Kennedy Center Hamilton Confusion

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Kennedy Center Hamilton Confusion

Posted: 5/4/20 at 11:40pm

I have been a lurker on these boards for years, but I was incredibly confused by the Kennedy Centers announcement today and I have found the KC to be...not the most honest lately.

I am a subscriber for this season and I have tickets to Hamilton this summer. Many sites including this one have reported that the Hamilton tour stop has been postponed due to the KCs cancellation of all performances through August 9th and that the KC is working to reschedule the tour for a later time like in other places. However, the KC website lists Hamilton as cancelled not postponed and they list information about how to get a refund. This same information was reflected in an extremely confusing phone call that I got from them that consisted mainly of an extended guilt trip to get you to donate your tickets and including minimal useful information.

Im left with a few questions; does this mean that the tickets I currently hold will not be honored at a rescheduled performance, as is normally the practice, meaning that they plan to sell any type of rescheduled engagement from scratch? Is there any plan for Hamilton to return at all? The KC offers no indication of that on their website and the Hamilton tour website has no information either that I could find like they do about other places. I am afraid to ask for a refund if they will be honored at a later date but Im also afraid to hold onto them for too long and have the Kennedy Center consider my lack of action a donation. Im sure others here are in the same boat and Im curious what peoples thoughts are.

Kennedy Center Hamilton Confusion

Posted: 5/5/20 at 12:18am

I’m confused as to why you’re confused. The Kennedy Center website is very clear as to what its Hamilton ticket holders options are:
“This event has been postponed.
Ticketholders for this postponed event have the following options:
Donate your tickets, and receive a tax deduction for the total ticket value
Exchange your tickets for a Kennedy Center gift certificate, or
Receive a full refund for the value of the ticket and associated fees”

Exchanging for a possible future date doesn’t appear to be an option. As to when it will make it to the Kennedy Center, I doubt very much that anyone has any idea right now.

Kennedy Center Hamilton Confusion

Posted: 5/5/20 at 12:23am

It's canceled, and they might have Hamilton come there at some point in the future. That's about it, there is no "we can reschedule for a new date" happening here. They don't really need your donation (plenty of regional theaters that are at a risk of closing that would truly appreciate it), and they handled the federal funds very poorly. But, the show is not happening so that is what is important here.

Kennedy Center Hamilton Confusion

Posted: 5/5/20 at 8:39am

Adding another data point for Pseudolus465 regarding the Hamilton cancelation:

I'm holding tickets for Hamilton at the Kennedy Center. The email I received late yesterday is pretty definitive. It has the subject line "Alert! Your Hamilton performance has been canceled." It goes on to say:

"The D.C. engagement of Hamilton, scheduled June 16–Sep. 20, 2020, has been canceled along with other performances as we continue to prioritize the health and well-being of our patrons, artists, volunteers, staff, and community at large in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

You have the following options:

Donate your tickets, and receive a tax deduction for the total ticket value
Exchange your tickets for a Kennedy Center gift certificate, or
Receive a full refund for the value of the ticket and associated fees"

There is no mention anywhere in the email about a postponement, or current tickets being used for a rescheduled Hamilton performance. In fact the website explicitly states "Please note, as the return engagement of Hamilton has not yet been confirmed, exchanges for future Hamilton tickets are not currently possible."

Kennedy Center Hamilton Confusion

Posted: 5/5/20 at 9:13am

It sounds like they have every intention of bringing it in at some point, but when they do, it will be considered a new engagement rather than a postponement of this summer's engagement.

The Kimmel Center here in Philly called their initial wave of cancellations postponements and specifically mentioned to save tickets as they would be honored at the new date. Jesus Christ Superstar was moved to July and Evan Hansen has been rescheduled for October. The spring Philly Pops concerts were moved to August.

Kennedy Center Hamilton Confusion

Posted: 5/5/20 at 9:24am

matt1982 said: The Kimmel Center here in Philly called their initial wave of cancellations postponements and specifically mentioned to save tickets as they would be honored at the new date. Jesus Christ Superstar was moved to July and Evan Hansen has been rescheduled for October. The spring Philly Pops concerts were moved to August."

I have been less than impressed by the way The Kimmel Center has communicated with people in this process, but that's par for the course with them. And if they think a July performance of JCS is going to happen they're fooling themselves.

I wonder what the time limit is on "postponing" with no further information is when it comes to consumer protection laws. Could they just keep saying it for years and never give refunds?

Kennedy Center Hamilton Confusion

Posted: 5/5/20 at 9:52am

Every theater across the country is operating at a devastating loss and lack of information - no one knows when theater will come back, and I’m sure it will be much later than anyone thinks. I understand people like the Kimmel Center for being verbal with their actions, but every decision they’ve made is going to be walked back, because the odds of shows happening before Winter 2020 is slim to none.

If you can, donate the tickets. It’s paying someone’s salary, assuming they haven’t been furloughed. If not, take the refund, and plan to see the show in 2021. The biggest issue is that shows can’t reschedule until we know when they can start, which is just a hopeless loop.

Kennedy Center Hamilton Confusion

Posted: 5/5/20 at 10:44am

SeanD2 said: "I have been less than impressed by the way The Kimmel Center has communicated with people in this process, but that's par for the course with them. And if they think a July performance of JCS is going to happen they're fooling themselves.

I wonder what the time limit is on "postponing" with no further information is when it comes to consumer protection laws. Could they just keep saying it for years and never give refunds?"

They rebooked the July dates almost immediately. They did the same thing with the Kristin Chenoweth concert, moving that to September. I agree that I don't see JCS actually happening, but I've held my ticket.

Friends who had tickets to Evan Hansen received immediate refunds. However, that is handled by Telecharge as it was playing the Shubert owned Forrest.

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