Reserved Seat home

    Musicals

    Default pick: center front mezzanine, first 5 rows

    For most musicals, the first rows of the center front mezzanine are the safest seat in the house. Here is when the orchestra wins and which dates go first.

    Browse

    Abstract theater curtain illustration representing & Juliet
    Broadway

    & Juliet

    Seat-first guide to & Juliet's last Broadway months: how the Sondheim's upside-down layout works, which rows to buy and which dates go first.

    New York, NY
    Abstract theater curtain illustration representing Aladdin
    Broadway

    Aladdin

    Seat-first Aladdin guide: which New Amsterdam level suits the carpet ride, which suits the comedy, and the weeks families buy first.

    New York, NY
    Venue

    Ambassador Theatre

    How the diagonal Ambassador Theatre changes your seat choice for Chicago, which sections to skip, accessible seating and the walk from 50th Street.

    New York, NY
    Abstract theater curtain illustration representing Beaches, A New Musical
    Show

    Beaches, A New Musical

    What became of Beaches, A New Musical on Broadway, why it closed after a few weeks, and where to sit if the tour plays your city.

    New York, NY (closed)
    Abstract theater curtain illustration representing Buena Vista Social Club
    Broadway

    Buena Vista Social Club

    Seat-first guide to Buena Vista Social Club on Broadway: the rows that show the band and the dancing, ages, run time and the national tour.

    New York, NY
    Abstract theater curtain illustration representing Cats: The Jellicle Ball
    Show

    Cats: The Jellicle Ball

    How Cats: The Jellicle Ball turned the Broadhurst into a ballroom, which seats got the best view of the runway, and how its run ended.

    New York, NY
    Abstract theater curtain illustration representing Chess
    Show

    Chess

    The 2025–26 Chess revival on Broadway: how its concert-style staging played from each level, the cast, the reviews and the road to a return.

    New York, NY
    Broadway

    Chicago the Musical

    Seat-first guide to Chicago the Musical: why closeness beats height at the Ambassador, which rows to buy, which to skip, and the easy weeks.

    New York, NY
    Abstract theater curtain illustration representing Death Becomes Her
    Show

    Death Becomes Her

    Seat-first guide to the Death Becomes Her tour: why the illusions reward a centered seat, which levels to buy, and how short tour stops sell.

    North American tour
    Abstract theater curtain illustration representing Hadestown
    Broadway

    Hadestown

    Hadestown seat advice for the Walter Kerr Theatre, plus runtime, age limits, tour status and the weeks that sell out first.

    New York, NY
    Broadway

    Hamilton

    Hamilton seat strategy for the Richard Rodgers Theatre and on tour, with runtime, age advice and the calmest weeks to book.

    New York, NY
    Abstract theater curtain illustration representing MJ the Musical
    Broadway

    MJ the Musical

    Seat picks for MJ the Musical at the Neil Simon Theatre, what the show covers, its Tony wins, tour status and the easiest weeks.

    New York, NY
    Abstract theater curtain illustration representing Moulin Rouge! The Musical
    Show

    Moulin Rouge! The Musical

    Moulin Rouge! The Musical after its Broadway closing: where it plays, the best seats for its lavish staging, and who it suits.

    London and world tour
    Abstract theater curtain illustration representing SIX
    Broadway

    SIX

    Seat picks for SIX at the Lena Horne Theatre before the Broadway closing, plus the North American tour, run time and age advice.

    New York, NY
    Abstract theater curtain illustration representing The Book of Mormon
    Broadway

    The Book of Mormon

    Seat-by-seat advice for The Book of Mormon at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, plus the age rule, runtime and the weeks that sell first.

    New York, NY
    Abstract theater curtain illustration representing The Lion King
    Broadway

    The Lion King

    Aisle or center, orchestra or mezzanine: seat advice for The Lion King at the Minskoff Theatre, plus runtime, age rule and touring tips.

    New York, NY
    Abstract theater curtain illustration representing The Outsiders
    Broadway

    The Outsiders

    Seat picks for The Outsiders on Broadway and on tour, with the content notes behind the 10-plus age guidance and the weeks that fill first.

    New York, NY
    Abstract theater curtain illustration representing The Phantom of the Opera
    Show

    The Phantom of the Opera

    How to pick seats for The Phantom of the Opera on tour, with notes on London, the Masquerade staging in New York and the content advisory.

