A Very Sad Comment On The State Of Broadway Shows

[Matt_G]

Posted: 6/12/04 at 1:34pm

There were about 7 shows I wanted to see on my stay here in NYC. Turns out I'll only be able to see 3 of them. No, it's not because they're sold out. It's because they don't want to sell me the tickets.

I absolutely can not believe that theaters are only doing rush seats for students and than not even offering standing room. They also have the nerve to charge upwards of 80 dollars for the cheapest seats in the house. I went to 4 theaters today and had the exact same converstaion.

"Hi, there. Do you have rush seats?"

"We have student rush"

"Oh, I see. I'm not a student right now. Do you offer standing room?"

"No."

"Okay. Well let me ask you this. Do you have a lot of seats available for tonight?"

"Yes, we quite a few left"

"If I come back right before the show and they are still available, could I buy one?"

"No. You're not a student."

"So you're telling me you'd rather have those seats empty than selling one of them to me?"

"Yes".

I asked that last question 4 times and got that same answer. This is why if you're not wealthy, trying to go see a Broadway show is more of a chore than a pleasure. It boggles my mind how a theatre would set it's policy to make sure people are not able to see their shows and than have the nerve to complain about lousy ticket sales.

It really made me mad today.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 6/12/04 at 2:15pm

Matt,

It's the economics of B'way today. Producers set ticket prices for each production knowing that the bulk of tickets will be sold through TKTS. The average ticket price for musicals in general is somewhere aroud $66.00. It's the minority of the audience that actually pays full ticket price, unless the show is a hit, or unless they want the guarantee of seeing a particular show on a particular night. There are many organizations that exist to provide opportunities for their membership to build audiences for shows.

Audience Extras is one. I used to be a volunteer for AE many many years ago when the mission was to bring theatre to folks who would ordinarily not be exposed to Broadway or off-Broadway. So I escorted groups to the theatre, nearly always Broadway. AE still exists and I'm told provides tickets to its members for as little as $3.

TDF is another source. If one is part of a not-for-profit organizaion, an educator, a student, a publc servant, a member of a union, a theatrical professional, one can join TDF. They send mailings on available shows and list show availability on their website (see below). Broadway tickets are under $30.00, and generally Ochestra and/or Mezzanine seats. Off-Broadway are around $20.00. In the last few weeks TDF online has offered: Barbara Cook's Broadway, Wonderful Town, Caroline or Change, I Am My Own Wife, Frozen, Golda's Balcony, for example. The advantage of online is that one can purchase for selected future performances.

You might want to check each of those organizations. Joining them might help you find it easier to see more theatre the next time you visit NYC.

Cheers!
TDF Online -- Broadway & off-Broadway Tickets Updated On: 6/12/04 at 02:15 PM

[Craig]

Posted: 6/12/04 at 2:18pm

Matt-

In defense of the B.O. - if they did offer the policy you suggested, advance sales would plummet and a show would be living moment to moment. After all, why buy tickets in advance if you could walk right in last minute for much cheaper.

As Jose' pointed out, there are several money saving tips for tickets from tdf, theater clubs, tkts and using discount codes.

Sorry for your frustration...

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/12/04 at 4:43pm

MY very sad commenton the state of Broadway shows is not ticket POLICIES, but box office workers and ushers.

The first time I saw Hairspray on my last trip, I had a VERY nice man working the box office helping me, extremely kind theatre employees, and a DIVINE usher (Aja Maria's mom -- who I LOVED chatting with on several occasions). The second time I came back -- GREAT people still...e xcept for one VERY rude man selling tickets in the box office.

At another show I saw, I had an extremely rude usher, so I became rude right back at her. Anyhoo.

[FrancisGumm]

Posted: 6/12/04 at 4:46pm

yes i must agree that a big chunk of box office workers seem to love eating sour grapes. one in specific comes to mind...bastard.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/12/04 at 4:52pm

The Neil Simon worker I am refering too was VERY snooty at me when I was inquiring about seats in various ticket prices -- I wanted a good view from an area had not not sat for Hairspray before. there was no rush.. There was practically no line at the time... one person behind me and that was all (and they were helped at the same time I was at a second window)... but he was VERY rude..

