The Theater At Madison Square Garden

Ahh, this was horrible! I have been to MSG for many, many concerts but never to the theater for a show. I came here to see Elf The Musical and had a terrible experience. Although the theater is large and clean, the setup is a complete mess, the audio was very low and the ushers are overwhelmed and not organized.
We waited over 5 min. for an usher to show us to our seats & when he walked us to our area, he said «there’s 4 seats» although we had 5 tickets. When I told him I was 1 short, he laughed, shrugged and walked away. The same thing happened to the folks in the row behind me & it started a huge argument between them & the usher, which then escalated into a bigger argument during the show because people kept telling each other to shut up. There was even cursing going on (at a children’s show!) I let it go & sat my 5 yr old niece on my lap because the show had already started. The seats are way too close to each other so the entire row had to stand in order to let people go by. People were cranky because it was so tight. The seat numbers are not even visible. They are completely under the seat rather than on the edge, which makes no sense.
I won’t be back to this theater again.

My first time at the Garden, I was here to attend the Holiday show «Elf.» I followed the crowd to the main entrance, and unfortunately there was a professional sporting event in the main area. A bit confusing. The theater is downstairs, the stadium us above. Luckily the outdoor security gave us clear directions of where to go. The security line was a breeze, quick and courteous, yet thorough. Up the escalators, and then straight into the concession area of popcorn, snacks, soda, and alcohol. You are allowed to eat your snack while watching the show.
Inside, the staff was very helpful at taking you to your seats, not just pointing in the general area. They also engaged in small talk with my children, always a plus. The venue itself is clean, with easily identified markings. Restrooms are large, as with almost every theater I have been to, too few to prevent long lines during intermission. Seats not the most comfortable and sight lines were just ok. The orchestra sits on the right, with overall sound quality being pretty good.
To bad the show itself (Elf) was just ok. We left at intermission. Only the third time in about twenty five theater shows we have attended over the years. Acting, execution, singing were all just ok. We just had too many other fun things to see during the holiday season than to sit for another hour watching an «ok» performance.

Went last night we friends to see Elf. What a disappointment. It took forever to get through security but that’s fine with the sick world we live in and work everything going on. But so unorganized, it was a cluster between people going to elf and people seeing the comedy show. Us and ALOT of other people ended up finally getting in to the show after it started. The acting was average no wow factor. I had more expectations for this play. I kept telling myself it would get better it would get better. But no, we ended up leaving at intermission. If we were sitting on the aisle we would of left sooner. To see a family with kids leaving down the escalator behind us you know it wasn’t good. Soooo disappointed

Came here last night for Elf, we left halfway into the show…
The theater is nice, it’s clean, there are a lot of bathroom stalls and the staff is nice, but the setup is just awful.
The seats are extremely small and close to one another. They are so small and close that I was praying that nobody would come sit next to my boyfriend and I. My prayers went unanswered. The lady that sat next to me almost sat on my lap when she sat down and then she elbowed me a few times. The lady next to my boyfriend had a young girl on her lap who kept kicking him throughout the show. The man in front of me was a giant, and I could not see over his gargantuan head, so I had to lean to the left for the entire time we were there, awesome…
So then there is an intermission… Who is the genius that decided it would be a good idea to set up the Delta concession stand right outside the exit of the theater leading to the bathrooms? Picture this– hundreds of people and little crazy children high on cotton candy and coca cola all trying to get up the stairs to the bathroom– where we had to form a single line to try and squeeze past the mob of people standing around waiting at the concession stand. When we finally made it up to the stairs to the bathroom– the line was at least 100 people long– so my boyfriend and I decided to head downstairs to the lobby– and guess what? There are no bathrooms down there, fantastic!
Bottom line– I have been to shows/​concerts in MSG before and never had these issues. As for the Theater– I would not return to see anything here.

The theater is nice and staff is even more nice. They need to allow better refs to score the matches. Joe Merolla won the fight. Literally have pics to prove it.
As far as the theater, again very nice. The chairs are a marvel of engineering. The get bigger when you pull them down to sit! CRAZY! The sound system is powerful… But not too powerful. My old 29 year old years thought they were perfect. Beer prices are a little more that I’d like to pay, but reasonable for Manhattan. Joe (the winner of tonight’s fight) sells beers cheaper at his establishment but that’s nor here nor there.

