There are 41 theatres in Broadway with a seating capacity of between 500 and over 1900. Gershwin Theatre (originally called The Uris Theatre) on the second floor of the Paramount Plaza office building has 1933 seats, making it the largest theatre in Broadway.

Picking the right seat from the hundreds on offer can highly impact your theatre experience. A lot of theatregoers routinely come back disappointed because their theatre experience was not on par with their expectations.

SeatPlan is an online platform that helps audiences answer questions like whether a particular seat in a theatre has an obstructed view, does it have enough legroom, how close it is to a toilet, and if the audience is getting a good deal or not. This is done with the help of interactive seating plans, user-submitted seat view photos, and audience reviews.

The service was launched in 2011 and has helped more than 400,000 customers book over a million tickets with their ‘seat view’ feature. 

How The Seat View Feature Works

The way the ‘seat view’ feature works is quite straightforward. Visitors to the SeatPlan website can browse through the hundreds of plays currently running across various theatres in New York, London, and several other cities. 

Once you have picked your theatre and the show, you can now view SeatPlan’s interactive seating plan to check out what real views of the stage from the particular seat.

This chart shows customers the different seating arrangements with their price, as well as details like which ones have an obstructed view, or have a deal going on. 

For example, here is a user submitted photo with no obstructions and perfect view at Al Hirschfeld Theatre currently playing “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”. 

Source: SeatPlan

From the above seating chart image, you will also see that some seats are marked with a star. These are sections of the theatre that are being currently priced cheaper than usual. 

For example, here is a seat that is usually sold between $166 to $287 now being sold for $123.80. 

Read audience reviews before booking a seat

Booking a seat with a partial or obstructed view may not seem like a big deal. But sometimes, it can make it very difficult to follow the play.

For example, here is a past theatregoer letting SeatPlan visitors know that they were not even able to view 5 of the 6 cast members on stage from the particular seat.

In comparison, here is a recent review from a member of the audience with a much better seat view.

Audience reviews like this are paramount in helping theatregoers decide what seats to go for, and if they will get good value for the price of the ticket.

Tips to book the best Broadway seats

The most popular Broadway shows tend to get sold out early. So if you are not a frequent theatregoer and want to make the most out of your time here, be ready to book early.

As a general rule, consider a mid-row orchestra for balanced views. Weekday performances tend to be cheaper. And use SeatPlan to check for partial or obstructed views as well as reviews from past theatergoers on the general comfort of the seats you are booking.

Some things to keep in mind though. Not all seats have seat view images. If you have benefitted from the site, make sure you contribute to the site with your own photos. Also, remember that user photos can vary due to lighting and camera zoom.

Have you had a poor experience at a theatre previously due to the seating plan? Share your story in the comments below.