I hate those vultures

[winston89]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 9:20am

I know that people have shared their stories about running into the vultures outside of shows (older sketchy people asking for a freebie into the theatre.) Well, last night, at Once I had my own encounter with one that really pissed me off.

Upon my arrival to the theatre, I was standing off to the side waiting for the line for ticket holders to die down prior to entering the theatre. This guy walks up to me and asks he can have my ticket. I said no. He then asked if I had an extra one. I told him no. I was being a little (perhaps too much so) polite by instructing him that there may be someone else who would be willing to sell you a ticket that they can't use. It was then that he said that he had no money and then asked for my ticket again. This is when I went kind of lost it. I had said to him that no one is just going to GIVE you a ticket that they paid a ton for. Why should they? Yes, they may sell one that they cannot use, but no one is going to flat out give it to you. He then tried to play the woe is me card by continually stating that he has no money. I then walked into the theatre.

These people have to be stopped, and the worst part of all was that there was a member of Shubert security standing right there and didn't notice (maybe didn't care) that this man was harassing not only me, but several other paying customers as well.

Sorry, just needed to vent.

[Owen22]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 9:36am

I go to the theatre alot. I have been asked numerous times if I had a spare ticket to sell.

I have never been asked to give someone a ticket for free.

Is this really a common occurrence? Do I look too surly to be asked that question myself? How often does this happen????

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 10:15am

It's a very common occurrence. Usually during previews of a new production.

https://books.broadwayworld.com/board/printthread.php?thread=1039160&boardid=1

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 10:22am

IN all my years of going to shows I have never EVER had anyone come up an ask me for or demand from me an extra ticket. Several times in New York I have had one extra and could not find any takers. (Most people waiting in line were looking for 2 tickets.)

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 10:25am

If you don't usually attend previews, special events/concerts, you're probably not going to encounter them. Although apparently they are trying to get into the Best Musical winner now. It's not like we are all making it up. I have video and picture proof in the thread I posted.

They don't specifically ask for the ticket for free. Once you tell them how much you want for it, they go into the whole "I can't afford to pay for it" etc.
Updated On: 7/7/12 at 10:25 AM

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 10:29am

It happens all the time, especially in previews and off-Broadway. I even saw Neanderthal vulturing at the ballet this season.

And yes they always want the tickets for free.

Winston- Can I just say that you are at fault for upsetting yourself? Just like on the internet when people say "don't feed the trolls," you need to do the same with the vultures. Don't engage them in conversation. Don't tell them that they can still buy a ticket at the box office. Don't let them tell you a tale of woe. When they ask for an extra ticket curtly say no and walk away. It's the only way to deal with them.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 10:39am

frontrowcentre- If you really want proof of the vultures a good place to find a large group of them is at the MUFTIs.

One of the nastiest and most confrontational of all the vultures is "The Indian Woman." Her modus operandi is get any ticket to enter a theater, but then hang out in the back of the orchestra until before the start of the show. She then barrels down to the front of the orchestra and takes the best seat she can find. I've seen people with the correct tickets show up to claim their seats and she will refuse to give it up! It's unreal.

Well at a MUFTI this last series she moved to the front row the theater. The seat was empty, but one of the ushers noticed she had moved and got, who I assume to be, the house manager. The house manager was no nonsense and told her she had to move back to her assigned seat. The Indian Woman refused and held her ground. They got into a nasty exchange and the house manager basically told her the show wouldn't start until her returned to her seat. She finally, grudgingly, did so. It was one of the only times I've seen someone triumph over The Indian Woman.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 10:44am

There were (that I saw) two people asking for extra tickets at the last Wednesday matinee of 4,000 MILES. And they both somehow got in.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 10:48am

I don't see them often, but they are there. Had one yesterday at Book of Mormon.

FOOD is a necessity worth begging for, and worthy of compassion. The right to see a show for free? Not so much. I doubt I would EVER give a ticket to one of those people.

[lightguy06222]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 11:11am

Freaks? Vultures? They are just people.

They OBVIOUSLY cannot afford to pay $125 to see a show. Look at their clothes, their demeanor, their body language, etc. I doubt most of them have jobs, or any sort of income. Maybe these unfortunate men and women have some type of mental or physical ailment, and got turned away by the state when they went for help. Maybe they have been abandoned by their loved ones.

They just want to see the show. Escape from their potentially miserable and depressing lives for a couple hours. Enjoy life through its reflection in art. Be entertained. FEEL something positive for once.

SO what to do when you really want to see something, but cant afford to? Find someone who has an extra! Ive encountered MANY of these men and women, and Ive NEVER been asked by someone to give up my ticket. That's just silly.

If you don't have an extra ticket, ignore them. Why let someone else control your emotions? When YOU get angry, it only effects YOU. I'm sorry that their existence has such a strong impact and effect on your lives.


I've been in their shoes... I'm 25 years old, and over the last 8 years or so, I've seen MANNNNY shows for free, or close too it, because I've waiting in front of the theatre, and asked if anyone had an extra ticket... I've never TRIED to get a ticket for free- usually offer the average student rush price ($25 bucks) but sometimes, people have generous kind souls, or had received comps, and have given me tickets for free....

