Hey, WHITE CHRISTMAS Producers - KISS MY $&%!!!!!- Page 2

[Calvin]

Posted: 12/7/09 at 5:18pm

I'm with Phyllis on this one. I've never understood why more shows don't just do general rush rather than limiting it to students. A lot of them are just living off of mommy and daddy's dime anyway and are hardly in a position of hardship (and they can join TDF anyway).

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 12/7/09 at 5:32pm

And a lot of students (I would say many more than those who are "living off of mommy and daddy's dime") are struggling to pay for their education, let alone be able to attend live theater.

Producers don't owe anyone rush, student or otherwise. Or lottery tickets. Or discount codes. So we should all just be thrilled for what they are giving us. Updated On: 12/7/09 at 05:32 PM

[tazber]

Posted: 12/7/09 at 5:37pm

And a lot of non-students (I would say many more than those who are "living off of mommy and daddy's dime") are struggling to pay for their rent and living expenses, let alone be able to attend live theater.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/7/09 at 5:51pm

"Hey Producers, how's that 50% capacity you're pulling in feel?"

Considering last week they did 76% and grossed over 1 Mil, I'm sure they are quite content.

Not to mention the week before, when capacity was in the 50s, they still grossed over $750k. But I am in favor of either a general rush or if they offer a "student rush", it should be open to all students. Otherwise it is a "Preferred Student" rush, if anything. A full-time student is a full-time student, regardless where they are attending. It's sort of like producers redefining a "Senior" as anyone who is 65 AND relies on Social Security as their main source of income, which is not always the case. It's misleading, inaccurate and discriminatory.

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 12/7/09 at 5:52pm

Sure, but as Bettyboy72 said, there has to be some cut-off. If it's a general rush, what's stopping anyone and everyone (including people who could easily pay for it) from coming? Rush is done to allow people who might not otherwise be able to go to the theater can go. And most producers use "student" as their definition of this. Is it all-encompassing? Obviously not.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/7/09 at 5:55pm

Your point assumes that all the students who get rush tickets couldn't pay for a regular ticket.

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 12/7/09 at 5:58pm

If it's a general rush, what's stopping anyone and everyone (including people who could easily pay for it) from coming?

Nothing. That's the point of a general rush, that anyone can go. Some shows have had rush open to anyone, wasn't NEXT TO NORMAL a general rush before they changed to lotto? It's the same with the lottery. Anyone can enter those. Of course, it's still mostly students who show up. I was at the lottery for RAGTIME over the weekend (and won, yay!) and almost every single person there looked to be mid-twenties or younger. There was one elderly woman, and that was about it.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/7/09 at 5:59pm

Plenty of other shows have utilized open lotteries and rushes to great success. And using "student" as a cut-off is ok, if that is what they mean, but when they feel the need to redefine what a student is to segregate students into qualifying and non-qualifying students at their own definition and whim, then it is no longer a "student rush". It is an "I'll-let-you-know-if-you're-a-student-or-not rush". If I had a scholarship to a conservatory I could not afford to attend otherwise, but was not found on their selective list, I would make stink as well. As a matter of fact, in 1996, I did precisely that at the box office of Sunset Boulevard and I won.

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 12/7/09 at 6:12pm

Phyllis, my point does not assume that. At all.
Updated On: 12/7/09 at 06:12 PM

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 12/7/09 at 6:34pm

Yeah I mentioned this months ago!! haha... I'm 31 years old and in grad school at an accredited university so I think I should be able to use a student discount! There should be no age limit... hell it should just be general rush!!

btw... off topic.. i'm not in the military.. but for some reason I get a lot of military discounts.... weird...

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/7/09 at 7:14pm

Yes, shows should offer a general rush, open to all like it was only a few years ago.

Secondly, I don't need anger management, Pal Joey, I was however very angry as would anyone being questioned by a box office (OR ANYONE) about the validity of their studies because of their age and where I choose to get my education. I also find it amusing and just a tad ironic that they are turning away acting students from their theatre.

As for the grosses, I pulled up what I thought was last week saying 53%. Excuuuuuuuuuse me if I pulled up a prior weeks. Even still they're not selling out and they have many seats available that they're turning people away from buying. You can like it, mock it, disagree with it, whatever. Everyone's got an opinion on a subject and that's what this message board is here for.

[Marquise]

Posted: 12/7/09 at 7:17pm

I'm the son of a multi-millionaire businessman. I have "bank" and I attend a 4 year university so I cop student rush tickets because I qualify per the theater's policy. Life is GOOD.









