On-Stage Seating - A New Way To Experience Theatre

Always wanted to be in a big, splashy musical? No acting, dancing or singing experience? No talent? No problem! Any Chicagoan can now have a chance to appear in "Xanadu", part of Broadway In Chicago's 2009 lineup just by purchasing tickets for on-stage seating, a unique and cheaper way to experience theatre.

"Xanadu", a rollerskating musical about the forbidden love between a Greek muse and a mortal starving artist, opens on Jan. 16th at the Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place. It is one of several shows fueling the growing trend of on-stage seating on Broadway. Other shows that have used on-stage seating include "Spring Awakening", "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee", "Equus," and "Inherit the Wind". "Spring Awakening" is also coming to Chicago in August, but Broadway in Chicago customer service could not confirm whether on-stage seating will be available at this time.

On-stage seating places theatergoers right on the stage, in the center of all the action. Being able to be intimately close to the performers and to be visible to the rest of the house is an irresistible draw to some theatre fans. David Shum, 18, sat on stage on Broadway for both "Xanadu" and "Spring Awakening", “I wanted to sit on stage to be close to the actors, hear unamplified voices, and to see what goes on in the wings during a Broadway show.” Actress and frequent theatergoer Olin Nettles, 47, also saw both shows on Broadway and agrees that stage seating is a unique theatrical experience, “I am used to being on stage, but this was Broadway…not only is the action 12 inches in front of you but cast members actually sit among on-stage audience and watch the show when they are not in a scene. It really blurs the line between cast and audience.”

There are drawbacks to seeing the show with these seats, however. “One disadvantage is not being able to see the full stage picture,” Shum said. “Another is that actors are taught to project out, so it was sometimes hard to understand what they were saying or singing, especially if you’re very close to the band." The obstructed view and the muffled audio are reasons why on-stage seats often cost significantly less than house seats. Tickets for January’s "Xanadu" , for instance, cost from $67.50 to $87.50, while stage seating tickets are now available at Ticketmaster for $22.50.

Shum advises that people should first see the show from the house to see how the director and design team intended it to look, “After that, I recommend sitting on stage for a different experience of the show, see what goes on behind the scenes, and see what actors see eight times a week.”

A show’s producers and artistic director often decides to include on-stage seating for artistic reasons. In "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" the on-stage audience served as participants in the competition. Brian Swibel, one of "Xanadu’s" producers, said that on-stage seating in the show was intended to give people the sensation that they were in a Greek amphitheatre. It was a decision that came out of the creative team’s organic process that has enhanced the physical aspect of the show.

“"Xanadu" is designed to have a party atmosphere as it is a celebration of art and creativity,” Swibel explains. “And you have the audience in the house watching the on-stage audience having so much fun that it creates a real energy force in the theatre. The laughter releases the energy.”

Aside from artistic advantages, on-stage seating also helps with the show's profitability. Swibel said that as the buzz about on-stage seating grew, the more it became a way to gain a loyal following and sell a few more tickets, “It became a place for repeat buyers. People who saw the show would say, ‘I have to come back and sit on stage.’”

The trend of on-stage seating has become popular among New York audiences, but is relatively new in Chicago. "Spelling Bee" ran at the Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower last year, but unlike "Xanadu," audience members were screened and chosen just before the performance. They were not able to select the stage seating option when they purchased their tickets.

When asked whether its audiences will embrace on-stage seating, Swibel, who grew up in Chicago, responded, “I do think they will. Chicagoans appreciate creativity and experimentation.”