Phantom Tickets for July in NY - Advise Needed
 

I'm sure my son and I are two of a very small group of people that have never seen the Phantom. So we are going to see it while in NY in July. I called and can get great seats for July at $100 per person. For those who have been to the Majestic Theatre, would Row A (which is a couple rows back from the stage) be TOO close? I called the theatre itself. Is there somewhere to get tickets cheaper? Also, since the Phantom has been around for so long, would I be safe just waiting and getting discounted tickets after we get to NY. Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks !

First of all, I would not get those Row A tickets. That's too close to get the full visual impact of the show. I can't believe that those are the best available seats so far in advance. The show is not selling out any more. I would recommend one of the following options:<BR>1. Call back Telechange and find out if they have anything between the 6th and 12ths rows in center orchestra of the the first few front mezzanine rows in the center.<BR>2. If price is more of a consideration, then wait a while. There will probably be discount coupons available or discounts from Playbill or other sites, but it's much too early to find them for July.

Thanks,HowardR,for your response. I thought the front row might be too close. I am confused, though, with your suggestion. You say &quot;anything between the 6th and 12ths rows in center orchestra of the the first few front mezzanine rows in the center&quot;.<BR>Isn't the Orchestra section and the Front Mezzanine section two different sections? I want to get good seats, so your help is appreciated.

Ooops, sorry, that was a type. It should have read &quot;OR the first few front mezzanine rows.&quot; Sorry for the confusion.<BR>Howard<BR>[email protected]

For almost any show in New York, particularly musicals, my first choice of seats would be the front row of the mezzanine. (Although in a few cases, shorter people might have a slight problem with a safety rail in front of them). You get a great perspective and actually see the floor of the stage which is often a very important part of the set.

You've already gotten some excellent advice. If getting a specific seat is not crucial and you're flexible on which day you go during your visit, TKTS is an option worth considering. You'll generally get the lower portion of the mezzanine or good orchestra seats about 5 - 12 rows back but off center towards the sides. My TKTS seats for Phantom last year were of the latter variety. Might I have gotten better seats at ful price? yes, but at $52.50 each including the service charge I was very happy. As Howard mentioned, it's been awhile since it's been selling out and every time I go to TKTS I see it available - worth considering that as an option.<BR><BR>Neither here nor there.... I went to Urinetown:The Musical, last month for my birthday. We got great seats in first row of the mezzanine from TKTS at 1/2 price but the show was very disappointing. It's a clever if lightweight concept and has a few catchy tunes and some very humorous moments but miking was not great, therefore much of the lyrical content and dialogue was hard to understand (it wasn't just us - folks around us were commenting on the same thing. To make matters worse.... there wasn't really a good strong singer in the entire cast. Not sure if this is the original or a replacement cast but if you were considering it I'd suggest spending your $$ elsewhere.

Thanks for all you help. What is TKTS ? Can I get these discounted tickets over the internet or is that someplace you get tickets after you get to NY? How does it work? Thanks !

I have seen Phantom of the Opera three times, from the front rows of the mezzanine (too far back), front row center orchestra (way too close) and K107 in the center orchestra - PERFECT!!!

Histshowclub.com frequently offers discounts for this show. You will not get center orchestra seats, but you can still get good ones at a nice discount. Also check broadwayoffers.com, playbill.com and theatermania.com. All these websites offer specials for advance sales, usally a month or 2 before. Tkts is for day-of discounts, but you have to wait in line the day of to get tickets (usually a good hour wait). For more info on TKTS, see newyork.citysearch.com/feature/34843/. I don't think you want to be TOO close for Phantom.

Interesting comment, Postal, and maybe the front row of the mezzanine seemed too far back, but in the Majestic where Phantom is playing, the front row of the mezzanine is actually directly over Orchestra row H, so it is in fact three rows closer to the stage than the seats you had in row K. Maybe to some people that extra elevation makes it seem further, but I'd still prefer front row mezzanine to row K of the orchestra -- and no possibility of heads in your way to boot.

We've seen Phantom twice, once sitting in the front mezzanine and the other time in the orchestra. The front mezzanine was definitely better. One reason for sitting in the mezzanine: The key illusion of the chandelier dropping is much more effective if you're sitting in the mezzanine!<BR>In answer to SR's questions about TKTS and obtaining discount seats in advance:<BR>1. Tickets are available for sameday performances (except for matinees, tickets for which are available the day before at the South Street TKTS booth. The main TKTS booth is in the Times Square area.<BR>2. In the case of some discount ticket offers (such as Playbill), you can save yourself the $5-6 per ticket telephone charge by running off a copy of the offer and taking it to the box office.<BR>3. There are also discount coupons available in NYC at the tourist office and other sites, where, again, you can take the coupon to the box office.

