Atmospheric Theatres

Atmospheric theatres are a class of their own. Auckland’s Civic Theatre is one of the last of its kind in the region, with a capacity of 2,378.

It is also the reason my daughter picked the show, she wanted to be inside the extravagant decor she had seen in pictures. And yes, we are entering the phase where she now wants to pick the shows too!

The journey to our balcony seats was part of the experience, through domed ceilings, Buddha statues and large chandeliers. The seats were comfortable and we had a great view.

The amplified show wasn’t too loud, source localisation was fine, and the music sounded dramatic and delivered well. If anything, perhaps a little too much dynamic compression during the sung parts (I assumed related to the use of headset mics) but I could be picky.

In any case, the Cirque show had it all. A full house, people lingering in the foyers long after the performance, and a very happy daughter.

Hard to ask for much more from a night at the theatre.