Having recently attended the sold out James Taylor concert I became immediately aware that the sales of alcohol throughout the concert (as allowed by the artist) and the late-seating policy (as allowed by the producer) interfered significantly with the integrity of the concert overall. Because people are allowed to get/bring in drinks throughout the concert (not limited to intermission) AND the seats/rows are circa 1890s (back when audiences had the dignity to endure a performance in its entirety without requiring beverages, phone calls or bathroom breaks during the show), each and every time someone wanted to leave their seat the entire row was forced to stand up to release them. This meant that for no less than a minute PER excursion PER person a wide array of other concert goers had limited view of the stage. This inconvenience does not include the constant vocalizing of the drunk members of the audience, either. The theater is beautiful, and a lovely venue on its own. James Taylor was fantastic, as always. But unless you are looking for an outdoor arena ambiance in an antique, indoor venue, I recommend you call and ask about the late-seating and concessions policies before you reserve your tickets at the Murat (or any other venue). Please note that it is the choice of both the producer and the artist that made these two issues a concern--not the venue. But you will do yourself a favor if you check those policies out before committing to an evening of hard-spent money wasted on the wasted...
Pros: beautiful historic theater
Cons: theater not intended for ""stadium"" atmosphere
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