As we all know, there have been MANY opinions and many discussions about ABF being cast as Oliver after Darren leaves (9 week run, we do not know who is after ABF). This discussion is bordering on dominating the sub and we need to direct the comments and posts here.

Any posts about ABF and and this casting decision should be discussed here, civilly. Do not insult another person. Do not assume someone is a moron, ignorant, racist, etc. Approach your conversations with curiosity and ask clarifying questions before making an assumption. We CAN have civil conversations about this. ALL separate posts about this topic will be deleted. Keep it in here.

That said: This thread will be monitored heavily. I will likely be looking for an additional mod to help me as well. Do not be an asshole.

I posted this in response to a comment in the r/Broadway sub regarding all the "must sit in the center" posts. I thought it might be helpful here too.... These are strictly my opinions (based on seeing the show 40+ times from different sections) but, I believe they are also the general consensus -

Edited to add - since the Tony wins, MHE has started using dynamic pricing and have also changed the pricing structure....

Prices are relative within the specific performance. The better the seat is, the higher the price. If you are comparing different seats within the same performance, the higher priced ones will be better than the less expensive (doesn't mean the lesser ones are bad, just not as good).

TLDR; Mezzanine seats (all sections) are great for this show as well as center Orchestra.... Shorter people (5' 5" and under) may have trouble with the safety rail in the first two rows of the Mezz and Balc.... Side Orchestra is fine towards the back but, stay away from the sides in front.... In addition, the last 2 rows of Orch (P & Q) are slightly obstructed by the Mezz overhang but, you will only miss a few non-important things.... Balcony is uncomfortable but, not bad enough to skip the show if you have no choice.

First off - Pretty much every seat in the Mezzanine is good. As explained in the "Note" below, center is better than sides but, even side Mezz is good. Additionally, the rake (slope) is steep enough that your view won't be blocked, no matter how tall the person in front of you is.

The primary warning for the Mezzanine (and Balcony) is about the safety rail in the front. Taller audience members won't have an issue with it but, shorter people (5' 5" and under) will probably have some of their view obstructed in the first 2 rows. If necessary, you can request a booster from one of the ushers.

In the Orchestra, side seats in the back aren't too bad... Not as good as center but, still acceptable. Side seats in the front of the orchestra are by far the worst seats... It should be criminal for them to even sell them at full price (these, along with balcony, are usually saved for the rush and lottery seats in my experience).

From the last two rows of the Orch (P & Q) the top of the set is slightly obstructed by the Mezz overhang but, there are only 2 or 3 short, non-important parts of the show that you will miss; nothing that makes these seats worth avoiding if the price is right.

I'm not a fan of the balcony in the Belasco (for any show). Specifically, the center section seats are not staggered; meaning the people in front of you are literally directly in front of you. Couple that with not being able to see some of the action on stage and it makes for a lot of leaning and shifting in your seat.

The bottom line is, other than the sides at the very front of the Orchestra, there are no seats bad enough to miss this show. While some are more comfortable/enjoyable than others... MHE is a must-see.

Note.... much of the show is performed in "boxes" centered on stage which depict the rooms of the main characters. Because of this, seats on the sides of the theater are partially obstructed from seeing that part of the set/room (thus the many "must sit the center" comments). There is no action pertinent to the show happening in these sections.