A Chorus Line Lotto Rigged — Page 11

To each his own, but I personally feel it's a bit sad if you actually believe this is worth picketing or protesting. There are so many real problems in the world. This isn't one of them.

You know what will happen if there's public hysteria about this? The producers will pull the lottery altogether. They don't have to offer it, and if it gets to be too much of a hassle, they won't. It's that simple.

"Since when is a ticket lotery a way for producers to be nice and offer affordable seats. The seats are **** seats they can't sell for full price because they are obstructed view or so close you can see the actors' dental work and religion. Don't mistake a producers need to get asses into all seats with them being kind!"

I've been going to the theatre in NYC for decades, long before the entitlements to the whiners began. I've never seen an empty front row, so the producers must not have had any trouble selling those seats. Ticket prices have increased over the years in the same way that incomes have. As I've said before, people have to learn to make choices in life when they have little or no income. You can't have *everything* and expect someone else to subsidize your every wish.

"And I'll bet some junior DA who loves musical comedy and reads this board is busy looking up the statutes as well..."

Until you go to law school, please refrain from nonsensical conclusions. Firstly, the "DA" does not have jurisdiction, the State Attorney General's office does. Second, what crime has been committed? Broadway is an unregulated business entity. The lotteries do not make people pay to enter, and they have a disclaimer that states they can change the policy at any given moment. Neither fraud nor false-advertising are occuring, since they do actually hold a lottery, and members of the public do actually win. Now, if you had to pay to enter the lottery, it would be an entirely different matter. But I digress. You still need PROOF that it was rigged, and judging by the fact that lotteries are hand-drawn and that not every cast-member who enters has one, the likelyhood of that is almost non-existent.

As for going to the newspapers, I doubt they'd be that interested. Again, generally they require proof; the mere fact that a cast-members name is drawn at the lottery is not proof.

"Be grateful that the producers even OFFER those tickets."

What's the point of being grateful of producers offering these tickets if the lotto, in fact, is rigged and benefits the cast members while making people believe they have a chance in winning, when their chances are slimmer than they thought?

Yes, I know, I know, there is NO hardcore proof that it is rigged, except for a few instances that people saw cast members win the lotto.

I also believe that the people involved with the show are entitled to change the lottery to accomodate with the cast members as they please, as long as people are notified about a change in the number of available tickets.

If that occured, would people come here and whine about it? Sure they would. But at least people wouldn't be throwing around these accusations that the lotto is rigged. This thread makes the people who run the lotto look evil.

If I knew in advance there was a change in the amount of tickets being lottoed off, I might move on to another lotto or buy tickets to something else. Which is why, if there in fact is anything going on, they should change the wording of their lottery rules. For example, if these accusations turn out to be true, perhaps they can say that the number of lotto tickets varies each day, and before people sign up, they can make an announcement or remind people how many tickets are available that day.

"You know what will happen if there's public hysteria about this?"

I highly doubt there is going to be a public hysteria resulting from two threads on this board. Plenty of non-BWW users do the Chorus Line lotto.

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I would like to note that I am a college student on a very limited income as well. I have done lottery and student rush many times. I have also paid high prices for tickets - a couple of times full price and many other times I have used discount codes for $65-75 tickets. How do I do it? I just do. I have a job, and sometimes I'll use my allowance from each paycheck on a Broadway ticket. I try to plan my shows around times when I know I'll be getting money, such as my birthday or Christmas.

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"How dare they offer discounted tickets!! How dare they!!"

My point was why be grateful at something that doesn't exist. IF these accusations are true, it really isn't a true random lottery.

Sure I am grateful they offer discount seats, otherwise I wouldn't have seen about 75% of the shows I did.

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"My point was why be grateful at something that doesn't exist. IF these accusations are true, it really isn't a true random lottery."

But the lottery does exist, and on A CHORUS LINE's website it states that a limited number of tickets will be available for the lottery...nowhere does it give an actual number of available seats, nor does it exclude members of the company from entering into the lottery.

I've said this before, but it might be worth repeating. If company members are automatically given these lottery seats, why would they wait outside to see if their friends are chosen, knowing full well that they will be? It just doesn't make sense.

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Updated On: 7/6/07 at 11:59 AM

"Prior to each performance of A Chorus Line, patrons will be invited to enter a lottery drawing at the theatre for a limited number of $20 front orchestra seats to that day's performance. The lottery will begin at 5:30 and names will be drawn at random with winners announced at 6:00 for evening performances. The lottery for matinees will begin at 11:30 am and names will be drawn at random with winners announced at 12:00 pm."




A CHORUS LINE LINK

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Section 25 of New State Law provides the relevant information with regard to sales of tickets. And guess what? Nowhere in there is a mention of ticket lotteries. And point of fact, there is NOTHING illegal about what occurs a Broadway lottery. The legal definition of fraud is what is important, and since there is no governing statute dealing with the practice of Broadway lotteries, there is no legal issue. The fact of the matter is that they have a lottery. The winners ARE drawn at random. They have the right to limit the number of tickets. Consumers do NOT have the right to know how many are available. The only fraud that CAN occur is if they charge more than the advertised price.

So let me reiterate for the 100th time that unless the fraud is financial in nature, there is absolutely no illegal activity occuring. Unethical and illegal are two distinct terms that do not go hand in hand.

Lol BSo!

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"A little extreme if you ask me..."

But you can't fault his choice in footwear.

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I think it's been mentioned earlier in the thread that the producers aren't in charge of the lottery.

But, we don't know that it's being rigged, so...

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"Is that so difficult?"

Nope, that's actually very easy.

But it also wouldn't be so difficult not to accuse the producers or the person running the lottery of mis-deeds, until there is actual proof of those mis-deeds.

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This thread is a MESS, but very entertaining.

I'm way late to the party on this too, but I agree with both sides.

There is nothing wrong with giving away or selling prime seats to cast members.

There IS something wrong with calling it a lottery when it isn't.

Going through the fraudulent ritual of pulling "predetermined" names out may not land anyone in jail... But if I were a producer, promoting a lottery like this, I wouldn't want the die-hard fans of my show to witness this. The actual POINT of the lottery is, was, and always will be a promotional gimmick. Those seats are written off as part of the Marketing budget for the show. If it regularly turns into something that is negative and damaging to the public's perception of a show or the theatre where it's playing, then the producers aren't getting the "good will" and happy smiles it was intended for.

Bottom line: They should operate it fairly, or do away with it. Not perform some half-assed public display of playing favorites with cast members. I'm sure no producers had that in mind when they decided to offer it.

I have sat in house seats for Broadway shows. I paid full price for them, as people have said. I've also been comped before. And it IS about "who you know." Producers can choose to fill their seats with custard, or rope them off and not sell them if they want to. They call the shots.

The lottery isn't a privilege or a right. It's a publicity venture that hopefully won't backfire like this much in the future, or we're likely to see it go away.

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