Shea's 710 Theatre

Good Time Rating: 5 out of 5 clear views of the stage

Accessibility Rating: 2 out of 5 tiny bathroom stalls (for now!)

5/15/25

Shea's 710 Theater

Buffalo, NY

Oh my God, oh my God, you guys, we saw Legally Blonde the Musical!

What? Like it's hard?

I had some credits from Stub Hub to cash in, and we decided to use them on Legally Blonde at Shea's 710 theater. Stub Hub does not have a way to purchase handicap seating - further cementing my dislike of Stub Hub. Furthermore, Stub Hub was not even the official ticket vender for the show, Ticketmaster was. They had to transfer my tickets to Ticketmaster. All of which is to say: Don't use Stub Hub!

So anyway, I called up the box office and asked if my tickets could be switched to handicap seating. They said that would only have been an option if I had purchased through Ticketmaster. BUT they said if the seats were still available I could ask to be switched on the day of the show. That was exactly what we did, and it was no trouble at all. In fact, at every single turn the theater staff was outstanding.

Be aware, unless you have the luck of a leprechaun, you'll be parking a ways away at one of the various paid lots downtown. I was fortunate enough to have my better half drop me at the door.

I did have difficulty navigating the theater in my power chair, but that wasn't so much because of the theater itself, it was because there were just so many people! It's frankly a small miracle I didn't roll over anyone's toes. Intermission got particularly tricky. The theater has two gently ramped aisles that lead back into the lobby. I highly recommend you take the one on stage right. The stage left aisle is close to the ladies room, and the line at intermission extended way back into the somewhat narrow aisle. At one point a man tried to squeeze past me, fully putting his weight on to my armrest and his jeans-clad ass in my face. I put on my best mom voice and said, "Sir, you are going to break my chair." He stopped dead and made the BEST shame face. I bet he's still thinking about it. I hope it haunts him.

Pink was totally the audience's signature color

But let's talk about the bathrooms, because if you're looking for a wheelchair accessible stall, there isn't one. The last stall is "handicap". It is SLIGHTLY larger than a standard stall and has grab bars on both sides. But there is no universe where you can fit a chair inside or transfer to the toilet successfully. I asked an usher about the situation, and the best answer she could give me was that the theater is under renovation and that the bathrooms would be improved soon. I emailed Shea's the next day and they confirmed that the 710 theater will have wheelchair accessible bathrooms by September. I'll be sure to update their rating then, but until then maybe watch how much you hydrate.

Speaking of hydration, the concessions were excellent. They had beer, wine, and something approaching a full bar, with drinks served in the traditional theater sippy cup. They even had themed cocktails for the show, mostly in shades of pink. And of course there was pop and candy for the small blonde child.

Pictured here, a Sprite, a Delta Nu New, and a OMG You Guys on ice

Shea's 710 is cozy. There truly isn't a bad seat in the house. The black box style stage was perfect for a show like Legally Blonde, which relied more on projector effects than set pieces. The set up also makes it easy for the actors to move through the audience, which they did on several occasions. I could have reached out to touch them.

Pink box theater

While I take a few issues with the show itself* the performances were outstanding. Every actor was really giving their all. Penelope Sergi who played Brooke somehow belted at the top of her lungs while jump roping and I'm still not over it. Special shout out to the Chihuahua who played both Bruiser Woods and Rufus. What range!

I always check the website for accessibility information before I go anywhere. Shea's site claims that accessibility is a "priority". I've asked them to update their site to inform people about the bathroom situation, but the woman I spoke to basically said that was above her pay grade and she'd pass my comments along. I find that answer frustrating considering it only takes a minute to add language to your website, and it would save wheelchair users a lot of hassle to know about the bathrooms in advance. But hey, I guess it'll be accurate in 4 months. That's making it a "priority" right?

*I mean, SPOILERS Since when was Elle deciding to buckle down and actually study Emmet's idea? Since when was Paulette being in a common law marriage Emmet's idea? I get why they gave Emmet more presence in the narrative, but I hate how this version of Elle Woods needs to wait around for a man to inspire her. Reese Witherspoon would NEVER.