Lincoln Center Theater — Attraction in New York

My wife and I excitedly spent $400 on tickets to see the acclaimed production of Uncle Vanya at Lincoln Center for Saturday, 4/13, at 2:00 pm. This was meant to be a special "babymoon" event for us, as my wife is currently 5 months pregnant.

When my wife arrived at our assigned seating area before me (I had to briefly step away to use the restroom before the show), she was dismayed to find a woman occupying MY seat. My wife politely showed the woman our tickets, which clearly displayed the seat numbers we had paid a premium for, but the woman refused to budge.

Feeling flustered, my wife approached the usher for assistance, only to be met with a shocking response. Rather than resolving the issue, the usher yelled at my wife, ordering her to sit down and be quiet. My wife is an adult customer who had invested a significant sum to secure premium seats, yet she was being treated with blatant disrespect and prejudice. Worse, as a pregnant woman, she needed to be seated next to me in case of any emergency.

When I arrived moments later, I was directed to a terrible seat far away from my wife, completely undermining the experience we had paid dearly for. My wife returned to the same usher, this time showing her the $400 we had spent on the tickets, hoping to appeal to her sense of responsibility. (This does not include tolls, gas, and parking fees it cost for us to get there.) But instead of apologizing for the mistake and making it right, the usher took my wife's phone from her hand, leaving her feeling violated.

At the box office, my wife explained our circumstances - that she is 5 months pregnant and cannot risk the 3-hour commute to return, especially as her doctor has put her on a travel restriction from here on out. However, her pleas for a refund or exchange were callously denied. This is unacceptable, as she was effectively discriminated against for being pregnant and denied the opportunity to safely enjoy the performance we had anticipated on the day we chose.

Lincoln Center failed to uphold its duty to its patrons, especially a pregnant woman who had invested a substantial sum. This does not include the additional tolls, gas, and parking fees it cost for us to get there. Their actions were not only disrespectful, but also potentially jeopardized the health and safety of my wife and our unborn child. I am deeply disappointed that what should have been a special occasion was so severely marred by Lincoln Center's gross negligence and lack of customer service. My wife deserves to be heard and for this situation to be rectified appropriately through compensation...

The Lincoln Center is beautiful and much larger than we remembered. We asked two lovely gentlemen (who happen to be Opera singers with the Met !😀) for directions to the “My Fair Lady” box office and they directed us to the Theater on the right side of the building. We walked up to the box office and were offered half price tickets for the 8 o’clock show. Such a treat as we were prepared to pay full price for less expensive seats rather than waiting in the ridiculously long-line in Time Square. We had some of the best seats in the house in our opinion and thoroughly enjoyed the production! Be sure to preorder you drinks for intermission and you won’t have to wait in the long refreshment line. The bathroom lines were the real shock. They need another ladies’ room in that theater. I think every woman in the building was in that line during intermission and after the show! After we bought our tickets, We went in the Lincoln Center Prelude Cafe and Bar for a bite to eat before the show. We had a very satisfying grilled cheese with the best butternut squash soup we have...

Great play by a fresh, thought-provoking playwright! I also feel compelled to share my experience in line for the bathroom during intermission:

There was an older gentleman in line in front of me who was confused about which bathroom to use. When I explained to him that both bathrooms could be used by any gender, he said that made him very uncomfortable and that he would “hold it” until the play was over. He left the line. Two minutes later, an older woman approached me and asked which bathroom was for women. When I again explained that each bathroom was for all genders, she became frustrated and asked all the men in our line to leave and use the other bathroom, which they very kindly did.

While I understand their repurposing of men’s and women’s bathrooms is with the best of intentions to those in the non-binary community, I want them to be aware of the impact that choice has for some New Yorkers. I would recommend designating a single-stall bathroom as the all gender bathroom for those that choose it and reestablishing men’s and women’s bathrooms for...