Through this method, Ive seen ELF (2free tix), Spiderman(very FIRST performance!), Spring Awakening, Avenue Q (free tix), Slavas Snowshow (2free tix), Phantom (10,000 performance), Wicked (in LA and NY), Shrek (Opening Night), High Fidelity (Opening Night), Hairspray, and many others I cannot think of...



Have a heart. You dont have a ticket? Give a smile. It goes a long way.


sorry, that was kind of ranty!!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 11:29am

Nope. No one DESERVES to go for free. Especially by asking/harassing/ demanding it.

I'm not wealthy, I work damn hard for the money I spend on theatre tickets. It is not a right.

I have plenty of compassion and donate a constant portion of my paycheck every pay cycle. I research earecord animation and know HOW my money is helping people.

[Johnnycantdecide]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 11:34am

Hey Lightguy.

I am a 21 year old who has little money who lives in South Carolina. I am the oldest of five kids in a middle class household. Going to the theater was always a huge deal for me. I used to work my tail off to see shows on tour when I was in high school because my family did not have the extra money. My first trip to NYC was a few days before my 18th birthday. Billy Elliot had just opened and was the hot ticket in town. My mother and step father had to scrap and save for just my mother and I to go. They bought us orchestra tickets that they saved and saved to be able to buy. Since then, I have been able to go up and see Next to Normal and American Idiot (which I took my town teenage brothers to go see as a surprise). I had to scrap and save to see those two shows.

Should ticket prices be as much as they are? To me: no. But they are. And going to the theater is special to me. It is like going to church is for some people. It is sacred and something I look forward to.

I would love to be able to go see more on Broadway. I weep because I do not have the opportunities or finances to see shows I would love to see. But I don't have a since of entitlement that many in my generation have. Just because I don't have the money to see a show does not mean I should leech off of strangers and beg them for a free ticket. I take pride when I can save to go on a trip and see a show. It makes it more special to me because it's something I look forward to doing and that I work to be able to do.

Some of us take offense that we work so hard to be able to see a show rarely as a special treat but others go around mooching off of others like its no big deal.



Updated On: 7/7/12 at 11:34 AM

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 11:36am

lightguy- You act like these vultures are down on their luck college students trying to see a show every now and then. That's not the case at all. They are adults, and they do this ALL the time. I obviously don't have trackers on them, but I would venture to guess they are vulturing almost every night of the week.

[Idiot]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 11:54am

A) Someone should do a documentary about these people. It is actually interesting and I'd bet that the stories behind why they're there are worth finding out.

B) There is something heartbreaking about this. When I look at the pic and video posted here, I see an older gent who probably went to the theater all the time when he was younger. The country being the way it is now, he probably doesn't have the price of a ticket and really wants to attend a show. What else would such a person do but ask?

[nmartin]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 12:10pm

No one deserves a free ticket. I don't care what the circumstances are.
Lightguy, your post sickens me. Disgusting.

[FindingNamo]

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

They're not going to change, they're not really a security threat. The only thing that we can possibly change, because the only thing we have any control over (and just barely at that, in my case) is ourselves.

I'm trying to think of the three times I was annoyed by the same lady. "Women on the Verge...," "Passing Strange" and "Follies." Only "Women on the Verge..." was in previews. "Follies" was really late in the run. Yes, she was annoying. But, it was clear that we're dealing with some kind of mental illness. It's pretty observable when you look at her eyes and the way she looks at others. It's significantly different from the way most people see the world.

I don't think anybody's going to argue that anybody *deserves* a free ticket that cost you a lot of your hard-earned money. Nor do I think, "How DARE YOU? I worked extra hours at the Clinique counter [oops, sorry, speaking from my own personal experience again} and you just think I should HAND you my ticket to 'Shenandoah' starring Randy Rainbow? I said 'good-day,' madame!" It's not worth it to let yourself get all worked up by it and possibly let it ruin the performance for you. You don't "win" by getting a dig in at somebody like this.

The vulturi (if I may borrow the disrespectful description because it's just between us) have a constitutional right to ask for anything they'd like. And you have a constitutional right to verbally respond however you like. I could see that the woman didn't take in anything after a ticket-holder responded "No." She had already moved on to the next possibility.

So, I guess you could expend the energy trying to make a person with mental illness feel bad or shame them, but if they don't take it in, you wind up even angrier and festering in it. And Jan Maxwell would not want you to do that.

On a side note, back in nineteen-hundred and ninety-three, I had a colleague for whom remarkable things always seemed to just work out. He had to go to a conference in Southern California and was obsessing about the fact that the original cast of Company was doing a reunion concert in Long Beach. The show was *completely* sold out. There weren't tickets to be had.

