How can you afford seeing so many shows (or the same show so many times)?- Page 3

[overthemoon419]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 2:37am

Student Rush + lots and lots of Ramen.

But seeing Rocky Horror and Lennon 24 times each?
Priceless.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 2:59am

Do you have any idea how many tickets in this city are comped? People with the right job or the right connections never spend a penny on tickets to shows, and in this city there are plenty of 'em. Just peak over the shoulders of the people sitting next to you in the theatre and quite often you'll see, in the space where it normally says the ticket price, "COMP".

Updated On: 1/23/06 at 02:59 AM

[Dramatic_Irony]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 5:43am

I'm not really saying anything other posters haven't, but personally, I've paid full-price to see RENT 1/5 times. And *I* didn't even buy them the first time- they were a birthday present from my mom.

And, for *some* shows (mostly off-Broadway, but still) if you're a high school student in New Yeok City, tickets are exactly $5).

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 6:28am

In the 25+ years that I've been going to the theatre, there are shows that I have simply fallen in love with and have seen an excessive amount of time (GRAND HOTEL takes the cake---I stopped counting after a while, but estimate that I saw it close to 60 times). TDF is a great method, and I belong to two papering services, which really help. I also have some friends who are in a position to get me a comp to this or that every now and then. In the past year, I only paid full-price for one show: SPAMALOT (and what a bum decision that turned out to be!). There are tons of ways to see theatre cheaply, or even free. You just have to know where to look.

[tthomas76]

Posted: 1/23/06 at 9:28am

Actually for my wife and I we have to save up for our NYC trips. The shows we can get discounts for on line we use. The shows that you can only get full price we usually tend to sit in the balcony. I've only seen these shows more than once: Chicago, Wicked, Hairspray. They have to be an utmost fav for me to repeat.

[My Name in Lights]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 10:01pm

Live theatre is expensive. No doubt about it. But so are smoking, drinking, shopping, eating out, movies, books, perfume, and just about every other type of pleasure in which we humans indulge.

Although I don't get comped as so many on the boards do. I do make it a point to almost never pay full price. Student discounts and TDF are terrific for seeing many shows, as well as repeatedly seeing the same show. As many others have said here, my priorities are not for the latest lipstick, perfume, shoes or lattes. I don't smoke, drink or do drugs. My wardrobe is only updated when necessary. I would rather see a live show than just about anything else, so I just make seeing theatre pretty much my only vice...except maybe traveling, but that can be to see a show, too . If you sit down and figure it out, a lot of money is wasted on frivolous things that can be applied toward theatre tickets. A good example is the money that is wasted on a cup of coffee at a cafe that charges 5 or 6 times what a cup of coffee is worth. Add a piece of cake and smoke some cigarettes, and you can almost pay for half of a TDF ticket.

It also helps if you have a parent paying for your seats. I don't, but someone close to me does have that advantage.

Join all kinds of free services online and keep your eyes and ears open. After awhile, the discounts will start coming to you in the mail or online. Try for lotteries (I've never won), and student seats.

And yes, people do see shows that many times. I have done it myself. Along with many other shows, I've seen, LENNON was definitely worth seeing multiple times.

[justme2]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 10:21pm

Well, I never sit in Orchestra, for starters. I'll buy the rear balcony seats and then move down to a better balcony seat. My average ticket price for a show (here in SF) is around 45-55 dollars. That, of course is not counting the thievery of the "convenience fee" ($7-8 dollars) and the (necessary)restoration fees (2-3 dollars). Recently though, the balcony ticket cost here rose to $60. Unacceptable.

The only shows I've seen more than twice are White Christmas (5 last year, 4 this year)and Will Rogers Follies (3 times). Most of the time, I don't get a chance to purchase more tickets as the shows don't really stay long enough. Unless it's Phantom of the Opera or Les Miserables. And I'm not interested in seeing either of those shows again.

The most I ever had to pay was $110 for tix to Beauty and the Beast. They were sold out for the two weeks they were here, and I had promised to take the 8 year old and her friend for a birthday present. I was pissed to have to pay that much money for that show, believe me!

[lfae]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 11:02pm

Well, student prices, and trying - if possible - to go to Tues/Wed shows in shows where those are cheaper...student rush...subscriptions...and also, not buying anything else Walk/cycle not public transport, own like three pairs of shoes, eat cheap, buy clothes only when DESPERATE, etc. I can be remarkably frugal.

[BOYFROMOZ]

Posted: 1/25/06 at 12:19am

Personally, I believe one should see a show only once because it bocomes an obbsession. Honestly, I would never see a show every two weeks. If people believe the fantasy of helping broadway, thast just the bussinesses commercialized way of saying "give your money so we can live." Its almost like people are living through the lives of others we barley know. If there is a replacment, sure I will see the show again. However, I would never become a regular. Ushers tell me that they are pissed of with the regulars when I speak when they talk about it. I go to school in the city and see a good show when I have the time with rush/SRO. I go when a show opens and stay away from it untill casting changes or it opens which changes the shows track. Hopefully, we can help the poor instead of throwing money away on entertainment repetively.

[jimmirae]

Posted: 1/25/06 at 6:09am

A Hint:
I'll lay out fine china on the linen
And polish up the chrome
If you've got some sugar for me,
Sugar Daddy bring it home.

