Boorish theatre behavior.

[raider.adam]

had the seats been occupied by someone else during the first half? I have been a season ticket holder for quite a few theaters over the years, and in all of them it was considered perfectly acceptable to move to closer seats once it was confirmed that they were going to remain empty during the show. if the seats had been empty, what was the big deal with his daughters sitting there?

Eh, seat jumping can cause problems. I was at the orchestra once and the gf and I got back from intermission just as the doors were shutting to find people sitting in our seats. Rather annoying.

On the reverse, I have had subscriptions to multiple as well (Walnut, Wilma, etc.) and I don't recall the theatre ever condoning moving seats after intermission.

[toxigal]

Eh, seat jumping can cause problems. I was at the orchestra once and the gf and I got back from intermission just as the doors were shutting to find people sitting in our seats. Rather annoying.

On the reverse, I have had subscriptions to multiple as well (Walnut, Wilma, etc.) and I don't recall the theatre ever condoning moving seats after intermission.

yes, it can be annoying. I've had it happen to me and i simply said "excuse me, those are my seats" and the people move. The only time i move to a different is if i've identified seats that were unoccupied during the first half. and only during plays and musicals. I wouldn't do it for an orchestra performance because it is more likely that someone would show up just for the second part.

i dont' necessarily move to closer seats, but i do scout out seats with better leg room!

have you ever asked if you could move to different seats? I have an i have never had a theater employee say no. as long as the seats are empty, they don't seem to care.

[OldMama]

When my daughter was 5 we took her to see The Nutcracker at the Academy. There were lots of empty seats better than ours a few rows in front of us. At intermission, I asked the usher if I could take my daughter to one of those empty seats. Instead, he escorted us to even better empty seats. Pays to ask.

[Jayfar]

When my daughter was 5 we took her to see The Nutcracker at the Academy. There were lots of empty seats better than ours a few rows in front of us. At intermission, I asked the usher if I could take my daughter to one of those empty seats. Instead, he escorted us to even better empty seats. Pays to ask.

Especially relevant at the Academy. Look at their official seating charts and you'll find that very many of their seats are designated as "obstructed view" or "partially obstructed view." Actually, for that reason I've never been to the Academy. For a couple shows I was interested in, by the time I decided to look for tickets only obstructed views remained.

[lucidinnature]

So when I pay $200 to have a pleasant night out, it is perfectly excusable to return after intermission with a guy in my wife's seat and 2 chatty teens in the vacant seats? If they only wanted to pay $35 per ticket, then stay back there and leave me alone instead of encroaching on an area they don't belong and immediately becoming belligerent. If they paid, fine! They didn't pay so there's no reason for me to babysit daddy's little filth skank.

had the seats been occupied by someone else during the first half? I have been a season ticket holder for quite a few theaters over the years, and in all of them it was considered perfectly acceptable to move to closer seats once it was confirmed that they were going to remain empty during the show. if the seats had been empty, what was the big deal with his daughters sitting there?

[OldMama]

Chatty anyone is never acceptable in a theatre. The old coots behind me were way more annoying than my 15 year old next to me- at least in this situation! I think people here are referring to seats that had been empty, or that they thought were empty. That's why it's best to ask an usher.

Frankly, at the Walnut, Wilma and Suzanne Roberts theaters, every seat is good. I'm really short and even I can see from wherever in those places. At the Academy, which frequently has empty seats and also has seats with poor views, it's more common. This can work in your favor. I had season tickets for the ballet on Saturday nights. I arrived for the Nutcracker one year expecting to sit in our usual seats. People were in them. They had tickets for them. Lo and behold, MY season tickets were for Saturday nights but for some reason my Nutcracker tickets were for the night before- Friday. Who knows why; I never noticed it. Luckily, the usher found us good seats that he knew were empty.

[AsYouWere]

MY season tickets were for Saturday nights but for some reason my Nutcracker tickets were for the night before- Friday. Who knows why; I never noticed it. Luckily, the usher found us good seats that he knew were empty.

Great outcome and speaking with an usher is surely the most sensible way to go in any scenario, but curious how you got that far on a Saturday with Friday tickets.
Maybe a certain ticket-taker was busy on their device?

[OldMama]

Great outcome and speaking with an usher is surely the most sensible way to go in any scenario, but curious how you got that far on a Saturday with Friday tickets.
Maybe a certain ticket-taker was busy on their device?

The Academy doors open and people rush in. You flash your tickets but outside of seeing that they are for that venue, no one really looks. We knew where we were going so we just went to our seats. Only to discover that they were not our seats!

[toxigal]

The Academy doors open and people rush in. You flash your tickets but outside of seeing that they are for that venue, no one really looks. We knew where we were going so we just went to our seats. Only to discover that they were not our seats!

hm, i always stand in line and wait for the attendant to scan my ticket. of course, i'm usually not there right when the door open.

[OldMama]

I can't remember getting scanned at the Academy. Must be losing my mind- or maybe it's been so long since I've been there. Maybe 2007?

Well anyway, I got in that day with the wrong ticket. With my mother. Who never would have let me forget it if we couldn't 't see the Nutcracker.

[rojnish]

Back to the boorish behavior for a second....I can assure you it isn't just Philly. I was recently at a show on Broadway in NY and the two 30- something women behind me behaved like trash- making sexual comments about the male lead and giggling and such throughout the ENTIRE play. The stale humor never seemed to grow old for these two pinheads. Glaring at them, asking them politely, and moving away from them had no effect. They would not be thwarted from their course. Ugh.

[JoeBaker]

Especially relevant at the Academy. Look at their official seating charts and you'll find that very many of their seats are designated as "obstructed view" or "partially obstructed view." Actually, for that reason I've never been to the Academy. For a couple shows I was interested in, by the time I decided to look for tickets only obstructed views remained.

FYI and this is just my own opinion but at the Academy if you happen to be in a seat that is "obstructed by column" (not sure of the exact words they use) it's really not that bad. I've never sat one row behind a column but I have sat in a seat that was sold as obstructed by a column. Didn't even notice it. Even when I sat down it was something that didn't distract me.

Now, "partial view" or other phrases they use may be problematic. For instance, I know there are seats at the Academy that prevent you from viewing the surtitles during an opera. I would not want to be sitting in a seat like that. I need the translation!!

Buy a cheap seat several rows back from a column and check it out. I think you can get a seat for 10 or 20 dollars. You just missed La Boheme. It would have been a perfect test.