Walter Kerr Theatre — Attraction in New York

I've seen Hadestown here twice (I'll get to the show in a minute). Let's talk about the theater itself.

This theater is old, about 100 years old in fact. So as you might expect, it doesn't have everything a modern theater might. no elevator to the mezzanine. If your tickets aren't in the orchestra, be ready to climb some stairs. They're a little steep but otherwise fine. bathrooms: there is a handicapped bathroom on the main floor, otherwise you go up the first flight of stairs for the bathroom. I've had much worse theater bathroom experiences, but I've also had better. My advice is the same for any theater: go before the show. there is no lobby, you wait in line and as soon as you scan your ticket you are in the orchestra. I personally love this, but it does make things a little more crowded when it comes to getting out after the show. seating: this is one of the most intimate Broadway theaters I've ever been to. For a theater that holds almost 1000 people, it's very small, and sitting in the 2nd row in the mezzanine I could have easily tossed something onto the stage. The seats aren't painfully snug (I'm plus size so this is a factor) BUT at least in the mezzanine there is very little leg room. I held my coat on my lap because there wasn't room on the floor, and my knees were pretty close to the heads of the people in front of me (I'm 5'3). The box seats are great if you're worried about leg room or squishing into a seat. The ticket sites say these seats have an obstructed view: don't worry about that. It blocks a corner of the stage that is barely used. I sat there for my first time and loved it. take the time to look up, the walls and ceiling are gorgeous!

HADESTOWN

I love this show! I have seen it 3 times, with 3 totally different casts (once in LA, twice here) and it blows me away every single time. It doesn't get as much press as Wicked or The Lion King, but if I had friends coming into the city I would be just as likely to take them to see Hadestown as the others. It's an old story, but told in a beautifully modern way. You don't have to be a Broadway nerd to love this show. And I always recommend waiting at the stage door if you have the time. Broadway actors are usually so gracious and if you meet the actors it gives you a special connection...

We went to see Hadestown here. The musical was incredible. But on to the venue.

The theater is very small, so we quite close to the stage even though we were seated in the front row of the uppermost floor. The sound quality was great.

The staff was also very friendly at the merch counters and helping everyone get seated. The line to get in was quick and efficient. There were regular reminders before the show to mask up, which I appreciated. Because the theater is quite small (and didn’t seem to have a lobby from what I could tell), navigating the stairs was sometimes challenging. The line for the men’s bathroom went up two stories and blocked my descent from the top floor to the bottom floor. However, the lines (for the bathroom, merch counter, and refreshments) moved quickly, so that seemed to clear up soon.

One flaw was that we needed to lean forward to see beyond the railing in order to see the front of the stage, so I am not sure I would recommend this particular seat to others. I have attached a photo of the stage as well as my view when sitting in my seat normally. Perhaps this is less of a problem for taller people, but I did spent the whole musical leaning forward just to...

Pre-show line starts around the corner near the adjacent hotel's valet which was a blessing in the pouring rain. There is no lobby, 5ft after the bag check you are at the seats. There is a tiny bar/merchandise counter in the back corner. It's not well layed out and the workers give themselves laryngitis trying to force the masses to conform to their chosen scheme. "merchandise line to the right, bar line up the stairs" over and over again for 20 minutes. TBH, since everyone works for the theater operator and no one wore the show logo, it doesn't seem like they care. There is a very obvious sign on the "men's lounge" that it will be commandeered to be unisex during the intermission rush so be warned. Only the back few rows have a slightly obscured view of the top but the stage is very well viewed from any seat in the house, a very intimate theater. My only complaint is that it was COLD, the air was on even though it was 40°F outside. There was no difference in the ambient temperature between when all the doors were open to the street or mid-act. After the show, the employees told all the people to walk through the seats directly to the exit which did not make us exit...