9 to 5 Top Price- Page 2

[Insider2]

Posted: 2/26/09 at 9:32pm

It is kind of amazing, the venom with which you people are attacking the original poster, when he had a very legitimate point.

Are you all independently wealthy, and being whacked with a price of $126 plus probable service charges means nothing to you? Are you trust fund babies? I don't know. I'm just asking.

Seriously. Every thread, I see someone saying "this was the greatest show and I can't wait to see it three more times." So, independently wealthy or trust fund baby are the only things that come to mind other than "shills" or "associated with production and getting comps".

And these discount codes are ridiculous. A discount of forty or fifty percent of a hundred dollar seat is one thing, but the same discount off a seat of a hundred and twenty or more dollars, plus service charges, etc, still makes for a restrictively expensive seat, at least to most ticket buyers, and especially in this economy.
Why do you think Shrek is failing? It is not a terrible show. Even with the discount, the seats are around eighty bucks. You take a family of four and you've spent more than three hundred dollars (with discount) just on the seats, not counting merch, dinner, parking (if from out of town).

Broadway producers MUST re-examine their pricing structure.

For just one single example, why are preview prices the same as regular performances? This was called to glaring attention at a preview of Guys and Dolls when the director got on stage before the show started and "defined" what a "preview" was, and said there may be a lot of stops and starts along the way. That is fine. But why are the prices for previews not radically reduced? Greed. Only reason.

I do not know anything about the originating poster's previous posts, but the people who attacked him (her?) for demanding a realistic ticket price in this horrendous recession need to get a grip. Just because you might be living in Lollipopland with money growing on every bush to see every show 300 times doesn't mean the rest of us share your fantasy.

I don't even think it is a superior show, but the only one who really gets it so far is Rock of Ages, with, from what I understand, a top price of less than a hundred bucks. May it run forever.
Updated On: 2/26/09 at 09:32 PM

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 2/26/09 at 9:33pm

"Umm no DRSislove the tickets to spiderman will be 137 dollars. if you look at the group sales pricing guide, the group tickets are 99 bucks for weekday evenings. the STANDARD tickets are 137."
Yes, and standard tickets include the fees.
I remember helping my choir teacher book WICKED tickets a few years ago when they cost 111.50. On the website it listed the tickets as standardly 121.00.

[TimeSquare3]

Posted: 2/26/09 at 9:37pm

For just one single example, why are preview prices the same as regular performances? This was called to glaring attention at a preview of Guys and Dolls when the director got on stage before the show started and "defined" what a "preview" was, and said there may be a lot of stops and starts along the way. That is fine. But why are the prices for previews not radically reduced? Greed. Only reason.
--------------

Because the cost of the production is the same during previews as they are after them.

[nexttoelectric]

Posted: 2/26/09 at 9:41pm

When was the last time you saw ticket prices listed with fees included?

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 2/26/09 at 9:43pm

Group sale sites list them differently.
Apparently you've never purchased group tickets before.

[Insider2]

Posted: 2/26/09 at 9:48pm

What a thread. Everyone put on your boxing gloves and let the fight continue for 15 rounds.

[craig238]

Posted: 2/26/09 at 9:53pm

Are any of you Yankee fans - have you seen their TOP ticket prices - makes a premium seat at a show look like a bargain !!

[Anakela]

Posted: 2/26/09 at 10:33pm

Seriously. Every thread, I see someone saying "this was the greatest show and I can't wait to see it three more times." So, independently wealthy or trust fund baby are the only things that come to mind other than "shills" or "associated with production and getting comps".

And these discount codes are ridiculous.

Sorry, busting in to HUGELY beg to differ here- as one who sees a lot of shows, and who sees shows I like more than once, and is neither a trust fund brat nor a paid shill, this is some of what I've seen so far in 2009:

In the Heights (repeat visit) $41.50, no discount code
Billy Elliot (repeat visit) $41.50, no discount code
Marvelous Wonderettes $25.00, rush
Wicked (repeat visit) $26.25, lotto
seeing tomorrow: Rooms, $25.00, discount code (and there are other discounts with even cheaper tickets for Rooms out there)

That's FIVE shows (yes, two off-Broadway) for slightly more than the omg top price of ONE show.

You don't *have to* pay top price in order to see a show. Yes, sometimes you have to give up sitting center orch in order to pay a cheaper price- you use a discount code, or you sit in the rear mezz, or you take a chance on lotto, etc.

And I actually have paid full regular orch price once or twice, but that is very much so the exception rather than the rule.

Sorry, I usually skip threads that Mr Roxy starts, because I too get tired of seeing all the whining about the cost of everything (but I also don't see the point in posting in all of his threads pointing out all of the whining either), but yeah, I prefer people not think "trust fund brat" when I talk about seeing shows- it can be done on a budget.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 2/26/09 at 10:37pm

At least Mel Brooks isn't producing it...

[nexttoelectric]

Posted: 2/26/09 at 10:44pm

ITT everyone tells roxy what an idiot he is.

[blueroses]

Posted: 2/26/09 at 10:53pm

Roxy, seriously, there are discount codes all over the freaking web. Did you even take a single minute to search? You can get orchestra seats for $66.50.

[mc1227]

Posted: 2/26/09 at 11:40pm

Speaking of Mel Brooks, why isn't there an outcry for premium seating at Billy Elliot at $300?? That's all you heard when YF was around.

[roseaddams]

Posted: 2/27/09 at 12:15am

YF premium seats were $450, not $300.

[TheCharleston]

Posted: 2/27/09 at 12:22am

Roxy b*tches again.

WHAT'S NEW???