Who knew?
I saw Ranger games, Luther Vandross, heck even Billy Joel on New Years eve at MSG. When I had tickets for Stand Up For Heroes 2015 at THE THEATER @ MSG, I thought it was the same venue.
We walk into a nice lobby. I pass the standard bars where they charge premium prices for alcohol and zip on past. I see the hallway for our seating area and we’re directed to our seats.
What a nice looking venue. The seats are pretty nice, very roomy and cushy. It’s just my luck I had this 6’11 gorilla sit directly in front of me… The seats aren’t on a large angle to compensate for a true concert/​stage experience but nevertheless the acoustics and large monitors made for a nice time.
Would I want to see another show here? I enjoy seeing shows at Westbury Music Theater because its intimate. The Theater At Madison Square Garden is smaller, I’m not sure if thats a good thing but I’m giving an extra star because when the concerts is over I can jump downstairs and catch a train

There were two concerts occurring the night I attended, one in the Theater and one in MSG. They did not clearly inform where to go for your concert. There were no obvious signs and the security guards did not instruct anyone. After a while, they began finally screaming, «Go here for (band) and go here for (other band).» But this wasn’t until after I attempted to go to MSG instead and had to circle around.
Alcohol, like many concert halls in the City, is expensive here. So, please remember that. Also, there were lines as expected. The staff did the best they could with the amount of people they had.
However, my biggest gripe was that the concert I attended had blatant illegal drug use ranging from marijuana to cocaine.
People were also smoking cigarettes throughout the concert, which is being held inside a theater and therefore, that is also illegal. Being someone who is very allergic, I did not appreciate this at all. Let’s just say my dinner came up.
You would think the security guards would do something but they did not. Therefore, many points were knocked off for this.
Thank you for the lung cancer.
One security guard was very nice and helped me find the bathrooms, which were very clean and bright. I really appreciated that.
I’m not sure if I’d go again. I guess it depends on who is performing.

A more intimate venue (if you can call 5000 seats intimate) than the main MSG arena upstairs, the Theater@MSG is what used to be the Felt Forum (if anybody remembers what that was) and later on, the Paramount Theater. In the early 90’s, the adjacent bowling alley where we used to bowl was closed and was incorporated as the lobby of the Theater.
In the intervening years, I’ve been to a bunch of different shows, concerts and events at the Theater and the venue is incredibly comfortable with nice seating. I did not feel cramped at all like at some Broadway theaters. The space is wide open so there is really no bad seat in the house, unlike some theaters that have support columns that obstruct your view and still sell you tickets to those seats at a «discounted» price. Same as it’s big brother upstairs, the stage has some modularity that can be modified for different performances. For Cirque du Soleil’s Wintuk, the stage wings were opened up to allow for roller bladers to zoom up and down ramps, though the relatively low ceilings made that look dangerous, which was probably part of the show.
For the Fresh 102.7 Fall Fest concert, we saw Rachel Platten, Adam Lambert, A Great Big World and the star headliner, Duran Duran. All the acts were exceptional and with the sound system and acoustics of the theater, made them sound even better, especially the high notes that Adam Lambert was able to hit. For music acts that really can’t fill up the MSG arena, the Theater is a great venue for concerts.

Last Friday was the first time I ever came to The Theater for a concert. I really enjoyed that it was a smaller venue so it definitely seemed intimate. What was so enjoyable was how out dated the venue actually was. From the seating to the light fixtures you can tell that the venue needs some TLC.
Staff was helpful and guided everyone to their seats. Overall this venue is decent, I mean you definitely go for the concert but it can be helpful with the venue is up to part.

I’d never seen a show here before so figuring out where to enter was a chore as it is not clearly marked (all roads seem to lead to MSG). If you have GA you enter at the corner of 8^th and W33rd. If you have seats you enter between 7^th and 8^th.
Once inside I was pleasantly surprised; you find a nice, small, intimate theater. There is nothing flashy or theater esque about the location but it does serve as a good venue to see a concert. Acoustics were a bit off for the opening band (Refused) but were perfect for the headliner (Faith No More).
I had GA and got in early enough to get a good spot. Looking at the seating I’m sure any spot in the place would be good. I’ll gladly see a show here vs. big brother MSG where some seating simply sucks. I’d also take this over a Terminal 5 but there is something special about the «real» Theaters (like the Beacon) and thus the 4 stars and not 5.

