Masquerade is an incredible and beautiful production, but it is just too crowded and full of pushing and shoving, as squished patrons sometimes run through the crowd (in the dark), trying to get to the next scene before it starts. To be clear, I never felt unsafe or at risk of injury; it just gets annoying being shoved while in a crowd after each scene. The overcrowding of the show takes away from the immersive goal.
For the first 45 minutes or so of the 2+ hour production, the audience is more chill, but then some observant patrons realize they need to push their way through the crowd in order to (1) get to the next scene before it starts (I frequently entered a scene already in progress, since I did not push my way through other patrons), and (2) possibly get a chair in the few scenes that had chairs (there were only enough seats for perhaps half the crowd in the scenes with seats). If you are the first person entering a scene, you might be the last person out of that scene, hence the perceived need they had to shove their way back to the front.
Because it is very dark, ushers perhaps do not realize this is happening, but the ushers are already seemingly overwhelmed trying to organize too many people into small spaces. I was frequently moved by ushers to get even closer to the person next to me, so that others could fit into the tight space. When ushers touched me to move me, they were very gentle and never once startled me. They warn you in advance that cast members may gently touch you on your shoulder to alert you they are entering the scene from behind you. This is actually very exciting and fun. I had the Phantom himself gently touch me on the shoulder as he entered between me and the person next to me. This patron and I agreed this was a highlight of our evening, as it adds to the immersive nature.
Everything about this production, from costumes to set to lighting and sound, is potentially award-winning, and the show is a real treat for your senses. While it is frequently very dark, even when you are navigating stairs and escalators, the use of reflective tape and low lighting never made me feel unsafe. The escalator is probably the greatest risk of injury, since it is hard to see where you step on and off. I did have to address a patron who was pushing and trying to pass everyone on a narrow staircase, but it is entirely possible this was accidental, due to the low lighting and the size of the crowd. The urgency patrons felt to get to the next scene was a problem, as the scenes do start without you.
Despite the show being far too crowded, I am glad I attended and otherwise very much enjoyed the production. If you are ok with crowded events, audience members frequently touching you, people pushing you, and a very high sensory experience, then I do recommend experiencing this production. The best analogy is being at a concert in the general admission floor or pit without seats. If you enjoy this experience, then you will enjoy this show.
You should skip this show if you have sensory sensitivities, do not like crowds, do not like frequently being in a crowd in the dark, or do not like the idea of climbing stairs and standing in formal attire for over 2 hours (you cannot count on getting one of the seats in the few scenes with a seat).
My recommendation to the company is to reduce the audience count per group significantly, so that an overcrowded situation does not destroy this otherwise incredible immersive production. Patrons in my group who had seen the show before commented how much more crowded the show is now, suggesting that the audience count per entrance window may indeed have been increased recently. If the audience size can be brought back down to a reasonable group size, most or all of the issues I experienced should be resolved.
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