August Wilson Theatre Seating Chart | Groundhog Day Guide

Guess what’s new on Broadway? It’s everyone’s favourite 90’s timeloop comedy, Groundhog Day, presented as a musical this time around, at the August Wilson theatre. If you’re looking for the August Wilson theatre seating chart, you’re in the right place!

Starring in the title role of Phil Connors is broadway veteran, Andy Karl, with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin. Currently in previews, Groundhog Day will officially premiere on 17th April 2017.

The August Wilson theatre has been home to other iconic shows like Jersey Boys, Little Shop of Horrors, My Fair Lady, and Carrie, amongst countless others. Join along as we take an in-depth look at the theatre, from the seating chart to special tips to get the best broadway experience.

August Wilson Theatre Seating Chart

Constructed in 1925 by the Theatre Guild and christened the Guild Theatre, August Wilson has come a long way. After undergoing a couple of name changes in the 60’s and 80’s, the theatre was renamed August Wilson after the celebrated American playwright in 2005.

The theatre interiors are classy and will take you right back to the golden days, with ornately decorated walls and pretty chandeliers dangling from the ceiling. The floors are draped in a pleasant red and the seats are amply comfortable.

August Wilson is a relatively small theatre with about 1250 seats divided across two sections, orchestra and mezzanine. Given its size, most seats in the theatre offer a good view of the stage. Understandably, you would want the best seats to get the most out our Broadway experience. Let’s look at each section in detail and help you find the best seats in the theatre.

August Wilson Theatre Orchestra

View from the Orchestra section. Images sourced from TripAdvisor and Yelp.

The Orchestra section of the August Wilson theatre houses 790 seats in total, spread across 25 rows, titled A to Z (most theatres skip Row I). The orchestra is divided into three section, namely, centre orchestra, left orchestra, and right orchestra.

The seats in the centre orchestra section are numbered 101 to 118, moving right to left while the left orchestra holds odd numbered seats from 1 to 17 and the right orchestra has even numbered seats from 2 to 18.

The seats in all three sections offer a decent look at the stage, with the middle rows (E to Q) of the centre orchestra offering the best view in the section. The first few rows (A to D) offer a good view too, and are priced the highest, but have the disadvantage of being too close to the stage.

The left and right corner seats are not as bad as they generally are in larger theatres, but still require your neck to turn to view the stage, which can get uncomfortable after a while.

The last rows of the orchestra section should generally be avoided, especially if you’re not tall. If you do want the last row, the mezzanine section last rows would be a better bet.

Pricing

The orchestra section is priced higher than the mezzanine, owing to it being closer to the stage. With this section there are different price brackets, with the front and middle rows of the centre orchestra section being the most expensive. The left and right orchestra seats are similarly priced, coming in second after the centre orchestra. Expectedly, the last row is the cheapest.

Reviews

Saw Groundhog Day here during previews. We had rear first level seats, and the view was still excellent. Sound, ambiance, and comfort were all great. I would recommend seeing a show at this theater.

We managed to get tickets to see Jersey Boys and we were not disappointed. We had seats very near the front and had a fabulous view. The show was amazing we had a brilliant time. The theatre was a wee bit cold so we kept our coats on.

August Wilson Theatre Mezzanine

View from the Mezzanine section. Images sourced from TripAdvisor and Yelp.

The first (and only elevated) level of the August Wilson theatre has 485 seats in total. With 16 rows titled A to Q (skipping Row I again). Like the orchestra section, the mezzanine is also divided into three regions, centre, left, and right.

The centre mezzanine has seats numbered 101-118 moving right to left. The left and right mezzanine are odd and even numbered respectively, with seats numbers falling between 1-17 and 2-18.

Talking about the view, most of the seats in the mezzanine section offer a pretty good view, some seats with a better view than even the centre orchestra seats. The first few rows in the mezzanine are undeniably the best, offering a perfect look at the stage and ensuring that you don’t miss out on anything that’s happening on the stage. As you move further back, the view offered degrades in quality, but not by a large margin. In fact, as previously mentioned, the last few rows of the mezzanine section offer a better view than the last rows of the orchestra.

