CHORUS LINE Tickets - $301.25. DISGUSTING!- Page 2

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/7/06 at 9:26pm

Fact is, cracking the $100 per ticket barrier was unthinkable for a non-special event (the two part Nicholas Nickelby, for example) just a few short years ago.

These over-$300 "premium" seats do several things. For one, they occupy seats with corporate drones. And, more importantly, they make the notion of extremely high regular ticket prices more palatable.

I actually do think that theatre is a right. Thank god for experimental theatre, for regional theatre, for community theatre... for all the places where people hungry for theatre can access it.

Maybe I'm lucky, I've had both formative and more recent theatre experiences that have shown me that it doesn't TAKE a lot of money to do it right. A memory of mine in high school was seeing a tiny regional theatre production of "Zoo Story." Two guys and a bench. That's all. And it was great theater.

More recently, a TEENY company doing Slavs! in a virtual basement theatre. And it was FABULOUS.

There is great stuff to be seen all over the place. My difficulties are with this special brand of elitism that tries to convince people that they have to have the right credit card or hundreds and hundreds of dollars to see a slavish recreation of a show. Who needs it? I'm sorry people fall for the hype.

[TechEverlasting]

Posted: 10/7/06 at 9:46pm

This whole thread puzzles me. What we're discussing is the free market: supply and demand determining prices. I've yet to hear of a more effective system.

Prior to the "premium seating" gag, what happened was that scalpers bought up most of the good seats for popular shows and then sold them for similar premium prices. That extra money did nothing to make a show profitable, it just fattened the wallets of some shady operators. I would much rather see this money going to the "greedy" producers, who more often than not fail to recoup for their investors.

There are lots of ways to see shows for less than list price, let alone "premium" price. You might not be able to see the hottest show when it first comes out, but you'll be able to see it eventually. If a bunch of investors are foolish enough to gamble their money on a Broadway show and it somehow turns out to be a hit, I want them make as much money as possible. This way someone else might want to make a similar investment in the future. Take these investors out of the picture, get rid of the capital, and I don't care how much you consider professional theater to be an art and not a business, it won't be there at all.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 10/7/06 at 9:54pm

Those "premium" tickets are geared to the expnese-account crowds who can chare them to their companies.

Theatre has to pay for itself and these permium prices help.

But...

What staretd as small cluster of premium seats has grown into 200/300 per performance. It would be nice if producers balanced this by increasing the $25 seats to the same number so that young people and those without expense accounts can get in to see the shows as well.

It's not so much the money but how do they expect to build audiences for future generations if they do not get them into the habit now? We haev already seen opera starting to run out of audience for exactly the same reason.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 10/7/06 at 9:57pm

As they say in Guatemala (or is it Haiti?) -- those who can, do.

Quit bitching -- it's those 'premium' priced tickets which are covering the cost of running the shows and allowing the producers to offer those 'student discounts' while still bringing in a profit.

Geez!


Updated On: 10/8/06 at 09:57 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/7/06 at 9:59pm

"This whole thread puzzles me. What we're discussing is the free market: supply and demand determining prices."

But if you do everything in your power to make it look like there IS no supply so people will have to pay 300 bucks, even though there's no way they're selling as many premium seats as they're putting aside (not with THOSE reviews and no stars, they're not), then it's not your garden variety free market. It's OPEC.

[Johnnytoc]

Posted: 10/7/06 at 9:59pm

I agree that if they balanced the premium seats with cheaper ones, it would make more sense. Yes, fine, fill the ridicukously expensive seats with people with money, not necessarily the heart- but give those who aren't so well off a chance to appreciate the art. $100 per ticket, while not pretty, is somewhat understandable but getting to the point the cheapest seats availible are out of a good number of people's price ranges, it just turns the theatre into a money making concept rather than art, though I suppose art is still art even if there's no one who appreciates it.

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 10/7/06 at 11:16pm

Yeah I think people are getting confused with the premium thing. I think a lot of people will say ok if you pay that much for theatre then it's on you (by the way the few premium seats are NOT financing the show really BrodyFosse). The issue comes in what was just mentioned. The CHEAPEST seats are $100? REALLY?! That IS busted. Don't lecture about production costs and all that. I mean really, where are the chandeliers and helicopters in A Chorus Line that merit that price? Since when did thinking $100 for a cheap seat was rediculous mean that theatre professionals shouldn't get paid?

One point that has been made that I share is that if there aren't cheaper seats to it, then I won't be going to it. Plain and simple. I think if people had that attitude, then yeah ticket prices would go down. Things wouldn't be so lavishly produced but really you could have a black stage, actors and a piano and put on a musical. I think theatre goers just need to get wiser about that. Otherwise it does become elitist. It becomes a rich person's art form and like Frontrow said, there will be no future audiences.

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 10/7/06 at 11:31pm

I don't really have an intense opinion on the premium seating issue, other than that there's no way that I will ever pay $300 to see anything that's not a special event, but I definitely agree that it's frustrating that the lowest ticket prices are so outrageous. The people who probably most need to see this show -- younger people, artists and dancers, are pretty much priced out this way, especially if they're only selling six or twelve standing room tickets per performance. It's just frustrating to have heard SO many anecdotes of people who were incredibly moved in their youths by the original production and think that that probably won't be the case with this revival.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 10/7/06 at 11:44pm

I find it to be a major insult that the producers have the nerve to charge $111.25 for PARTIAL VIEW seats. Excuse me? I'm paying $111.25 so I can see PART of the show? That is insane. Jesus, at least give the STUDENTS the partial view seats so they don't have to stand in line in hopes of getting a STANDING ROOM ticket.