I still can’t believe that this past Wednesday was my first time @ MSG! As a born and bred nyc’er, that’s wild! Came here for the Faith No More show and was totally blown away as usual. By FNM, not the Theater. Don’t get me wrong, it’s really not a bad place. Just the vibe is and atmosphere is quite dingy. It reminded me of a slightly larger movie theater. As everyone probably knows, MSG is accessible by numerous subways so getting here is never an issue. Security is thorough. Metal detectors, wands, bags searched, etc. I’m always a fan of that so I don’t mind. It’s very organized getting in. The security and staff at the entrance are very militant and prepared. After you go get your ticket scanned and go up the escalator it’s quite the maze to try to get to the venue itself. There are different sections and you have to go through certain ones to get to your seat. Good thing the signs are everywhere so finding where you’re supposed to go is not a problem. While walking to the theater you pass the merch tables, bars, bathrooms, tons of Chase atm’s, etc. I can’t vouch for the state of the bathrooms or snacks/​drinks since I didn’t use or buy. Although I overheard the conversation of the people in front of me saying that a cup of beer was ten bucks. Hey, that’s not surprising. Trying to find the letter of the row you’re in and the number of the seat is weird. It wasn’t too bright and the number of the seats are on the botttom. That was questionable. The letters on the rows were old and hardly could see them either. Good thing there are people to guide you as to where your seat is. I definitely would have rather stood in the general admission section. I just don’t understand why Ticketmaster didn’t sell GA admission for this show. Wonder where the GA people got those ticets? The box office maybe? Seat comfortableness was okay. Teeny tiny arm rests. Must have been made for little people. I was in row V and still had a great view. Thankfully the rows are tiered. Sound was great. Refused went on fairly promptly and so did FNM. I can always appreciate when that happens. My advice when leaving is to let the majority of the theater exit before you. Otherwise you’ll be mobbed. Yet, even after I did that, it was still crazy. It was so crowded when we go to the escalators/​stairs that you couldn’t really see where the steps started so it was kind of nerve wracking trying to not lose your footing. The issues I had were fairly miniscule. As I mentioned earlier, not a bad place, but not my kind of place. I prefer slightly smaller places. I would come back but only if one of my all-​time favorite bands played.

Great venue for a live show small theater where all seats are good. Killer acoustics.

Just saw Faith No More here. It’s like seeing a concert in the basement of MSG. Even the lead singer said that and kept making fun of the venue.
Even though The Garden was updated and renovated it seems as if they forgot to also include this place. Still looks the same to me as it did a decade ago. Oh, and a Delta Sky Lounge bar? WTF? Are we at an airport?
This is a smaller venue that seats around 5600 for concerts. Intimate is a good word, but if you’re seated more in the back under the low ceilings it’s a claustrophobic’s bad dream. Has kind of an industrial look to it overall. Seating is tight and not all that comfortable.
Oh, and bathrooms are located in a crappy spot away from the actual theater. Better run if you need to take a pee and run back or you’ll miss a song or two
Concessions are an overpriced joke as usual. Yeah, I love paying $ 6 for a bottle of water, and then having the cap taken away.
Still, I have to admit the sound is solid here and the sightlines pretty good. Try to get seats more with a center stage view. Especially if sitting more in the back away from the stage. We were in section 300 on the second row and the view was decent. The seats are tiered so you don’t really have to worry about getting your view totally blocked unless some of the Knicks are standing in front of you.

oh my god, let me just tell you. I hadn’t been to the garden in years. When I was little I used to love eating baked beans cold on toast. I liked the way I was getting a nutritious meal but at the same time doing something naughty.
On the morning of the concert I awoke to the sound of driving rain on my window, the breeze blew through the trees and the sun was shining brightly. I decided once again I would revisit baked beans on toast. It was a lovely breakfast let me tell you, I enjoyed it.
throughout the day I did several other activities such as read a book, wash the dishes, talk on the phone, feed my cat and finally I caught up on polishing my rock collection.
Towards the evening I finally got around to selecting my outfit for the concert and OMG I had nothing to wear. I quickly called my best friend Rob who has THE BEST taste in contemporary men’s fashions. WOW, let me tell you he had the best corduroy vest for me to borrow– I was in heaven.
I caught the subway to garden and it was running late so i was already in a bad mood. For this I am taking off one star. I contemplated taking off another star because on my printed ticket from ticketmaster the barcode appeared twice, once on the top and on the second occasion on the bottom. What was I to do? I wanted to save space in my wallet so I needed to take only the amount of paper I needed but I wanted to make sure I could gain entry to the venue. I totally like had a panic attack, luckily I had taked two bouts of my anxiety medication that morning so I was totally able to deal with that emergency, phew!
The event was good but being away from my cat made me sad.

