Posted: 9/12/15 at 2:32pm
dramamama611 said: "And by the way.....I only check two dates quickly and not only found seats in the 300 range, but even found a few on both dates for $177. (some even in the orchestra)
"What weeks are you looking? I was in March. Thanks
Posted: 9/12/15 at 2:34pm
Hellob said: "how is it a revolution when the majority of audience is over 50 and white for all 5 times that I've attended (at the lower ticket prices)? LMM has spoken about this in numerous places but how if they've been priced out? "
Err, how are you experiencing an issue with the tickets and pricing, but still got in FIVE times? Sounds like you're finding a way, heh. I'm currently subemployed, and aside from trying a few lotteries, am just waiting until my finances are more solid, at which point I'll start look for tickets to Hamilton and other shows more seriously.
Posted: 9/12/15 at 2:37pm
haterobics said: "Hellob said: "how is it a revolution when the majority of audience is over 50 and white for all 5 times that I've attended (at the lower ticket prices)? LMM has spoken about this in numerous places but how if they've been priced out? "
I'm not saying I'm having issues. I bought my tickets in March except for one stubhub purchase. I make a decent wage, have no housing/living expenses besides food and insurance. I have a much higher % of disposable income. I'm not a typical example.
"
Updated On: 9/12/15 at 02:37 PM
Posted: 9/12/15 at 2:46pm
Hellob said: "I'm not saying I'm having issues. I bought my tickets in March except for one stubhub purchase. I make a decent wage, have no housing/living expenses besides food and insurance. I have a much higher % of disposable income. I'm not a typical example."
Ahhh, OK. usually when people bring up the show being something that can bring a younger audience into the theater in relation to its prices, it has been younger people bringing it up ironically because they are annoyed they can't get in. 
Had I know the tickets would have remained this much value, I would have gone already using my old concert trick of buy 3 tickets, and then scalp two of them for the price of 3, making mine free, heh.
Posted: 9/12/15 at 2:51pm
"It gets funnier by the minute. Sad thing is that all those young people who Broadway courted in the past may no longer be able to afford it."
My daughters who are in their mid to late 20's can afford to see it but only sitting in the mezzanine.
Posted: 9/12/15 at 2:55pm
I guess the people who attended who were WHITE should be punished because of who they are.
It is going to get a whole lot worse .
Posted: 9/12/15 at 2:59pm
"I just find it unsettling that this show is marketed as the show for young people and those who think theater is cheesy. This is supposed to be a revolution but how is it a revolution when the majority of audience is over 50 and white for all 5 times that I've attended (at the lower ticket prices)? LMM has spoken about this in numerous places but how if they've been priced out?"
I just don't see how young audiences or lower-income audiences being priced out of theatre is a problem specific to Hamilton. That's a conversation worth having but Hamilton's not even the best case study to target, since not all shows even offer a $10 lottery or a lower price point that's well below market value for rear mezz seats. It's still a business, it's still a business, it's still a business.
As far as paperless tickets, I'm a fan of the system, but there's a lot of work to be done for it to be feasible on Broadway. New York's transferable ticket law is a pretty steep obstacle to overcome, unless there was a way to change the name of the person picking up the ticket after it was purchased, but that would still allow for scalping, since the ticket-holder could still sell their seat and give a different name for pick-up. There'a also the issue that entering a Broadway show is chaos at already when a show is well-sold, finding a way to implement a paperless system that doesn't completely obstruct the flow of traffic in the theatre would be hard, but I've been to concerts out of state that offer a paperless ticket system and it was a great way to reduce scalping.
Posted: 9/12/15 at 3:15pm
Hellob said: "What weeks are you looking? I was in March. Thanks "
I looked at the first or second weekend in April. (more likely the 2nd)
Posted: 9/12/15 at 3:16pm
ZannaDo said: "
I just don't see how young audiences or lower-income audiences being priced out of theatre is a problem specific to Hamilton. That's a conversation worth having but Hamilton's not even the best case study to target, since not all shows even offer a $10 lottery or a lower price point that's well below market value for rear mezz seats. It's still a business, it's still a business, it's still a business.
It isn't a Hamilton specific issue regarding price at all but it is by the crowd they appear to want to reach. Anyway, we will see how it shakes out and hopefully they will open the theater a few times for high school/college/low income families only.
Posted: 9/12/15 at 3:16pm
I didn't realize that NY had passed laws guaranteeing the right of scalpers to operate. That does seem quite backwards from a consumer-protection and production-protection standpoint. Here in Toronto, when BOM comes through on tour, they set rules saying that you have to show the credit card/ID to pick up tickets at will call and only will call tickets are available for addresses outside of the immediate area to prevent internet scalpers. It seemed like that ought to be possible to do in NY, even if they allow the scalpers to re-sell their tickets in person to someone else at the venue (thus guaranteeing the right of re-sale to a purchaser). Having to pick it up in person would stop many scalpers based outside of NYC from trying to profit from the production. I suppose that would still leave plenty of in-town scalpers able to do it, though it would decrease the convenience of being able to transfer them the tickets online, and might slow them down a bit if they had to come to the theatre every night in order to get the profit that they want.
Posted: 9/12/15 at 3:18pm
Mr Roxy said: "I guess the people who attended who were WHITE should be punished because of who they are.
