Screw the theater....- Page 2

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 4:28pm

"I get the best seats available for each show. However this year I find there are no longer any center orchestra or front mezzanine seats available for anything I want to see."

Well if you don't wanna pay the big bucks, then go get a cheaper ticket! You can still book in advance, have a seat in the theatre, and save money.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 4:34pm

You might want to form this into a letter and send it to Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

"I know for a fact that there are many many major names -- well known composers and directors, as well as Tony winning stars -- who lurk on this board."

That's why there is such a decline in the quality of Broadway. Merman never would have lurked.

[Demitri2]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 4:56pm

Yes, I agree Chance's post heading is rather extreme but from the responses to his post I take it ALL of you who have responded are in favor of the new policy of withholding the best seats in the house for those few who can afford paying the "premium" prices. Did you ever think that if maybe more people voiced their feelings by writing letters to the producers, voicing their opinions in chatrooms and writing to newspapers, maybe this rediculous practice of "premium seats" would cease? Unless most of you can either afford paying these new prices or don't mind sitting next to the walls, then by being silent about this new method of selling tickets you are in effect supporting the greed of the producers and have no one to blame but yourselves by remaining silent. At first it was "The Producers" that started withholding two to three rows of choice center orchestra seats and deemed them as "premium seats". When the public didn't balk at this other shows followed suit and as a result if a show is now a hit it often holds back not only choice center orchestra seats but now includes the first two orchestra aisle seats on the sides as well. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before they deem "front center mezzanine seats" as premium too. Well enuf said but once again I'm amazed that none of you have supported the poster's feeling that Broadway's new "dirty little secret" of gouging on ticket prices is OKAY. It effects us all who attend the theater yet you all have chosen instead to bash the poster on a problem we should all be concerned with.

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 5:03pm

Demitri2---I appreciate your passion, but remember... this is Show BUSINESS... it's a business... and producers will very likely charge whatever the "market" will bear.

If there are enought peple out there that can and will pay "crazy prices" and fill the seats time and again, then why not?

Is this turning Broadway into a "rich man's sport?" Yes. Is that sad? Yes. But I don't think petitioning or picketing will change their minds. But I'd support you, if you chose to do it.

FYI... It isn't just Broadway. Professional and college sports are "insane" right now too, with their premium seats.

There are WAY more rich people out there than I figured.

*checks wallet*

[tacos are great]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 5:08pm

No, I've just never been to Broadway and probably never will. If I *were* to go, I'd probably raise an eyebrow at the price, but for now, I'm just thinking it'd be nice to be in the theater at all.

I do find it kind of amusing/sad that it only costs $100 more to get a second row seat to a Stones concert than it does for a third row seat to a Broadway show.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 5:12pm

ITA with your post Dmitri, but when a poster titles his thread "Screw the theatre" (hostile, much?), it's not at all suprising that they're going to get bashed a little (though I am decidely anti-bashing).

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 5:23pm

The main reason premium seating began was due to the prevalence of scalpers buying up huge block of the best seats and then re-selling them for $200-500 (and even more in some instances). Producers had tried to ignore this for years, but given their responsibility to their investors (and themselves) they felt they had to do something and they created the Broadway Inner Circle. Now, rather than scalpers being the one making hundreds of dollars in profit for every ticket they sell, it's the people who actually take the risk and put up the money for the shows, who see these additional profits. If producers were to end premium pricing tomorrow, it wouldn't mean that overnight center orchestra seats would suddenly become readily available and cheaper -- most would still be held in reserve for house seating and those that weren't would once again be snatched up by scalpers and the public would be paying the same $250 for those seats.

Ya know it's all supply and demand. If there weren't significant numbers of people willing to pay $250+ for these seats, then the producers (and the scalpers) would be forced to drop their prices. But, not only are there people willing to shell out this money, there are SO MANY that producers have been able to expand the number of seats they can sell at premium prices. Back in 2001, when the producers of The Producers started the Broadway Inner Circle, they only set aside a couple of dozen premium seats per performance. Now, due to ever increasing demand, all the hit shows now have hundreds of premium seats for every performance. It sucks, but who can blame them? The producers didn't get to be wealthy by being stupid and it would truly be idiotic for them to turn down hundred of thousands of dollars in additional annual revenue by doing away with premium seating.

Let's also not forget that courtside seats for the Knicks are up to $2500 a piece (and there's a waiting list to purchase these seats). Prime seats for major concerts often go for $400-500 (an email just went around my company offering prime seats to see the Rolling Stones for $450, which was face value). Entry to a skybox to see the Jets or Giants play is hundreds of dollars. Center Parterre seats to the Metropolitan Opera are $320 (and Prime Orchestra seats are $175). Why should Broadway shows be any different? They are as entertaining and worthwhile and valuable as any of those other endeavors, so why shouldn't they cost the same?

Updated On: 1/23/06 at 05:23 PM

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 5:38pm

I'm with Margo on this one. I've seen websites that put a huge markup on the actual price of theatre tickets, including seats for The Light in the Piazza when you can go right to the theatre to buy them at cost. The standard ticket services charge a small fee but they don't double the ticket price. Taking this profit out of the hands of scalpers and keeping it with the actual producers can only help the potential for financial success of a show and for producers to be willing to back future shows.

[SirLiir]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 5:48pm

Amen, ljay889


As for pricing, it's just the sad way that business is going. Inflation is happening everywhere. Heck, even the online game I still occasionally play has seen prices for items and stuff rise 100-500%. As long as there is a market, the prices will stay the same alas.

[ALWrules]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 6:08pm

Go to Hollywood. While I think seats are overpriced, I'm not going to abandon the most important aspect of American art for money. If me buying a pricey ticket means more great shows, than I'm fine with that. The bad shows will close, the good will hopefully stay on.

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 6:08pm

I think you have to give theatres credit for making some seats available at low prices. They have lottery, rush, student, standing room and other discounts and specials, and while you may not get the best seat in the house, if you are willing to make the effort you can still see a Broadway show often for $20 or $25 which is a very low price for the scale of many of these productions.

And let's not forget those nights that students can attend the Broadway shows for $5 and even bring a guest at that price.

Some of the Off Broadway major houses will let people volunteer usher and see the show free.

And there are tickets offered through TKTS, TDF, and various papering services (as well as certain theatrical union privileges as in Actors Equity members getting admitted to showcases, space available, without charge). If you live in the city and study the ways you can see a lot for very little. Even the Metropolitan Opera has standing room orchestra.

How lucky we are that the theatres make such a big effort to participate in these efforts to make theatre accessible to various income levels.

I can only think of one production, Amy's View, the David Hare play with Judi Dench that didn't make any accomodation, no standing room, no TDF, no rush that I knew of. There may have been others, and if Amy's View did offer some special I'd be interested to hear what it was. Updated On: 1/23/06 at 06:08 PM

[ashley0139]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 6:54pm

There are tons of ways to get great seats for cheap, even in advance. There are discount websites all over the place. I'm sorry, but I totally have no sympathy for you.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 7:43pm

Omigosh please shut up. I think you are a little outnumbered in your opinion as last year was theatre's most successful year in histry.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 8:17pm

tacos are great: Your screen name made me more hungry for some tacos lol.

*back to regularly scheduled programming*