    North American tour
    Abstract theater curtain illustration representing Wicked
    Broadway

    Wicked

    Seat-by-seat guidance for Wicked at the 1,933-seat Gershwin Theatre, plus runtime, age rules, the films' effect on demand and lottery basics.

    New York, NY
    By the Reserved Seat editorial teamUpdated How we research

    Orchestra or mezzanine: the musical seat question

    If you want one default for nearly any musical, buy the first five rows in the middle of the front mezzanine. From there the whole stage picture fits in your view, the choreography's floor patterns are readable, and the sound arrives balanced. The orchestra (the ground floor) wins on intimacy, facial expression and moments played right at the lip of the stage, but it is not automatically the best seat.

    Most Broadway houses stack two or three tiers: the orchestra, then the mezzanine (the first raised tier, usually sold as front and rear sections), and in some buildings a balcony above that. Two kinds of seat deserve a second look before you buy:

    • Far-side seats close to the stage, where the angle can hide whatever happens at the near wing.
    • Back orchestra rows tucked beneath the mezzanine, where the overhang can chop off the upper part of the scenery or anything that flies in.

    Beyond that, the right level depends on how a particular show is staged, which is where the next section comes in.

    Matching the seat to the staging

    • Dance-driven shows: for MJ the Musical and similar productions built on choreography, the front mezzanine shows the formations and the full stage floor.
    • Big mechanical designs: Hamilton turns on two concentric turntables, and the patterns they make are clearest from a little above the stage.
    • Close-up effects: the rumble in The Outsiders is fought under real falling water, and it lands hardest from the orchestra.
    • Small houses: Hadestown, with its folk score, plays the Walter Kerr Theatre, about 945 seats, where the back of the mezzanine still feels close.
    • The biggest house: the Gershwin Theatre, home of Wicked, holds 1,933 seats, the most on Broadway. Its back mezzanine rows are far from the stage, so spending more for the center orchestra or the front of the mezzanine makes sense there.

    On tour, the host theater changes the math. The upper balcony of a touring house with 2,500 seats can be dramatically more distant than any mezzanine on Broadway, so check the venue's own seating chart rather than assuming Broadway distances.

    Open-ended runs, limited engagements and tours

    Broadway means 41 theaters in Midtown Manhattan, each seating at least 500, where shows typically give eight performances a week. Before picking a date, find out what kind of run you are dealing with:

    • Open-ended: the show plays until ticket sales no longer cover its weekly running costs, which can take decades.
    • Limited engagement: the closing date is announced up front.
    • National tour: the company travels from city to city, typically settling in for several weeks per stop.

    Musicals make up about half of each season's new work. The Broadway League's count for 2024–2025 was 43 new productions, split evenly between 21 musicals (16 originals, 5 revivals) and 21 plays, plus a single special engagement. The same season drew a record 14.7 million attendances, and the average house was 91.2 percent full, according to the Broadway League's season report. Popular titles seldom have empty seats to discount.

    Long-running titles you can plan around

    A handful of shows have run so long that they behave like permanent attractions, with dates easy to find months ahead.

    • Chicago the Musical: John Kander and Fred Ebb's show returned to Broadway in a revival that opened November 14, 1996, and has lived at the Ambassador Theatre since January 29, 2003. No revival and no American musical has run longer on Broadway.
    • The Lion King: Julie Taymor's production opened November 13, 1997, relocated to the Minskoff in 2006 and has grossed more than any other Broadway show.
    • Wicked: a Gershwin tenant since its October 30, 2003 opening.
    • The Book of Mormon: playing the Eugene O'Neill since March 24, 2011; its nine Tonys include Best Musical.
    • Aladdin: Disney's stage version, at the New Amsterdam since opening night on March 20, 2014.
    • Hamilton: Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical, at the Richard Rodgers since August 6, 2015. It received a record 16 Tony nominations and won 11, Best Musical included.

    Longevity does not make every date easy. Saturday nights and holiday weeks remain sellouts at the three biggest of these titles, Hamilton, Wicked and The Lion King, while weeknights several months away usually offer wide choice.

