Amazing venue on all counts.
Parking: We parked in a garage across the street from Heinz Hall. Short walk and 8.00 for event parking. Such a short walk that high-heels are quite doable.
Beauty: Its beauty can't be disputed. It's amazing, no doubt about it.
Seating: We sat in the orchestra section, 19 rows from the stage, right in the center. No complaints at all. I had sufficient leg room (unlike the Benedum upper level seating which was the most cramped I've ever had anywhere hands down). And there were no heads in my way to see the action on stage.
Performance: The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra was magnificent, as was the Mendelssohn Choir the night we attended. I'm approximating there were 75 choir members on stage along with close to 100 orchestra members. I could be wrong on the numbers but let's just say there were a significant number of people and instruments on stage. The performance and sound were superb.
Refreshments: There was a bar and you are allowed to take into the theater bottled water. Yes, the cost was high at 4.00 a bottle.
Coat check: There is a coat check provided for a 1.00 fee which is reasonable.
Ladies' restroom: I found it to be fast-moving and having sufficient number of stalls to accommodate all of us women in line with time to spare during intermission. Plus, it was very clean.
Staff: All were very polite, courteous, and efficient from the ticket takers to the ushers to some regal looking gentleman in the lobby who helped me find which door to enter for my seats and again, at the end, to deal with a lost-and-found item. He offered to take left-behind sunglasses to the lost-and-found for me. A very generous man.