I'm with Patrick. For a musical production with a large cast, center of the front row of the mezzanine is definitely the best!<BR><BR>Discounts are available all the time. Go to Playbill.com, Broadwaybox.com and sign up for e-mail notifications. However, you typically cannot purchase the discounted tickets more than two-six weeks ahead of your dates, and by then best seats available are usually way off to the left or right, or center but back rows of all the ticket levels. <BR><BR>We've seen Phantom many times. I would agree that the 12-15th row or thereabouts of the center Orchestra is excellent too. But, if your son is not full grown, heads in the way are a definite problem. (Depending upon who's in front of you, could be for you as well.)<BR><BR>Whether you want to take your chances for discounted tickets, or even wait until you arrive and try the TKTS booth or Visitor's Office, for maximum savings is up to you.<BR><BR>Whenever I want to see a particular show, on a specific date, at my choice of time (evening versus matinee, or vice versa), and I'm pretty sure the show in question is going to be a great &quot;experience&quot; (and Phantom definitely is), I book the tickets as far ahead as I can and get the best seats I can find, rather than hold out for discounted tickets.<BR><BR>One thought - don't overlook matinee tickets! While, if the weather's nice, one hates to spend the better part of a nice afternoon indoors, but if it's hot and humid out (likely in July), an afternoon in an air-conditioned theater is wonderful. And, the sun sets late, so you can still enjoy plenty of the day out and about.<BR><BR>You might also want to check EBay for your dates. There may be someone with tickets whose plans have changed.

SAW PHANTOM IN JANUARY <BR>SEATS WERE FRONT MEZZANINE A COUPLE ROWS UP FROM THE RAILING <BR>SEATS WERE $100.00 I LOVED THESE SEATS<BR>NO HEADS IN THE WAY THE PLAY IS BEAUTIFUL AND THE MUSIC IS FANTASTIC <BR>THE VIEW FROM UP THERE WAS GREAT BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE RIGHT DOWN ON THE STAGE ALSO THE PHANTOM SPENDS SOME TIME UP THERE IN THE RAFTERS SO YOU CAN GET A GOOD VIEW OF THAT AND OF THE CHANDELIER IT WAS NOT TOO FAR AWAY<BR>RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET ARE CARMINES RESTAURANT (HUGHE PLATTERS) AND JOHN'S PIZZA (DOMED STAINED GLASS CEILING) <BR>

Hi:<BR>First time back in a long while. Just registered and happy to be back<BR>SR<BR>I just saw Phanton on 1/28. Matinee show. I prefer going to the theater on a Wednesday afternoon. We sat in the first row of the center mezzanine with dead center seats. Perfect!! A lot of the action takes place above the stage and we got the full impact. Plus no one sitting in front was good too. Have a great time and welcome to NYC!

Perhaps this is a given, but I'll still ask....have you checked on ebay? We obtained great seats (row E in center Orchestra) for 1/2 of the price you're quoting. It may be too early for obtaining tickets on ebay though....we got ours about 3 or 4 weeks before the performance from a couple that had to cancel their trip to NYC due to an illness. I've found that ebay.com is a GREAT source of tickets within the last month or so before a performance. For this performance, I wouldn't see any problem whatsoever with the 1st or 2nd row of the mezzanine either! (much better than the rear of the Orchestra for sure!) You'll love Phantom, it is awesome!! If time allows, there will be several great Broadway shows in July...maybe you can take in a couple.

SR,<BR>We sat in row 8 on the right-hand side--the seats were fine but I wouldn't have wanted to be any closer. We bought our tickets after getting to New York, though, so the selection wasn't super. You will love the Majestic theatre! It's how I've always pictured a Broadway<BR>venue. Very old and ornate. I don't know how old your son is, but our family ate at John's Pizza before the show, which is right across the street from the Majestic. It worked out great and our kids (then 12 and 9) loved the show. Have fun!

Patrick, I'm really not looking for an argument, but I just had to mention that my seats in row K center orchestra were a few rows in front of the beginning of the mezzanine, just behind the chandelier.

That's really interesting, Postal. I'd have no way of knowing, but I always look at the seating charts usually via Playbill's site. The Majestic seating chart clearly states that &quot;Mezzanine Row A overhangs Orchestra Row H&quot;. So maybe that's a misprint???<BR><BR>I always hate to sit more than one or at most two rows under the mezzanine, because I feel the sound becomes so &quot;garbled&quot; there, especially for musicals.

I just bought tickets for 2 different mid May Broadway plays on ebay.com for less than face value.

Traveller333, whether or not you got a bargain depends on which plays!