Broadway Access Review -
The Hills of California
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General Note
This is a review of the accessibility of the theater, of the lighting/sound/scent design of the show, and a list of content warnings as a way to prep folks with various needs before they go see it.
This is not meant to scare anyone away from seeing the show. Most productions have about the same amount of content warnings and sensory warnings to go along with it, they’re just rarely explicitly written down.
For some people, knowing these things ahead of time makes it easier to enjoy the show because they know what to expect. And, often, makes those people more likely to see it in the first place. I hope that it’s helpful!
I am also happy to clarify any specifics, just send me a message or an email and I will respond when I can.
Theater
Broadhurst Theatre
All comments on the accessibility of lighting are in reference to seats in the right center of the orchestra
Bathrooms:
divided into the gender binary, though there is a sign saying “Please use the restroom that best fits your gender identity and expression”
located below the orchestra (women’s house left, men’s house right) with the accessible one next to the accessibility booth on the orchestra level
Other theater accessibility:
the theater has a step-free entrance to the entire orchestra
there is no elevator
the theatre offers closed captioning, assistive listening, loop receivers, and audio description devices
Click here for more information on the physical accessibility of this theater.
Light/Sound/Scent
General:
I did not need earplugs for this show
nearly all of the characters have fairly strong accents, so if you need a fidget to aid with auditory processing in that setting, I would recommend!
cigarettes are smoked, you can sometimes smell them
the sensory accessibility of this show is similar to that of Appropriate and The Roommate (without the flashing light sections of both of those examples)
Pre Show: there is medium volume organ music playing
Act I: sibling wrestling/hitting (only once, it’s brief)
Intermission: there are some ocean sounds
Act II: Ruby chokes, but she’s okay! Also quite brief
Pause: this lasts 2 minutes, the house lights are half dimmed, and medium to loud music is playing with low bass plus piano
Act III: the jukebox gets progressively louder; Ruby has a full panic attack after Joan comes down the stairs
Content Advisory
CSA - specifically in Acts II and III
it is implied in Act II and discussed more explicitly in Act III
cancer/death/grief
mental health, including the depiction of a panic attack
it’s a period piece, so there is some outdated language in regards to sex and race