Rush tickets are not affordable anymore- Page 2

[binau]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 4:21pm

Maybe I am naive about the financial struggles of some people but is $40 really not affordable? Maybe it's not affordable every day or every week. But I can't see how anyone who has a job could not find $40 to occasionally spare and go to the theatre?

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 4:36pm

Those $40 rush/lotto tickets are a heck of a lot cheaper than full priced orchestra tickets that can go up to $199 at some shows. 

 

Like someone else said how is $40 not affordable??? 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 4:40pm

qolbinau said: "Maybe I am naive about the financial struggles of some people but is $40 really not affordable? Maybe it's not affordable every day or every week. But I can't see how anyone who has a job could not find $40 to occasionally spare and go to the theatre?"

If they have kids, if they have to take care of an elderly parent, if they're disabled and their dates are limited, if they unexpected home/medical/etc expenses, etc...

Yeah, on a grand scale, not even counting Ham premium tix, $40 is affordable. But I don't see how YOU don't see it.

[Kinky Boy]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 5:03pm

i am just talking about for students. jeesh

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 6:38pm

I had multiple part time jobs when I was in college, and I could afford a $40 rush ticket. jeesh 

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 6:54pm

I think a $40 rush ticket in and of itself may not be that expensive, but I can see the argument that it reduces how often someone goes to the theatre. They may be able to afford one, but not two or three.

I'm not a fan of rising prices in general, and I sympathize, but I also think looking beyond Broadway the picture isn't nearly as bleak. I just paid $20 to see Party People at the Public, and it seemed like no one entered that lottery. I also saw Penny Arcade at St. Ann's Warehouse over the weekend, which was a $10 rush ticket (and they had $25 tickets available). Lots of other off-Broadway theatres make rush tickets available, and BAM does tons of programming and always has cheap tickets for every production. I'm always in support of theatres doing more to make their work accessible to folks with lower incomes and think Broadway could certainly do more. But, there's a lot of cheaper theatre that's really high-quality, especially in New York. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 6:58pm

Rush didn't EXIST when I was in college.  I still managed to see a show once every few months.  Sometimes we did tkts, but sometimes we paid full price.   We saved. And it was pretty special finally getting in.

[Kinky Boy]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 7:16pm

wonderfulwizard got it right. They can continue to jack those costs up but the alternative is $0. Instead of having so many empty seats, they could lower rush costs and make more money.

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 7:20pm

Wee Thomas2 said: "Terrence:

Just like I tell folks on my MLB boards to take their families to Minor League Games, I tell my friends here who can't afford B'way to go to Off Broadway, Off Off Broadway, Community Theater, etc, etc etc.

 

There's nothing in the Bill of Rights that says the highest forms of entertainment have to be priced for the masses."

This is the mentality I hold. I really can't wrap my mind around the entitlement of certain individuals around here when it comes to this topic. Actually living in or being able to get New York enough to have the "problem" of only being able to afford a rush ticket every few months is a privilege in and of itself.  So many people would kill for that. 

 

[Kinky Boy]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 7:25pm

elites elites elites elites elites elites elites elites elites elites elites elites elites elites elites elites elites elites elites elites everywhere you go more elites

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 7:36pm

neonlightsxo said: "Inflation.

 

"

Are people earning twice as much as they did 10 years ago?

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 7:49pm

I'm just going to throw some gas on the fire.  After digging through my own archives (aka one of the bookcases in my bedroom), I've discovered that my rush ticket to SWEENEY TODD in June 2006 was $36.25 and a rush ticket for COMPANY in November of that same year was for the same amount.  Clearly this was not the norm, but it does show that over ten years ago "cheap" rush tickets were not universal.  Flipping through other ticket stubs from that year did indicate though that most rush tickets were $26.25.

So if we assume that most rush tickets currently are $30, $35, or $40 (whether in person rush or online lottery).  We're looking at roughly a 35% increase from the $26.25 cost ten years ago versus $35 today.

I know this isn't a perfect indicator, but mid 2006 the Dow was around 13,500.  Today it closed just short of 19,800.  A 46% increase.  Again I know these two things are not necessarily linked in any way, but basically my point is- the sky isn't falling.

And to answer the question just above mine- I am making at least twice what I was ten years ago.

Updated On: 12/14/16 at 07:49 PM

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 7:49pm

To the people saying that $40 is not affordable - I hope you don't go to the movies, since the cost of seeing a movie in NYC is almost $20. Seeing great live theater is worth EASILY the cost of 2 or 3 movies.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 7:52pm

Oh, please.  This has nothing to do with anyone being an elitist.   I'm a single mom, school teacher.  Seeing shows is important to me, so I figure out to pay for it.  I use discounts when I can, stay at cheap hotels and don't spend a lot of money on other things.   It's called working for the things you want.  To quote The Departed, "No one gives it to you."   

