Hamilton Ticket Sale Now 2/2 — Page 4

Updated On: 2/3/16 at 11:04 PM

dmollen111 said: "was the ENTIRE mezzanine for presale?"

I managed to get rear orchestra tickets for Thanksgiving week during the pre-sale and for about a minute after the sale started I was able to use the interactive seating chart, from which I could see all available seats. Granted some seats might have already been taken (it's hard to tell, like I said it was only up for a minute and I never saw it update), but for that show I would say no more than a tenth of the seats in the house were marked for choosing.

As long as people freely make the decision to pay these prices, nothing can or should be done. If and when people decide not to than things will change.

i agree with you one hundred percent concierge, but i actually think the argument being had now is about the scalpers and the TM resale option. that is not as straightforward as the ticket prices producers are setting for their shows although i do believe scalping, while morally and ethically questionable, is a legal byproduct of free market capitalism. and whether it's "right or wrong" is based on personal opinion and your own moral values. nothing more.

...BUT, if scalping were illegal and the prices were as high as they are, I think there is room for valid criticism of the pricing structure, even though it's commercial theater in a free market capitalist society.

the scalping issue aside, because i actually don't care either way and have no problem with it being legal OR illegal, this last part of your post concerns me the most. how would a government regulation fairly determine the pricing for an entertainment attraction/event produced by a private, for-profit entity? just wondering where it begins and ends with price restrictions on ticketed events. do you want a governmental agency in d.c. dictating the price of broadway

I agree with those frustrated by the way scalpers are driving up the cost of tickets to levels that are simply unfeasible for many.

However, there's a part of me that believes Alexander Hamilton, the creator of American capitalism himself, would say that what is going on with the ticket pricing is a direct result of the economic system he envisioned, put in place, and championed. He would probably take enormous pride in the fact that the biggest current hit on Broadway, based on proclaiming his legacy, is a textbook case of how capitalism works.

how would a government regulation fairly determine the pricing for an entertainment attraction/event produced by a private, for-profit entity?

Where did I say that the government would set Broadway prices? The government can subsidize the arts and can subsidize low cost tickets. The producers can voluntarily choose not to pursue the biggest profits. You are obviously a big big fan of free market capitalism to the point that the content of your posts is becoming as predictable as After Eight. But that's not the only way to look at the world, and I wanted to speak up because your repetitious scolding of people for not understanding the free market was getting tedious.

No. I said to each his own. If people want to get involved with it and all it entails fine. If not, equally fine. I think we all agree no one ever saw anything like it nor will they ever see anything else like it again. Many more are now coming on the board condemning the hype. I no longer do it. I no longer care one way or the other. It is what it is and I deal with it. I accept it is there and move on to something else .

Updated On: 2/3/16 at 11:33 AM

Exactly

Same thing happens with concerts and sporting events. It is what it is. You pay it or you don't. It is really a very simple process. It ain't gonna change so do not waste time or get angry over it. Deal with it or move on. We have done the latter. If you opt for the first option that is your affair

The government can subsidize the arts and can subsidize low cost tickets. The producers can voluntarily choose not to pursue the biggest profits.

if you read the full thread you would know i already suggested that the only way it works is if the government subsidizes theatre (which it already does, by the way). that being said, it is not the actual solution since we are talking about ONE SHOW. that is it. not musical theatre or broadway as a whole. nope. just Hamilton. so... creating some sort of national arts model like the United Kingdom has won't really solve this particular problem.

if i sound repetitive and redundant, it is because those coming on here to constantly complain seem unable to accept the fact that entertainment and broadway is a luxury. but beyond Hamilton there is PLENTY of free and affordable theatre. that is my problem with this entire issue. you are not complaning about the model as a whole. just this particular show, which is ridiculous. here is an analogy: you are suggesting that someone who only has the budget to buy a honda cr-v should be allowed the opportunity to purchase a bmw convertible instead because it's the "hotter" vehicle. it's the more desirable option. but that's not really how the world works. you live within your means. if you can afford a high-priced ticket to Hamilton, great. go for it. if you can't? either start saving up, try the lottery, try the cancellation line, do standing room, do rush, or make a financial sacrifice in another area of your life to afford the ticket.

the men and women who put up millions of dollars in capital to invest in a risky business that, in turn, provides you and society with the art form of musical theatre should not be chastised for seeking to gain a larger return on their investment. that is absolutely ludicrous and removes their incentive for investing in commercial theatre.

Wow, I am so thrilled my family and I saw it Labor Day weekend and paid under $100 per ticket.

thank you, iris. i agree with you on that last point. we will definitely agree to disagree as i do not see the merit behind boycotting a show for its ticket prices. just doesnt make sense and removes the incentive for those same producers to go mount other broadway productions that you could hopefully and potentially afford. cheers

There are two different issues here, but are a bit hard to separate.

1) the scalping, making it almost impossible for people to buy tickets at face value, and driving the price through the roof

2) the upscaling of the face value price due to the high demand (in partial, I'm sure, because of the amount of tickets bought by scalpers)

Producers are claiming the reason for the high ticket prices, especially premiums, are the scalpers, as the argue the money better go to the producers than to scalpers. That's fair enough. But I think the government should really resolve the problem of scalping to begin with. It should simply be illegal to re-sell tickets for a multitude of the face value. The money should go to the show, and only the show (or concert or sporting event or whatever). Reselling single tickets or pairs for face-value if you can't make it is a different story.

In a world without (large-scale) scalpers the prices might look different already.

The issue of face value the comes down to demand of course, and I have no problem with a popular show being a bit more expensive than a less popular show. But I also think that it should be in the interest of the producers to not make a show an elite-club for the privileged. Yes, this is entirely a moral argument. But for example, what I've seen some shows do, is just raise the price of orchestra and front mezz tickets, while still selling the rear mezz/balcony or sides for under $50. Fiddler and Curious Incident are two shows that come to mind that do this. Cursed Child in London is another one. The cheapest seats are 35 pounds. They'll still make a ton of money and make a ton of money for all their investors, while making sure that even people on a budget can see it. The only incentive being that they want to give everyone the opportunity to see it. Because they can afford to do so.

So what I'm saying is that what saddens me is that Hamilton seems to not care very much about anything but making the most possible amount of money at this point. There isn't much that I can do about is besides not buying a tickets for those prices, and expressing my feelings on the matter, in the hopes that, if enough people do the same, they will listen.

Over and out, have to go back to work to earn the money to see all the others this season!