#1
Posted: 4/29/08 at 5:16pm
Let me preface this by saying that I am a huge fan of Xanadu and have seen the show over 30 times, many of which because I was able to get student tickets. However, lately I have encountered issues with the student rush, which I have also seen echoed by people on this board. Today I tried to get a single ticket 3 hours before curtain. I prefer On-Stage seating and was told there was some available but I was refused the seat at student pricing, so I went and got a front row student seat at A Catered Affair instead. I personally find it strange that seats are being left empty rather than being sold at a discount, and I have observed this many times. I understand that the policy seems to be that student tickets are only sold for the first half hour (Xanadu being one of the only shows on Broadway to limit rush like that) and that only a certain number are sold, however I have also seen this contradicted on separate occasions. 2 weeks ago, I arrived a half hour before the show and by the time the box office opened there were 4 more people behind me waiting for student tickets. However, we were all turned away, being told there were no student tickets available, even though there were 3 seats left on stage and numerous house seats. That day I did buy on of the On-Stage seats left at full price and witnessed no less than 5 completely empty rows in the mezzanine.
I understand that I do not know all of the details of running a box office, however it seems to me that empty seats are never the goal. Especially in a house as small as the Helen Hayes, the cast can see and feel every empty seat. The audience reactions lessen in a half-full theatre, many times causing the cast to give a less energetic performance when they don’t have as many people to play off. This is even more evident when the on-stage seats are not full, an occurrence I have seen many times lately.
Most shows on Broadway now offer some sort of student ticket options that do not fluctuate daily, like Xanadu’s does. Even smash hits like Wicked, which is almost always sold out, reserve a number of great seats that could be sold at a much higher cost for those who cannot afford today’s soaring Broadway ticket prices. For Xanadu, a show even now struggling to find an audience, to turn away people who will pay something for what will end up being unsold seats seems like bad business and quite frankly looks a bit greedy and stubborn. I know that many people on this board who are looking to rush shows end up avoiding Xanadu because of this fluctuating policy, but the show is truly the one being hurt by this.
Xanadu has always had a hard time getting people into the theatre and looking past the reputation of the movie. Once they do, they generally find themselves thoroughly surprised by how good the show actually is, which is how to word of mouth on this show has gotten out and largely why it is still running today. Turning people away and leaving the theatre empty stops this from occurring.
As I have said, I love Xanadu and hope to see it around for a very long time of Broadway. Seeing such a great show playing to such a sparse audience hurts me, and I do not understand seeing paying theater-goers being turned away. I hope that a permanent and more comprehensive policy can and will be put in place, for the sake of the show as well as the fans.
I understand that I do not know all of the details of running a box office, however it seems to me that empty seats are never the goal. Especially in a house as small as the Helen Hayes, the cast can see and feel every empty seat. The audience reactions lessen in a half-full theatre, many times causing the cast to give a less energetic performance when they don’t have as many people to play off. This is even more evident when the on-stage seats are not full, an occurrence I have seen many times lately.
Most shows on Broadway now offer some sort of student ticket options that do not fluctuate daily, like Xanadu’s does. Even smash hits like Wicked, which is almost always sold out, reserve a number of great seats that could be sold at a much higher cost for those who cannot afford today’s soaring Broadway ticket prices. For Xanadu, a show even now struggling to find an audience, to turn away people who will pay something for what will end up being unsold seats seems like bad business and quite frankly looks a bit greedy and stubborn. I know that many people on this board who are looking to rush shows end up avoiding Xanadu because of this fluctuating policy, but the show is truly the one being hurt by this.
Xanadu has always had a hard time getting people into the theatre and looking past the reputation of the movie. Once they do, they generally find themselves thoroughly surprised by how good the show actually is, which is how to word of mouth on this show has gotten out and largely why it is still running today. Turning people away and leaving the theatre empty stops this from occurring.
As I have said, I love Xanadu and hope to see it around for a very long time of Broadway. Seeing such a great show playing to such a sparse audience hurts me, and I do not understand seeing paying theater-goers being turned away. I hope that a permanent and more comprehensive policy can and will be put in place, for the sake of the show as well as the fans.