[ukpuppetboy]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 7:54pm

Does America know where it's at anymore or not? Are you a country of business driven by market forces and a baseline derived (in New York) from the high cost of a living wage in one of the worlds highest rent cities, or one that expects a social subsidy for accessible ticket prices to the masses? One that lives by the sword, dies  by the sword. And it's looking bleaker all around for the forseeable future. 

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 7:56pm

dramamama611 said: "  Seeing shows is important to me, so I figure out to pay for it.  I use discounts when I can, stay at cheap hotels and don't spend a lot of money on other things.   It's called working for the things you want.  To quote The Departed, "No one gives it to you."  "

 

This is EXACTLY how I feel. You don't need to be rich to see shows regularly. Discounts and TDF helps, and if I want to splurge on a full price ticket to something I care about, I will. I rarely use rushes or lottos anymore. 

[AC126748]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 8:02pm

ljay889 said: "dramamama611 said: "  Seeing shows is important to me, so I figure out to pay for it.  I use discounts when I can, stay at cheap hotels and don't spend a lot of money on other things.   It's called working for the things you want.  To quote The Departed, "No one gives it to you."  "

 

This is EXACTLY how I feel. You don't need to be rich to see shows regularly. Discounts and TDF helps, and if I want to splurge on a full price ticket to something I care about, I will. I rarely use rushes or lottos anymore. 

 

"

I can't co-sign all of this hard enough.

[UncleCharlie]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 8:23pm

Kinky Boy said: "wonderfulwizard got it right. They can continue to jack those costs up but the alternative is $0. Instead of having so many empty seats, they could lower rush costs and make more money.

 

If they're selling out their rush tickets now at the current price, how would lowering rush costs make them more money?

It's weird, I spend $35 or $40 for a rush ticket and see a great show sitting next to people who paid $159 and I think how incredibly fortunate I am. Others like you think $40? What a ripoff! See an Off-Broadway show for $20 instead? Nah, man. I just do Broadway.

Neonlightsxo was actually the one who got it right. Get a job and earn some money. If you spent the time you spend on here starting all these "Hey, look at me" threads working at a part time job, think how many shows you could see.

[hanabana]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 8:27pm

While I do agree that the price for rush tickets have increased in the last few years (I actually did not find out about rush/lottery until like 2011, so I think I missed rush in its lowest priced years), I think it is still affordable and reasonable.  I could not agree more with the movie analogy.  If a movie costs $10-20 (depending on the theater and time of the showing), I think a live performance is definitely worth much more.  So to pay around $40 for a rush ticket is still a great deal in my opinion.  But of course, the increase in price has definitely affected how frequent people can go see a show (there are shows that I would have rushed had the rush price been cheaper).  So I would be ecstatic if the rush prices were like they used to be, but still think that they are reasonable as they are now.

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 8:33pm

hanabana said: "While I do agree that the price for rush tickets have increased in the last few years (I actually did not find out about rush/lottery until like 2011, so I think I missed rush in its lowest priced years), I think it is still affordable and reasonable.  I could not agree more with the movie analogy.  If a movie costs $10-20 (depending on the theater and time of the showing), I think a live performance is definitely worth much more.  So to pay around $40 for a rush ticket is still a great deal in my opinion.  But of course, the increase in price has definitely affected how frequent people can go see a show (there are shows that I would have rushed had the rush price been cheaper).  So I would be ecstatic if the rush prices were like they used to be, but still think that they are reasonable as they are now.

 

"

While I agree with some of this, I can't fathom how you'd skip seeing a show if the rush price was too expensive? Let's say your ideal rush price is $25... and the rush price for said show is $40 - if you want to see the show you can't garner up a mere fifteen dollars? It just seems silly. Of course they've gone up if you look at the hard number, but realistically it's only $15-20 more than it was 8-10 years ago. It could be way worse with what they've been charging for full price these days. 

[hanabana]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 9:43pm

GreasedLightning said: "While I agree with some of this, I can't fathom how you'd skip seeing a show if the rush price was too expensive? Let's say your ideal rush price is $25... and the rush price for said show is $40 - if you want to see the show you can't garner up a mere fifteen dollars? It just seems silly. Of course they've gone up if you look at the hard number, but realistically it's only $15-20 more than it was 8-10 years ago. It could be way worse with what they've been charging for full price these days. 

