CT2NYC said: "Jarethan said: "Wick3 said: "Yeah the Boston prices were steep when I bought tix (friends and I spent a weekend in Boston last summer.) Since we live in NYC, we'll wait on buying tix and do rush or lottery or SRO. If we absolutely love it and have a need to see it again, then I'll pay full price (or discounted ticket if there are any out there.)"
I am guessing that you purchased your tickets fairly late. I purchased my tickets way in advance and they were reasonable. When I got tickets to see it again, I got worse seats and paid at least $30 more. I also refuse to pay for premium seats, so I have never paid more than $196 (for Hamilton in Tampa!!!).
I purchased my tickets for New York the first day they went on sale. At the time, I debated getting Row R center in the orchestra, which was $179, or Row (I think) G center in the mezzanine, which were $139. I ended up with the orchestra, but regretted it 5 minutes after buying the tickets (I decided the Mezzanine would give a better view of the experience).
I am thinking that they have already raised prices based on early sales, which I 'blame' on automation, which enables this constant re-pricing.
I also purchased tickets to see TKAM in May when tickets first went on sale. I recently needed get a third ticket, and I had to pay $50 more than I paid originally. Supply and demand, further enabled by the automation.
I have raised this issues years ago and gotten pooh-poohed by the board, but I really believe that prices have gotten obscene. The last row of the second balcony in the Shubert for a drama is $99, plus those bloated fees if you buy on-line."
Balcony seats for TKAM are now $89, but, for more than6 months, they were $49 for rows A - D, and $39 for rows E - J, which were $39/$29 on Wednesday matinees. Hardly obscene, and people had plenty of time to take advantage of the pricing. If someone waits to buy tickets until a show opens to rave reviews, I have no sympathy for them. Also, for what it's worth, there's still an active discount available. 2 days ago, I saw most of left balcony row J available on 2/5 for $35 per ticket, using the code."
Re $89, I guess it depends on when, because I did just buy a (second) balcony seat for $99, It was a lousy seat, which I expected, because the show is a big hit and time had gone by (amazingly the purchase for a non-musical was 5 months out and there were very few seats, which I am happy about). I still feel the pricing is wrong, it prices so many people out of even buying last row of the balcony; and don't tell me they can rush...there are so few seats available and a lot of people do not live or work in Manhattan. If they even know about Rush seats, they probably have to be at the theatre (and it is now winter) at the crack of dawn. Now, if they are not in-town, what are they going to do for the next eight hours if they are successful with their purchase, and don't live / work in Manhattan?
Admittedly enough years back that some of your parents were not even born, you could get cheap tickets to the hardest ticket in town, and they would cost around 1/3 of the high priced tickets (this is before premium pricing, so I am talking an apples to apples comparison). I was able to see Funny Girl for $3 when the orchestra was $9.60 and Hello Dolly for a similar price, and Fiddler and Man of La Mancha and Hair, i.e., classic hit that were the most in demand shows early in their runs. For several shows -- I don't remember how many -- Harold Prince raised the price of the orchestra to $12, and used part of that to subsidize the mezzanine seats he sold for $2. I know I saw Cabaret and Superman for $2, don't remember if there were others). I saw an amazing number of shows for about the equivalent of about 2 hours of work on a part-time job I had later in high school. Now, I imagine that a student would need to work 8 - 10 hours for that same ticket. That is going to hinder young people from developing the passion that I, and I assume others on this board, have had since our teen years.
One other thing. How often are middle class people who do not live in Manhattan are going to think about coming in to see a show if their perspective is based on the $99 second balcony seat for TKAM they managed to get or the $99 Frozen tickets they got in the second balcony (before the show opened, per your earlier point). I can not remember which one, but I am positive there is a show opening this season that is charging $109 for the front of the second balcony.
My ultimate fear: a lot of non-regular theatre goers (who could become more frequent attendees) are assuming all shows are as expensive as the few they have seen.
Now,I will get off my soap-box.