first two rows of the Dress Circle.

I sometimes wonder whether the number of unsold seats at ABT has to do with the fact that people are reluctant to pay upwards of $125 for, say, Orchestra seats on the sides and in the back, where you can't see much of anything except little people moving around on the stage. With the greatest dancers, the house tends to nearly sell out because people will pay anything for even a glimpse of these artists. I, for one, wouldn't buy a ticket in the back of the orchestra no matter who was dancing.

[nysusan]

I sit in the side boxes almost all of the time - either Parterre, Grand Tier or Balcony Boxes. Let me reiterate what Angelica & California said - NEVER sit in anything but the front row of the boxes - seats 1-3 in Parterre or Grand Tier and 1-4 in balcony boxes.

Parterre boxes 7& 8 are my favorites and I find the Grand Tier boxes almost as good as the parterre. I never sit in the Dress Circle boxes because I feel that you miss a lot of the stage no matter how close or far from the stage you are. If I'm only going to see 3/4 of the stage I'd rather go for the cheaper balcony box seats. I do this if I've already bought tickets for multiple performances of a production and I decide I want another one because I'm curious about a specific dancer, or if I know I'm not staying for the full performance (like the upcoming Dream/Tempest program).

[Roberto Dini]

Thank you all for your replies.

[MJ]

I agree with California that the best boxes in the Parterre are 5 and 6, and also that you must sit in the first row because a great deal of the stage is obscured from any other row.

Over the years I have sat just about everywhere in the Met to try out the different seats, and at the risk of repeating myself yet again, to my mind every seat in the Met is a compromise for a ballet performance. At this point my favorite seats are Orchestra Row A, but they're almost never available for sale, except if you're lucky at the last minute and someone turns them in. I just love seeing everything up close, even though you do miss the feet at the back of the stage when the women are not on pointe. If I were just a bit taller, that probably wouldn't be a problem. After that I like Orchestra Rows I, J, and K, on the aisle.

However, from a cost/benefit pointe of view, those side parterre seats are a very good deal. However, if you like a panoramic view, then Dress Circle Rows A and B are also cost effective. The problem is that most of the first row Side Parterre seats are held by subscribers. Same for the first two rows of the Dress Circle.

I sometimes wonder whether the number of unsold seats at ABT has to do with the fact that people are reluctant to pay upwards of $125 for, say, Orchestra seats on the sides and in the back, where you can't see much of anything except little people moving around on the stage. With the greatest dancers, the house tends to nearly sell out because people will pay anything for even a glimpse of these artists. I, for one, wouldn't buy a ticket in the back of the orchestra no matter who was dancing.

I'm 6'0 and have difficulty looking over the heads of other patrons in the second set of seats, but they are substantially cheaper.

I just found out you can go downstairs and get a booster seat in the basement lobby. I may try that and will let you know.

[angelica]

I just found out you can go downstairs and get a booster seat in the basement lobby. I may try that and will let you know.

Unless they've made any changes since last year, booster seats are only for children and they often run out. You have to bring the child with you to prove it's for a child, and they make you leave your driver's license as hostage so they get the cushions back. I seriously doubt that at 6'0 they would give you a booster seat, MJ.

[mussel]

There's a small commotion yesterday at the orchestra, someone bought her own booster seat, blocking the one behind. I hope this is not the beginning of booster seat arm race.

[abatt]

I just found out you can go downstairs and get a booster seat in the basement lobby. I may try that and will let you know.

Unless they've made any changes since last year, booster seats are only for children and they often run out. You have to bring the child with you to prove it's for a child, and they make you leave your driver's license as hostage so they get the cushions back. I seriously doubt that at 6'0 they would give you a booster seat, MJ.

I've seen full size adults with booster seats and no kid. All you have to do is say my kid is in the bathroom or something like that and they will give it to you if you leave your ID.