Thank you Waverly Gallery/Golden Theater/Shubert for a great evening

[patrick flynn]

Posted: 1/22/19 at 11:40am

Warning to theater fans, Shubert Org, Golden Theater, T-charge are NOT honoring postdate tix for Waverly Gallery despite deep discounts in final wk. I actually missed for a legitimate reason in October (participation in emergency surgery) and figured on a second chance later. I called last weekend and they told me they were post dating but not on weekends and I called today and despite about 150 tix available on the website I was told no. Its certainly their prerogative but it is disappointing. From now on for plays I will know not to buy tix in advance. Can always get them on secondary market on the way to the theater (and usually cheaper!).
$149 (plus fees!) down the drain.

Updated On: 1/23/19 at 11:40 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/22/19 at 11:43am

Lots of places won't accept post dated in the last week.  Their last chance to pull in funds.   (doesn't mean it isn't disappointing.)

[haterobics]

Posted: 1/22/19 at 11:45am

Yeah, seems more like a last week issue than a standard policy throughout the run...

If you live in NYC, worth swinging by in person an hour to showtime and seeing if someone will sort you out.

[patrick flynn]

Posted: 1/22/19 at 11:55am

Thanks. I wish they would have told me that last week when they told me they werent honoring on weekends.
In this day and age I think its a bad business practice. Theyre discounted in TodayTIX. Theyll be on TKTS when it opens later today. By he time a play closes (and usually throughout its run) its on all those places. NEVER NEVER NEVER buy before opening. Not for a play. Mea culpa.

[haterobics]

Posted: 1/22/19 at 11:57am

I've stopped buying advance tix for nearly everything, but exchanging to a new date before you miss a show is usually much safer. Plus, you can pick your seat and all...

[patrick flynn]

Posted: 1/22/19 at 12:03pm

Agree. Unfortunately Pediatric heart surgery isnt so predictable. I should have gone back right away the next week or so to postdate but on some level I always feel like its actually more fair to wait until they post closing since everybody has had their chance by then. Live and learn.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/22/19 at 1:53pm

Quite the opposite happens: once a closing is announced, all those last minute peeps start making their plans.   

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 1/22/19 at 2:07pm

I saw the show last Friday night and it was pretty close to full. I'd guess this coming weekend will probably be similar if not completely sold out.

[patrick flynn]

Posted: 1/22/19 at 2:20pm

Understood. It would have been helpful if that had been what they told me last week instead of saying that theyre honoring post dated Tix except on the weekend.
Anyway theyll sell the remaining seats on todaytix and TKTS and call it a day. Penny wise, pound foolish, I think, to drive people to the discount secondary market but thats the new reality. Every so often I have bought play (as opposed to musicals) Tix in advance because sometimes a cast makes it possible that there could be a run on tickets but also because it makes for a healthier business when a show has some advance sales and in general Id rather people still make the effort and investment to put on plays even though the money is in musicals.
But this time I invested $300 for nothing. As I said, live and learn but I wish theyd just have been up front about it last week.

[haterobics]

Posted: 1/22/19 at 2:44pm

The show was always a strictly limited engagement, no?

That said, if you're in NYC, I'd just pop down a few hours to showtime and see what they do.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/22/19 at 2:53pm

Actually, they are actually making MORE money this way.  They already have your money, right.  NOW, they can get another 80 bucks (or whatever) a ticket.    Bonus.

 

Yes, they might have told you that, but it's possible that official word had yet to been given to them.  The box office doesn't make those decisions, the producers do.

[patrick flynn]

Posted: 1/22/19 at 3:42pm

Thats the penny wise part.
If the experience makes me - and others - decide that it is never the right idea to buy tickets to a straight play in advance then thats the pound foolish part.
Understand, I realize that you buy a ticket and go on the day that youre scheduled for and that it is generally a courtesy to for them allow you to come on another day if something comes up. In reality they owe me nothing. Im just a) warning people that this isnt happening, so dont count on it from the Shubert organization any more and B) a little pissed if that they (Telecharge) told me last week that I could do it and this week that I cant

[Islander_fan]

Posted: 1/22/19 at 3:49pm

Yes, this is a kind of annoying situation.

But, its fhe producers of the show who are at fault (if that word even is relevant in this situation) not Shubert. Shubert is nothing more than the landlord for this show. They are not the ones deciding on past dating or lackthereof. The producers of Waverly Gallery are.

