The Hayes Theater — Attraction in New York

Sadly, there was a medical emergency towards the end of the 28 June 2025 performance. The way the Hayes Theatre handled this situation was sad and frustrating. This is not the first time someone has been in distress at a Broadway performance. However, in this situation the Hayes Theatre seemed total unprepared to manage the person and the show. Safety for all is important and the 2 cast members on stage were asked to leave. This though was the only public announcement made during the emergency situation. There were requests for a “doctor” and shouts to call 911. However, there is very little a healthcare professional can do in these situations other than basic CPR and manage to safely get the distressed person AWAY from the confines of the theater and let EMS do their assessment. EMS arrived 30 minutes after they were called and all audience participants were asked to exit the theater. The audience wasn’t in distress it was 1person. They did not resume the play nor provide those audience members with information as to why the show was NOT resuming, albeit from an interruption. The mishandling and mismanagement of the situation by the Hayes Theater was unacceptable. While the lives of our fellow human beings is most important (fortunately the distress person, after about a 45-minute assessment was carried away smiling in a wheelchair by EMS for more evaluation), people spend their life savings to attend these events and the 28 June 8PM experience is not only unfortunate, but also unresolved with no communication or information from the theater. The play is OUTSTANDING and deserving of the accolades. However the ineptitude of the Hayes Theater event management team in emergency situations is...

MY KNEES ARE SCREAMING AT ME!

Apparently the Helen Hayes has undergone a recent renovation. The pink crushed velvet seats were lovely on my behind, and the width is good even thought I'm roomy through the hips. But the leg room... I barely remember the last act because my knees started to hurt so much.

I doubt any of the orchestra seats outside of the first row are any better, but Q 102 gave me fits. I know I became the worst seat neighbor after the intermission because I couldn't find a way to place my legs that wasn't absolute agony. If you're over 6 feet, I don't know what to tell you. You're doomed. I usually have better luck in the mezzanine, but the photos look tight up there as well.

The pixilated patterned walls are a bit odd, but it all fades into the background when the house lights go down. I'm super curious if the renovation is an improvement or not.

I saw Lobby Hero with Michael Cena, Chris Evans, Brian Tyree Henry, & Bel Powley. The staging was great and the stage itself was large enough for the fairly intimate space. I was seated center orchestra, second to last row, and despite being blind as a bat, I could still make out Chris Evans' circa 90s mustache. The play is very funny by the way. My $35 orchestra rush tickets were a great value!

If I ever come back, I'm just going to choose the mezzanine right off the bat. There's no hope at all for my knees in...

A word of caution for tall/larger beautiful beings. Seats : Orchestra G 106+107.

The check-in process was painless, customer service interaction was brief and decent upon arrival.

The theather is absolutely beautiful, but the seats are not designed for taller/bigger bodies. My guy is 6' 5" and he was squeezed in. The best option for taller peeps is an isle seat where you can at least stretch one of your legs. I could feel the person next to me breathing and our elbows def rubbed once or twice. Smaller seats overall and it was definitely my oversight for not checking out the space before booking.

I went to the ticket booth to inquire about some isle seats that were still open and the lady behind the booth didn't even check the seating. She pointed at the theater manager who was clearly occupied putting out other fires bigger than mine, and said "you gotta talk to him".

I acknowledged the parts of me that wanted to demand and complain and returned to the seats I originally chose. My guy expressed being grateful for the experience and assured me he could manage a 90 minute play (JOB which was absolutely brilliant and relatable) and he sure did (though I did notice he had to take a couple of deep breaths before attempting to stand up, probably because he couldn't feel his legs) 🫣

There were drinks available for purchase on the second floor and the bathrooms were...