Will ticket prices ever go down?

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 7:28pm

I realize that for the next few years ticket prices will only keep going up higher and higher. But do you think that eventually Broadway shows will be lowered down to a reasonable price again. so that average americans can afford to see shows again?
Updated On: 10/15/07 at 07:28 PM

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 7:30pm

During the next depression.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 7:31pm

When hell freezes over

When Pal Joey votes Republican

When the Cubbies or Mets win the World Series

When peace & harmony reign on BWW

When GWB is revered as a great president.

When NAMO & I meet for a few drinks & chew the fat.

Updated On: 10/14/07 at 07:31 PM

[BrianIdol]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 7:36pm

THey'll probably never go down, but hopefully they'll stay the same for the next 10 years or so.

[DarrenS.]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 7:40pm

I certainly do hope that prices go down at some point. But unlikely. If anything, they may just level out. I've never stood in the line for TKTS before (just don't have the time). Is that the only way to get a reasonable price? Once in a blue moon, I get a discount offer from work. That's about it.

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 8:24pm

There are discount codes for most shows (other than than TLK, JB, Wicked etc.) on Broadwaybox.com and theatremania.

[Clara's Pony]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 8:28pm

I think it's a case of supply & demand. So long as blockbusters like Wicked keep getting box office receipts of 100%/week, then the prices will keep on rising until the demand slows down (at this point in time, seemingly never...). When the anticipated public appetite for a show isn't that big - that's the only time when tickets seem discounted. Example: the new production of Rent in London, General Admission for £30 ($60 - a far cry from $125 for Hairspray at the Shaftesbury), but the show isn't going to last for much longer beyond press night despite the competitive pricing policy. In this scourge of a capitalist society, something's only worth what the masses are willing to pay for it - obviously there must be idiots willing to pay upwards of $450 for YF and (most importantly) enough of them, IMO that price doesn't get plucked out of nowhere. It's just a massive shame for many of the people poised best to actually appreciate musical theatre (i.e. BWWers, although I don't mean to make general assumptions about your respective incomes), these prices often seem absurd.

Posted: 10/14/07 at 8:55pm

AS long as ticket scalpers can get above face value why should they go down- they should actually go up. I think we're on the way to the perfect balance- those of us who are budget conscious buy cheap seats in advance or buy from TKTS or discount codes- the people who want to flaunt it buy the VIP seats for $250 a seat or more.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 9:09pm

Exactly. The rapid expansion of Premium Seating -- from just a couple of rows at THE PRODUCERS back in 2001 to just about every show today setting aside about a dozen rows or more for $200+ per ticket -- has shown producers that there is an enormous market of theatregoers out there willing to pay almost anything for a good seat.

If anything, in the future, ticket prices will be going UP on an even more regular basis than they have done so in the past. It wouldn't surprise me to see the top for non-premium seats hit $150 within the next two to three years. Let's just hope they keep offering discounts for us folks out there who love theatre, but don't make a high six-figure income (or seven- or eight- or nine-figure etc......)

Updated On: 10/14/07 at 09:09 PM

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 12:23am

I don't know the industry well enough but I don't see those huge price tags going down for Orchestra. I expect this to become a trend,especially for weekends. Honestly though, there are a lot of people with a ton of money to spend. They much rather spend it in a Theatre so as long as they keep this trend towards week-ends, I understand it. They have to recover their operating costs and the public gets bored easily with most shows that come out these days.

I hope that supply and demand will keep those mezz and balcony seats still reasonable though. As long as you can get a decent Orchestra seat with a discount for around $90 and $100 bucks and they continue to sell previews cheap, I think this is the best answer to balance out the differences. Mel had a good point. These people will pay that much to the scalpers so why not to him? Or anyone else who is willing to help support big productions? They better show me though that they are doing a better job at paying those who make the shows possible for them though also.

I much rather see them cut back on some of the glitz than keep raising prices but I also understand the constant rise for putting on a production.

