Why dd the Broadway Theatre close up the Back of the mezzanine?

[dyland]

According to a pic i saw, there is a curtain that closed up the rear mezz. why tho?

[Kelly2]

Lots of shows close off sections when they're either not selling tickets there or they're empty. I've seen a lot of the bigger theatres close the balcony entirely.

[blaxx]

They couldn't finish cleaning the vomit after the run of Sister Act.

[Mr Roxy]

Cruel and unwarranted

[Pammylicious]

There might have been several bad blind obstructed seats and they don't want to sell them. From what i see they are using the sides of the stage....wouldn't want to sit in seats that are partial and they have to inform you of that. i could be wrong though.

[blaxx]

Cruel and unwarranted

I agree, but at least it is closed now!

[chewy5000]

The middle of the balcony has a bad enough view as it is.

[broadwaydevil]

The Broadway has no balcony, there's only a mezzanine. True, it's a little far from the stage but I've sat there multiple times and the view has never been partial. I can't imagine anything about the set that could make a view obstructed from the center of the rear mezzanine (maybe only an extremely low false proscenium which Cinderella doesn't have.)

Thus, I think it's purely financial which seems puzzling for a show with such a strong advance. Perhaps they didn't want to take a huge risk so they didn't sell the rear mezz for previews but will once the show opens. It would be strange to leave those seats empty if they can sell them...

[bwayphreak234]

what picture did you see?

[THDavis]

The rear mezz in that theatre has made me feel the farthest away from a show I've ever been. I hope to never have to sit in the rear mezz at the Broadway again.

Here's to hoping I marry rich.

[broadwaydevil]

You must've never sat in he balcony at the St. James or Palace then...yikes!

[StarToBe2]

I had put this on another thread but we had wondered the same thing last Saturday but when we were onstage after the show to say hello and kisskiss, we looked up and saw a large lighting display that you couldn't see past and was evident that those seats would have been "partial viewing" AT BEST so we figured that is why it was curtained off. Hope this helps....unfortunately it did look a little weird to have curtains hanging up that you could see past easily.

[GavestonPS]

Did the Palace ever have a balcony? I remember distinctly looking almost straight down at the top of Lauren Bacall's head in APPLAUSE. Maybe that was rear mezzanine, but it was certainly steep. (Still loved the show and her performance, BTW.)

[THDavis]

I have sat in the balcony at the Palace, forgot about that. Even though the view was higher, I still felt like the view was closer to the stage than the Broadway, though. Maybe not.

[GavestonPS]

Of course I was confusing the Broadway and the Palace. Thanks for being polite about it, Mr. Davis.

Now that I've reviewed the show list for the Broadway, yes, I sat in the mezzanine for EVITA and the revival of ZORBA. It was quite distant, but I don't remember it being nearly as steep.

The Palace balcony (back in the 1970s) did give one a feeling of being closer, despite the nosebleeds. As I recall it, it was almost like sitting on a rafter above the stage.

[bwayphreak234]

I sat up in the balcony at the Palace for Priscilla and it did not bother me at all.

[Rainbowhigh23]

I sat in the last row of the balcony at the Broadway for Miss Saigon - the tickets were $18 each and despite feeling far away, the view was not partial.

[GavestonPS]

I sat up in the balcony at the Palace for Priscilla and it did not bother me at all.

Hasn't the Palace been renovated since the 1970s? I'm not sure what, if anything, was changed.

[broadwaydevil]

Not the balcony as far as I'm aware. The rafters analogy is a good one. It's so incredibly steep and high up that it's almost impossible to imagine what the architects were thinking.

Back on topic, I'm not sure how lighting could possibly obstruct every seat in the rear mezzanine, including in the center. If it does, that's incredibly poor design since they're losing a lot of potential sales and are still paying the price by being in a larger theatre with higher rent. More likely, I presume it was meant as a strategic financial decision but I hope to go next week and see for myself.

[jeffmiele]

It could be just during previews. When SISTER ACT started previews they had the curtain dividing the mezzanine as well

[theatreguy]

A look at Telecharge shows that the full rear mezzanine in on sale for performances post-opening.