Updated On: 10/7/06 at 11:44 PM

[Dakin]

Posted: 10/8/06 at 12:11am

"More recently, a TEENY company doing Slavs! in a virtual basement theatre. And it was FABULOUS"

"There is great stuff to be seen all over the place. My difficulties are with this special brand of elitism that tries to convince people that they have to have the right credit card or hundreds and hundreds of dollars to see a slavish recreation of a show. Who needs it? I'm sorry people fall for the hype."

"But if you do everything in your power to make it look like there IS no supply so people will have to pay 300 bucks, even though there's no way they're selling as many premium seats as they're putting aside (not with THOSE reviews and no stars, they're not), then it's not your garden variety free market. It's OPEC"

The above statements are so incriminating, it is not likely that "A Chorus Line" will run very long.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/8/06 at 12:21am

Not because of my statements, but it will be interesting to watch how it plays out.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 10/8/06 at 12:23am

For what it's worth, both Charlotte d'Amboise and especially Ken Alan, didn't come cheap.

No sir. Ken Alan's cover-up make-up alone is the salary of 3 1/2 actors.

Woof!

[Corine2]

Posted: 10/8/06 at 12:36am

Just laughing at the Jersey Boys comment.
I love Jersey Boys. But, please don't compare A Chorus Line, to Jersey Boys.
A Chorus Line was one of the first shows to get me excited about Broadway. (That and Dreamgirls)
I have not seen the new version of A Chorus Line. I saw the original version 6 times. It was one singular sensation and I can't wait to see the new version. Updated On: 10/8/06 at 12:36 AM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/8/06 at 12:44am

"Quick gripping?"

I think that it's wonderfully avant garde to cast a man without legs in a show with so much dancing, but how do they pull off that impressive Ken Alan floats on air trick?

[NJgirl]

Posted: 10/8/06 at 12:45am

The funny thing is people are buying the premium seats. I had a family of 5 (with 2 kids under the age of 8, one who sat on her father's lap the whole time) sitting next to my mother and I during previews. I happened to see the lil boy's ticket stub when he dropped it and it landed by my feet. $251 bucks a piece times 5 family members....damn.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/8/06 at 12:49am

Did the little boy move down to the front of the theater because he couldn't see so good, by any chance?

[NJgirl]

Posted: 10/8/06 at 12:55am

Namo, I think he was wearing contacts

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 10/8/06 at 1:35am

See, I don't care where in the theater I am, just as long as I'm in there. I've never seen a show from the orchestra. Actually, most of the time I've sat in the last possible row in the theater. I just want to see a show. I don't have to make out every possible feature on the actor's faces. I don't care if they want to sell this expensive seats, just as long as there are some cheap seats for the poor theater-goer.

[emo_geek]

Posted: 10/8/06 at 3:10am

I paid 200 for premium seats to Billy Crystal. I believe that to be worth it. It felt like he was talking to just my mom and I. It was great! This erm 300.00 hmm no

[FrontRowCenter2]

Posted: 10/8/06 at 6:38am

my two cents:

Broadway is a business, pure and simple. If the production can't sell $50,000 or so of tickets daily, most shows don't have a pray of remaining open then no one would be able to see the production.

Premium seats serve a few purposes: they allow tourists and the "expense account" types to see a show at a time when they perhaps they otherwise wouldn't ever be able to do so and yes, big picture, it's all about the break even and profit.

What I do find reprehensible, are shows like Mary Poppins reserving the majority of the center orchestra seats (I believe through M or P) as premium seats. But then again, that's Disney.

[Horton]

Posted: 10/8/06 at 7:58am

No, they should not work for free, just like if I sell a painting I would not give it away, but I think that broadway's message is lost when you are thinking at the back of your mind through the entire performace "It is good, but I paid over $300 bucks for this, it has to be great!" I ruins the art of theatre, and this is why I believe somebody like Sondheim wrote his best works at non for profit theatres, he did not care about making any money, and that is why he was so successful.

[elf2]

Posted: 10/8/06 at 8:05am

Quick gripping?? It's a pity some of this money can't be piped into education!
Updated On: 10/8/06 at 08:05 AM

[Broadwaylady]

Posted: 10/8/06 at 9:38am

I went to a show say Boy from Oz and sat in the second row, orchestra and paid the usual $101.25 fee. As the show became more popular the prices went much hire. I went again with another friend you could not touch the seats that I had originally. The first 11 rows were over $200.00. That happened also with Spamalot. I remember Jersey Boys that started out at a normal pricing range turned into $450.00 for fourth row. It was a gift so I did not mind!!! Pretty soon only the very wealthy can see a show on Broadway. That is a shame.

[algy]

Posted: 10/8/06 at 9:39am

Someone further up the page was talking about how to get audiences for the future with ticket prices at current levels. I was wondering if Broadway has an equivalent of Kids Week? In the West End, for one week (usually at the end of August before schools go back), the majority of the West End theatres do an offer- but one full price ticket, get another for a child free. This brings in all sorts of people that wouldn't normally come in.

[actor]

Posted: 10/8/06 at 10:05am

Theatre is all about supply and demand. If people will pay $300 to get the best seat in the house, it costs $300 to sit there. I think the prices are reasonable. If you're only seeing one show a year, then $50 dollars is definitely reasonable. There is no reason to complain.

It only gets difficult when you're trying to see a show every weekend. That causes the need for money and a real commitment to theatre.