Bad theater experience in Philly

[jziegler]

My wife is a music teacher (primarily voice lessons) and many of her students (who are mostly teenage girls) have been talking about how great the musical "Wicked" is. Tickets in New York for weekends are very hard to get, I can't do weekdays easily due to work. So, when it came to the Academy of Music in Philly, we had to get tickets to go so she could see what it's all about.

Well, yesterday was the day. For those not familiar with teh Academy, it was built as an opera house, and is a beautiful hall. But, it's terrible for theatre. Not wanting to spend a whole lot of money on the tickets, we got about $30 tickets, which were not the cheapest available. The price category was supposed to be unobstructed view. Well, we got there, and we were on the top level (4th level, really high up), behind a column, back row, and so far off to the side that the balcony railing blocked the view of over half of the stage! Seats like that should cost no more than $10.

With such a limited view, the show was poor. It is very visual, and we missed over half of that. I couldn't tell until halfway through the first act that one of the characters was in a wheelchair, which was a major plot point. There was a bridge across the stage for a few scenes, and I think that people were walking across it, but I couldn't see more than shoes.

The music was another sore spot with me. I'm used to seeing plays in New York, where there is a strong musicians union that requires minimum numbers of musicians involved with Broadway productions. Well, there were 4 musicinas in the "orchestra". A percussionist, 2 keyboard players, and a guitarist/bass player. The rest of the music was canned, I don't know if it was tape, computer, synthesizer, or quite what it was. Even the drum set wasn't in the pit, the percussionist was playing timpani, bells, cymbals, all of the assorted stuff only.

So, I guess the moral of this longish rant is be careful going to see touring compaines of the musicals, and especially be wary of the "Academy on Boradway" series in Philly. Take the extra time and go to New York (or London, Chicago, LA....) to see the permanent companies of these shows if you can. Decent tickets are about the same price. And, you'll get a better experience.

Jim

[rbfunk]

**** Jim. What a terrible experriance. Have you complained to the theater about the seats? That's really their fault, not the company.

A canned / live orchestra can be done very well or terribly. My wifes cousin plays violin and has done a couple of broadway shows. He was telling me that some pits have gotten so small that they have to use cannned music because there is no space. There is even one theater( I forget which one) that the musicians are behind the stage and 1 floor up! The conducter works off a video monitor and all the instruments are miked. Of course the musicians get off cheaper because the can work in jeans.
If you ever get the chance, see a play in England. The people know how to behave in a theater.
Bob

[sacherjj]

One thing that amazed me at Phantom of the Opera here in Indy has to do with the viewers, not the theatre. At the intermission, you go out and get refreshment, etc. Coming back, 10-15% of the crowd was gone. I can only guess that they thought that was it. I couldn't believe it. Although, among them were the couple who talked through most of the first two Acts, so I didn't mind them leaving. I guess the storyline of Phantom is a little obtuse and self contained in each section. That might have caused it. I didn't see the drop at Miss Saigon.

[jziegler]

Bob,

No, I didn't complain, my wife ordered teh tickets so I should have her email the theater.

Also, forgot to mention, parking in Philly was about the same price as round trip train fare (NJT) from the Trenton area for one person. Toll on the bridge is the same as parking at some NJT stations.

The canned orchestra didn't sound bad, but just something was lacking. What tipped me off to it first was the lack of drum sound not coming from the speakers. My biggest complaint overall is the direction of the sound is all wrong, it screws with the acoustics. Of course, I think that mics are overused, all that stuff.

In this case, there would have been ample space for a full orchestra in the pit, afterall, it holds the opera (or ballet) orchestra. But I suppose that they do performances in much smaller theaters while on tour.

I think that I saw a musical on Broadway a few years ago (when I lived further north in NJ) where the orchestra wasn't in a pit. I know when I saw Rocky Horror there was no pit, but it was also a 3/4 thrust stage (audience in a U around most of the stage) so that changes everything.

If I get to London this coming fall (which is a good possibilty), then we are already planning to see Spamalot there. If not, I'll go to NY for it, or possibly just go to NY some saturday and see what we can get tickets for half price.

Jim