Funny Premium Seating Anecdote

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 11/11/08 at 7:16am

I saw BILLY ELLIOT last night.

I was seated in Right Orchestra, Row G, Seat 6 (third seat off the aisle).

My ticket cost me $126.50.

I took my seat and was getting myself comfortable when the woman to the right of me, in Seat 8 (four seats off the aisle) glanced over at my ticket and saw the price.

She asked how I managed to get this seat for such a great price. She pulled out her ticket stub and the price listed was $301.50.

I started to tell her how premium seating works, and how those seats, when they go unsold, are released for regular price a couple hours before the show. She was surprised, and kind of annoyed. She told me that she was in town visiting from Florida, and that she was treating herself tonight, but found it ridiculous that I could have a better seat than she did for less than half the price.

Turns out she had bought her ticket at 5pm yesterday for $301.50.

I bought my ticket, one seat closer to the center no less, at 6pm yesterday, for $126.50.

So let this be a lesson to the wise, that waiting until the last minute has its rewards.

As a side note, what planet do we live on where Right Orchestra, Row G, four seats off the aisle is premium?

I must say, I hand it to the BILLY ELLIOT producers, whose show is still in previews, and can manage to get away with selling so-so side Orchestra seats for $300.00.

Regardless of the reviews, this show is going to recoup its investment in no time.

Updated On: 11/11/08 at 07:16 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 11/11/08 at 7:49am

I don't know about "in no time" but it does certainly seemed destined to be a financial hit. I'm sure they have quite a bit of money invested. AND there's no way of telling HOW many "premium" tickets are sold...just that they are.

BUT..to the essence of your post: Bwhahahaha. P.T. Barnum said it best: "There is a sucker born every minute." Do you know for sure if she bought it at the box office???? I would have been humiliated to have found out I paid almost 200 bucks for an hour!!!!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 11/11/08 at 7:49am

double post...gosh I hate when that happens

Updated On: 11/11/08 at 07:49 AM

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 11/11/08 at 8:15am

She said she bought the ticket online from her hotel room downtown.

I bought mine online from my apartment.

It was quite the schadenfreude-esque moment, indeed.

[Steve2]

Posted: 11/11/08 at 1:22pm

Thanks for sharing!

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 11/11/08 at 1:32pm

I had a similar experience when I saw the show.

And funnily enough, when I went back to see it again, the $41 rear mezzanine seats had a better view than the full price $120 seats.

How did you like the show, WBAF?

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 11/11/08 at 2:06pm

Are those $41 seats ACTUALLY good? Where's the best place to sit in that theatre?

I think we have a tendency as Broadway "insiders" to look down on the ticket-buying Joe Sixpack. They really don't know any better.

[george95]

Posted: 11/11/08 at 2:10pm

Since I buy all of my tickets with my teacher discount (schooltix.com) and I always sit in either the orchestra or the front mezz, I always have some people around me that paid double the price. Its cool to glance at their ticket as they sit down and think "haha!"

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 11/11/08 at 2:58pm

Great little story.

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 11/11/08 at 3:25pm

george and piraguaguy, instead of laughing at or looking down on people who pay full price or premium price for tickets, perhaps you should be thanking them for subsidizing your discounted tickets, and, as a result, assisting shows to be successful and allowing them to recoup their investors' investment.

[legally_popular]

Posted: 11/11/08 at 3:33pm

Luckily we know better on how the premium pricing works, and I kinda feel bad for people who don’t know that they don’t HAVE to spend $300 on a good seat.

I feel the same way when I get a front row student rush/lotto tickets for $26.50 and the people around me and behind me paid full price or premium price. A lot of my family members and friends complain about ticket prices and are always shocked when I tell them how I get front row seats for 25 bucks. Even when I don’t do student rush, I am fortunate to know about discounts and ways to get better seats for a better price(like WBaF did).

This older couple next to me at Speed-the-Plow were complaining how they paid so much money and were giving me weird looks probably wondering how in the hell I could afford to sit where they were sitting (I got a rush ticket). I don’t know if they paid full or premium, but I’m always tempted to look at other peoples’ ticket stubs.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 11/11/08 at 7:20pm

WiCkEDrOcKS, I thought the show was decent. I kept waiting to be "wowed," and it just didn't really happen.

The only memorable parts were the four or five dance sequences.

The book was nothing special, in my opinion, and I didn't find Elton John's score to be particularly distinctive.

Gregory Jbara and Trent Kowalik, who was on for Billy, were both terrific. And it's nice to see Carole Shelley back originating a role again.

But I don't feel the show lived upto its hype.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 11/11/08 at 7:23pm

WannaBe, that is a funny story indeed. Though it doesn't make us Floridians look any better :-
Nice that you got to see Trent Kowalik, he was my Billy and I thought he was just mesmerizing in the role. Didn't you like Haydn Gwynne? She was another highlight for me.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 11/11/08 at 7:27pm

Yes, I forgot to mention her. Ms. Gwynne was incredible. I'm glad they didn't cast some random American actress in the role. Gwynne really has such a specific stamp on the role.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 12:37am

I was surprised she didn't do much in Act II though, considering they shipped her all the way over from London. And I thought John's score was pretty good. I thought he had a knack for writing an anthem like the first song and the last one.

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 3:45am

"I'm glad they didn't cast some random American actress in the role."

Oh man, me too! But I had no idea they were casting roles by lottery! Thank goodness they didn't do that this time. Who knows who we would've ended up with!

kmc

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 3:54am

Updated On: 5/1/09 at 03:54 AM

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 4:02am

Gwynne has some pretty great moments in Act II trying to get Billy to audition and her scenes between her and the father and her and Billy towards the end are very emotional and she plays them extremely well. Of course Act I does focus on her a lot more. It's not about how much time she is on stage or the number of songs she sings, but the impact she has on the overall show, it's not surprising at all that they brought her over.
Apparently, they wanted to cast Toni Collette (whom I would have LOVED to see as Mrs.Wilkinson) but after seeing Gwynne, I'm not sure who else could be as good in the part.

[Vespertine1228]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 8:21am

I don't think it's really that funny. She could've used the money to see two shows instead of just one. Plus it makes her less like to return in the future.

I can relate to this story though whenever I go to see something that's not obviously entirely papered. There's always a I feel bad for you because you actually paid for this moment.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 10:42am

I don't think it makes her less likely to return in the future.

I just think it makes her more likely not to buy premium priced tickets anymore.

[shpants]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 11:09am

I think it just sucks more than anything....
I have totally been that person who has paid way more for a ticket than some other theater-goers. For people who don't live in nyc or even close, heading to Broadway is something that people have to plan often times months and months in advance...and I know that if I really wanted to see a particular show, I wouldn't want to wait to try to get last minute tickets in case the whole thing fell through, etc.

I agree with erinrebecca though...somebody's gotta pay full price so others can get the discounts!