To make things complicated, I have a slightly different opinion. I have sat in the AA-CC rows (where the orchestra pit would house the orchestra, if the orchestra wasn't on stage) many times for Encores, and they are actually my preferred seats for Encores. The stage is low, so the seats are not obstructed in that sense. Also, even the seats at the edge are still full view, because they are still enclosed within the proscenium (although of course the angles can be a little odd, so you can get people facing away from you and stuff like that, although I have not experienced that much of that at Encores. The staging usually doesn't involve actors right at the lip of the stage.).
One potential downside to sitting in those seats is that the floor is not raked at all, so it is definitely possible for a tall person in front of you to be problematic. Someone who has seen this staging can help with the specifics, but most Encores stagings are not particularly elaborate so that you don't need to get a big-picture view like you might for some elaborate production numbers. |