My friend went to the theater anyway. He just thought maybe there was a chance he might be able to score a ticket. He brought a significant amount of money (he couldn't really afford to spend) with him. When he arrived, he realized it was going to be futile. The place was crawling with single men ("without their wives," as Jackie Hoffman might say) looking for tickets. He was going to give up, when he noticed a single guy in a tux heading in. The man was clearly lost in thought and my friend said, "Excuse me. I was wondering if there was the slightest chance that you have an extra ticket I could buy?" The guys did a "Huh?" out of his deep concentration and said, "Oh, yeah. My wife couldn't come. I got the tickets from my boss. What is this show anyway?" The guy didn't want money for the ticket. And my friend gave him a synopsis and a little "why this is a cool event" background.

When they got to their seats, it was 10th row center. Miss LuPone was a few seats down from my friend talking to a guy in the row behind her. It was Mr. Sondheim. My friend who things always work out for, interrupted their conversation and where most of us would have received a polite "Hello and get lost," got a hug and a kiss from Miss Patty and a warm handshake from Steve. Yes, Steve.

So my point is, my friend is not mentally ill. He's quite likable. But if he WERE mentally ill, he might very quickly have learned the lesson that you just need to ask a lot of people and there could very well be somebody who is about to enter the theater with an unused ticket and they might give it to you. The law of averages may be against you, but every once in a while SOMEBODY hits the lottery and it can't be you if you don't play.

In conclusion, for your own state of mind and to enjoy the show, give a firm "no" and move in and enjoy the show. Not everything has to be a teachable moment, especially for special needs students.

[lightguy06222]

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

findingnamo for the win.

Did I ever use the word "DESERVE"? These men and women don't DESERVE a free ticket, when ya'll paid full price for them.

But sometimes it works out in their favour. You don't have to like it... and you dont have to help them... but apparently, some people do. And I'm happy that they have the opportunity to escape their lives through the magic of live performance, because of some generous man or woman who is willing to give them a ticket.

I've paid full price for many shows. I've student rushed many shows. I've gotten comps for many shows. And I've found tickets outside the theatre to SOLD OUT performances, openings, and closings. For free or cheap.

I'm a "put your positive thoughts out to the universe, and you will be rewarded" type of person... and for me, it seems to be working.

Updated On: 7/7/12 at 12:25 PM

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 12:30pm

"So my point is, my friend is not mentally ill. He's quite likable. But if he WERE mentally ill, he might very quickly have learned the lesson that you just need to ask a lot of people and there could very well be somebody who is about to enter the theater with an unused ticket and they might give it to you. The law of averages may be against you, but every once in a while SOMEBODY hits the lottery and it can't be you if you don't play."

Big difference is your friend had brought money with him and wasn't looking just to snag a free ticket.

I haven't encountered any of these vultures but from all the stories I've read on here they always are looking for a free ticket and don't offer money and they have a sense of entitlement that they deserve a free ticket and that's what seems to piss everyone off the most.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 12:33pm

"Big difference is your friend had brought money with him and wasn't looking just to snag a free ticket."

I don't think the situation is somehow morally better because he had cash with him. Even if he hadn't, but he still asked the guy who didn't know what he was going to see, he would've gotten the free ticket. Asking for something doesn't come all wrapped up with complicated notions of morality. It's just a question we can answer however we see fit.

The "sense of entitlement" looked to me, for all the world, like a slightly glazed person who lands somewhere on the Asperger's spectrum, ie, seeing the world very differently than most people.

Updated On: 7/7/12 at 12:33 PM

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 1:04pm

I work at a box office, and I have actually had people walk up to the window and ask if there were free tickets. When I tell them no, some people get very combative and angry.

[Idiot]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 1:21pm

I'm finding little difference between this practice and homeless people asking for money. I learned a while ago that my response to it says much more about me than it does about them. Do they DESERVE my money? No. Do they DESERVE my ire? No again.

[winston89]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 1:44pm

I will admit, yesterday wasn't one of my best days. And, I feel that as a result of that there was a good chance that I was a little more snappy at the guy then I should have been.

But, in any event, Namo, you're right. I do think that it is mental illness we are dealing with. I think that there are people (myself included, at times) who see people like these "vultures" hanging around the theatre, and get upset because they don't see what we see to be wrong with what they are doing. In their eyes, it may be the most innocent thing in the world to do. And, yet some of us (not innocent here either) take it as if it were a personal affront to us as humans. I think that I should have taken the time to be more understand, and polite rather then getting a little agitated like I did. It was wrong of me and I admit that.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 1:49pm

"In their eyes, it may be the most innocent thing in the world to do. And, yet some of us (not innocent here either) take it as if it were a personal affront to us as humans."

I think that's exactly right. And we should take a deep breath and clear our heads when we find ourselves getting pissed, for the sake of our stomach linings.

[Owen22]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 6:21pm

Now, thinking about it, I have often heard people asking if there are or if anyone has "extra tickets" but I just assumed they were hoping to buy someone's. Are these the people you're talking about?

[defygravity24]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 6:46pm

I actually had a couple of friends who had bought tickets for How to Succeed with Daniel Radcliffe through our university in the rear mezzanine, and thought they had to pick them up at the theatre, not at school. They got to the theatre to find out they had been wrong, and now had no tickets. A kind man overheard their situation and gave them two free tickets in the front of the orchestra, tickets that were more than twice the price they even paid.