RAGTIME EXTENDS; Gets Reprieve Through Jan. 10th- Page 5

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/30/09 at 9:26pm

It's not like you paid extra for closing night....or they do anything special. When they SOLD the ticket it was closing night. Things change.

[raulmark]

Posted: 12/30/09 at 9:32pm

I think they hand out "I'm Super Cool" Stickers when you go to a closing performance. Boys get blue...girls get pink

[Huss417]

Posted: 12/30/09 at 9:36pm

As a fan of the show and wanting to be there it would be nice if they would honor the exchange.

And maybe the ticket doesn't cost extra but the hotel, parking, food and such sure do. So yes extra money is involved. I was at the final of the Original run and knowing this will be the last time in my lifetime this show will be on Broadway I want to be at this one as well.

I was at the final of Grey Gardens and we all thought it was an amazing performance to be at. Everyone has their own opinions.

[Huss417]

Posted: 12/30/09 at 9:37pm

Just received from Ticketmaster.

Message sent on behalf of the Neil Simon Theatre in New York City, NY.

Hello, this is Ticketmaster Customer Service with an important alert for your upcoming event sent on behalf of the Neil Simon Theatre in New York City, NY.:. RAGTIME, scheduled at the Neil Simon Theatre on January 5, 2010 through January 10, 2010.

Due to popular demand following an initial closing announcement yesterday, the critically acclaimed new production of the Tony Award® winning musical RAGTIME will now play its final performance on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre one week later on Sunday, January 10, 2010 at 3:00PM. If you have purchased tickets for performances through January 10, 2010, please attend the performance as previously scheduled.


If you have any questions, please contact us online at:

http://www.ticketmaster.com/h/asktm.html

Thank you for using Ticketmaster. We appreciate your business!

[lisa902652]

Posted: 12/30/09 at 9:43pm

I was hoping it would get extended week by week. Looks like it needs to close the 10th. The next show wants to load in on the 25th.

[raulmark]

Posted: 12/30/09 at 9:45pm

What show? jeez, body is not even cold yet lol

[BroadwayBaby21]

Posted: 12/30/09 at 9:54pm

Called ticketmaster a few hours ago, and got everything sorted out. I originally had tickets for the 10th. The ticketmaster people assured me that they are still valid, refunds were not issued yet and I didn't even have to re-purchase them.

Plus, I thought it was going to be a huge issue that I had purchased other broadway tickets for another show on that same day. But since it was not even 24 hours since I bought them and had not printed them yet, and that the ticketmaster email saying Ragtime was closing had already gone out, the lady immediately refunded us. No hassle at all, not even put on hold. 'Renee' at ticketmaster knows what she is doing! :)

So glad I get to see Ragtime!

[NotYourMemories]

Posted: 12/30/09 at 9:57pm

At least Grey Gardens' producers had the common decency to not extend the show's run, unlike these Ragtime scoundrels.

[Dagobert]

Posted: 12/30/09 at 10:53pm

lisa902652 is right...the 10th is truly the end...after that they have to vacate...apparently from a certain Who that I Hear, they are getting the "boote." (which is worn on a you know what....)

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 12:07am

Foot..e?

[kristin_bernadette]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 12:08am

If I had tickets for the 16th, and they keep extending, will they still be good?

[ACL2006]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 12:08am

I'm just thrilled for that extra week as I'll get to see the show again beofre it closes.

And is it true that every performance (so far) this week has completely sold-out(including SRO)?? They really should have done it as a limited engagement. I think the show would have sold better and if needed they could of extended.

[gcontini2]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 12:14am

NotYourMemories -
"...at least Grey Gardens' producers had the commone decency to not extend the show's run, unlike these Ragtime scoundrels..."

"Scoundrels" Really?? What a ridiculous thing to say... Those producers - as any producers who succeed against incredible odds at bringing something to the Broadway stage - are most probably fighting to save a show in the real world that is about to go down AND lose every last penny of the $8 million dollars they must have labored to pull together from angel investors who made the whole thing possible.
You talk like an ignorant child with no clue of how things come about in the real world when you make producers out to be scoundrels...Do you really think they would play with the future of their show if they had the choice. They obviously are scrambling to survive. More important, to paraphrase the late Michael Bennet "this is not a business of hate - there are easier ways to make a dollar - but one in which people sacrifice for love of the art form"
From what you say, however, are the actors, musicians and stage hands "scoundrels" too, because they are more than glad to have even one more week of work to put on the show they have all put so much into?
Let's put your perceived inconvenience of not being certian of the final show date into perspective here, please.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 12:21am

And is it true that every performance (so far) this week has completely sold-out(including SRO)??