[overthemoon419]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 7:21pm

BOYFROMOZ, if it's legal, I enjoy it, and it supports someone else's livelihood, I fail to see how it can be "throwing money away."

Why can't we help the poor AND enjoy live theatre as much as we'd like and our bank accounts allow?

Why should I give ALL of my spare money to end someone else's misery, in turn ridding my life of what makes ME happy and therefore making myself miserable?

I think a fair balance of charitable donation and Broadway shows is perfectly moral and acceptable.

Besides, if you don't want to see a show again, that's fine. But why shouldn't I? I've been friendly with Ushers, so I doubt they get "pissed" with regulars in general rather than simply with a specific set of people. And even if Ushers were annoyed with my returning to a show-- it's none of their business.

[Overthemoon6]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 7:25pm

Well, since I still live with my parents, they pay. Not to sound, I'm not sure....conceited I guess, but I live in a very wealthy community, and my family has a lot of money. We don't go to the theater that often, but it's not a big deal to pay for $100 tickets when we do.

[Overthemoon6]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 7:25pm

Well, since I still live with my parents, they pay. Not to sound, I'm not sure....conceited I guess, but I live in a very wealthy community, and my family has a lot of money. We don't go to the theater that often, but it's not a big deal to pay for $100 tickets when we do.

[Katt]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 7:26pm

Why would the ushers get pissed off with someone coming to see a show a lot? First of all, there is absolutely no reason to be...if a person enjoys a show and wants to see it many times, more power to them. Also, I agree with Overthemoon. It's none of the usher's business.

[justme2]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 7:36pm

boyfromoz,

I guess you don't purchases DVD's then, or watch any movie more than once, since that supports THAT industry. Is someone "obsessed" with whatever movie they bought the DVD of?

The only difference would be the price range.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 7:44pm

Katt, I've known people that have had problems with a certain usher at a show they saw frequently. When I went to the show with them, this usher went out of her way to come up to us and yelled at us for something really petty during intermission. You'd think they could mind their own business, but this usher was delusional.

[Katt]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 7:51pm

That's so ridiculous. The usher's job is to seat people and deal with any problems that may come up during the show. That's it. It is not in the job description to harass people who go to a show frequently.

[bigrab1018]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 9:44pm

LOTTERY

[BOYFROMOZ]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 10:54pm

Its like living off these people. An usher at Movin Out told me "do not be a repeater. You get a bad reputation" I go to the theater and will only see a show again if something changes, which ushers realize. The wasting money part: I am not saying theater is not a good thing. Its such an expense, even with the war and are crazy government. I belive people should have a value system instead of going to shows once or twice a week. I think, in all fairness, student rush is good. However, do you work there? You could support Broadway Cares and not have to waste money (in terms of our value system). Its sad how people are into expenses etc..

[EugLoven]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 11:00pm

ONE WORD: Budgeting

There isn't much room for lottery or student rush in San Francisco. If you're lucky, you can get some comp tickets from connections in smaller theaters (like the Magic or Encore). You can almost always get half-priced tickets for great smaller production shows at TIX in Union Square. But when it comes to the Best of Broadway tours, you gotta take what you can get (which usually means cheap preview seats).

I go to the theater at least once a month,with front row mezzanine seats (usually ~$60 each). I just keep a running tally in my head subtracting that sum from my monthly paycheck and it works itself all out.

It's worth it in my book. A healthy addiction. I feel better knowing I've spent over $1000 on theater in a year instead of marijuana or alcohol.
Updated On: 1/26/06 at 11:00 PM

[JerseyScoundrel]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 11:14pm

I use rush allot. Its a god way of getting in to a show for me with a student ID. Ushers have no right to tell us if we can see a show more than once.

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 1/26/06 at 11:23pm

What's all this talk about ushers getting snippy at repeat attenders? It seems to me that those people would be the best audience members. Besides, how is that even a part of the ushers job? Unless you guys are getting rowdy and throwing things. Hand me a playbill, make sure I find my seat okay and leave me alone. Get your own life.

On a related note- does anyone remember the That's Kentertainment episode with Dance of the Vampires? He interviewed this entire group of people who were from all these different midwestern-type locales who had come to New York and saw every performance of the run. Um, don't you have children to clothe and feed?

Mommy, please come home.

[Celestial Entropy]

Posted: 1/27/06 at 12:51am

I can afford seeing many shows because... well, I just can. It's called "working your a$$ off": I worked my butt off in college (and still do, as I persue my 2nd field of study in astronomy)... my companion worked his off in the AirForce and then in college. My accounting education from my first round of college many years ago is applied to our small stock business that we dabble in... his military background and college education garnered him a job with NASA. Together, our hard work rewards us well, allowing for many pleasures... one being the ability to frequent the theatre. For every dollar I put on a ticket, is a hard earned dollar... and I think the theatre is worth spending my money, on.

Give me live theatre over a movie, any day...

About snippy ushers in regards of repeaters: I do take part in repeat viewings of some shows... and I'll gladly point out to any snippy usher that whatever money I spend, is keeping their job going, in part. My contribution through ticket sales, may not be a lot in an overall aspect, but let me tell you, every dollar counts in the end.

Morals of this post:
1. Working hard pays off...
2. Snippy ushers should think twice before biting the hand that helps feed them... even if it's a repeating hand.

Updated On: 1/27/06 at 12:51 AM