The corner seats are also decent, both in terms of the view offered and their value for money. But you should avoid the extreme corner seats if there are other options available as those offer a slightly restricted view of the stage.

Pricing

The front few rows of the mezzanine are priced similarly to the centre rows of the orchestra. The price of the middle rows corresponds to that of the middle back rows of the orchestra, while offering a better view. The last four rows are expectedly the cheapest, falling in the same range as the last rows of the orchestra.

Reviews

Not a bad seat in the small theater. Sat in mezzanine row J seat 101-102. Perfect view of the stage. The seats are tight so if you are tall or heavy set you are gonna be tight.

We went to a Saturday matinee of the Jersey Boys at the August Wilson Theatre. We had mezzanine seats. The stage has a cat walk – and some of the action is on that upper level – we were well able to see it from the mezzanine. I’m not sure if that would be true for the rear orchestra seats. Center front mezzanine would be best- the curve of the mezzanine makes seeing the stage somewhat a challenge if you have seats at the end of the rows.

Pro Tips

1. The theatre is compact and ample leg space is something you shouldn’t expect. If you’re tall, you can opt for the front row seats either in the orchestra or the mezzanine section to get some extra space to stretch your legs.

2. Based on viewer reviews, the theatre’s bar is supposedly super over-priced. So if you wish to consume alcohol, we would suggest going to a pub before or after the show.

3. The theatre can get pretty chilly since the air-conditioning is in full blast and the theatre is small. Dress keeping this in mind.

4. The entrance to theatre is all stairs, but, there is an entrance via a stair lift which provides direct access from the entrance on 52nd Street to the Orchestra level. You don’t need to be handicapped to use this lift.

5. There is one huge restroom in either side of the theatre, one of which is located near the stair lift area in the orchestra section.

6. The box-office opens at 10:00 AM and closes at 08:00 PM on Monday to Saturday, while on Sunday, the timings are 12:00 PM to 06:00 PM.

Restaurants Nearby

1. Victor’s Cafe: Get a taste of Cuban heritage with Victor’s Cuban cuisine and live Cuban music at 236 West 52nd Street.

2. Gallaghers Steakhouse: An iconic joint for classic cuts and raw bar items in renovated digs, located on 228 West 52nd Street.

3. Supernova: An airy, window-filled eatery in 226 West 52nd Street, Supernova serves New American fare in modern digs.

4. 21 Club: New American fare in a traditional setting and a speakeasy-vibe make the 21 Club a Broadway district regular.

5. The Lambs Club: A clubby, art-deco style restaurant in 132 West 44th Street, with cocktails and steaks to die for!

6. Russian Samovar: Get a taste of authentic Russian in Broadway at this iconic eatery with live piano music to accompany the delicacies.

If you’re looking for more restaurants, there’re plenty to chose from in the Theatre District.

Accessibility

The August Wilson theatre is located at 245 W 52nd Street and there are plenty of ways to reach the theatre. If you’re bringing your car, you can find a parking spot in either Bright Management at 354 West 52nd Street or LAZ Parking at 247 West 47th Street.

There are plenty of subway options too if you’re planning on using public transport to get to the theatre. You can either take the C, E to 50th Street and 8th Avenue, 1,9 to 50th Street and Broadway, or N, R to 49th Street and 7th Avenue.

Summary

There you have it! We have covered pretty much everything from the August Wilson theatre seating chart to how to get to the theatre. Now comes the most important part. How do get the best seats at an unbeatable price? Visit Headout.com or download the Headout App, which is an online concierge for wonderful experiences across the globe!

Choose your show, select your seats, and show up at the theatre on the day of the experience. In the meantime, a Headout representative will take care of the legwork and meet you at the theatre before your show to hand-deliver your tickets in person.

Have questions about the August Wilson theatre seating chart? Want details about specific seats? Leave a comment below and we’ll surely help you out.