Him ::"well what price do you want? Make up your mind."
Me :: "Sorry, I was curious about what all was available before I buy one"
Him :: "Just tell me what price you want"

[Duo]

Posted: 6/13/04 at 12:29am

I had a bad encounter with a teller at the BFO box office. I had already bought 2 tickets for $202 and was trying to decide about a third ticket when this balding, mustached jerk had the nerve to tell me to hurry it up, that he wanted to take care of the others on line. I was astonished - I had only been there a few moments. The guy was rude from the outset and had a very nasty manner throughout. I don't know what his problem was - but he chose to take out his ill humor on me and I didn't like it one bit. I told him he wasn't very nice, which, of course, made him even more offensive.

[MegGiry]

Posted: 6/17/04 at 1:45pm

None of the ushers were mean to me. Where do I write that!!

[BroadwayDiva]

Posted: 6/17/04 at 2:15pm

There are a lot of ushers that are really rude. There was one in TMM who was really mean. After she showed me where my seat was, I asked her for a Playbill, which she didn't give me. She had a stack in her hands, but she replied "Get it yourself" and then went and gave a playbill to another person.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 6/17/04 at 2:32pm

Craig, (I'm glad this post got bumped back up because I didn't read what you wrote) I understand that there are several money saving ways to get tickets. But for a lot of people, myself included, $50 is still a hell of a lot of money to spend on a ticket.

I will go to see anything and everything on Broadway and have for over a decade now. But the way things are going, I'm not going to be able to do that anymore. They are no longer offering standing room and are no longer offering general rush seats. That means that I can not see these shows. In fact, I can't see most of the shows on Broadway because of that.

My problem with the student rush seats was that they would not sell me a leftover ticket even if the curtain was coming up and those seats were still empty. WHY can't they offer leftover seats to the general public? How in God's name would that hurt box office sales? The people who are going to be using that wouldn't be able to afford to pay full price anyways. They are poor theatre lovers like myself. And "poor" is not a word that Broadway likes to hear anymore.

I had space in my schedule to see 5 shows last week. I did go to see 5 of them, too. One show I ended up seeing twice and the other I didn't even want to see again but did because they were the only theater who offered standing room. If you don't want people coming to your shows, than don't be upset if they are going to find OTHER ways of seeing them.

Updated On: 6/17/04 at 02:32 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/17/04 at 2:40pm

Upon attending the final performance of the 1776 revival, I had the WORST box office experience:

I was meeting my father at the theatre and the tickets were at will call under his name and my name. He was running late, so I asked for the tickets. The guy in the box office told me there was nothing under my name. I gave him my father's name. He said there is nothing. I gave him my mother's name. Nothing. I was bewildered because I booked the tickets myself with my mother's credit card and set it up. I have 10 years box office history and I know how it works. I gave the guy the confirmation number. He said it wasn't in the system. Keep in mind that this all taking a very long time, the show has already started, my father is nowhere to be found and I have placed many calls to the hotel with no answer (this is before he owned a cell phone). I am frustrated upset, worried and panicked. I gave him the credit card number. He said it can't be looked up that way. I could see the computer screen and saw that it was the Ticketmaster system. I told to type in CCREF and then the card number and the account show appear on the screen. He told me it doesn't work that way. I told him about my supervisory skills with the Tickemaster system and he just grunted and typed in the information. Lo and behold! The onformation appeared on the screen. The man reached onto a shelf NEXT TO HIS HEAD and handed me the tickets. This was 15 minutes after curtain on the final performance.

