4% Tax on Theater Tickets Proposed by Gov.- Page 2

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 5:07pm

Of course the revenue is going to NY state, what would make any of you think otherwise? This has absolutely nothing to do with boosting ticket sales.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 5:13pm

"The governor just accidentally the entire American theatre."

huh?

[adamgreer]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 5:15pm

the tax is most likely going to the state of ny not the theater.

Duh. Yes, that's the point of taxes, dear.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 5:20pm

While this isn't good at all, the new shows coming in haven't even attempted to lower their ticket prices. Look at the price scales and most of the shows start at $50+
If they want to offset this new tax and get more people in seats than LOWER YOUR PRICES ALREADY!

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 5:22pm

I guess you didn't hear about Rock of Ages setting the top ticket prices at $89 for weekdays and $99 for weekends.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 5:27pm

If they want to offset this new tax and get more people in seats than LOWER YOUR PRICES ALREADY!

Why should the producers have to lower their prices to offset a tax, whose revenue they'll never see? The producers shouldn't be responsible for Governor Patterson's idiocy.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 5:42pm

Sounds like I shouldn't be making any immediate plans to see Shrek, huh?

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 5:48pm

On the contrary you should be making immediate plans... the more immediate the better if you put much stock in the article's assessment of the show's future.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 5:53pm

There's no way I'm gonna make it until the summer. Seeing as how the show appears to be screwed, I shouldn't get my hopes up about seeing it.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 5:54pm

Buy your tickets now while they're still "tax free"...

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 7:35pm

Why should the producers have to lower their prices to offset a tax, whose revenue they'll never see? The producers shouldn't be responsible for Governor Patterson's idiocy."

No, the producers should lower the ticket prices because people aren't buying them as it is at the ridiculous costs they've set. They see how hard Broadway is being hit these days and yet they still choose to set prices for incoming shows at the same prices or higher...It really amazes me how arrogant they are (and I speak from much experience on the subject).

[Magdalene]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 8:15pm

As an out-of-stater who comes into NYC primarily to see shows, this will affect the number of times I go to NYC (currently 4-5 times a year) and well as the number of shows I see (for a Tues-Sunday trip I see 8-9 shows). Not counting accomodations, food sightseeing, shopping---the list is endless. That is a lot of money New York State isn't going to make from me. I'll cut the number of times I go to NYC down to 2, and pare down the number of shows I attend. No skin off my nose.

[AdamBritten]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 8:39pm

I feel pretty much the same way - I live upstate, and I get into the city about 4 times a year. I'll probably continue to come that many times, but I'll cut down the number of shows I see. No big deal, I always see the shows I want to see, and then I usually just rush or TKTS some random shows - I just won't do that anymore.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 8:59pm

The problem is simple

The gang in Albany, both parties, have been spending like drunken sailors for years. They cannot admit the party is over. They are like crack addicts. They will do what is necessary to feed their habit - recession be damned.

They refuse to go after the fat targets. Much like the big 3, the state (& city)have legacy costs - paying for employees who no longer work for either municipality. The number of these employees grow every year while our tax base erodes.We pay more for Medicaid than California - a state twice as big. We have gold plated benefits we can no longer afford. Forget for a moment, they never should have been granted. The prostitutes in Albany & NYC will promise anything to stay in power.

The fun has not even started. I went to see Equus today. Angus near the St James was virtually empty pre & post theater & this is Christma.These guys (politicians) do not get it. They are living in an Alice In Wonderland world. Until they get their head out of their collective rumps, the problem will get worse.

[TheCharleston]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 9:01pm

"Until they get their head out of their collective rumps, the problem will get worse."

the problem is going to get worse regardless of where their heads are. sorry to rain on your parade

[DrTheatre]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 9:07pm

They spelled it wrong: What is Blythe Spirit?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 9:08pm

They can make it much less worse if they did what they need to do. I know this is only the tip of the iceberg. Patterson is killing one of the few moneymakers left in the city. He also wants to increase hotel taxes.The last time this was tried, it was an unmitigated disaster.This should also help immensely.

I thought you had to be crazy to invest in a show. If these 2 taxes pass,you need to be measured for a straightjacket . Wall St will never come back as a money generating machine. Lost in all of this is that no one in Albany or NYC is addressing the long term problem. I think the only hope they have is to legalize casino type gambling.

Updated On: 12/21/08 at 09:08 PM

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 11:23pm

Oh hell no!

[FeelingElectric]

Posted: 12/22/08 at 12:18am

I won't cut my theater trips to NYC if this ridiculous tax goes through, I will ELIMINATE them entirely.

Governor Patterson is truly bilnd, in every sense of the word.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 12/22/08 at 7:00am

You guys realize that we're talking about $4 a show at regular prices, right? If that much money is going to break the bank and stop you from coming, I doubt you were really able to afford to come to NY anyway.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 12/22/08 at 7:09am

I agree with what frogs said. do most of you pay top dollar for tickets anyway?

what I'm more worried about are the problems with the MTA.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 12/22/08 at 9:25am

It's not a matter of it just being $4, though. It's just yet another fee on top of an already high ticket price. Consider:

Base ticket price of $125.00
Theatre "restoration" fee of $1.50 (with all those fees, we ought to have the most pristine theaters in the world)
Service charge of $7.00
Handling charge of $2.50

Now, add this $4 tax.

The total cost of a single ticket is now $139. That's $14 more than the advertised price. For an out of towner, who can't go to the box office window to buy tickets, that's a lot of money, and certainly enough for them to reconsider buying theater tickets, or buying tickets to as many shows as they normally would.

It's not just the $4 tax. It's the fact that that is one more fee to pay on top of everything else. At what point do you say enough is enough and find another activiity?
Updated On: 12/22/08 at 09:25 AM

[AdamBritten]

Posted: 12/22/08 at 9:25am

$4 a show adds up when you see 9 shows in 7 days like I did in my most recent NYC trip

[jordangirl]

Posted: 12/22/08 at 9:38am

Which is $36. Again, if that amount will break the bank, perhaps a trip wasn't that affordable.

Does it suck? Yes, but then again, 4% is mild compared to the sales tax on everything else. The tickets haven't been taxed prior to now. They could be just adding regular tax onto them, which would be MORE expensive.

[Magdalene]

Posted: 12/22/08 at 10:06am

$36 can be a big deal when you budget for a trip---or are you so rich you don't worry about budgeting (like politicians)? It's not just the money, it's the principle---and a possible $14 in fees per show adds up to $126 if you see 9 shows. I do NYC on the cheap, so I can do it frequently (not that I'm made of money anyways), and to be told that maybe I can't afford it if $4 is going to break me---SHAME on you!