/sarcasm

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/7/09 at 7:20pm

Sounds like you got life good, Marquise! lol

[hubee]

Posted: 12/7/09 at 7:31pm

I'm with all those in favour of just getting rid of student rush. Like Tazber said best, it's not like everyone out of school is floating in money either and going to the theatre.

A general rush would just allow more people access to some cheaper tickets. (but again, I'm all for a more gradient pricing system. What ever happened to several price categories? And no, $50 balconies for A Little Night Music doesn't count).

[winston89]

Posted: 12/8/09 at 9:03am

But, I think that one of the main problems with doing a regular rush is that there have been too many stories of rush lines getting out of hand. At least by regulating the rush to students only, does wonders for crowd control.

I have equated student rush with going to the movies before. This is because of the fact that an average price rush ticket would equal what one would spend on the movies in NYC. And, I know that with that price I would choose theatre over a movie.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 12/8/09 at 10:49am

Actually, as a full-time (almost graduated!) college student, working two jobs...I can totally afford to go see 1-2 shows a month. I don't sit orchestra (without a code) but I figure I'm at least seeing something, no matter where I sit.

Posted: 12/8/09 at 10:51am

I can't even afford to GO to college! Why don't I get a discount??
Updated On: 12/8/09 at 10:51 AM

[tazber]

Posted: 12/8/09 at 11:03am

B/c you're a bitter queen who doesn't live in NY, joe.

[MusicSnob1]

Posted: 12/8/09 at 11:15am

JoeKv, just wait it out and then go for the Senior Citizens Theatre Queen discount next month...

[devonian.t]

Posted: 12/8/09 at 11:35am

In the UK, theatres tend to offer discount to any students in full-time education, on the assumption, I guess, that they will not be able to undertake full-time employment simultaneously.

Since the purpose of study is to educate oneself, it would seem appropriate for theatres/ producers to support this goal by offering access to the widest possible range of cultural activities, especially if it also boosts attendance figures.

It seems arbitrary to award discounts based on the length of a course, and utterly discriminatory to base them on a student's age.

[Calvin]

Posted: 12/8/09 at 12:10pm

what's stopping anyone and everyone (including people who could easily pay for it) from coming?

Convenience. I can speak only for myself, but even if there was general rush for a high-demand show, I'd much rather just take the few seconds to buy a ticket full price or just partially discounted than have to bother with getting up at the crack of dawn and sit on the street for several hours just to save $50 or so. Now, if it was a low-demand show where you could just walk up to the box office 20 minutes before curtain and get the ticket, I might be tempted...but in that case, it wouldn't be taking a ticket out of some poverty-stricken student's hand. Just supply & demand.

Of course, some people lose rationality when it comes to discounts. Like I never understood, when the Ben & Jerry's near Times Square was still open, why people would line up around the block on the days they gave away free ice cream. Is it really worth standing in line two hours just to get $5 worth of ice cream for free?

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 12/8/09 at 12:25pm

Is it really worth standing in line two hours just to get $5 worth of ice cream for free?

Yes. And they went through that line quickly, so even though it was long, you only had to wait twenty minutes or so.

[trombonist]

Posted: 12/8/09 at 1:25pm

I have equated student rush with going to the movies before. This is because of the fact that an average price rush ticket would equal what one would spend on the movies in NYC. And, I know that with that price I would choose theatre over a movie.

If you go before noon on weekends to AMC theatres, it's around $6-7 for the movie ticket. MUCH less than any theatre ticket. Even after that it's less than $15. Still a good $10 less than the lowest rush/lottery prices.

[winston89]

Posted: 12/8/09 at 1:55pm

Let's say for argument's sake Trombonist, that you're in college in NYC and you and your friends decide to go spend a Friday or Saturday night seeing a movie. The ticket to a regular movie (regular movie meaning one that isn't in IMAX or in digital projection or 3-D). The ticket costs about 12 dollars and fifty cents in NYC for a film. Reason why I didn't include digital projection or anything like that is because movie theatres charge more for those. Now, since a lot of people get popcorn or snacks at the movies, and since they are over priced, when all is said and done you would have spent at least close to 20 bucks that night. There is theatre in New York that you can see for 20 bucks.

Hell, there are even a couple of Off Broadway theatres, such as Second Stage and Playwrights Horizon that sell tickets at 15 bucks a pop for students.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/8/09 at 2:05pm

Look, some people really didn't get what upset me yesterday about this. What upset me was just how insulted I was by being told that I'm not a real student and questioning my choice to go back to school at my age (and I ain't that old, folks) to continue working on my craft. It's not like I was trying to scam anyone out of anything or get something that I wasn't supposed to get. They said they offered a student rush. I am a student. If they are offering a "limited student rush" or to persons under a certain age like some theaters do, that policy needs to be stated. That's what upset me.