I know it sounds greedy but those who know how much a show can cost know it isn't cheap. If the show grows old or people lose interest, it will later bring down ticket prices as time goes by or they must close the show. We see this happen often enough. I much rather they sell some seats at enormous prices then make all of us have to carry the start up costs of a show together if it can be avoided.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 12:38pm

Darren,

If you're looking to see a non-musical, the line at TKS is much shorter for non-musical than musical. Also, check out the following websites: Playbill.com; Broadway.com; BrosdwayBox.com. You won't get the same deal as the half-price line, but you'll often be suprised at what a discount you can get. As for the matter of ticket prices going down. NEVER. There's too much corporate money out there from out-of-towners and the world gets smaller by the second. That's why shows run for 10, 15 or 20 years (and going). When the basic audience was limited to the tri-state area, long runs were considered one year or sometimes less.

[avab802]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 1:21pm

I wish more shows offered a discount program for young adults, like Roundabout's HipTix program. Most of the deep discounts out there are only for students, but I had more disposable income as a student (i.e. when my parents were still supporting me) than I do now as a 20-something with a fairly low-paying job and my own rent/bills to pay.

[Jon]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 1:33pm

The top prices won't ever come down. It's possible that the AVERAGE ticket proce of a given show might go down - for instance, after Young Frankenstein has run a while, they may reduce the number of seats sold at the $480 price.

When the Chicago company of RAGTIME opened, Livent had $200 "premium seats" that included a V.I.P. Lounge with free refreshments, coat check and bathrooms, and a souvenir booklet. The show played six months, but the premium seats were dropped after two months.

[Lynnespock2]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 2:15pm

Never! Go to Vegas and see how most of the shows are priced. I want to see Love and the prices are $69 to $150. $69 will get you nose bleed tickets.

The only time prices go down are when the demand slows, ergo, discounts to some of the shows.

[mominator]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 2:19pm

In one word, nope! Remember it's a business, and what reall couts is the bottom line.

[jakebloke]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 2:24pm

Prices won't go down. It's really frustrating to see how fast they have gone so high. Just 12 years ago, I paid $70 for front orchestra seats. I am now paying more than that for Balcony to see Young Frankenstein. We pay almost $70 at TKTS which was full price 12 yrs ago. Crazy.

[MaronaDavies]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 5:14pm

I don't think they'll go down. They'll keep going up, and producers will keep complaining that their shows fail. It's hurting the business...years ago you could maybe afford to drop $30 or $50 on a show you weren't sure about, and now every Broadway ticket is a major investment.

The only things I think we might see happen are 1) more discounts; 2) shows removing blocks of premium seating when they aren't doing as well. It's an old example, but back in the 90s Miss Saigon had $100 "premium seats" in the front mezzanine, but when the ticket sales for the show started slowing down, they re-priced those seats to fall in line with the top orchestra ticket price.
Updated On: 10/15/07 at 05:14 PM

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 5:51pm

The thing is that it's not hurting business. Paid attendance for Broadway has gone up each of the last several seasons, with last season posting the highest attendance figure in many decades at 12.31 million (up from 12 million the year before and 11.53 million the year before that; compare that to the early 80s when attendance was in the 6 to 7 million range).

Ticket prices keep going up and premium seating of $250-450 a ticket is getting more and more prevalent and yet more people are willing to buy premium seats year after year no matter how expensive they get and somehow more people are attending Broadway shows than ever before. Business is booming unlike it ever has before so expect ticket prices to keep going up precipitously in the coming years.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 5:58pm

Never! Go to Vegas and see how most of the shows are priced. I want to see Love and the prices are $69 to $150. $69 will get you nose bleed tickets.

This is off topic but, I saw LOVE for $69 and I was not in the nose bleed section - there is none. In fact, there is not a bad seat in the house and I REALLY mean that.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 6:07pm

We got the "cheap seats" @ La reve @ the Wynn. One row behind us were the VIP seats

We saw perfectly & there was not a bad seat here either.

[jpbran]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 6:26pm

As long as people will pay a high, full price for something, no company -- theater or otherwise -- is going to lower prices.

Except for Apple and the iPhone.

[Lynnespock2]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 6:54pm

Good to know about both Love and Le Rev - plan to see both of them in December. Thanks for the info.

[RockyRoad]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 8:55pm

Prices are ridiculous. Keeping people away from Bway.

[me2]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 9:11pm

No, I don't think they'll ever go down. Once it's been raised . . . "This is the point of no return."

If people were to quit buying, then they'd go down, but I don't think that's likely.
Broadway Blog: Wanted: Published Libretti

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 9:35pm

Show Business.

Show


BUSINESS


No one goes into business to not make money.