***BEWARE** Scalpers taking over Jersey Boys rush!!!!- Page 3

[SDav 10495]

Posted: 10/17/06 at 4:33pm

I think there should be a sign-in sheet as you arrive where you show ID and number of tickets, show it again at purchase and I dont think you should be given your ticket(s) till just before showtime by reshowing the ID.

You're right, that would be a lot better. I'm sure lines would still form before box office staff arrived (for popular shows like Jersey Boys), but then the monitoring wouldn't be a problem since the sign-in policy would drive away rush scalpers like the ones in the original post. I don't see why theatres don't do that--they still get lines forming outside the box office all day (which many producers like because it makes their show look like a hot ticket...pretty much free marketing), but they can crack down a lot on the illegal scalping that inevitably goes along with any rush. Lottos could do this sign-in also--there's really no reason that people have to get their physical tickets before the house opens a half hour before the show. In addition to signing in and showing ID, patrons (at the time of the rush or lotto) could be given some kind of print-out that verifies their claim to the seats...anything short of giving them the actual tickets which, of course, can be re-sold.

Does anyone have any idea why theatres don't do this? It seems like common sense now that Spouzic mentions it.

ETA: Just saw this as I was posting:
The only thing about picking up tickets a half-hour prior to showtime is that the box office is generally a zoo from half-hour up until curtain...

But patrons do the half-hour pick-up through TDF all the time, and it's usually not a problem. If theatres made this new half-hour pick-up part of their rush/lotto policy, they could easily do something to make sure those tickets would be handled efficiently (something like a separate line).

Updated On: 10/17/06 at 04:33 PM

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 10/17/06 at 6:38pm

that is pretty ridiculous about the scalpers
is it the hotel's fault for taking scalper tickets, and selling them for over $200 more than the tickets are worth? like, did this hotel HIRE the scalpers to do that?

[Anna_Elizabeth]

Posted: 10/17/06 at 7:15pm

Do you really think theatres are going to create more work for themselves by creating more lines, checking IDs, etc.? I don't think so. If they did, we wouldn't have this problem to begin with.

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 10/17/06 at 7:48pm

Why don't they just give out sheets that say like "Return to the theatre with this to pick up your tickets."

I doubt anybody would buy (scalp) that sheet of paper, since its not a ticket.

[kaycee]

Posted: 10/17/06 at 11:28pm

Speaking of rush, what time does one have to show up at the box office nowadays to get tickets? The last time I saw the show was pre-Tonys so it was not a problem. If I were hoping to get a ticket on a Thursday, how early should I be at the box office?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 10/18/06 at 12:42am

believe me, I realize my suggestion would create more work for the box office people but if they wanted to prevent the reselling of tickets, I think this would work.

Roundabout & MTC both hold people on separate lines ( i believe in the event of past dated ticket use ) and let them in after the rest of the house is seated so they can see where the empty seats are. Also at MTC on special nights there may be a staff member seen standing around with tickets for specific people who have already paid, thus not interfering with the box office at all.

Since these are assigned seats, it should be even easier to hold their tickets to the last minute and seat them as they get them. If theres a line for will call and a line for ticket holders, a third line of twenty people shouldnt make that much of a difference. The line on will call varies by more than that number on a daily basis, im sure.