The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is a theater buff:

These days Admiral Mullen throws regular dinners at his 19th-century home on a small naval compound near the State Department, where the walls are not hung with medals but framed show bills from nearly every Broadway show that he and his wife have attended.

Of course, it’s possible Mrs. Mullen is the theater buff and he just goes along for the ride. Either way, this is cool.

I’ve seen three Broadway shows in previews lately and wasn’t really into any of them: the revival of Speed-the-Plow, Billy Elliot, and Shrek. Speed-the-Plow and Billy Elliot have since opened to great reviews, the latter this morning. (Shrek is still in previews.)

I’m wondering what’s wrong with me. I always doubt myself when I disagree with the general opinion of a show. Did the productions improve before opening night? Or, would I have enjoyed Speed-the-Plow and Billy Elliot if I hadn’t been sitting in the second-to-last row of the balcony?

I really wonder about the seating issue. Do better seats make for a better evaluation of a show? I’m sure that’s one reason why theater critics get great seats (at least, I assume they get great seats). If you sit too far away, do you appreciate a show less? On the other hand, changing your seat can’t change a show’s problems.

There was one number in Billy Eliot, called “Solidarity,” that I thought was really terrific. Another, “Grandma’s Song,” was touching and funny. But I found much of the show treacly; the actor who played Billy at the performance I saw, David Alvarez (there are three actors who alternate the role), greatly irritated me; and the score was too pop-driven and inconsistent. Maybe I’d enjoy the score more on repeated listenings.

As for Speed-the-Plow, I loved all three performers — Jeremy Piven, Raul Esparza, and Elisabeth Moss. But the plot seemed predictable and didn’t enlighten me in any way.

And again — for both of these shows, we were at the back of the balcony. Maybe better seats would have helped.

Shows I have enjoyed recently: Road Show, Equus. I even kinda liked 13.