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/22/19 at 4:40pm

I agree with swinging by the theater and see If they may be able to help you. Can't hurt.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 1/22/19 at 5:57pm

FYI, it is the producer, not the landlord or ticketing service that decides on a show's postdating (and every other) policy.

[patrick flynn]

Posted: 1/22/19 at 6:25pm

Yes but you have to reach the ticket seller to find out about the theater. Again in this case Telecharge told me yes but not on weekends and then today not at all.
For the record, against my better judgment but thanks to the faith of the readers here I came to the box office (we had an OR case that was cancelled so I had the time).
They said no but the guy at the box office told me to come back at 6:50 and hes see what he can do. Thats really all I can hope for. Keeping the faith.

[haterobics]

Posted: 1/22/19 at 6:29pm

patrick flynn said: "Yes but you have to reach the ticket seller to find out about the theater. Again in this case Telecharge told me yes but not on weekends and then today not at all.
For the record, against my better judgment but thanks to the faith of the readers here I came to the box office (we had an OR case that was cancelled so I had the time).
They said no but the guy at the box office told me to come back at 6:50 and hes see what he can do. Thats really all I can hope for. Keeping the faith."

*fingers crossed*

[Tking0012]

Posted: 1/22/19 at 6:31pm

Fingers and toes crossed for you

[Tking0012]

Posted: 1/22/19 at 8:33pm

How'd it go OP?

[Wick3]

Posted: 1/22/19 at 10:22pm

Really hope you got to watch it! 

When I've called Telecharge for a refund or change date, at times they had to call the box office to get the OK or to get the official policy or what not. I know we can't call the box office ourselves but telecharge has a way of contacting them somehow.

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/22/19 at 11:47pm

Since Telecharge is a division of the Shubert Organization I would assume they can contact the box offices.

[patrick flynn]

Posted: 1/22/19 at 11:48pm

Thanks everybody for all the support
I went back at 6:50 and there was a tremendous river of people heading to the will call line. I just kept dropping back to the back of the line because I didnt want to disrupt the seating of people who actually had tickets. Finally I was inside the box office when the usher came out to tell everybody getting their tickets to go straight to heir seats because the curtain was going up. Just then he looked at the guy behind the window who said Ive got these two and then I just have to process a post-dates for this guy and I knew I was in. Honestly thats exactly how it should have gone. I didnt really expect to swipe a seat from someone who would pay for it but it was worthwhile for them to let me see a show I had spent $300 for already. And there was no way really they could promise me a seat until there was room at curtain
Thank you, Golden Theater, Shuberts, producers and especially of course the guy behind the window at the Golden, my MVP. And the folks on this board who offered so much support (and my wife for encouraging me to take a shot)
BTW there were maybe 20 to 25 empty seats in the rear mezz
The show is amazing. As a matter of full disclosure my family has been dealing with this subject the last several months so it hit terrifically close to home. We just moved my Mom into assisted living yesterday. I think my reluctance or at least ambivalence about beating a path to the show was based on that I honestly thought it was playing through the Tonys and I figured Id see it on the other side of all this but when I saw the closing date I gave it a shot. Really I guess the uncertainty of the day today was a way of leaving it to fate whether the show would be too painful or somehow offer a degree of clarity. In all it was a tremendously moving experience and I am grateful to have been able to see it. What a show, what a cast. And really, Elaine May and Bryan Cranston giving these performances simultaneously on the Great White Way?! How lucky we are to be alive right now.

[haterobics]

Posted: 1/23/19 at 12:09am

So good to hear, and when you mentioned the reason you had to miss the initial show, I was like... hmm, not sure if this is really going to be a great escape for you, but it is a breathtaking performance and one of (if not THE) highlight of the season, so glad you got to experience it.

I did look online at 6:40 and there were still 20-ish seats, so I was hoping it all worked out.

[theaterlyfe19]

Posted: 1/23/19 at 4:56am

Im so glad you were able to get in! I think the people you deal with at the actual theater are USUALLY (in most cases) a lot more sympathetic and understanding than those on the phone. I wouldnt always put my hopes on that, but they are usually very helpful.

[Wee Thomas2]

Posted: 1/23/19 at 6:45am

Would be nice if you updated the title of this thread