Just about EVERY show sells out this week.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 12:41am

What it comes down to is this: Producers invest A LOT of money and often LOSE a lot of money. We should be grateful that they put up the money at all. WE benefit from their investment...even when they don't.

It's THEIR money that's gotten the show on stage in the first place, and just as we choose which shows to spend our money on, they can do whatever they like with THEIRS! So stop trashing the producers. They gave this show a life beyond the Kennedy Center, and that was a huge gamble on their part.

I wish it were running longer because I LOVE this production, but the 80 or so performances they gave us were better than nothing!

[NotYourMemories]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 12:47am

gcontini2, while I'm sure there's little point in writing this I might suggest that you read the last page or two of this thread over again and then ponder the concept of "sarcasm". (Thanks for setting me straight though.)

I find it absurd that a self proclaimed fan of Ragtime would complain about having been "cheated" out of the chance to see the final performance by this welcome news. As I've already said I hope Ragtime extends over and over again, long enough to win some Tonys and build an audience. Unfortunately it seems that the only way Ragtime could survive in the current environment would be if they put Miley Cyrus in as Evelyn Nesbit.

[winston89]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 12:56am

I was at the lotto for this and it was a madhouse. After having people come in in three different massive groups to the box office area to sign up. When they had us wait outside for the calling of the names, the group was so big that it started to go out into the street.

I had overheard someone talking to their friends about how they read on either Broadwayworld or playbill.com, one of the two, that they heard that there was an extension. I was having a small conversation while waiting for the lotto to start with one of the ushers there who told me that they were extending for a week and that the cast found out today in between shows. Of course I lost the lotto, however, there was someone next to me who had an extra SRO ticket and asked if anyone wanted it. I jumped on the offer and glad that I did. The audience was clapping and cheering during the entire thing. They had to wait a couple of extra moments for the audience to calm down as the curtain went up.

I do feel that the extra energy coming from the cast, was due to the fact that they found out prior to the performance I was at that they were going to be extended a week.

I also don't get the impression that the producers are doing this as a stunt. I do get the impression after reading the quote from Noll's Twitter page, that she meant one of two things. Either the producers said that they will extend the show a week and then take it from there. Or she was having the mindset that if they extend once then anything can happen at this point and that it is anyones guess.

Also, I did the lotto for the 2 PM show on Saturday. Now, I am not sure if it was due to the fact that it was raining or whatever. But, when I was sitting in my seat and looked back at the rest of the orchestra, I could see people sitting about half way back. I didn't have a good vantage point to see how the Mezz was. Also, as far as the lotto was concerned almost everyone who entered won.

I think that the show got a huge boost in ticket sales when they announced their closing due to word of mouth. In other words, During the times I have seen it, I have overheard people on their phone outside at intermission calling someone and saying that they had to see this show or people talking to one another about who else they know that they think would enjoy it. I get the impression that when people were told about the show from others, they might have had the mindset that they would see it eventually but once the closing was announced they rushed to see it.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 1:01am

Oh, Winston.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 1:44am

So if we had tickets for next week, they're still valid?

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 1:46am

Christiane Noll is doing two concerts with the Harrisburg Symphony on January 9th and 10th, which is why her last performance will have to be on the 8th.

I honestly don't believe they'll "keep extending" through the 24th. Because tickets were already purchased for future dates into the spring, it would be really difficult for Ticketmaster to keep suspending those tickets and then choosing to honor them for another round of performances.

They're already going to have enough trouble with having to do that for the new week that was cancelled and then added.

Updated On: 12/31/09 at 01:46 AM

[MusicSnob1]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 1:52am

Winston - cut it with the novels. Get to the point!

[Smaxie]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 2:11am

For those who are intimating now that Horton Foote's The Orphans' Home Cycle is the next tenant of the Neil Simon and evicting Ragtime so that they can load in on January 25...The Orphans' Home Cycle runs Off-Broadway through March 28, so that theory is a crock.

[bwaybabe2]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 2:23am

Only the 10th...? It really deserves to be extended much more...

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 2:38am

For those curious about the possibility of a further extension, the Times quotes Kevin McCollum as saying the show "must" close on the 10th.

Mr. McCollum said that the revival must close on Jan. 10 to clear the way for the production following “Ragtime” into the Neil Simon Theater. That next production has yet to announce its rental agreement for the Neil Simon...

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/30/ragtime-gets-a-weeks-reprieve/

[winston89]

Posted: 12/31/09 at 2:51am

The same usher who I was talking to prior to the lottery beginning said that Fences might be taking the theatre once Ragtime closes.