[Eris0303]

Posted: 2/27/09 at 1:00pm

I was just rereading the thread about the Marvelous Wonderettes student rush and saw my post where I quoted a paragraph from the Wonderettes website. This caught my eye:

"A limited number of premium tickets are also available at $125.00."

Last month I took my mother and we sat front and were about two seats from dead center. I got my tickets through broadwaybox.com using a discount code. If you can get front row on BWB then where are the premium seats? It's such a small theatre that practically every seat is "premium" lol. I know it's all about bringing as much money as you can but this one just made me laugh.

To the poster who spoke of trust fund babies and the independently wealthy. I do not have a trust fund though I wouldn't mind if someone had the sudden urge to set one up for me. I've never received a comp or been paid in any way to see a show. I do not work for a production or anyone in the field. Any show I see comes out of my own pocket and I always use discount codes. I've paid full price maybe twice. I'm too old for student discounts (turning 30 on Tuesday blah lol) so codes and TKTS are my only way of seeing the shows. And since I live outside the city TKTS isn't always the best avenue for me.

But even though I'm using the discount codes and not paying full price I'm still contributing to the show's kitty and helping in some way to keep it running. And I'm glad to help keep good shows in NYC and talented people working.

[Anastasia_Beaverhausen]

Posted: 2/27/09 at 1:35pm

Let's just hope it has improved since LA or it won't be around that long anyway.....

[Eris0303]

Posted: 2/27/09 at 1:38pm

9 To 5 The Musical Opens Box Office 3/2 with '2 for 95' Special

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 2/27/09 at 2:10pm

Years ago, preview ticket prices were cheaper than that charged for regular performances.

Like a few posters have said, Mr. Roxy has a point about the high price of tickets today. Why do so many people seem to get a thrill out of bad-mouthing him?

I have been waiting for THE NORMAN CONQUESTS to get a discount code. So far, no luck on BroadwayBox or Givenik.

[Amaranth9]

Posted: 2/27/09 at 5:52pm

"Let's just hope it has improved since LA or it won't be around that long anyway....."

I'm not sure why people seem to have gotten this overly negative view of the work 9 to 5 has to do in preparation for Broadway. I know several reviews noted that "work needs to be done" but I'd say even then those reviews were positive. Once the technical difficulties with the sets were hammered out, the production in LA was very polished. Costumes, sets, lighting, orchestrations, choreography, and performances by the leads and ensemble were top-notch. Some songs could be cut or improved, but on the whole I felt the score was great.

I do think that there are ways the show could enhance and nuance its themes of power dynamics, gender roles, sexism, relationships, and working life that might help its critical reception, but it walks a fine line because if it tries to do too much it may come off as force-feeding the audience its message. Some may feel that way now. I think it balances social commentary and entertainment well, which is often times the best way to put a message out there in a digestible way for the public so that it will have an impact. Some might dismiss the show as a fluff piece, but the fact is, the social commentary is there, and it is particularly relevant now. It depends on how much work individual audience members want to do to analyze and get what they want out of the show. That way it still maintains wide appeal while preaching to the choir or reaching that person in the middle and entertaining the rest.

I think there is plenty to critically praise in the show, but even without that, the name recognition of Dolly Parton, the film, the cast and positive word-of-mouth will be enough for 9 to 5 the musical to enjoy a strong run.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/27/09 at 6:34pm

One of the many annoying things about Roxy is, he neither bats an eye nor explains the contradiction between all his yammering about how people can't afford to spend the ticket prices on shows in New York and the fact that he sees things like Cirque du Soleil's "O" and "Love" in Las Vegas. I know from experience that those shows are priced stratospherically.

Roxy whines about the taxes in New York and hidden fees on tickets, but the entertainment tax in Las Vegas is 10%, on top of the quoted ticket prices and the "processing fees" added on top of that. Not a WORD from him about the ticket prices, taxes or fees.

The other contradiction is, once a show is given generally bad reviews, he runs out and sees it and then comes to BWW saying the show "wasn't that bad" and "we had a great time" and "the critics had it in for this show before they even saw it." Legitimate critics conceivably serve the purpose of warning people not to waste their hard earned money on expensive tickets in order to save them for better productions, but that's something Roxy just completely dismisses as he runs off to see the latest poorly reviewed piece of dreck.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who's caught onto his lack of consistency, as the number of people telling him we've heard his song a million times before seems to have grown exponentially in the past year.

Updated On: 2/27/09 at 06:34 PM

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 2/27/09 at 6:39pm

I kind of agree that $126 is high, but that is what most shows are charging and people still do buy them.

If people do not buy the tickets, maybe they will readjust their pricing scale. But for now, who cares, especially if there is a discount out there. If you don't like it - don't buy the tickets! There are other levels of ticket prices!

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 2/27/09 at 6:41pm

I can name at least two shows Roxy has bashed when first announced (and balked at the ticket prices vocally), then "splurged" on full price tickets for him and Mrs R, and posted that "it wasn't so bad" crap.

[beltingbaritone]

Posted: 2/27/09 at 6:42pm

My mom didn't even go to college!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/27/09 at 6:42pm

He'll buy tickets if the reviews are bad.

[roadmixer]

Posted: 2/28/09 at 11:59pm

I know that the whole phenomenon of high ticket prices for Broadway, Concerts, Sports etc. can easily be attributed to "greed". What is really at play however is simple supply and demand. If a show is in demand, there will be enough people willing to pay top dollar to see it to warrant the "VIP" pricing and so on. If a show sees their sales being softer then they will offer discount codes, TKTS sales etc. which effectively lowers their average ticket price.

In hotel room and airline sales a process called revenue management adjusts the pricing for maximum returns almost hourly. You could call a hotel one day and get $89 a night and a few hours later, the same room could sell for $149. This could be the future in theatre as well...