Bam Howard Gilman Opera House

I have been going here since mid1980s, and now that I live in the Bronx it takes a very special show to attract me, but that still happens once or twice a year. As someone who more often goes to Lincoln Center, I am always amazed that the hall is small, and especially that there is really almost no leg room. Also, I find the lobby a madhouse and the tiny and slow elevators for balcony access very annoying. Weirdly, there is almost always a ruckus in the audience during shows. Not just cell phone ringing but people walk in late or early or get into loud squabbles. Maybe it’s more of a tradition in Brooklyn to drink a lot before shows? Lastly, the box office and ticket taking is annoyingly goofy. On a recent occasion, one of my 3 printed out tickets was «not scanning the barcode» and I was sent all the way back to box office? Really? At the Met there is a manager type right there with a laptop to help. Once I even accidentally showed up on the wrong night and he arranged an exchange on the spot. (Plus the Met has great coat check and lost and found.) Brooklyn, and BAM, you still have a long way to go on the classiness and customer service fronts, but don’t let go of the startlingly fine art sensibility on the way.

so, so gorgeous. this theater is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. it’s an opera house, so going to a concert here is a bit formal, even if you’re not actually there for the opera. I usually like my shows more relaxed, but when you’re someplace adorned with stained glass and intricate stonework, velvet seats are a must.

If you want to hear and see a beautiful classic story like Peter and the Wolf, don’t let The Little Orchestra Society get hold of it. Who would put a symphony on the stage and then cover it up behind some scenery? Annette Jolles did. A cast of clowns with mediocre dancing skills then performed an entirely unrelated, very base, story in front of the scenery, thereby extinguishing what little view the audience had left of the orchestra. The only decent performer was the narrator, Valerie Wright, who could have done the whole show by herself, as it should be: the narrator, the orchestra, and just a few characters to gently illustrate. And if you and your kids can’t sit through that, then all of you deserve this idiotic performance.

I love this theatre and the varied productions that they offer. I mostly buy season tickets, and the prices are so reasonable that you can take chances and see innovative performances, opera, dance, theatre, or music from another part of the world that will surprise and enlighten you. Some of the best things I’ve ever seen were staged here.
This theatre also houses the movie theatre. The balcony seats are a bit steep, and you have to take a small, crowded elevator up to them. The seats are also narrow, but I suppose theateregoers used to be thinner. The bathrooms are clean and the lines move quickly.
My only complaint is that the lobby before a show is a total clusterf*ck. It was less stressful even a few years ago. I think it’s the combination of more one-​time visitors from Manhattan, more late arrivals, and more merchandise available downstairs. It might make sense for the theatre to say, «no late arrivals,» like many others do.
The architecture is beautiful and the sound is unparalleled.
Also, why don’t they sell tickets for the wing seats? Empty, yet awesome.

I feel bad saying this, but I’m not in love with this theater. Okay, don’t get me wrong the lobby is gorgeous but there are so many things that are lacking here. First of all, the elevators can only hold about five people comfortably. You literally have to press your body up against 4 random people in those tiny little spaces. Then there’s the seats in the theater. I am only 5’4 and I feel like I can’t move my legs more than an inch in any direction. The two times I’ve been here, I was on the top level pretty far back. I understand that I’m not going to be able to see the whole stage, but the second somebody in front of me leans forward, the stage is completely hidden from my view. I would have hoped that the person designing this theater would have accommodated for that. And if not, there should be seat belts that force everybody to sit back in their seats.

I was so anxious to attend the BAM DanceAfrica Festival and when I finally did… oh what an experience. Due to the large crowd, it got a little hectic near the box office as I left some tickets for Will Call. One of the ushers directed me to another usher who was already overwhelmed, and struggling to maintain her professional demeanor. Once inside, it was a more pleasant experience. This venue is gorgeous. I could definitely use a lot more legroom given my height (6’0). The seats were at least comfortable for the two hour show. The sound was great. I loved that this space is easily accessible, just blocks away from the subway. You can’t beat free wi-​fi either.

Leron’s Lesson: Increible venue! Stunning architecture, fantastic staff and consistently captivating performers.
Full Review: Had the honor of seeing the William Onyeabor tribute concert here recently and I was blown away. The entire audience was captivated by the quality of entertainment we were treated to. The entrance process was seamless and the staff helped locate your seats immediately. I truly hope to see another performance here in the near future.

I’m kind of surprised this place isn’t on Unilocal; I guess most people just lump it under the BAM umbrella… Regardless, It deserves to be recognized on its own.
The Bam Howard Gilman Opera House (or Bhgoh, as the kids call it) is one of the cities best venues. The beauty of it’s century-​old architecture and design is only rivaled by its percussion. The sound here is incredible and far better than most of it’s more modern competitors in NYC.
I saw Dan Aurbach and Dr John perform their album in full. I would almost venture to say that there isn’t a bad seat (2,109 to be exact) in the house. But, there might be an exception for being up front in the first few rows (AA BB CC) of the orchestra and in the 20’s. For most shows it would be perfect, as you get a clear, close, vantage of 80% of the stage. But for a performance where over a dozen musicians are on stage, you may miss a bit of the action (the horn-​section in my case).
Either way, this is one of the most magnificent, well-​rounded venues in all of the city.
Be sure to check out Bam-​Café while you’re there.