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Where should I sit?


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I will be visiting New York 5/28-6/4 and 6/15-6/20. I plan to see three performances (Giselle, La Bayadere, and R&J) and would like to know the best places to sit at the Met. I last saw ABT perform in May 2011 (Don Quixote) and it was a last minute purchase (since I couldn't get rush for Book of Mormon). I can't find my ticket to see where I sat so I ask all you kind people for advice. Thanks in advance for your help.

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The family circle feels like it's a million miles from the stage, so I would avoid that section. I would also avoid the side boxes on all levels.

Hi Abatt,

Are you referring to the side Parterre? Someone else on the forum, nysusan, I think, indicated these weren't great seats. I have a side parterre tkt for Giselle next week. If these seats are not good, why then are they so expensive? I paid $115, I think, for this ticket. For R&J I am in the side rear balance or something like that and for La Bayadere, I chose dress circle. I know nysusan said if someone is tall in front of you in the side parterre, viewing can be troublesome. But that's true everywhere, at least that's my experience at the State Theatre (Koch).

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I always sit in the orchestra at the Met. I like being around rows J, K, L, M although those are the priciest seats:(

As long as you're strategic about which side you're on (e.g. for R&J you need to be stage right in order to see the balcony), the orchestra balance seats can be an economical alternative. You don't want to be too close, or the angle will be particularly sharp. But around M, N, O, seats on the side (generally the first four or so are cheaper) can be decent.

I agree with Helene that dress circle is also a good option; it's another decent compromise between price and height/distance.

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I agree with Amour, center orchestra seats are the best, preferably no closer than row J. Although the last 3 years my subscription seats were center orchestra rows E, F, and G but the slope upward does not start until about Row M so if you are short like me you have to hope that the person sitting in front of you is not too tall. I also think rear orchestra is fine, but bring your opera glasses. I don't like sitting in the upper decks-- I like to see the expressions on the dancers' faces. Have a fabulous time at the ballet!

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I f you're only seeing the three performances, I'd pop for the $$ and go directly to the Grand Tier. Best seats in the house and also one can see full stage and patterns. I often go "day of" and depending on the ballet and who's dancing get better locations than my usual subscription seats (which ABT refuses to make better, no matter how much I make the request.. So I usually just exchange them for better seats on "exchange day").. Some prefer to sit in the orchestra, but as I'm a bit smaller than some, I never want to chance it sitting behind someone tall. then seeing is impossible! My opera glasses make it easy to see feet and faces! I always think it better to "sit up" when at the Met. Where do you sit when you see ballet in SFO? That Opera House is quite large also. So maybe that can be a guide for you. I would also avoid the side Parterre Boxes. Yes, less $$, but depending on your seat, it's a limited view. The Grand Tier is the place to be!

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Thank you everyone for your advice. I did find my ticket from Don Q back in 2011 - I sat in Dress Circle. I am going to follow Helene's advice and mix it up. So far, I have Rear Orchestra for Giselle on 5/28 and Dress Circle for La Bayadere on 6/2. I still have to get tickets for R&J. Looking forward to seeing ABT again!!!

Cheers,

Herm

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I wish I liked using opera glasses. I bought a pair and tried them out with Giselle, but as I need glasses I find them quite awkward to use. I don't want to take my glasses off, because then I'm completely blind and have to only use the opera glasses or keep switching back and forth.

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I wish I liked using opera glasses. I bought a pair and tried them out with Giselle, but as I need glasses I find them quite awkward to use. I don't want to take my glasses off, because then I'm completely blind and have to only use the opera glasses or keep switching back and forth.

I have to wear glasses and have this problem; that is, like you I can't see anything without glasses and switching back and forth between glasses and opera glasses is no solution. For many years I didn't use opera glasses at all. But....I finally found a small pair (at the Met shop) that I could use comfortably and without fear of scratching my glasses etc. They were not cheap--but I was able to experiment with them a bit before the purchase. (That is, experiment with putting them over my glasses and looking at things; obviously the Met store didn't let me take them for a 'test drive' in the theater.)

It turned out to be one of my best purchases, so, it might be worth experimenting around, though I realize everyone experiences these things differently. I feel like I'm too young to be getting shorter, but more and more often I have problems seeing over people's heads at the Met (and elsewhere) and now sit upstairs for a number of performances even though I enjoy being closer. Opera glasses over glasses will never be ideal, but finding a reasonably workable pair has been a boon.

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I have to wear glasses and have this problem; that is, like you I can't see anything without glasses and switching back and forth between glasses and opera glasses is no solution. For many years I didn't use opera glasses at all. But....I finally found a small pair (at the Met shop) that I could use comfortably and without fear of scratching my glasses etc. They were not cheap--but I was able to experiment with them a bit before the purchase. (That is, experiment with putting them over my glasses and looking at things; obviously the Met store didn't let me take them for a 'test drive' in the theater.)

It turned out to be one of my best purchases, so, it might be worth experimenting around, though I realize everyone experiences these things differently. I feel like I'm too young to be getting shorter, but more and more often I have problems seeing over people's heads at the Met (and elsewhere) and now sit upstairs for a number of performances even though I enjoy being closer. Opera glasses over glasses will never be ideal, but finding a reasonably workable pair has been a boon.

Thanks for the tips! I'll take a look on Friday before Sleeping Beauty.

This year, I switched my seats from grand tier side box seats to front balcony because of cost (going to more performances, so have to spend less money). I like the front of the balcony because I can really see the patterns of the corps, but I really miss being able to see faces. Sometimes I switch it up and sit in the cheap side orchestra seats that are close (row G or so) but they cut off a good portion of the stage. So I guess I need to get use to the balcony, because I can't afford prime orchestra seats for all of these performances (unless I decide the government doesn't want me to pay back all of those student loans I borrowed!

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Sometimes I switch it up and sit in the cheap side orchestra seats that are close (row G or so) but they cut off a good portion of the stage.

If you're willing to go back to around rows N-O-P on the side orchestra seats, not as much of the stage gets cut off and it still feels reasonably close.

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Sorry, I'm slightly dyslexic when it comes to left and right. Which side is the balcony on in Romeo and Juliet? I'm going to add on some side orchestra seats for Obratszova's performance and am trying to decide where to sit.

Which by the way, there are a ton of tickets left for that performance. What was it ABT's CFO said about stars selling more tickets?

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Sorry, I'm slightly dyslexic when it comes to left and right. Which side is the balcony on in Romeo and Juliet? I'm going to add on some side orchestra seats for Obratszova's performance and am trying to decide where to sit.

Which by the way, there are a ton of tickets left for that performance. What was it ABT's CFO said about stars selling more tickets?

The balcony is stage left, orchestra right. You want to sit on orchestra left

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