Oh please, white isn't used as an insult. It's a factual observation. Don't start that stuff.
It is going to get a whole lot worse .
"
Posted: 9/12/15 at 3:23pm
adam.peterson44 said: "I didn't realize that NY had passed laws guaranteeing the right of scalpers to operate. That does seem quite backwards from a consumer-protection and production-protection standpoint."
They make it sound nicer than that, of course, even if that is the end result. Their position it was basically giving you the ownership of your ticket and how you were able to use it, transfer it to friends, etc., and not something you were licensing from the venue and they maintained all control of how it could be used despite the fact that you paid for it, etc.
Posted: 9/12/15 at 3:34pm
I guess allowing people to transfer the tickets to whomever they want but only making the tickets available via will-call would definitely slow down the scalping business, and limit it to in-town and very-industrious scalpers if they have to show up every night to keep operating. But a previous poster's point about the chaos when entering Broadway theatres is well-taken. I have never understood why some of those venues don't open their doors a half-hour sooner. Some of them start letting in the long line-ups of people at 15 minutes before curtain time, so that people who arrived half an hour before curtain and got in line right away are still not guaranteed that they can go to the bathroom and still get to their seats on time. It is downright inhumane. I have never seen that done in other places before, and Broadway would have to fix that problem before they could try the will-call-only approach to slowing down scalpers. Only the Gershwin and the Lincoln Centre Theatres currently get that right (i.e. open their doors an hour before so that people can use the washrooms, etc.).
Posted: 9/12/15 at 3:56pm
Opening the house earlier would incur costs: for paying the front of house AND technical staff. Additionally, I believe union rules help in preventing that. Calling out for a performance only has to happen by 1/2 hours....many patrons would already be past the posting the lobby. Also, things like fight call happen ON stage. The house can't be open unitl all that is done.
Posted: 9/12/15 at 4:04pm
dramamama611 said: "Hellob said: "What weeks are you looking? I was in March. Thanks "
I looked at the first or second weekend in April. (more likely the 2nd)
"
It looks like some of the dates in March are at the $352 max, too but was $477 on the weekends I looked at. Thanks for the tip!
Posted: 9/12/15 at 4:06pm
adam.peterson44 said: "Only the Gershwin and the Lincoln Centre Theatres currently get that right (i.e. open their doors an hour before so that people can use the washrooms, etc.)."
Those are two of the biggest houses there are, though, too... with lots of room to move around, lots of bars, etc., etc.
Not sure there is any difficulty with patrons using restrooms before shows now, though. I show up to every show with less than 10 minutes to curtain and always hit the loo before heading to my seat. Never even a line...
Posted: 9/12/15 at 4:20pm
I've always assumed you are male, no? It's not as easy/quick for us gals.
Posted: 9/12/15 at 4:22pm
haterobics said: "Not sure there is any difficulty with patrons using restrooms before shows now, though. I show up to every show with less than 10 minutes to curtain and always hit the loo before heading to my seat. Never even a line...
"
You must be a guy. :)
Posted: 9/12/15 at 5:55pm
ChiTheaterFan said: "You must be a guy. :)"
Dramamama611 said: "I've always assumed you are male, no? It's not as easy/quick for us gals."
Yes, but I was replying to another male on the subject. That seems reasonable in context.
Posted: 9/12/15 at 7:02pm
Not saying it's not a reasonable comment. You guys just have it lucky. What we really need is more ladies' rooms but that will never happen.
I got to Fun Home 15 minutes early and barely made it. The usher was great though. She told those of us in the back of the line not to freak out by what she was about and we had plenty of time but she was going to speed it along. She went in and told everyone already in the bathroom they'd better hurry up or they wouldn't be seated. It worked! Those ladies peed so fast! :)
Posted: 9/12/15 at 7:48pm
The Rodgers and the Imperial have it easy since the Marquis (with several levels of restrooms) is right there, but other houses aren't as convenient.
Posted: 9/12/15 at 8:22pm
I've always assumed they don't let people in too early is to keep that line stretching down the block for as long as possible, thus giving the appearance of a hit show. As a friend so wisely once told me, the only show anyone wants to see is the one they can't get into. A long line is good for business; an empty sidewalk at 7:45 on a Thursday night is not!
Posted: 9/12/15 at 8:44pm
The nice thing about dynamic pricing is that it works in both directions. And beyond the pure supply and demand element, the effect of raising prices for those seats is that brokers have a lower threshold than the market. (At $500, a broker is less likely to buy than at $400, and that's good for everyone else.) And if and when the market softens, the production can ALWAYS lower the prices to sell them. (And brokers are not as likely in a market like that.) So... as yucky as raising prices is, it is actually healthier than the alternative.
Posted: 9/12/15 at 11:34pm
Surely part of the problem is how far in advance you can buy tickets, which only encourages 'speculation'.
Posted: 9/12/15 at 11:41pm
Actually, that is often untrue. Most scalpers don't want to sink money into tickets they can't unload for another 10 months, as opposed to a concert ticket for a show that is only three weeks out. Of course, since they are making money hand over fist now, they'll do it. But it is hardly their desired situation, and at some point, their speculation will be shown to be unfounded.
