CHICAGO rush tickets a word to the wise

[George67]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 3:05pm

A word to the wise..I tried to get a rush ticket for tonite's performance (as its Christopher Sieber's last day in the show) and tho I was third in line and waited three hours...I was told at the window (by the same guy who not 20 mins before had come out to smoke a cigarette and saw the line of people but never said a word) that they are ONLY selling rush tickets if you have a STUDENT ID...

The fact that rush tickets have been sold to WHOMEVER (no id required for the past few years) and the fact I just got a rush seat a few weeks ago...apparently didn't mean anything to little toad in the box office. I was met with a blank stare when I said it would have been nice for those that were waiting for three hours if a SIGN had been posted on the door noting the new policy.

[CJR]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 4:32pm

*sigh* I HATE the Ambassador and their crappy ass rush policy.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 4:35pm

George, unfortunately most theatres are only giving rush seats to students nowadays. They really don't care about the rest of us who can't afford the shows.

[CJR]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 4:43pm

Chicago was one of the very few shows who had a general rush. This was only changed within the past week.

Did I mention yet how much I hate the Ambassador?

[DAME]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 4:48pm

I hate the front staff atthat theater. hey just could give a damm. All it would have taken was a sign. Of course; remember who the producers are (cheap, cheap). And Chicago is probaly keeping "On The Town" alive.

[CJR]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 5:04pm

I have issues with the staff too.. the box offices guys are nasty with me -- one actually told me, when I requested front row for a day 3 months in advance (Tracy's closing night), that I didn't want to sit that close and I'd be better off picking another location. (WTF?) He then argued with me further when I told him I wanted to sit that close because it was my friend's closing night. He said that she wouldn't want me sitting so close and how about a nice seat 6th row center.

Hello, I'm paying 90 bucks for a ticket and telling you where I want to sit -- don't stand there and tell me I'm wrong, just sell me a ticket.

Everything is so ass backwards at the Ambassador. I miss the days at the Shubert where I could go pick up a bracelet, get breakfast, come back around 10am, get in line, get my ticket... stress free. Everyone's nice and pleasant at the Shubert too. I never got hassled if I was dropping something off for someone.

As for the Weasels, er, Weisslers.... they have nothing to do with the rush policy. Last year they attended one of the same performances I did, and I actually went up to them after the show, introduced myself and complained. Fran told me it's the policy of each individual theatre and they really don't institute it. Could be a load of crap, but that's what she told me.

Now Im really freaking irritated, because Im supposed to see the show Friday and I can't because I don't get my new student ID till October... (the last student ID I have, has 1999-2000 plastered on it) and this just freaking SUCKS.

Alright, I'm done now. lol

And Dame, sweetie... don't you mean Wonderful Town?

[George67]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 6:35pm

thanks for the support everyone....I am TRYING to console myself with the fact that a) I got to see Chris do the role twice...once (paying full price back in April) and again in July (the day after Broadway Barks and I got the general Rush with no problem)

But I REALLY wanted to see his last night DAM them

On the plus side I hear he's perfoming for Broadway in Bryan Park this Thurs...so provided the weather looks good I may JUST be feeling too sick (to go to work that day) :)

https://chrissieber.cjb.net

[Matt_G]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 6:40pm

George - you have to change your icon. It gives me that funny feeling everytime I see it.

CJR - The staff at the Shubert is anything but nice in my opinion. They're the meanest and rudest in the city.

[CJR]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 6:45pm

You've got to be messing with me Matt.... don't make me hunt you down jk

Seriously though.... Got an instance to back that up?

[George67]

Posted: 8/1/04 at 7:00pm

I could say the same about yours Matt...but which feeling are YOU talking about?

[Kicks8567]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 12:40am

What time do you usually have to get there for Chicago rush tix??

[Matt_G]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 12:43am

CJR, I have seen CHICAGO many times and GYPSY as well, and I can honestly tell you that every time I have gone to that box office I have been treated like I just called one of their mothers a whore. I wouldn't go back to see GYPSY again because of it. They were THAT mean.

George, you know what feeling I'm talking about.

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 12:54am

I think it makes more sense for the PRODUCTION to decide if and how to do a rush policy, not the theatre owner. I don't believe Fran and Barry have nothing to do with the policy. Am I wrong?

[CJR]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 1:14am

Get there at 8am for rush tickets...

Sorry to hear that Matt... I practically live(d) at that theatre and everyone has always been soooo nice to me. Honestly, the staff at the Shubert (backstage, box office, wardrobe, security) is probably one of my favorites.

As for the policy, I believe it was the same policy for the last show at the Ambassador....

In other news, while I'm still pissed that the rush policy was changed, I've calmed down from earlier because I still get to see the show on Friday

Updated On: 8/2/04 at 01:14 AM

[George67]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 7:25am

I do know that feeling Matt :)

I still want to wring the neck of the idiot at the Amabassador tho...and Fran and Barry's as well. I'll get over it..but twon't be easy :)

[Schuyler]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 9:15am

Most Box office employess are exceptionally rude. Also, the ushers at the Ambassador are something else. There are a couple of drunks and one guy who is always high on pot.

[CJR]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 10:39am

There's ONE usher at the Ambassador I like -- we always have a nice chat when I'm there... Even sometimes when I run into him outside the theatre there's a "hey! how ya doing!"

*sigh* Whatever. The angst in my initial post is gone anyway... lol

[johny0828]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 11:20am

i got rush seats a few weekends ago. ( without and id) the thing that pissed me off was the first 3 people in line were scalper. exactly one was there for 2 hours and around 10 mintues till the box office opened ther other 2 showed up. when we got to the show i asked the people siiting in front of us where they got there tickets and how much they paid. they told us they paid 50 bucks(double the price) from a guy who told them the were center orchestra. the box office people shouldn't let scaplers buy these tickets to sell to unware tourists.

[NYUstud]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 2:17pm

are the seats still on the front row?

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 2:21pm

What if your school doesn't issue student IDs...

Except, they once did take my picture and glue it to a piece of paper with my info on it for SATs, except I think I threw that out. Other than that, I have a license and a non-license ID I got from the DMV.

[NBC]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 4:05pm

The rush seats aren't in the front row any more, they are on the extreme sides of the first few rows of the orchestra.

I guess they started the student policy to deter the scalpers, but it does seem odd to start now, after seven and-a-half years...

[CJR]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 7:30pm

Dont even get me started on the fact that the seats aren't front row anymore... oy.

I'm going back to school in October (after a 4 year hiatus) and I found out this morning my school doesnt issue IDs. What a load.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/3/04 at 3:05am

So what do you do in that situation? My school doesn't issue them either, except for that instance I mentioned above...a piece of paper with a terrible pic and some info about yourself. Can you show a report card for high schoolers?

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 8/3/04 at 10:08am

millie-where do you go to school
My school does the same thing, it is a small private school, and everytime I've shown it for things (airplane, passport ect.) they give me a funny look like I faked it.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 8/3/04 at 10:27am

You might want to drop a little note politely expressing your disappointment with the change in rush policy to The Shubert Organization as well as the (loathesome) Weisslers.

Could it hurt?