 

"

You are right, when it comes to a show that I really want to see, I will totally garner up the extra $15 or maybe a bit more.  However, when it is a show that I don't really know much about and one that I am still deciding if I should check out, a cheaper rush ticket would make all the difference to me.  But it's true, it could be way worse, and we are lucky to have the rush/lottery that they do offer today.  :)

[ssecnirpc]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 10:07pm

dramamama611 said: "If they just reduced the cost of all their unsold seats, people would stop buying tickets at full price and simply wait for them to be reduced.   

 

Comparing b'way to a hockey stadium doesn't make sense: Tampa Bay has 20K seats each game.  They can sell MANY fewer seats, and many fewer seats at a discount and still break even/make money.   A bway house averages what? Half of that?  

"

Definitely not a fair comparison, but FWIW most sports teams can't sell *many* fewer seats and break even. I worked for a sports team that has a several hundred game sellout streak and we didn't become profitable for the season until we hit our 5th sold out home playoff game (most budget based on expected performance and then you hope you you make it further to actually get into the black). At my team we did have student rush and about 3% of tickets were set aside even though we knew we'd sellout without it. It was considered an investment in developing the future fanbase. I don't know enough about the theatre business to know how much financial sense it makes to "invest in the future." In sports we talk constantly about ticket, too many comps or discounted tickets makes it harder to sell at full price. Sometimes financially it makes sense to have less people at full price than a full stadium that paid 60% of the price. 

That all said, I love rushing and certainly wouldn't hate cheaper tickets ??

 

(And sorry to be "that person"...just love when my passions collide!)

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 10:10pm

GreasedLightning said: "hanabana said: "While I do agree that the price for rush tickets have increased in the last few years (I actually did not find out about rush/lottery until like 2011, so I think I missed rush in its lowest priced years), I think it is still affordable and reasonable.  I could not agree more with the movie analogy.  If a movie costs $10-20 (depending on the theater and time of the showing), I think a live performance is definitely worth much more.  So to pay around $40 for a rush ticket is still a great deal in my opinion.  But of course, the increase in price has definitely affected how frequent people can go see a show (there are shows that I would have rushed had the rush price been cheaper).  So I would be ecstatic if the rush prices were like they used to be, but still think that they are reasonable as they are now.
 

"While I agree with some of this, I can't fathom how you'd skip seeing a show if the rush price was too expensive? Let's say your ideal rush price is $25... and the rush price for said show is $40 - if you want to see the show you can't garner up a mere fifteen dollars? It just seems silly. "

If I'm on the fence about a show, the small difference between those figures is enough to push me to one side. Usually I'll opt not to bother if I feel I shouldn't have to pay that much and it's a show I don't care about that much anyway. I'm lucky enough to not be in any financial straits, but most of the time, I'd rather spend that money on something extra delicious at the farmers market and go rush something cheaper that I already know I like. Or maybe spend that $40 rush amount on TodayTx and see something adventurous off- or off-off-Broadway.

[Theater3232]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 10:52pm

Many movie theaters in Brooklyn, Queens and elsewhere have "bargain matinees" that charge roughly $8 for a movie ticket.  There are also tons of movie vouchers that cost roughly $8 to $9 a movie.  Broadway rush ticket prices are now FIVE times that amount at $40.

If Hamilton can charge $10 for rush, so can every other show. The purpose of rush isn't to gouge the 20 or 30 people who can hardly afford it. The purpose of rush is to generously allow these 20 or 30 people the ability to get a cheaper ticket. What's next ,$50 rush next year and $60 rush the year after that? $40 is simply crazy.

Updated On: 12/14/16 at 10:52 PM

[caskey]

Posted: 12/14/16 at 11:36pm

Theater3232 said: "It's not going to have any effect whatsoever on the grosses.  A show is not going to stay open or close and say "wow, the extra $15 really made a huge difference in our bottom line".  But the extra $15 makes a huge difference for people who live to see theater."

I'm sorry, but $15x30 seats x 8 shows a week is $3600...just a little under the weekly minimum salaries for 2 ensemble members. In a business where more shows loose money than ever recoup, that difference actually can influence their bottom line. Remember that these productions are (usually) not a charity or not-for-profit group. They are a business, plain and simple. Nobody owes you an affordable ticket if they don't want to offer one. Would you argue that Tiffany & Co. should make their diamonds available to people who only want to pay $50 for one rather than thousands of dollars? Be grateful that these producers offer options for multiple price points and understand that shows are expensive to produce and run weekly. Your $40 rush ticket is honestly being subsidized by those who are paying premium prices. Paying dozens of professionals a fair wage and all the other costs associated with a Broadway show ain't cheap!!!!