Been to a few concerts here now and it’s definitely one of the better venues I’ve had the chance to come to. There really isn’t a bad seat in the house, there’s only one level of seating (no mezz) but the seats are tiered so you don’t have to worry about your view getting blocked. Acoustics are great and the inside of the theatre is pretty (love the overhead lights). Despite being able to fit 6K+ people, it has a very intimate feel which is great for smaller artists on the rise (and their fans who want a that intimate concert experience).
Would definitely return to see my favorite artists if they were performing in this venue.

Every seat is great. Even the cheap ones. Saw Charles Aznavour here tonight — fantastic! Only one problem, the carpeting throughout the venue smells like stinky feet!

With my latest visit to NYC and the Theater at Madison Square Garden, I was able to scratch one more thing off of my Gay Bucket List: see Diana Ross live. Yes, the Supreme herself! She put on an amazing show and donned sequin dresses in every color in the rainbow.
Now, the Theater itself was a bit of a shit show. We arrived a bit late, midway into the opening act. There wasn’t tons of explanation as to where we should be going. Further complicated by the fact that Billy Joel was performing next door, and everyone was jamming into the same entryway, trying to get into one concert or another. It was a mêlée!
After much confusion, we made our way into the theater. The house lights were wow– pitch dark. I suppose it’s mostly our fault, but I would have to assume that a venue knows that a lot of people arrive late when there is an opening act (especially when there are reserved seats) so finding our way was a bit challenging.
Despite being at the back of the venue, the tiered seats made it easy to see the stage, and the acoustics sounded great. There were no screens, so for those sitting in the back who want to see the beads of sweat on their performer’s brow, be warned that you probably won’t see that level of detail.
The concessions were to be expected: overpriced and a bit slow, but we can’t complain too much. Getting out was also pretty easy– I imagine Billy was still crooning, so at least we weren’t competing with others to exit. I would go back to see another artist– although I’d try to figure out a better way of getting in and settled.

Who knew this was here! It’s not too bad of a venue, though the seats could be more tiered. It does feel intimate even though it seats a ton of people. I did get tickets to this show assuming it was in the arena, so it was confusing to have to go around the back to what looks like a staff/​office entrance.

We got tickets to see Glory 12 kickboxing here. I had never been to this part of the arena before, but we were seated in the equivalent of the «nosebleeds» and still had a pretty good view of the fights.
Shoutout to Ruggy for hooking me and my plus one up with tickets… we probably wouldn’t have come had it not been for our awesome CM. Should have probably known that kickboxing is intense…
And as we were leaving, Kanye West’s Yeezus tour was just ramping up so we got free ponchos! Wonder what they were for…

On the Heist Tour, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis played «We Sold Out the Garden»… Well, actually, they sold out the Theater At Madison Square Garden which is IMO not the same thing. That suits me fine! The Theater at Madison Square Garden is small and intimate like a large movie theater, with excellent sound quality and good visibility from every seat, making it a great venue to SEE as well as HEAR the band. And yay, there are jumbo screens. M&RL probably used every effect possible: lighting, pyrotechnics, steam jets, fog, confetti, streamers, jumbo balls, set changes, etc.
The seating is comfortable and sufficiently roomy for all except extremely large people. Nobody but the disabled sat during the entire M&RL performance and there was enough personal space to dance. The stairway to the upper seats is reasonably sloped and not at all disorienting. One bit of advice for the cheap seats: at the periphery of the theater, rising heat trapped under the low ceiling makes the air uncomfortably warm, so dress accordingly.
Refreshments are pricey (small bottled water $ 5.25). In contrast to Barclays Center, where all drinks are served in sloshy wide open-​top cups, Theater@MSG serves water and soft drinks in their original bottles and fountain drinks in a cup with a top and a straw – much appreciated!