    Newer hits and recent closings

    The younger tier changes faster. Here is where things stood on October 1, 2026:

    • Hadestown: a Walter Kerr resident since April 17, 2019, with eight Tonys, Best Musical among them.
    • MJ the Musical: playwright Lynn Nottage wrote the book; the show has played the Neil Simon since February 1, 2022.
    • SIX: the pop-concert retelling of Henry VIII's queens, at the Lena Horne since October 3, 2021. Its final Broadway performance is set for January 3, 2027.
    • & Juliet: a jukebox of Max Martin hits, at the Stephen Sondheim since November 17, 2022, and closing the same day as SIX.
    • The Outsiders: named Best Musical at the 2024 Tonys, two months after its April 11, 2024 opening at the Bernard B. Jacobs.
    • Buena Vista Social Club: it began Off-Broadway with Atlantic Theater Company, transferred to the Gerald Schoenfeld for a March 19, 2025 opening, and collected four competitive Tonys and a special honor for the band onstage.

    The list turns over quickly. The Chess revival, with a new book by Danny Strong, closed at the Imperial on June 21, 2026, 241 performances in. Cats: The Jellicle Ball arrived at the Broadhurst on April 7, 2026, picked up Tonys for its direction and choreography, and was gone by August 8. Beaches, A New Musical lasted only from April 22 to May 24, 2026, at the Majestic, 38 performances and months short of its planned run. Death Becomes Her ended its Broadway run in June 2026 and went on tour, and Moulin Rouge! The Musical played its final New York performance on August 30, 2026.

    Seeing a Broadway musical on tour

    For most of the country, a Broadway musical means a touring company. Local presenters bring tours to big performing arts centers and old movie palaces; the largest, Broadway Across America, runs seasons at over 40 venues across the US and Canada and created the touring subscription model.

    On October 1, 2026, the Broadway League's touring page included Hamilton, Wicked, The Lion King, SIX, & Juliet, Buena Vista Social Club and The Phantom of the Opera. The Outsiders has more than 40 stops scheduled through September 2027, and a non-Equity Hadestown tour runs into June 2027.

    Stays are short. The Phantom of the Opera's 2026–2027 route typically gives a city two weeks. Subscribers in each market get first access, so by the time single tickets go on sale a popular show may have little left, and resale fills the gap. Reserved Seat backs every order with a 100% guarantee.

    Dates that sell first, and what to expect inside

    • Holiday weeks: Thanksgiving week and Christmas through New Year's are usually the hardest to buy, with family favorites such as The Lion King and Aladdin selling out soonest.
    • Saturday night: the toughest single performance. Midweek evenings and the Wednesday matinee are the simplest to book.
    • Tony season: winning in June can keep a show in demand well into the following year.
    • Final weeks: once a closing date is set, the remaining performances sell quickly. When attendance spiked, The Phantom of the Opera moved its Broadway closing back two months, from February 18 to April 16, 2023. SIX and & Juliet are in that stretch as of fall 2026.
    • Casting changes: when a well-known performer joins or exits a long run, the weeks that person is onstage get more expensive.

    Running times vary widely. Expect roughly two and a half hours with an intermission at The Lion King, about 2 hours 25 minutes at The Outsiders, and a brisk 80 minutes straight through at SIX. Age rules are set show by show: The Lion King and Aladdin suggest 6 and older and do not allow children younger than 4, while SIX suggests 10 and older. Babies and toddlers who are admitted still need their own ticket. For lotteries, rush tickets and the TKTS discount booth, see the Broadway guide.

    Frequently asked questions

    Is the front mezzanine better than the orchestra for a musical?

    Often, yes. For dance-heavy shows and big set designs, the center front mezzanine shows the whole stage picture. The orchestra is better for intimacy and effects staged near the audience.

    Which seats should I question in a Broadway theater?

    Far-side seats close to the stage, where the angle can hide part of the action, and back orchestra rows beneath a deep mezzanine, where the overhang can block the top of the scenery.

    Which musicals have run the longest among shows still open?

    The revival of Chicago the Musical, open since November 1996, and The Lion King, open since November 1997. No American musical has played Broadway longer than Chicago the Musical.

    When do SIX and & Juliet end their Broadway runs?

    Both have announced January 3, 2027 as their final Broadway performance. Both shows also tour North America.

    Which Broadway musicals closed in 2026?

    Among others, the Chess revival (June 21), Beaches, A New Musical (May 24), Cats: The Jellicle Ball (August 8), Death Becomes Her (June) and Moulin Rouge! The Musical (August 30).

    What is the hardest Broadway performance to get?

    Saturday evening, especially during Thanksgiving week and the Christmas to New Year's stretch. Tuesday to Thursday evenings and Wednesday matinees usually have the most choice.

    Sources

    Card and header photos come from Wikimedia Commons contributors under Creative Commons or public-domain terms. Artist and license for each one are listed on the photo credits page.