Met Opera Seating for ABT

[FayBallet]

Seeking advice. I've never had Met seats higher than the Dress Circle. This spring, I'd like to see 4-7 shows  (thinking of seeing some ballets twice). To make it affordable without leaving it all to chance by buying rush tickets, I'm considering building my own subscription with rear balance Family Circle seats. I don't own binoculars. Would I need to use them to see the dancing well? Is this too far to enjoy it? I know everyone has different seating preferences, but I'd like to hear people's opinions. Thank you.

[FPF]

I had a family circle subscription to ABT a while back and thoroughly enjoyed those performances, as well as other performances from visiting companies. I had no opera glasses (I didn't get any until years later), and always tended to go for the cheap seats (and still often do). I think that whether those seats will suit you will depend in part on what you like to focus on. For example, in story ballets, you would be able to see big gesture and  might  better appreciate the corps formations than you would lower down. But you would miss nuances like facial expressions, the top of the set might be cut off from your view, and if you sit off-center, one side of the back of the stage may also be cut off. I've also seen the opera there from way up high, and the acoustics were great and I really enjoyed those performances as well. 

That being said, if you can afford a pair, opera glasses would give you the ability to still purchase cheap seats while being able to capture more details. And you would then have them for any future performances--I've had mine for about 15 years and bring them to most performances, although I don't always use them. Although I'm sure you could get super-fancy ones encrusted with gold and with a price to match, I think there are some that would work well and still be fairly inexpensive.

[Helene]

The glasses that can hang over your neck are great if you're as absent-minded as I am:  I usually forget I have them until I'd make too much noise getting them out of my bag.

You might also want to make a subscription in the Family Circle of most of your performances, and then leave one or two to chance to be able to see them from below.  I don't know what ABT is like now for offering subscriber discounts on single tickets and/or discounted day-of tickets -- is that still open? -- but you may be able to score tickets later, if you don't mind leaving some to chance, to watch from closer up.

[canbelto]

I'm going to be a contrarian and say don't get FC tickets. I find theyre great for opera but awful for ballet, even if you bring opera glasses. I'd get balcony box if you want a cheaper alternative.

[FayBallet]

I have opera glasses that I use sparingly, usually just to see who's dancing if I can't tell with the naked eye. They're the cheapest ones that the Met sells, so they aren't at all fancy, but they work for how I use them. I wasn't sure if the magnification would be enough from the Family Circle, so I thought I might need to invest in binoculars. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your Family Circle subscription with opera glasses!

1 hour ago, Helene said:

The glasses that can hang over your neck are great if you're as absent-minded as I am:  I usually forget I have them until I'd make too much noise getting them out of my bag.

You might also want to make a subscription in the Family Circle of most of your performances, and then leave one or two to chance to be able to see them from below.  I don't know what ABT is like now for offering subscriber discounts on single tickets and/or discounted day-of tickets -- is that still open? -- but you may be able to score tickets later, if you don't mind leaving some to chance, to watch from closer up.

 

Ugh, I wish I had a neck chain. I'm always worried mine will fall off my lap and embarrass me.

1 hour ago, FPF said:

That being said, if you can afford a pair, opera glasses would give you the ability to still purchase cheap seats while being able to capture more details. And you would then have them for any future performances--I've had mine for about 15 years and bring them to most performances, although I don't always use them. Although I'm sure you could get super-fancy ones encrusted with gold and with a price to match, I think there are some that would work well and still be fairly inexpensive.

 

[FayBallet]

1 hour ago, canbelto said:

I'm going to be a contrarian and say don't get FC tickets. I find theyre great for opera but awful for ballet, even if you bring opera glasses. I'd get balcony box if you want a cheaper alternative.

Thank you for your point of view. They aren't allowing subscriptions to the Balcony Boxes, but it was a good idea!

[FPF]

1 hour ago, FayBallet said:

I have opera glasses that I use sparingly, usually just to see who's dancing if I can't tell with the naked eye. They're the cheapest ones that the Met sells, so they aren't at all fancy, but they work for how I use them. I wasn't sure if the magnification would be enough from the Family Circle, so I thought I might need to invest in binoculars. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your Family Circle subscription with opera glasses!

 

Ugh, I wish I had a neck chain. I'm always worried mine will fall off my lap and embarrass me.

 

I actually didn't buy the opera glasses until years after I stopped the subscription. So I was able to enjoy the performances with just my normal glasses. 

[vendangeuse]

I mostly sit in the Family Circle, but will usually splurge and get better seats once or twice a season for a cast I'm very excited about. For what it's worth, in the past few years pre-COVID, I have almost never seen the Family Circle sold out. It hardly ever comes close (unless Misty is dancing, but she is not currently cast for anything this summer.) 

Ushers at the Met are great and will usually turn a blind eye to anyone who moves down from the rear Family Circle to the lower rows after the lights go down (or after intermission.) I've also seen bolder ticket holders moving down into the Balcony section same way, although they do usually wait til intermission to jump sections. 

I like the balcony boxes for the opera, but do find them frustrating for the ballet—even in the boxes closest to the balcony section, the view of the corners of the stage begins to get obstructed. My vote would be for the Family Circle. 

[BalanchineFan]

On 12/22/2021 at 5:25 PM, FayBallet said:

Thank you for your point of view. They aren't allowing subscriptions to the Balcony Boxes, but it was a good idea!

I have a small pair of binoculars that I always bring. They work better than opera glasses and still fit into my evening bag. They have a wrist strap.

[Marta]

On 12/22/2021 at 3:53 PM, canbelto said:

I'm going to be a contrarian and say don't get FC tickets. I find theyre great for opera but awful for ballet, even if you bring opera glasses. I'd get balcony box if you want a cheaper alternative.

I agree wholeheartedly.  Yes, the acoustics in FC are great for opera.  But you can't see ballet well from the FC.  High quality binoculars are terrific for watching ballet.

[angelica]

I have a long, unhappy relationship with opera glasses and ballet. Even when they're adjusted for my eyes, I find that when I can get them focused on the dancers onstage, the dancers move and I have to find them again. And again. And so on.  I find that the best seat value (these are not my favorite seats, but I'd take them, is Side Parterre (first row only). Second value choice would be first row Dress Circle. Other good choices are in the center of the Orchestra where the rake lifts you above the people in front, say row O or P, but of course those are pricier.

The Met simply isn't built for ballet; the horseshoe is too deep.

[ABT Fan]

19 hours ago, angelica said:

I have a long, unhappy relationship with opera glasses and ballet. Even when they're adjusted for my eyes, I find that when I can get them focused on the dancers onstage, the dancers move and I have to find them again. And again. And so on.

The Met simply isn't built for ballet; the horseshoe is too deep.

Same here. It's way too frustrating, so I haven't used them in years. If I can't get a great seat close enough to see faces with just my glasses, I pass.