My father eventually arrived at intermission due to a mixup, but the whole show was ruined for me. I could not enjoy the show. the box office refused to issue a refund or do anything to compensate for their rudeness and ineptitude. I wrote a letter to the theatre and used my contacts through Ticketmaster, but never received any response. It was a horrible nightmare.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 6/17/04 at 3:36pm

Matt__G You raise several good points. We all understand the need for advance bookings, etc, but greed is ugly at times. I remember after 9/11, when all the b'way shows were in trouble -- remember, people didn't know if ANYONE would show up regularly for broadway; NY had never had such a crisis. After the lights came back on, all the shows rallied, and the TKTS booth had just about everything. Only Disney opted not to. AIDA was withheld from the booth, and played to 35-40% capacity. The poor actors went back on stage -- at a scary time when the smoke from the WTC was ubiquitous -- playng to over half empty houses. So much for Disney's patriotism, at a time when the word patriotism wasn't so loaded. Eventually, most shows bounced back to near previous capacity, unharmed by the TKTS booth, but Disney looked very small indeed.

Updated On: 6/17/04 at 03:36 PM

[Matt_G]

Posted: 6/17/04 at 3:41pm

Surprisingly enough, I had no problem with the Disney theaters. They have always been curtious and they do offer standing room seats to the general public - The way it should be.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/17/04 at 3:45pm

and they DID restore the New Amsterdam.... now if they would just fix that lack of leg room there.......

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 6/17/04 at 3:46pm

The New Amsterdam is gorgeous a bit cramped but very beautiful. I do however prefer the Ford Center.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/17/04 at 3:50pm

Amen to that.

[SamIAm]

Posted: 6/17/04 at 5:05pm

Him ::"well what price do you want? Make up your mind."
Me :: "Sorry, I was curious about what all was available before I buy one"
Him :: "Just tell me what price you want"

Some days are just like that at the B.O. Frankly, after some of the clowns I've experienced on lines at the box office I wonder that these people do not get battle pay for dealing with the sidewalk morons that appear at their window. Perhaps that's why they have bullet proof glass...to protect the patrons from the guns inside...NOT to protect the box office employees.

There ARE days....

[Matt_G]

Posted: 6/18/04 at 10:44am

Well they're not just mean to their customers, they're also mean to fellow employees! Last year at the Plymouth theatre, when I walked up to the window the woman was sobbing and the guy was yelling at her. He stopped when he saw me. I asked if she was okay and here's the kicker - She was STILL rude to me!

[Jamie Hat]

Posted: 6/18/04 at 11:16am

Okay people, let's leave the house staff and box office alone for god's sake...if you have problems with it, YOU get the job and be nicey nice all the time for no money.
If you had any idea what CRAP they have to put up with from subscribers, people who don't like their seats, drunks, bootleggers, people showing up at wrong times and wrong days you wouldn't be smiling all the time either.

You can't please all the people all the time buy you can please most of the people most of the time.

THeir jobs often suck. Leave them alone and sit in your seat and enjoy.

[ckeaton]

Posted: 6/18/04 at 11:21am

I have a thing about ushers.
I don't like them. From any angle. I've house managed, and been a patron.

As for the box office... I've worked there too. Often it's misery, but it's no excuse for being rude.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 6/18/04 at 11:24am

That wasn't even why I started this thread, but it's what it's turned into. And aparantely, attitudes from these people are a big problem on Broadway considering what's been said here and on another long thread about this topic.

If Kristin or Idina were acting rude to patrons of the theater nobody would be telling us to stop talking about it. The box office people are the first ones you usually come in contact with when you go see a show. They set the tone for your visit. They do have the power to ruin your evening, just ask Mister Matt. Second are the ushers. Ever have a run in with one that's not in the best mood? They also have the power to make you feel very uncomfortable in the theater and often times do just that.

Sorry, Jamie Hat but it's a big problem. Not as big as the topic I started this thread out on, but pretty big.

Also I had a job dealing with the public for 10 years and making no money. There was still never an excuse for being rude for no reason. NONE.

Updated On: 6/18/04 at 11:24 AM

[cmleidi]

Posted: 6/18/04 at 11:30am

Oh, please. If you don't like your job, quit. Collect cans, sell your blood, do anything if your job makes you that miserable. There's no excuse for unwarranted rudeness. If you can't deal with the public, find another job.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/18/04 at 11:31am

SamIAm,
Using THAT excuse for this guy was TOTAL crap. I was this was WHEN THE BOX OFFICE OPENED. I was in that line before they opened. There were two girls ahead of me and that was it.. and they were helped at another window. I was this guy's first customer of the day.