Hippodrome seating is atrocious

The recent article about the future of the Hippodrome Theatre ("Brighter days ahead for the Hippodrome?" July 31) may have been an attempt to lure people to attend the performances — or so I would guess.

My latest Hippodrome experience involved purchasing tickets (5) at the cost of $91.00 each with parking for a performance of West Side Story. The show was OK but the seats were a poor excuse for a theater that was renovated at the cost of $63 million.

Those in charge obviously forgot one very important feature — the comfort of the audience. The seats were not staggered but one right in front of the other. This made it almost impossible for my grandchildren to see above the head of the person sitting in front of them. Second, the leg room was minimal, even for an average adult.

I saw men having to sit sideways because they could not sit feet forward, their knees flat against the seat in front of them. I am only 5-foot, 6-inches but my knees were right up against the seat in front of me and developed dents in my knees from the pressure.

I had written the theater and expressed my disappointment that I had to watch a show feeling so cramped and straining my neck to look around the side of the head in front of me. They have lost me as a customer. Hopefully, next time they renovate they will think of the comfort of the people who would like to support this beautiful theater.

Imagine spending all that money and then to forget to have decent seating!

Linda Hark, Baltimore